Deviating from the Norm (A "Freaks and Geeks" Fanfic)

Chapter 18 - Something different

I had been lounging around at home for about a half-hour, restlessly switching from room to room, trying to figure out how to not be bored. Sometimes I was just inexplicably jittery, and it was definitely one of those times. Though, that wasn't exactly true. Part of my uneasiness could have easily been attributed to my, undoubtedly, final conversation with Christina. It wasn't exactly her parting words that kept resonating in my head, but how sad, regretful and on the brink of tears she sounded as she said them and how I was, once again, the reason behind it.

Daniel, Ken and Nick were at the punk club, and Lindsay was with her parents at some party her family dentist was throwing. Everyone was out doing something... well, almost everyone. Maybe Kim had settled down enough for us to hang out. Then again, maybe she wasn't even home.

Only one way to find out.

I somewhat hated calling her house because it was either Arlo or her mother who answered the phone, but rarely Kim. The 'Oh, it's you again,' line had gotten pretty old by the second time they used it, and yet it was a regular part of our short-lived conversations where they stalled to decide if they were going to let their daughter talk to her friends or not.

"Hello?" Kim's slightly irritated voice answered after the third ring.

I breathed out in relief. "Oh good, it's you. I hate talking to your folks."

"Pfft! You and me both. Luckily, I don't have to deal with them this weekend. They're gone on their little anniversary trip. I kind of hope it goes well just so they don't come back early like they did a few years ago."

She seemed like she was in a better mood than she had been for most of the week, so I just decided to cut to the chase. "So what are you up to tonight?"

There was a lengthy pause before I got any kind of response.

"Look, I'm still pissed at Daniel and not in a really good mood, so I think you should probably just hang out with the guys tonight or something. Maybe I'll feel better tomorrow."

"Nah, they're with Daniel at-" A jolt of surprise ran through my body... surprise at my own stupidity.

Shut up! What am I doing?

"They're with Daniel where?" Her voice suddenly gained a hint of curiosity.

"Uh, I'm not sure exactly. I didn't go with them. It's called the elbow or the armpit or something. Some body part."

Oh, nice save. Way to not sell anyone out, idiot. I can't even play the 'obtuse' card right! Did I take my dumbass pill with a nice glass of truth serum or something? She'd better not ask if I like her or anything or I'm totally screwed.

There was another long pause before Kim yelled, "He's going with some slut, isn't he? Don't even lie to me, Donovan!"

"He's not, I swear!" Technically, I wasn't lying. He wasn't going with any 'slut', though he might be meeting up with one there.

"Whatever. You guys are all the same. You'll always cover for each other," she spat out and hung up on me.

What had she said all those months ago? 'No one said being my friend would be easy'? Well, this was a shining endorsement of that statement.

I was tempted to call again, but I knew her better than that. She would just refuse to pick up or simply take the phone off the hook. No, I needed to decide if I was going to head over there or continue to roam the house in a fidgety mess. The last time I made a blunder on the phone with a woman, going to her house did not smooth things over at all.

"Well, shit..." I sighed aloud and grabbed my jacket, yelling out that I was going over to Kim's for a while.