Chapter 90 One chaotic night
Chapter 90 One chaotic night
It’s funny how time flies.
One minute your best friend is unconscious in a hospital bed while you mentally prepare yourself to fight doctors, nurses and possibly God himself.
The next minute she’s fully recovered and threatening people with violence because they keep bringing up the truck incident.
Life was weird like that.
Two weeks.
That was all it took for everything to change again.
Maya was finally okay.
Not movie-okay where someone survives getting hit by a truck and suddenly starts running marathons.
Actual okay.
The bruises had faded, the cast was gone and replaced with a smaller support brace around her leg that she absolutely hated because according to her, “it ruins every outfit.”
Personally, I thought almost dying ruined outfits more but who was I to judge?
The doctors advised rest.
Maya interpreted that as continue life normally but complain louder.
As for me?
I officially got into MSA.
Still sounded fake.
Sometimes I randomly opened the acceptance mail just to stare at it because my brain occasionally forgot that I was capable of difficult things.
Turns out panic attacks, stress crying and academic suffering actually paid off.
Crazy.
Mom cried for almost two days.
Klaus lifted me off the ground when he found out and almost broke my ribs.
Maya screamed so loudly our neighbors came outside.
Worth it.
The final evaluation itself felt like psychological warfare.
The monologue nearly killed me.
The interview nearly made me confess crimes I never committed.
The performance showcase somehow happened despite my legs shaking so much I thought they were developing independent thoughts.
Yet here we were.
Accepted.
Officially.
Me.
Tessa.
The girl who once considered ordering food at restaurants a social challenge.
Life was strange.
Everybody else’s lives kept moving too.
Maya got everything sorted for Yale and was now acting like one stressed politician running a campaign.
She had spreadsheets.
Actual spreadsheets.
Who willingly made spreadsheets?
Psychopaths.
Ethan somehow got into Harvard.
Harvard.
Actual Harvard.
I still refused to process it.
This was the same boy that once asked if penguins had knees.
The same person that nearly failed chemistry because he described atoms as tiny emotional particles.
Yet Harvard wanted him.
Anything was possible.
Klaus was still figuring things out.
His gap year plan confused everybody including himself.
One day photography.
One day traveling.
One day filmmaking.
One day “maybe I should become mysterious and disappear into mountains.”
Nobody took the mountain plan seriously.
He had started applying for internships though.
Progress.
Small progress.
That’s why I currently found myself sitting in a very expensive looking apartment in Los Angeles because Charlotte decided adulthood apparently started immediately after graduation.
She moved close to campus and threw a housewarming party.
Normal people bought scented candles.
Charlotte threw events.
The apartment itself looked ridiculous.
Not ridiculous bad.
Ridiculous rich.
Everything was white.
White couches.
White rugs.
White walls.
Who trusted people enough to own white furniture?
Certainly not me.
I spilled juice by existing.
Plants were everywhere too.
Tiny plants.
Big plants.
Plants hanging from ceilings.
Plants sitting on shelves.
Plants living better lives than me.
Music blasted from speakers hidden somewhere around the apartment while groups of people danced, talked and took pictures.
I sat safely on the couch.
Because couches never embarrassed you.
Parties however?
Dangerous.
I held my cup of juice dramatically while people danced.
Some people danced beautifully.
Others looked like they were trying to remove invisible bees from their bodies.
No judgment.
Actually a little judgment.
Charlotte rushed around greeting guests wearing a sparkly outfit that practically screamed main character.
Every few minutes random strangers introduced themselves.
I forgot almost every name immediately.
There were too many humans.
One girl talked to me for seven minutes about astrology.
Apparently being a Virgo explained why I looked “emotionally layered.”
I didn’t know what that meant.
Another guy tried explaining cryptocurrency.
I escaped by pretending I saw someone.
I didn’t.
Social survival.
Charlotte eventually dropped beside me.
“Why are you sitting alone?”
“I’m observing society.”
“You’re hiding.”
“Same thing.”
She rolled her eyes.
“You look happy.”
I thought about it.
“I think I am.”
She smiled.
Then disappeared again because apparently hosting parties meant constantly moving.
I checked my phone.
Nothing dramatic.
For once.
Weird.
The front door suddenly opened.
I looked over casually.
Then immediately nearly dropped my drink.
“MAYA!”
I practically launched myself from the couch.
She barely steadied herself before I hugged her.
“Your leg!” I panicked.
“My leg is attached calm down.”
Behind her stood Klaus holding snacks.
Of course.
This boy physically could not arrive empty handed.
Ethan followed behind wearing sunglasses indoors.
Again.
Why.
“You’re late,” I complained.
Maya pointed at Ethan.
“He changed outfits three times.”
“Fashion takes sacrifice,” Ethan defended.
“You’re wearing sunglasses at night.”
“It’s personality.”
Klaus walked over smiling.
I wrapped my arms around him immediately.
“You missed me already?” he asked.
“You’ve been gone for four hours.”
“And?”
Fair.
His hands settled around my waist while Maya fake gagged.
“Disgusting.”
“You survived a truck,” I reminded her. “Let me enjoy romance.”
Charlotte suddenly appeared.
“Oh my God finally!”
She hugged Maya carefully.
Then Ethan.
Then me.
Then Klaus.
Then Maya again because she forgot she already hugged her.
“You guys are officially here,” she announced dramatically.
“Congratulations?” Ethan replied.
Within minutes we settled in.
Music got louder.
Food appeared.
People danced badly.
Maya stole my drink.
Ethan argued with strangers about pineapple pizza.
Klaus kept stealing food off my plate despite owning his own.
Everything felt normal.
Dangerously normal.
The kind that usually meant chaos was waiting around the corner.
Charlotte suddenly clapped loudly.
Everybody turned.
She looked way too excited.
“Okay guys,” she grinned. “There’s someone I want you all to meet.”
She turned toward the hallway.
Then smiled.
“My boyfriend.”
Something about the way she said it immediately made me nervous.
Very nervous.
Because with our friend group?
Nothing was ever simple.