As I approach Naser, I can tell he’s deep in thought.

 

“Naser?” He doesn’t respond. “Naser!” 

 

His head snaps to me. “Yeah? What’s up, man?”

 

I look to where Naomi walked off and can still see her walking away. I point vaguely in her direction, “What was that all about?”

 

He has a slight look of surprise on his face, “Oh, I forgot to tell you, Naomi and I are done… apparently, you were right. Naomi admitted to it after I pestered her a little. I can’t believe she would go those lengths just to “fix” Fang. Don’t get me wrong, Anon, you seem like you’re doing a good job.” He pauses, thinking about what he wants to say next, “…You do love Fang, right?”

 

I look at him, taken aback by the question. “Of course, I love Fang; I’ve already told her this, but my feelings for her are real, and I refuse to believe I was just a pawn for Naomi’s grand plan.”

 

He thinks again for a moment scanning over the lunchroom. “Good… you’re a good man Anon.” He pats me on the shoulder before walking to where he usually sits. I kinda feel bad for Naomi. All she wanted was to get closer to Naser, but her entire plan backfired in the worst way possible. I felt that pit open in my stomach again, but different this time. Regret? I don’t know, Naomi put this on herself… but did she really? Whatever. She’ll be fine, I’m sure.

 

As I get in the omnivore line, I hear a familiar voice behind me and feel a smile creep over my face, “Anon!”

 

Fang cuts the line to move behind me, “How’s your day been, Anon?”

 

I can see her tail wiggling, cute. “It’s been alright so far, kinda boring. But I think it’s just gotten better talking to you.” Smooth, Anon. “What about you?”

 

I see a splotch of red creeping over her snout, and I crack a smile. She punches me in the arm softly, “Dweeb… it’s been fine; Trish and I didn’t talk in our first period, so I think we’re still kinda iffy.” 

 

“So…rooftop?”

 

Fang nods, “Rooftop.”

 

I glance over at Naser, who’s scrolling through his phone, sitting alone. He looks mentally fried. “Hey, Fang?”

 

She turns her head towards me, almost whacking me with her snout, “Hm?”

 

I move back a couple inches to dodge her snoot, “You talked to Naser recently?”

 

A puzzled look comes over her face, “Not since the car ride home yesterday… why?”

 

I gesture towards where he’s sitting with my head. Fang looks at him and back at me. “So?”

 

“So, he looks a little….” I glance at where he’s sitting, same drained facial expression and hunched posture. “I don’t know, dead inside?”

 

She giggles, “Nah, I think he’s just getting over Naomi still.”

 

I look back at her, “He told you?”

 

“I overheard it. Drama spreads quickly, remember?”

 

I think back to when Trish… bitch… put my vomit-inducing cringe in the slideshow and how quick that spread. “Yeah, I remember.” I nod a little in contempt. 

 

“She tried to make a scene after they broke up first thing today in the halls, apparently.”

 

I recall walking with her to the first period, “So that’s why she seemed off when I asked about Naser on the way to class.”

 

Fang looks surprised, “You asked her that recently? Surprised she didn’t go ape on you.”

 

I glare at Fang, and she looks confused, “...what?”

 

It must run in the family… “Anyway, I thought we could eat with Naser. You don’t have to talk to him; I just thought it would be nice to give him some company.”

 

Fang thinks for a moment looking at Naser with a slight frown, and sighs, “Alright, just today, though.”

 

As we grab our meals, Fang and I start towards Naser’s table and sit opposite him.

 

He glances up from his phone, “What’s up?”

 

I see Fang has a mouthful of food; I guess I’ll talk. “Nothing much, just thought we’d give you some company.”

 

Fang swallows, “You look depressed.”

 

I glare at Fang, who’s already taken another bite of her meal. She’s smiling a little at her joke. I sigh a little, shaking my head, “So…what happened with you and Naomi exactly?”

 

Naser looks up, changing his position, “Well, all I did was tell her that she and I were done, and I told her what you told me, told her that was unacceptable, and I tried to walk away; but she didn’t like that. She grabbed me, begging me to stay, and I just told her no, plain and simple, and walked away; ignoring whatever she was saying.”

 

After a pause, he returns to his posture and scrolls on his phone. “...And that’s all that happened. Well, until you came up to me a bit ago. Naomi tried to mend things again, and I said no, and she walked off.”

 

…Fuck, now I feel terrible. That pit only grows larger after hearing that. Naomi only wanted what was best for Naser and her… but….

 

My thoughts are cut off as Naser looks at something behind me and sighs, “Speak of the devil.”

 

I look over my shoulder to see Naomi speedwalking towards our table and looking royally pissed off. Maybe we should’ve just gone on the rooftop…

 

Naomi stands directly behind Fang and me, huffing, “You two….”

 

Fang glances at me and back at Naomi with a mischievous grin. I try to give her a stern look but to no avail. “Fuck you want, Naomi?”

