Backstabbed (Amber Freeman x Fem Reader)

chapter 32: red walls

The clock on Tara's laptop read 11:30 PM, and the soft glow of her desk lamp was the only source of light in her room. She sat at her desk and opened her laptop.

The light from her screen lit up her entire face as she settled into her chair. She turned down the brightness since the harsh light of the screen was hurting her eyes.

Y/N had texted her about this project for a class that they had been working on for weeks that she constantly bugged Tara about but she didn't mind. She hopped on Facetime and clicked on Y/N's contact.

Not even a third ring and Y/N's face appeared on the screen, a grin spreading across her face.

"Hey, Tar. Ready to start this project?" Y/N's voice crackled through the speakers.

Tara sighed, glancing around at her messy desk.

"Not really.." She shrugged.

"But I know how much of a perfectionist you are, so I guess we should." Like she really had a choice, it was Y/N.

Y/N chuckled, mouth full of chips.

"Pfft, that's the spirit. You're so enthusiastic, Tar."

She rolled her eyes after that sarcastic comment. She propped her phone up against an empty mug and stood a few inches away with the bag of chips in her hand.

At first she rambled on about her day and what her and Amber did. Tara didn't care much about that part, it was nice to have Y/N's presence.

She was always so calming to Tara and would help her through her panic attacks that sometimes Tara believed that she didn't even need her inhaler when Y/N was around.

Tara was scrolling through twitter on her phone when she heard the ruffling of wood and clinking of glasses. Y/N was nowhere in sight. But in a second, she was back on Tara's screen, a bottle of wine in her hand and a sly smirk on her face.

Tara raised an eyebrow out of curiosity.

"Wine, Y/N? You know we're working on a project, not having a party, right?"

Y/N laughed, looking at the bottle of wine.

"Oh, don't worry, Tar. I'm not planning a wild party here. I just thought a glass of wine might help us unwind a bit."

Tara nodded, understanding the sentiment.

"Fair enough. Go ahead and pour yourself a glass. But don't blame me if you start spouting brilliant project ideas under the influence."

Y/N chuckled.

"I'll keep that in mind. I'm just bringing the bottle to my room. No need to tempt you with it."

As Y/N disappeared from the screen, the bottle of wine in hand, Tara couldn't help but smile at their friend's way of relaxing.

It was a much-needed moment of levity in the midst of their project work. Tara knew that with Y/N's ideas and a touch of wine-inspired creativity, they were well on their way to success.

"Hey, what if I snuck out?" Tara asked out of nowhere.

Y/N jerked her head back, surprised by Tara's suggestion.

"You? Sneak out? You've never snuck out in your life." Not that she needed to since Tara's mother was never home.

Tara playfully scoffed. "I totally could!"

That was also false because Y/N's house was nearly an hour walk and Tara didn't have a car.

Even if she was dedicated, she would not be able to get pass Sam or Richie and the police department announced a county wide curfew for 10 P.M. until further notice. They should've done that way before anymore murders happened.