By the end of the week, I'm feeling better and less bloated. Nikki comes over to see me on Thursday after school. I'm on the couch scrolling TikTok when the bell rings.
"I'm coming!" I yell, sighing deeply as I encourage my ass to get up.
"Hurry up!" the oh-so familiar voice screeches at me, and my brain jumps into action.
"Nikkiiiiiiiii!" I squeal, throwing my arms around her shoulders and pulling her close.
"Hey mamas!" she giggles into my ear, nibbling a bit. "Missed me?"
"Yas! Come in!"
I drag her inside and up to my room excitedly. "How are you?" I ask as we sit down on my bed (which is actually tidy for once). I scan her fit— a plain oversized yellow hoodie over black cargos and thrifted off-brand sneakers. Very comfy, I think approvingly.
"I'm good. People at school miss you."
"Huh?" I ask genuinely confused.
"Yeah," Nikki confirms as she rummages through her backpack, drawing out two full-sized bars of chocolate with a flourish. "For you."
"Awwwn!" I coo, taking them. "Thank you!"
She smiles big back at me, unwrapping one for herself and taking a very large bite. For a minute, I wonder where she got the money for these, but I don't ask.
"Minna was like, where is my friend? She hasn't seen you since Monday, and I said you're sick and she was like oh. Tell her to take care. And Josh, and Ken, and Kenzie, and Fidelia, and Ax." She giggles into her hands and kicks her legs. "They noticed I actually have more time for them now that you're gone."
Oh?
Really?
I feel myself blush as a big smile almost rips my face in half. I don't know all these people, but they are all being so caring about me, even when we've never really spoken to each other.
"Oh. Tell them I said thanks," I mutter, inflating with joy.
"I will," Nikki smiles back. "Oh, and Anna-Kat, too."
At the mention of that name, my temperature rises and my eyes widen. Nikki gives one of her mischievous grins and takes another bite, tossing her blue hair over her shoulder.
"Yeah, I was sitting alone at lunch yesterday. And she came over and was like, hey. What happened today? Where's Anya?"
"Wait. She knows my name?"
"Um... Yeah," Nikki shrugs like it's no big deal. " We've chatted in the hallway a few times in the past few years and stuff. We sometimes talk about you."
"You do?!"
"What do you say?!"
She smiles wider. "Relax, girl. Not anything much. She sat at lunch with me and we had a good chat about cats and art history." She shrugs, licking up the chocolate stains on the wrapper. "You know, the shit you guys like."
She crumples up her candy wrapper and throws it across the room at the trash can. It bounces off the wall and stops some two feet away from my feet.
"I think she's a nice girl," I mutter.
"You shouldn't be hiding your feelings from me this long."
I give her my are you fr rn side eye and she grins in yh, I'm a bug.
"I know you have a crush."
"No I don't."
"Okay. Sound fake though. But be careful. Not all nice girls are very safe."
I throw my pillow at her head. "Alright! Alright! Shut up!" She hits me back on the shoulder with my Hello Kitty plush.
"OMG! Oww!" I pout and slap her back. " So rude!" I fold my arms all bratty-baby-like and Nikki bursts out laughing like the banshee she is.
"Meh meh meh meh meh!" she sings while making faces at me.
I push her so she falls onto the mattress and she drags me down with her.
After a good giggle, we sigh simultaneously and relish the silence. I sit up and grab one of my chocolate bars, rip it open, and bite into it.
I smile widely, enjoying the creamy texture melting on my tongue and Nikki oh-so rudely interrupts me with a "So it's not a crush? Couldn't help but notice you were blushing rather hard when I said her name."
My scalp tingles and I shoot her smug ass a death stare. She maintains an unfazed, innocent smile. I punch her on the shoulder.
"Oh, ye of little ability to lie to me," she sighs dramatically putting the back of her hand on her forehead. "Whenever will you learn?"
"Oh shut up! And what was with the whole nice girls thing anyway?"
She shrugs dismissively, playing with her cheap mood rings she has on that are now permanently black. "So, when will you be back at school?"
"Monday, I think."
"You've missed a bit."
"I know. I'll catch up."
"Oh yeah, just remembered. What was with the vomiting?
"Vomit?"
"Yeah, on Tuesday when you literally gave the dashboard a new coating!" she squeals into her hands kicking her legs. I feel a wave of embarrassment crash over my brain as I let out an ugh in exasperation.
"Like, bro was NOT happy about that. He was so upset about it. Like, he was SO ready to throw hands for real, for real."
"He was?"
"Yeah. And the funny bit is when we had to drive it home and it smelled like... I don't even know— vomit in there! It was actually really bad. And he had to clean it up at home 'cause we didn't have any wipes on us and those things cost a lot and we just wanted to get home as soon as possible. And Aidan literally threw up again! On top of your vomit!"
She punctuates the next seconds with loud laughter. I, by the way, want to die of embarrassment. But I laugh anyway.
"Clock it," I sigh into my elbow. "Is he okay though?"
"Yeah. He's good. He was just really disgusted and pissed with you—and me, of course, 'cause I wouldn't stop laughing. We got it done but it still smelled like puke in there until evening."
"Okay. Okay. Enough with the puke story," I say dryly and thankfully, she receives the message.
"Sure. Now come here and help me write my essay. Mrs. Jackson is making us write about what we would do if we were president. Like that would ever happen."
"You never know. "
" Nahh. I wouldn't do a good job with that. I don't fucking care about constitution and legislation and shit. It's not for me. Now get up and write my essay!"
I roll my eyes. " Aye aye, Captain."