Second Chances

Bestie

I hadn't told a soul about what happened with Noah last night. Andrew had seen some of it, of course, and so had Ava, but thankfully they were both cool about it.

I knew I needed to talk to someone about it, even though I didn't want to. I knew from experience that my depressions seemed to come creeping back when I kept everything inside. The darkness and the sadness would surround me and pull me down. I couldn't risk it again.

So, after doing a mental checklist about positives and negatives by telling either my brother or my best friend first, I settled for Sara. I asked her at school if we could have dinner together. She got immediately worried as she sensed that something was up, but agreed when I promised to tell her everything that was going on. We decided to order some Chinese food, and she'd come over to my house since I wasn't working.

It was just before seven when Sara came bursting through the front door with a bag of food in her hand. A cold breeze blew in behind her and she hurried to close the door.

I lived alone in a small ranch-style house I inherited when my dad passed away. It was a little outdated, but more than enough space for me. The rooms weren't big, but there was one master bedroom and 2 spare bedrooms that shared a full bath in the hallway. There was a small kitchen and a living room, dining room combo.

"Wow, you made it here quick. Did you skip out early?"

Sara spent part of her week at the pediatric department of the hospital. Her plan was to become a pediatric nurse once we graduated.

"No, I just drove faster than I should've, I guess."

I raised an amused eyebrow.

"Em, you better start freaking talking," she demanded as she walked past me into the kitchen and put the bag of food down on the countertop. "I know something happened and I've been stressed about it all freaking day."

"It did," I agreed.

I reached for a couple of plates in the upper cabinet and put them on the counter next to the food. Sara wiggled out of her jacket and walked back to the door to hang it up on an empty hook next to where my winter coats were.

"Is it Noah?" She asked, and I realized she sounded worried. She must've been stressed about it.

"Yes," I agreed. "Let's take the food and go sit, and I'll tell you everything that has happened."

She studied me intently for a few seconds before she settled for, "fine."

"Do you want wine, Sara? I have ice tea too."

"Let's do ice tea since I'm driving."

"Okay."

I took the ice tea out of the refrigerator and poured us both a glass. I heard Sara open the boxes of food. She proceeded to scoop some onto our plates and carried them into the dining part of the living space. I picked up the glasses and followed behind her.

Sara took one of the chairs at the long end of the table, and I took the chair on the opposite side. There wasn't anything special about it, other than it had been my parents, like most of the things in the house. It was a light rectangular wooden table that fit two chairs on each side and one on each end.

"So before you start," Sara said, and looked me straight in the eyes. Her red hair had curled up from the moisture with the light snow and stood like an aura around her head. "Are you okay, or do I have to kill him?"

I started to laugh. She was so fiercely protective of me, and I loved her for that.

"I'm good, Sara. Promise."