Haze
Nova?
Me
Do I speak French?
My phone rings.
“I thought she wasn’t out until next month,” he barks down the line.
“Me too, she’s out on good behavior and didn’t tell anyone.” I lower my voice. She’s in the shower, but I still don’t want her tohear me. “She’s in bad shape. Smelled like a brewery, skinnier, and she’s actin’ weird.”
“Weird as in drugs?”
“No, weird as in skittish. Pacin’. Lookin’ around my apartment as if someone might jump out at her.”
He sighs. “I’m on my way, we’ll get to the bottom of it.”
“You’re gonna have to take her shoppin’ for clothes and shit.”
“Why me? Your arms and legs broken?”
“What the fuck do I know about chicks and fashion?” I whisper-shout.
“Sometimes I wonder how you made it this fuckin’ far in life,” he says matter-of-factly. “She’s in a crisis. I’m sure she’s not gonna be wantin’ haute couture, asshole.”
“Fuck off. Just get here. I don’t know what to do with her. She’s erratic.”
“I’m five minutes away.” He hangs up, and I resume my pacing.
If someone hurt her… I’ll go psycho. That’s what I need to get to the bottom of. The way she was acting has my suspicions raised.
When I hear the bathroom door unclick, I try not to pounce on her. I left her one of my t-shirts and put her stuff in the washing machine in the meantime.
“B-Brew, are you still there?” she calls out.
I pinch the bridge of my nose at her worried tone. “I’m still here, but we need to talk.”
She comes into view. My t-shirt swimming on her, and her hair tied up in a towel. She looks and smells better at least.
“T-talk about what?”
I give her a look. “Don’t play coy with me. I wanna know why you didn’t call anyone and then you just show up here lookin’ like Halloween.”
She blinks. “Should’ve called Haze,” she mutters.
“Well, your wish is about to come true, he’s on his way.”
“Great, can’t wait for the lecture.”
We’ve always been close, but this is low, even for her. “Answer me.”
Her eyes meet her feet. This isn’t Nova behavior. She’s usually sassy till the cows come home. “I thought I could do it on my own. You’ve both already done so much for me. I was embarrassed.”
“You usin’?”
Her eyes widen. “No, Brew.”