 

Her head snaps to Fang, “Shut the fuck up, Fang.” Woah, that’s the first time I’ve heard her curse like, ever. “This is all your fault. If you weren’t such a fuckup with everything, this—” She gestures frantically with her arms, “—could’ve been avoided.”

 

Fang looks for my reaction, and I give her a nod. “Listen here, Naomi, and listen well, you apricot asshole.” Heh, nice. Naomi looks like she’s trying to kill Fang with her mind, but Fang continues. “All this,” she mocks Naomi’s gesture, “was perpetuated by you !” Fang gasps, sarcastically surprised. “Maybe, just maybe, if you did a better job being a girlfriend and not trying to be a manipulative bitch, all of this could’ve been avoided.”

 

That seems to have struck a nerve; Naomi’s fists are balled. Her arms are shaking, and tears are rolling down her face. She screams at Fang, “ALL I WANTED WAS TO BE BETTER, FOR NASER!” 

 

The cafeteria goes silent, and all heads turn toward us. Fuuuuuuck. Naomi continues through choked sobs, “...all I wanted was *hic* him… and I couldn’t even have that… because of YOU!” She pokes Fang in the chest, and Fang gnashes her teeth, balling up her fists.

 

Naomi continues, “All he ever wanted to do *hic* is to help you… so why-why do you treat him like this?! …like some garbage…*hic*”

 

Fang loosens her fists a little and looks around the cafeteria. She’s probably thinking the same thing I am, we need to get the fuck out of dodge. Naomi is on her knees, sobbing.

 

Fang and Naser exchange glances before both of them look at me. I give a shrug and feel Fang grab my hand as she pulls me up and escorts me away toward the stairs. As we speed walk away, I can hear the chatter of the cafeteria return. Fang and I move up to the roof, and both realize… we forgot our lunch. We both sigh and just climb the ladder on the rooftop overlooking Volcadara. 

 

We both admire the view for a moment before Fang speaks up, “Maybe she’s right, Anon.”

 

I look away from the horizon towards her, “What do you mean?”

 

I can see a tear rolling down her face, “After everything Naser does for me, I treat him like garbage. Yet he still loves me….” Fang looks at me with tears threatening to pour out of her eyes. “How do I fix this, Anon?”

 

I sigh, rubbing my neck, “Honestly, Fang, you’re gonna be mad at me for saying this, but you just gotta figure it out yourself. You’ve recognized the issue, and now you can solve it.”

 

She briefly thinks and nods a little, sniffling, “Okay… thank you, Anon.”

 

I laugh halfheartedly, “For what? I didn’t do shit.”

 

She smiles a little at me, a single tear rolling down her cheek. “If only you knew how much you do for me….”

 

This seems familiar. I offer her my jacket. She uses the sleeve like a tissue…. Great, I wasn’t planning on wearing that the rest of the day or anything.

 

She laughs a little, “Maybe you shouldn’t have offered your coat then, retard.”

 

I return the laugh. “I didn’t expect you to unload your entire sinus system into it; just wipe your eyes.”

 

After I’m able to get most of the snot out, gross, we hear the bell ring through where there used to be a door. We better head to class before Spears loses his shit again. As Fang and I walk to science, we talk about the work we’ve had to catch up on. Seems I’m in a better boat than she is.

 

Before we enter the classroom, I turn to her, “You wanna come over to my place so I can help you catch up?”

 

She thinks for a moment, “I think Dad would have an aneurysm if I went to your place again. Why don’t you come over to my place?”

 

I recall the last ‘study sessions’ that just turned into guitar learning sessions, “Will you actually catch up with a guitar within ten feet of you?” 

 

She giggles, “I don’t know, only one way to find out.”

 

We take our seats, and it’s the same as the other classes, study guides and missed homework stacked high on our desks. I finish up reasonably quickly copying from old notes; particle physics is easy enough for me, but Fang, on the other hand…. Just before the bell, Fang finishes the last assignment, and we both head to music which is just a free period. Mr. Jingo isn’t having a final. Which is nice, considering I barely understand any of this stuff, but we still have tons of homework to catch up on, which takes up a majority of our period. It’s the opposite of the last period. Fang blows through the assignments and helps me. I turn in the previously missed homework and sit next to Fang, who’s strumming a guitar, tail wagging to the beat. I tap my pencil to the rhythm. Fang smiles a little, focusing on her calm acoustic tune; it almost sounds like what she played in her room from the first attempted study session, but something’s different. This sounds more complete, more whole. It’s beautiful, better than last time.

 

She stops mid-strum and looks at me teary-eyed with the biggest smile, telling me that the last part wasn’t in my head. She sniffles and hugs me. “Thank you, Anon….”

 

The rest of the day after that is a blur, and before I know it, Fang and I are walking out the doors to meet up with Naser, who is waiting at his car in the parking lot, leaning against it. He looks like he’s in some shitty Eurobeat album cover.

