cares.â
Nora turns around from her spot at the sink, the broccoli in her hands dripping water on my floor, and says, âWait. What?â
I shrug, uncertain of what her tone means. âYeah. Itâs terrible. Sheâs turning eighteen and all she does is work down there. And study. Sheâs always studying.â
Nora holds up her hand, wet broccoli and all. âYouâre doing something for the girl downstairs? The one that always wears the headbands?â
I nod. Her eyes find mine and rest there. She tucks her bottom lip between her teeth and I have to look away from her stare. Her thick eyebrows are bunched together again and her cheeks are glowing. Sheâs wearing more makeup than she usually does, but it looks nice.
She reminds me of the women in those videos Tessa always watches on YouTube. She always says sheâs going to try to re-create the way they put on makeup, but when all is said and done, the products usually end up in the trash and her eyes are puffy from tears, not covered in color.
âYouâre something else, Landon Gibson,â Nora says, and my cheeks flush.
I turn a little, pretending that Iâm thirsty, and open the fridge to grab a Gatorade.
I donât say anything else. I donât know what to say and I know that if I stand here any longer Iâm going to make a fool of myself somehow. Iâve already done that enough for one day and I donât want to scare Nora away from the apartment. Tessa needs as many friends around her as possible, and Nora seems to be a good one.
âIâm going to finish my paper.â
The one thatâs already completed.
âIf you need anything, Iâll be in my room,â I tell her, shoving my hands into the pockets of my sweats.
Nora nods and turns back to the sink to rewash her broccoli.
When I get to my room, I close the door and lean my back against it.
The wood is cold against my bare skin and Iâm exhausted. Today freaking sucked, and Iâm so glad itâs over.
I donât bother opening a textbook to even pretend like Iâm studying. I donât even bother turning on my light. I just lie down on my bed and close my eyes. I move around for a while, willing sleep to come to me, but my mind is still reeling from Dakota.
And now from Nora. Sheâs in my kitchen, and I have to keep my distance from her, even though Iâm not sure that I want to.