this love is good, this love is bad [wenclair]

chapter 24.2: I'm doing good, I'm on some new shit

First week of October, Saturday

"The croque madame for Yoko and-"
"Actually, it's just 'miss' for you. I'm a customer, how would the others react if-"
"Okay then, MISS," Tyler interrupted, rolling his eyes.
"Tsk tsk, attitude from the waiter! Someone's getting a bad review on Trip Advisor," Yoko said.
We had decided to go eat at the Weathervane because that was the only affordable place for us in Jericho. And maybe because we liked having Tyler serve us around. Just maybe.
He put the plate with my salad in front of me and left.
"B-A-D S-E-R-V-I-C-E," Yoko spelled out loud enough for the manager that was behind the bar to hear.
"And they say I'm the mean one."
"Yeah, you're right, I should stop bullying him around."
"When did I say you should stop?"
I started to cut the chicken in my salad into pieces.
"Just don't make it that obvious because HE MIGHT SPIT IN YOUR SOY MILK LATTE."
Everyone heard it. Too bad.
"Good one," Yoko laughed.
"We really should stop, though," I said in a moment of reason.
"Yeah," she said, knowing we wouldn't.
Since our shopping spree, Yoko and I hung out more frequently after school and sometimes Cascina or Thing joined. But usually it was just Yoko and me.
She took a sip of water and then attacked her meal.
"Are we just going to ignore the fact that you brought me here because 'a sandwich isn't diner' and you just ordered one?"
"First of all, it's a croque madame, please. Completely different, and better," she said, absolutely butchering the pronunciation.
"It's not because something's got a French name and is overpriced that it's more nutritious."
"Well, there's an egg on it," she replied.
"There was an egg in my sandwich as well."
Since she found nothing smart to say back, we just ate in silence for some time.
"Isn't it kinda sad?"
"What?"
"How Tyler's working and we're free," she explained.
I shrugged my shoulders. "You'll excuse me if I can't show empathy for him. He did try to kill me and E- eee..ven my friends," I quickly corrected.
Of course, Yoko had picked up.
"Oh, so we're your friends, huh?"
"Yes, of course you are," I smiled sarcastically.
"Stop, you're scaring me," she laughed.
I went back to my normal face.
"But honestly, sometimes I wish I could work and win some money," Yoko said.
"Why? You don't need it," I pointed out.
"I don't know, to buy stuff," she said.
"What kind of stuff?"
"A very specific gray 240-buck dress for the Halloween ball."
She was looking away, knowing that she really didn't need another new outfit.
"Yoko, you don't need to buy a new one."
"I know," she sighed, "but I can't wear the same shit I wore at the Rave'n, because it's white and not on theme, and I-"
"You should ask Divina out."
"Wait a second, we're talking about 'fits, and then we'll talk about— Really? You really think I should?"
"Totally."
"But why would I take advice from you?"
Since I didn't react, she added: "Seeing how your relationship turned out..."
"Hey, I didn't end it on my own, it was teamwork," I corrected.
"True, true."
Awkward silence.
"So, how are you holding up, huh? You seem like you're doing way better than two weeks ago."
"Not answering that."
"Mkay, I'll get you to talk someday. Whether you want it or not."
"I can guarantee you that you won't, but you believe what you want."
She found nothing smart to reply.
"Yeah, you should ask her out," I said.
"You know, unlike you, we defined pretty early on that it would be just a casual relationship."
"So what? You're both going to be there, but alone?"
"I guess. It's just going to be a fun night with each our own friends."
"You know the parents weekend is the day right after the dance, right?"
"Yeah, it's kind of a bitchy move from the school because, well, no getting drunk on spiked punch. But what's your point?"
"You really think she'd rather hang out with her brother and Bianca WHILE SOBER than with you?"
"I don't know, I hope she-"
"Just ask her out already."
She was running out of excuses.
"Then I really can't wear the same-"
"I can guarantee you that she won't care, so you shouldn't either."
There was another moment of silence.
"I'm texting her," she announced, taking out her phone.
"Girl, no. You have to do it in person."
"Did you just say 'girl'?" she laughed.
"Do not change the subject," I replied, dead serious.
"I'll do it. I'll ask her out."

When we got back to the dorm, Ajax was already gone, so Yoko didn't have to sleep in my room after all. We said goodbye, and I went upstairs. After unlocking the door and getting inside, I was met with silence. Or better phrased: emptiness. It wasn't completely silent since I could clearly hear Tatum speaking on the phone from the other room, the muffled sound of Enid and Yoko having a conversation, and... tapping on my desk.
"Hi, Thing."
He waved with his pinky finger.
He hadn't spoken to me for two weeks after we forgot to take him shopping with us, but we were back on good terms since I bought him a new hand lotion.
His nails were shiny, and I knew he had gotten the manicure from Enid. I just shook it off and checked how late it was. I still had half an hour to play the cello before everyone had to be silent according to the school rules. I liked to piss off Medina, but detention still sucked, so I put a timer on my phone before taking my cello outside. Thing followed me out the window, carrying my partitions.
"Thank you," I said, grabbing them and putting them on the stand I perpetually left outside.
I would usually do some warmup first, but I did not have time. I flew right into a first piece, then a second, a third one...

The half hour went by really quickly, and I had to carry my cello back inside. Thing stayed on the balcony trail.
"Are you coming?"
He didn't move.
"I'm leaving the window open," I sighed, getting no response.
I got back in, changed into my pyjamas, and sat down at my desk after that. Because nothing productive for my novel had come out during detention, I wanted to write. However, seeing the pile of paper that constituted my trilogy wasn't encouraging for some reason. So instead, I took a blank sheet of paper and started brainstorming on a new novel. I wrote down some character names on the left and then chose a genre. Then, I scribbled down some tropes I wanted to include and the overall structure of the story. I didn't stop plotting until late and didn't even realize I fell asleep on my desk until Thing woke me up.
But when I went to bed, the new novel already had a strong skeleton,
and was waiting to be written down.