Made To Be (a Mailbox Girl spin-off)

14. Fixing Things

I waited until noon the next morning to call Vanessa. I knew that she never woke up earlier than that on week-ends.

I was walking through campus when the alarm I had set on my phone to remember to call her rang. Ariel had designated me to go buy some snacks and I had obliged, not wanting to be confronted to her impending hunger.

I sat down on some bench under an old tree and dialed my step-sister's number.

One ring.

Two rings.

After three rings, I thought she'd never take my call.

But then, her voice finally rose on the other side of the communication.

"Hey." She said with a hoarse voice, as if she had just woken up.

"Did I wake you up?"

"No, not really." She mumbled, and I refrained from saying that she lied very poorly. "I was supposed to get up an hour ago."

"Do you have any plans today?" Even if it was just small talk, I was glad to hear her voice and talk to her as if we had never fought in the first place. It was a good thing I didn't listen to my horoscope for once.

"Yeah. Mom set me up for tutoring lessons with Mrs Hills."

"Spying Mrs Hills, you mean?" A chuckle nearly escaped my lips but I figured Vanessa wouldn't be really glad to hear it. Our neighbor, besides the fact that she was an annoying old lady with a passion for intruding other people's lives with her binoculars, had also been a college professor for years before retiring. And from what I heard of children in the street who took private lessons with her, she was even more annoying as a teacher than as a nosy neighbor.

"Yeah. Our lesson is in thirty minutes or so but I really, really don't want to go."

"At least you found someone to tutor you."

"I know. Mom said I should be thankful but I mean, it's Mrs Hills, okay? I'd rather have any other teacher but her."

I nodded silently. What could I say without Vanessa asking if I wanted to tutor her again? It had been the subject of our first fight, I didn't want to go down that slope again.

"Anyway, how is everyone doing at home?"

"Well, I guess they're alright. Everyone misses you really much and Mom is already plotting for a reason to pay you a visit." A sigh nearly escaped my lips as I realized how much I missed them all too. Hopefully, this secret visit would happen really soon.

As I want about to answer Vanessa though, my phone emitted a weird "beep" that I recognized as the double-call sound.

"Wait a sec, Vanessa. I have a double-call. Let me check-" I peered at my phone only to be met with Demarcus' face on it. He had snapped a pretty distasteful selfie one day when I was looking away and had set it up as his profile picture on my phone. I had wanted to remove it ever since, but it would slip my mind every time I was not talking to him.

But I'd rather not have the proof that Demarcus' neck skin was abnormally flexible every time he called me. Gross. It was gross.

"I have to pick it up but please, don't hang up. I'll be quick." I informed Vanessa, feeling slightly guilty that our first conversation since our argument had to be interrupted. As much as I didn't want to pick up the phone at that moment, I knew Demarcus wasn't the calling type of dude, unless he couldn't help it.

"Actually, I have to prepare for Mrs Hills right now so let's talk later, alright?" Thankfully, Vanessa's voice didn't sound like her pride was hurt but she was never the kind to be butthurt over trivial things. That is, until last Monday.