There has to be an After for Us ~ (shadam / klance)

Chapter 39 - Things that must've happened

NOTE: This is not the chapter I intended to write today, but I started to imagine what it  would be like for Adam post-breakup and thought he'd really need a close friend to lean on and then I thought, what if that friend was Veronica? (who I love and adore) and next thing I know I've written this. It doesn't fit into the narrative flow, but with this format I figure I can have a bit of leeway for when I wanna do something different. Considering this a story intermission! I promise I will write the confrontation between Melenor and Alfor next!!

"Ahhhhggghhh," Adam moaned into his desk. He heard several clicks as three objects were set down in front of him. He lifted his face up from the grain of the wood and saw Aspirin, a water bottle, and coffee inches away from his nose plus Veronica standing over him.

"You are a literal saint," said Adam, sitting up and reaching for the Aspirin.

"You need to lower your standards for the divine as all these items were readily available from the teachers lounge and all you needed to do was walk fifty feet to get them yourself."

"A herculean task considering how I'm feeling this morning. Wait... TA's aren't allowed in the teacher's lounge..."

"And teachers aren't supposed to show up to class hungover," teased Veronica, "But here we are."

"I'm not hungover," lied Adam. "I'm sick."

"Your tongue is still purple from however much red wine you drank last night."

"It wasn't wine," lied Adam. "It was popsicles... two whole bottles of popsicles..."

Veronica sat on the edge of Adam's desk and tilted her head with sympathy. "You wanna talk about it?"

"No," Adam lied once again.

"Kerberos mission launches today...," said Veronica. "That have anything to do with your current state?"

Veronica really wasn't the person to talk to about this, but honestly Adam could barely hold it in. "Takashi came over last night..."

"Go on," said Veronica, leaning in, clearly intrigued.

"I thought we would talk, but then we didn't talk we just..." Adam trailed off. He couldn't remember if Veronica was eighteen or seventeen and he really didn't want to be inappropriate in front of a minor. "...watched Netflix and chilled..."

"And drank a bunch of popsicles?" asked Veronica.

"Yeah... that too... And then after all that Netflix watching we fell asleep and when I woke up he was gone and now my heart's broken all over again."

"Well, it makes sense he'd get up early. He had stuff to do today." Veronica was of course alluding to leaving the Earth's atmosphere in favour of the endless void of space.

"But he could've woken me up to say goodbye before he go-go'd. But instead he left hanging like a yo-yo."

"And now you're running solo. Got it."

"I know I was dumb," said Adam, face planting back onto his desk.

"A little," agreed Veronica. "Everyone knows you're not supposed to Netflix with the ex."

"Well, I don't. I've never had an ex before. Takashi and I got together when we were fifteen. I was with him for almost nine years. I planned my entire life around him and now..." Adam stopped himself. He didn't want to cry now. He'd already done so much crying over the past few months.