As A Friend

10: My Blue Heart

I sigh in relief when I get back into Dominic's car, completely prepared to go back to school. I don't think I ever felt a stronger sense of gratitude than when he asked if I wanted to go back on Saturday rather than Sunday. I've never agreed to anything quicker in my life.

My parents stand at the door, staring sadly. I wave at them until we turn off the street. I really want to roll my eyes and stick up my middle finger. This entire week has been nothing but me having to do this and me having to do that and me getting yelled at for giving Maritza a little bit of attitude. I swear, it's like I was never gone. There was not an ounce of happiness that I had returned from college. The only ones happy to see me were my dogs.

"How was your Thanksgiving?" Dominic asks and I shake my head.

"I got yelled at," I reply in slight shock. "I haven't been yelled at in months, especially not in Spanish."

"For what?" His house is a lot more chill than mine. His parents are very mellow and kind of let him do whatever he wants. As long as his grades are okay and he doesn't bring any trouble into the house, they don't bother saying anything.

"Because I got into an argument with Maritza." 

"About what?" he questions as he drives with one hand while his other rests on the center console. I eye his relaxed position and grow a little irritated at how good he looks doing literally anything.

"About you! She still has a crush on you!" I retort and he cackles noisily. "And she thinks she has a chance. It's so obnoxious. All she ever does is make little comments about you and it drives me insane."

"Are you jealous?" he teases and I can tell that he's completely entertained by my anger.

"No! I'm just irritated. No matter how many times I tell her that she's too young or that she's my little sister, she doesn't take no for an answer."

"She's confident," he notes. "She sees what she wants and goes after it. You should take after her."

"Whatever. It's weird," I retort with a wave of my hand.

"Speaking of what you want, have you talked to your nerdy boyfriend?" he questions and I roll my eyes.

"First of all, he's not my boyfriend," I correct. That title has not been established and I feel as though it won't be for a long while. "And second of all, yeah...barely. We texted everyday for a good hour before bed but it's been a bit forced and felt like a chore, on my end at least. We're supposed to be hanging out tonight but he hasn't mentioned it so it probably won't happen."

"Did you at least wish him a Happy Thanksgiving?" He's clearly unaware of how to console me about my awkward conversational skills.

"Yeah, but it was pretty generic. It was 'Happy Thanksgiving!' with a turkey emoji," I reply.

"Not even a heart?" he interrogates.

"Nope."

"You sent me a heart," he reminds me with a smug look on his face.

"I know," I say with a wave of my hand. "Because you're you."

"I bask in your excessive emoji use because it's the only time you show me that you care about me," he confesses solemnly and I audibly scoff. "What's my name in your phone?"

"Dominic with the smiling purple devil and fist-bump emojis." I look at his contact.

"What happened to the blue heart?" He quickly glances at the screen of my phone.

"I had to get rid of it in case Elias saw it and thought something weird of it." He sucks his teeth and shakes his head.

"What's my name in your phone?" I question, knowing not to wait for a response. I grab his phone from the cup holder and unlock it with my thumb. I go to our messages and click my contact. It says Nova with three red hearts. I repress the urge to grin and instead, nod and put his phone down.