Page 40 of Collision
“Father claims that a tiny, godforsaken town like this is morelivable. Corvallis is his magic bubble. Also, the grandparents are here. And OSU is a great school, it has nothing to envy from Harvard.” She waves her hand over her toes to dry the polish just as we are interrupted by someone knocking on the door.
“It’s Travis,” he says in a faint voice.
“No, really?” exclaims Tiffany.
“Is Nessy with you?”
Tiff looks at me, waiting for me to tell her what to do. I give her a hesitant nod, and she lets him in.
“Hey,” I say as soon as I see him in front of me. I sit up on the edge of the bed and, when he reaches me, he gives me a chaste kiss on the lips.
“We’ll be leaving in twenty minutes, you guys ready?”
“Do we look ready?” interjects Tiffany with a raised eyebrow.
Her brother looks her up and down but doesn’t dare answer back.
“I’ll wait for you downstairs. Make it quick,” he says, before closing the door behind him.
“So,” she says eagerly as soon as we’re alone again. She puts her newly painted feet on the ground and observes the result with satisfaction. “Let’s get straight to the point: What is up with you and Thomas?”
I blink slowly at her, pretending not to understand. “T-there is no me and Thomas.”
“Oh yeah, sure. I saw very well what happened today during the game.” She spreads vanilla-scented moisturizer on her already perfectly smooth legs.
“Nothing happened,” I reply, jiggling my foot.
“Nothing? But have you seen the way he looks at you? To say nothing about how he practically incinerated that hot Duck-hunk who was making goo-goo eyes at you. What are you not telling me, Nessy?” She looks at me menacingly, trying to extract information with just her gaze.
“Shouldn’t we start getting ready? That way we won’t be late,” I change the subject.
“Oh, come on! Spill! Since when do you and I not tell each other stuff?”
Since my conscience made me sick with guilt.
“You know I’m going to find out either way.”
I give a resigned huff. “Fine! You wanna know what’s going on? Well, after my fight with Travis this morning, I was upset, and Thomas noticed, and I don’t know how it happened but there was a weird moment between us, and, I don’t know how, but we came this close to kissing,” I say all in one breath.
“What?” Tiff leaps to her feet, eyes wide. “And you’re only telling me this now? I’m your best friend. You should have informed me immediately!”
“Next time I promise to video chat you during the big moment,” I retort sarcastically.
“So you think it will happen again?”
“What? No, of course not! I was… I’m just saying.”
Tiffany gives me a coquettish look. “But would you want it to?”
“I said no!” I answer wearily.
“Okay, okay.”
I let myself sink into the pillows as Tiffany begins to go through some clothes. “Actually, I think he only did it to feed his own ego.” I let myself ruminate, my eyes focused on the ceiling.
“Meaning?” Tiff asks calmly.
“To prove to himself that no girl can resist him.”
