The Virtuous

Chapter Four: Call from home

 The rest of my day went on uneventful and while I didn't want to see Jeff I knew I would have to return his things to him. However I knew if he saw me he was very likely to beg forgiveness and ask for us to fix things.

"You gotta cut him Mimi." Tara said.

She sat at the bar in our kitchen that night flipping through an old magazine while London finished getting ready.

"Yeah but I'm not gonna keep his stuff either. I have to drop it off." I explained and set down the heavy cardboard box of items he'd given me and left behind on the floor. Most of the stuff was stupid stuffed animals and notes he'd written to me to be sweet. However there was also a stack of CD's and some old books that I'd originally been unwilling to give back.

"Then why don't you at least let me drop it off? I'll leave it outside his door and then we'll forget he ever existed." Tara offered with a grin and licked her finger, flipping her magazine page.

I rolled my eyes.

"Is it ever that simple?"

"For me it is."

I shook my head.

"You can drop the stuff off at his place but I think I'm gonna skip out on drinking tonight."

"Oh come on, this is what you need! To go out drinking and have a good time without any attachments! Besides don't you wanna run into that Duncan guy?"

I shook my head and sighed.

"No, I wanna stay home and shower and get my homework done."

"But-"

"Tara quit being difficult." London narrowed her eyes at her lover as she came in the room. Tara hissed and slumped in her seat while London grinned at me.

"Naomi just needs some time to relax and process everything which is perfectly natural."

Tara grumbled before speaking louder and snickering.

"Sometimes you really crease me with that psychology stuff."

"Zip it before I start analyzing you next."

A genuine look of fear swept across Tara's face and I actually laughed.

Tara snickered at me before pulling her purse over her shoulder and standing. She came closer and gave me a sympathetic look.

"You gonna be okay by yourself? If you just want to go do something else we'll understand..."

"No, I just want to spend some time with my thoughts and my creative writing paper. Let me know if you guys need a ride home later though, okay? And tell Levi I'm sorry."

"I'm sure he'll understand." London cut in and pushed Tara out the door with her.

As the door closed, I looked around at the dark dorm and tiptoed to my room. As I got halfway there, I realized there was a chilled breeze leaving my skin in prickles up my arm. I felt my teeth quickly begin to chatter as I got into my room and tilted my head in wonder.

Somehow, my window behind my bed had opened.

I blinked and looked around; just to be certain I was alone, before inching towards the wall. I jiggled the lock. While it was rather old, I also knew that getting that window open was a trick and usually it took all my strength to make it work, so for it to have opened on its own was just too bizarre.

I quickly shut it and slid on my slippers to protect my bare feet from the now frozen hardwood floor.

I scooped up my laptop and backpack and sat down on my bed, preparing to write to my paper when my cell phone went off. I was reluctant to answer it for fear that it would be Jeff or Levi or even Tara but to my relief it was my mother.