 

As I approach the car, Naser looks at me confused, and Fang interjects before he can say anything. “He’s riding home with us; I got some work to catch up on.” 

 

Naser sighs and glances at me. He still looks tired, poor guy. “Fine, get in.” 

 

I sit in the back next to Fang, and she’s already spaced out, looking out the window. Naser and I start some small talk, and eventually, Fang comes up.

 

- - -

 

I hear my name, “...I know you told me over text what happened,” Naser glances at Anon in the rearview mirror. “But I’d like to hear it from you, Fang. What happened the night after prom?”

 

I glance between Anon and Naser, “It… I don’t want to talk about it-it’s nothing.” 

 

Even though I do want to talk about it, I can’t. Naser probably already thinks so low of me; what would he do if I just confirmed what Anon said? Tell dad probably…

 

I hear Anon speak up, “Fang?”

 

I look at him, “Hm?”

 

Anon looks worried before Naser speaks up, “It’s not nothing, Fang…you wanted to hurt people. This needs to be verbalized.”

 

Anon places a hand on my thigh and a reassuring smile, and I sigh, “Fine, if you really want to talk about it, I’ll… tell you what was going through my head.”

 

Naser doesn’t look up from the road, “Thank you.”

 

I feel a lump in my throat, but I push through it. “So, on prom night, we couldn’t find a guitar, so Trish and I decided on bass. You saw how well that went, and people threw shit at us. That’s when… when I decided,” Fuck, why is this so hard. I try to start again, “When I decided….”

 

I can feel tears running down my face as I try to muster out more than a word. It only gets worse, devolving into sobbing. What the fuck is wrong with me…

 

I feel Anon’s arms wrap around me, and I melt into his embrace, trying to collect myself. “When I decided… that they needed to pay…”

 

Naser sighs, “You don’t have to talk about it anymore. I’m sorry.”

 

I nod softly, wiping my tears and clearing my throat, “It’s okay, Naser.”

 

I look up at Anon from his embrace, who gestures toward Naser and gives me a soft, reassuring smile. Oh, now? Okay. “In fact, I’m sorry, Naser.”

 

Naser looks at me confused, “For what? You haven’t done anything.”

 

I feel on the verge of tears again. “But I have, I’ve been an awful sister, and for that, I’m sorry.”

 

He stays silent, listening intensely. “Naomi was right, all you’ve ever done is try to help me, and I’ve practically tossed you to the side…. When I told you that you could fly, and you fell down into the canyon and broke your wing, I thought you were dead. I thought I killed my baby brother, and you’d never forgive me for that. So I’ve just treated you like how I thought we should’ve treated each other all this time without seeing that you have already forgiven me…. I’m sorry, Naser….”

 

He nods a little, “...It’s okay. I... I forgive you.”

 

Anon is looking at me with the stupidest smile on his face as we pull into the garage. I roll my eyes, unbuckle, and get out of the car. As we entered my house, we were greeted by silence. Both parents are out? Sweet, less hassle.

 

Nasser rubs his neck before looking at Anon and me, “Just got a text from Dad; he and Mom won’t be back for a while. Date night, and I’ve gotta run some parent-mandated chores, so I’ll catch you guys later.”

 

As Naser passes Anon out the door, he whispers something in his ear, and Anon’s skin gets a little lighter. 

 

The door shuts behind him, “The hell did he say to you?”

 

Anon looks like he just saw a ghost, “Naser told me he’d kill me if we did anything weird, but very worryingly detailed.”

 

I laugh a little, “Don’t worry, that’s just a little bit of Dad speaking through him. Besides, I wasn’t planning on doing anything weird anyway.”

 

I think for a moment, prom was kinda stolen from me, Anon, because of… those retards. A thought pops into my head. “Hmmm, maybe….”

 

A grin grows on my face as I walk over to the light switch and flip a couple. The room is suddenly filled with a purple light, and the marks on my arms glow blue. 

 

The look on Anon’s face is priceless. “Woah…”

 

I walk to the record player and pull out a disk, “Bill Withers….”

 

I turn on the record player and place the disk softly on the spinning platform, lowering the needle onto the disk. I turn the volume dial to a comfortable volume. 

 

I walk back to Anon and hold his hands. “I never got the chance to dance with you at prom.”

 

He looks at me aghast. “You think I can dance?!”

 

I laugh at his response, “You think I know either? We’ll figure it out, c’mon it’ll be fun.”

 

He reluctantly agrees, “Fine… but only because of Bill Withers….”

 

I laugh again and take his hand, “I remember watching Mom and Dad do this; I think you put your hands….”

 

I place his hand around my waist, mine on his shoulder, and take his other hand. We start swaying to the beat, stepping on each other’s toes, but our laughter drowns out the ‘ow’s and ‘hey! ’s. Eventually, we manage something resembling slow dancing after a few songs; as I look into his eyes, I can’t help but think of how lucky I’ve been. Fuck you, Naomi… but thank you for this. I place my head against his chest as we slow dance for what feels like hours…