room, most likely to fix some paper jam left by some unknown individual who made no effort whatsoever to inform her of it. I hear Sienna huffing and puffing as she opens a copier door and numerous other hinged parts.
I stop in front of Amber ’s office, looking in from the doorway. “Hi Amber,” I say. No response. “Amber.” She stares straight at her computer as her eyes tear up, even as I walk into her office, toward her. “I’m sorry I haven’t called.”
At this point I have no idea how the tears are sticking to the wells of her eyes. As soon as I lay my hand on her shoulder, she relaxes, and the tears flow, heavily. After five minutes of sobs and no words, she finally blows her nose, waking anyone asleep within a five-mile radius. “How could someone do those things to you?” she says as she starts crying again.
Not knowing what to say, “Sometimes bad things happen to good people, I guess,” slips from my mouth.
“Yes, they do,” she whispers, more to herself, as she eventually sits up straight and sighs her “I’ve got it together now” sigh. “Kailey, please remember I ’m here for you—I’ve always got your back. We’re practically sisters.” She looks at me, teary-eyed. “You and your mom have always been there for me, so I want to be here for you. Please don’t block me out anymore, k?” Her eyes stare at me for a moment and I shake my head. “You sleeping at night? I don’t mean to sound like a bitch, but you look exhausted.”
“No, I am not sleeping. Every stupid sound I hear in my apartment has me up an d running to the nearest weapon. And with every jump of mine, poor Kioto is right there beside me, watching and anticipating,” I say, sadly. Amber looks as though she may start crying again, so I decide to change the subject. “I just want this behind me, so let’s not talk about it right now. How was your date?” I query, with a small amount of forced effort. The slight downturn of her plump lips gives me the hint it was probably not awesome.
She inhales deeply and says with a scowl, “Like usual. The asshole actually shoved his hand under the table and up my skirt. Twenty minutes flat.” Her scowl then turns into a mischievous grin. “But I couldn ’t refuse his request to call me again this weekend.” Her eyes widen as she catches my swallow and she immediately apologizes. “Oh, I said too much. That was so insensitive!” She then gets up and hugs me, practically knocking me over. “I love you, Kailey. Forgive my stupidness, especially after what you went through... It was so extreme... You mean so much to me,” she whispers.
“Love you, too,” I say as I finish the hug. “Amber, just please don ’t let yourself be taken advantage of. Don’t settle. You’re more than that. Look at you! You can have any guy you want, yet you continue to...”
Her sudden facial changes warn me that perhaps I stepped over some boundary—even best friend boundary. “Who are you to say? ” she says, her voice suddenly becoming angry. “I’m truly sorry you experienced what you did, but you have no right telling me who and who not to see. Step back, Kailey.”
“It ’s just—” I stop mid-sentence, knowing it’s a losing battle. “You just worry me sometimes, that’s all. Sorry.” I wave goodbye as I leave her office. It was a typical Amber-Kailey boy-topic conversation, but I find myself brushing my clothes off from the strange creepy-crawly sensations gripping to me since our hug; surely my brain needs another scan at the hospital.
On the way to my office, I think about Amber and how she ’s usually the only reason I get out on the weekends and have any interaction with the opposite sex. We have fun together, but she’s dangerously flirty and tends to pick the wrong guys. She always has, since I met her, at the spritely age of sixteen.
Amber ’s mother, once widowed, abandoned Amber at the early age of fifteen. They cohabited, but while her mother dated
I stop in front of Amber ’s office, looking in from the doorway. “Hi Amber,” I say. No response. “Amber.” She stares straight at her computer as her eyes tear up, even as I walk into her office, toward her. “I’m sorry I haven’t called.”
At this point I have no idea how the tears are sticking to the wells of her eyes. As soon as I lay my hand on her shoulder, she relaxes, and the tears flow, heavily. After five minutes of sobs and no words, she finally blows her nose, waking anyone asleep within a five-mile radius. “How could someone do those things to you?” she says as she starts crying again.
Not knowing what to say, “Sometimes bad things happen to good people, I guess,” slips from my mouth.
“Yes, they do,” she whispers, more to herself, as she eventually sits up straight and sighs her “I’ve got it together now” sigh. “Kailey, please remember I ’m here for you—I’ve always got your back. We’re practically sisters.” She looks at me, teary-eyed. “You and your mom have always been there for me, so I want to be here for you. Please don’t block me out anymore, k?” Her eyes stare at me for a moment and I shake my head. “You sleeping at night? I don’t mean to sound like a bitch, but you look exhausted.”
“No, I am not sleeping. Every stupid sound I hear in my apartment has me up an d running to the nearest weapon. And with every jump of mine, poor Kioto is right there beside me, watching and anticipating,” I say, sadly. Amber looks as though she may start crying again, so I decide to change the subject. “I just want this behind me, so let’s not talk about it right now. How was your date?” I query, with a small amount of forced effort. The slight downturn of her plump lips gives me the hint it was probably not awesome.
She inhales deeply and says with a scowl, “Like usual. The asshole actually shoved his hand under the table and up my skirt. Twenty minutes flat.” Her scowl then turns into a mischievous grin. “But I couldn ’t refuse his request to call me again this weekend.” Her eyes widen as she catches my swallow and she immediately apologizes. “Oh, I said too much. That was so insensitive!” She then gets up and hugs me, practically knocking me over. “I love you, Kailey. Forgive my stupidness, especially after what you went through... It was so extreme... You mean so much to me,” she whispers.
“Love you, too,” I say as I finish the hug. “Amber, just please don ’t let yourself be taken advantage of. Don’t settle. You’re more than that. Look at you! You can have any guy you want, yet you continue to...”
Her sudden facial changes warn me that perhaps I stepped over some boundary—even best friend boundary. “Who are you to say? ” she says, her voice suddenly becoming angry. “I’m truly sorry you experienced what you did, but you have no right telling me who and who not to see. Step back, Kailey.”
“It ’s just—” I stop mid-sentence, knowing it’s a losing battle. “You just worry me sometimes, that’s all. Sorry.” I wave goodbye as I leave her office. It was a typical Amber-Kailey boy-topic conversation, but I find myself brushing my clothes off from the strange creepy-crawly sensations gripping to me since our hug; surely my brain needs another scan at the hospital.
On the way to my office, I think about Amber and how she ’s usually the only reason I get out on the weekends and have any interaction with the opposite sex. We have fun together, but she’s dangerously flirty and tends to pick the wrong guys. She always has, since I met her, at the spritely age of sixteen.
Amber ’s mother, once widowed, abandoned Amber at the early age of fifteen. They cohabited, but while her mother dated