Falling in the Dark | ✓

6 | Waffles

"Stop it, Vera," I chastise her, swatting away her hand as she tries to fiddle with my ponytail. Grasping my shoulder with her other hand, she's standing on tip-toe to reach the black hair elastic on my head.

She sinks back down, withdrawing her hands with a childish pout. "Why don't you wear that black dress you've never worn? Nothing says 'sexy time' like a little black dress."

"And nothing says 'study time' like a pair of jeans and a t-shirt," I retort sarcastically. "Which is what I want to say."

"Yeah, yeah," Vera sighs. Grinning widely, she wiggles and eyebrows and shakes her shoulders. "Maybe you might end up studying some anatomy tonight, you know what I'm saying?"

"Oh, shut up, Ver," I laugh and shake my head at her.

"Don't forget. I'll text you halfway through the date," she says, walking over to her bed. "Reply if it's a disaster, and I'll come to the rescue with an emergency."

"Got it." I grin at her. "What's your idea of an emergency this time? I hope it's not the 'my-grandma's-parachute-didn't-go-off-when-she-went-skydiving' thing again."

Vera taps her chin as though she's in deep thought. "Maybe that one was a bit much."

"You think?" I snort with laughter.

"I'll come up with something better," she promises with a wink.

Suddenly, the chorus of 'Hotline Bling' echoes through the room, startling us both. Vera grabs her phone off the desk and presses it to her ear.

"Hello?" she calls into her phone as I walk over to the closet.

"Hey. Yeah."

I grab my messenger bag and hang it over my shoulder before grabbing my marketing textbook, a spiral-bound notebook and some pens and highlighters.

"Tomorrow, I know."

The pens land with a soft clatter at the bottom of my brown faux-leather bag.

"Hell yeah, I'll be there!"

I tense up as my ears unintentionally pick up the one-sided conversation.

"Vera," I say carefully when she hangs up and turns to me. "You remember what you promised me, don't you?"

"I do," she sighs.

"You promised you won't go to Blackwood again, even if your friends do."

"I know, Car! I'll come here right after the party's over, okay?"

"Okay," I nod. Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I realize that I should leave now if I want to get to The Blacktop by seven. "I should go."

"Have fun!" Vera shouts as I slip into my sneakers and head out. I call goodbye before shutting the light-brown wooden door behind me.

For what is probably the millionth time, I wish we could go back to those days in school when it was just Vera and me. Vera practically lived in my house, and we never felt the need for any other friends. We ate bubblegum ice cream under the sun, skipped gym class whenever we had the sudden inspiration to feel bold and binge-watched TV shows all weekend.

As I climb down the stairs with my hand on the cold railing, I can't help but wonder if Vera has ever - at least once - thought about what I think about almost every day.

❅

"Do you want to do something crazy?" Felix asks, leaning forward in his faded yellow seat with his hands resting on the table in our snug corner booth.