Salted Caramel Coffee (COMPLETED!)

Chapter Sixteen} Pš¥€ho

     "I don't know if I can take it anymore, Jess! They're both crazy. Your dad's a therapist, right? Tell him to come down and give these psychos some psychology."

     My phone is propped up on one of the bookshelves, sitting to the left of a cobweb, and to the right of the spider that probably used to live in it. I pace back and forth across the room, my hands tugging at my hair. I'm so stressed I can barely think. Blaze or Black. It's like Sophie's Choice for people who don't know what Sophie's Choice is.

     "My dad's a lawyer." Jess says, her head flipped over as she attempts to put her hair in a slick ponytail.

     "Your mom then."

     "Landscaper."

      "Close enough." I sigh, my head falling into my hands. "How could this happen? I mean, what were the chances?"

     Jess flips her head back up, revealing an almost-perfect caramel colored ponytail trailing down her back. "What, that the only writers you know live in Arkansas and Nebraska?" She chuckles lightly. "Seriously, watch the others be in like... Oregon."

     I roll my eyes at her comment, shaking it off. I love Jess more than anyone, but sometimes I wish she'd take me more seriously every once in awhile. I know I have my... flaws, but I try my best to fix them.

     Ok that was a lie. Whatever, though.

     "No, I mean what are the chances that my mother sends me to the house of someone who's accused of being abusive?" I rub my eyes with the heels of my palms, trying to keep them open. Multi-colored blobs dance around my vision, making me feel delirious.

     Jess pops open a bag of chips, making my stomach growl. "Maybe she knew." Jess says, chomping down on a Frito. "I mean, it's not like, confirmed that she's abusive. Right?"

     "That's the thing!" I say. "I have no idea. Either Blaze is telling the truth and Black's in need of a jail cell, or Black's telling the truth and Blaze is a total wackjob."

     Jess shakes her head subtly, popping another chip into her mouth. "I say they're both wackjobs, but that's just me." She laughs, the corners of her eyes crinkling.

"That's what I was thinking," I say, trying not to smile. Jess' laugh is so contagious- I love it. I can never stay mad at her for long, as long as she turns it all into a joke. "But like, they both seemed so genuine when they were telling their stories. I have a hard time believing that Blaze was lying."

"I bet they both believe their stories," Jess says through a mouthful of Frito crumbs, "they either have themselves convinced that they're right, or they're telling a half-truth."

I scoff. "Yeah, that or one of them is really good at lying."

"You know, you could just search up her name." Jess crumples the empty bag between her palms and tosses it over shoulder, swishing it perfectly into the garbage bin behind her. "Holy shit, Em! Please tell me you saw that!"

I bite my lip thoughtfully, flicking my bangs away from my face. "Yeah, Jess. I saw it." I say flatly. "Can I pause you?"

"Yeah sure- I'm a basketball GOD!"

I click out of our chat and hit Google, my fingers hovering over the search bar. What the hell am I supposed to search? This is such a weird thing to be looking up anyway. Did anyone get abused in Nebraska last year? Yeah, no.

     "Search her name, dumbass," Jess chuckles, her breath making the microphone sputter.

     "How did you-"