Old Friends (Janet and Toni Fanfic)

Chapter 62

Toni

I had no clue where I was going, or what I was gonna do once I got there, but I had to leave. To say I was sick of feeling like this was a total understatement. I couldn't even be worried about what Janet was thinking or feeling at the moment, which I knew was not good, but it had to be done. She would thank me later.

It wasn't late, only about 8 pm or so, but I felt as if I'd been up for 24 hours straight. One full day had passed and so many things happened in such a short span of time. I felt I was living in a twilight zone. My body didn't feel like mine.

An hour of idle, dead silent driving on a moderately empty road led me to Tamar's house. I'm wasn't sure of how I was making conscious efforts to get here; my mind was so foggy; but the gates opened for me and my car and I couldn't find it within me to turn around. I didn't really want to go inside, either.

I called her to see if she would come outside. I heard the TV going in the background, and she chewed obnoxiously into the receiver.
 
  "Tamar, come outside. I want to talk to you." I looked out my window to see if I saw any lights on in her house. Just the kitchen. Then I saw a figure move past slowly. It was my mother. It twisted my stomach into knots.

  "Why you won't come in the house? And why you ain't call me first?"

  I sighed. "Because I don't want to. Look, just come sit in the car." I rubbed my forehead.

  "Let me put some shoes on."

  "Where are you going?" I heard Evelyn ask.

  "Outside. Imma be back. Okay, Toni Braxton, I'm coming."

  "Toni?—"

The line went dead. I leaned my car seat back and turned down the air. I saw Tamar emerge from the front door in pajamas soon after and she jogged to the car. I unlocked the door.

  "Hold up. Aren't you supposed to be in—"

  "Face showed up at Janet's house today."

  "Oop." She immediately got quiet.

  "Why would you do that?"

  "I swear, Toni, it just kind of slipped out—"

  "Don't bullshit me. What were y'all talking about that we just came up in your conversation like that?"

  "He called me about you. He wanted to see how you was doing since..."

  "And you didn't think to tell me? Knowing what happened?" I turned and looked at her. She just played with her fingers.

  "I really thought that was the last thing you wanted to hear about. Honest to God."

  "You hear about what happened between me and her?"

She shook her head. "Wow. I thought for sure she would talk about me so bad. Well, anyway, I consider her dead. Simple as that." I was so desensitized at this point. I could talk about it so easily.

  "Hold on, what?" Her head snapped in my direction.

  "She refuses to respect us, Tamar. And I wasn't playing with her. So she and I, we—"

  "How can you just disown her like that? After all she's done for us? And the sacrifices she's made?"

  "Are you serious? Do you not remember what happened four nights ago?" I leaned forward in my seat. By the time this news got around to everyone, I was convinced I would have no family left.

  "I remember. And it was sad, and she was out of line, but—"

  "And she still is. That day that I missed her call, she was looking to see if I'd 'come to my senses' about Jan. To see if I'd left her just because she thought she really could have talked me out of it."