Chapter Seventeen: The Night She Realized

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– Terra –

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– Terra –

It is already half pass eight and I'm still drenched in a towel, panicking as I search for my clothes. What was meant to be a relaxing bath turned into a nap that left me waking up with soap in my eyes and dried shampoo in my hair.

Hastily, I slip on a loose tank top and a pair of sweatpants, drying the tangled mess on my head as I read the text from Abby that I have received an hour ago, stating that she will be spending the night out with Luke and will be back late, basically, what I already know.

My hair is damp when I sweep it backwards, not bothering to comb it. It's almost nine, Zach should be here any minute.

I rush into the living room, clearing out the mess that Abby was supposed to clean just to make space for later. I swear, when that girl gets back, I'm going to make sure this will be the absolute last time I'll be doing this for her.

I hear a faint knock at the door and I arrange the final stack of clothes before peeking through the peephole, tiptoeing my hardest to reach it. Then, I see a blob version of Zach. That's cute. I kind of prefer the blob version of him better.

My heart thumping, I place my hand on the doorknob and swing the door open, only I forgot to unlock it, so it actually doesn't open like how I imagined it to. Irritated at myself, I try the second time and the door swings too hard this time, crashing against the wall.

Well, that is gonna leave a mark.

"Remind me not to piss you off, again." Zach comments, a hand in his pocket and the other on the strap of his bag, hanging off his shoulder.

"I'll try." I say through gritted teeth, moving aside to make way for him to enter.

I close the door extra gently, cringing at the hairline crack at the wall. I'll figure out how to conceal it later.

I gesture for Zach to take a seat by the desk that Abby and I have set up for studying. It sits near the edge of the living room, next to the big windows that reveal the view of the city. My only regret is how dusty the curtains have become, but that's barely noticeable as long as it stays tied up.

"You were cleaning this place before I got here, weren't you?" Zach asks knowingly.

"Eh?" I frown.

"I have my own place too, you know, and I never clean it because I never had a compelling reason to." He says candidly.

"Well, I just had to make sure that there's walking space, that's all." I mutter.

"There's always walking space, if you don't mind stepping on some stuff." He says, and I can't tell if he is serious or if he is joking.

He sets up his things and I grab mine, taking a seat next to him. Then I hear what resembled a monster, only to realize it's my growling stomach. Feeling self-conscious, I place an arm over it, somehow thinking that it would make the sound go away. It doesn't.

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