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━ DECEMBER , 2022 ━
ISABELLE
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"DID YOU BY any chance mistake the disinfectant bottle for a cologne?" I ask with a nose scrunch, sliding my phone down the back pocket of my denims. Three feet in front of me, Sky Miller readjusts the white coat he was still wearing, even though we were far from the hospital. He must love it beyond measures, I thought.
"I had OT" He deadpans and I roll my eyes.
Glancing back at Katherine, I grimace and she gives me a knowing look ─ one that usually meant, all the best dude, signal me if you need rescuing.
"So . . . uh, I was wondering if we could talk" Sky mumbles, shifting the weight between his legs. I wondered how he could just exit and re-enter into people's lives and act like nothing weird has ever happened. And surprisingly, he also expected others to be okay with it. And as much as I remembered from our vague conversations back in 2019, he'd tell you to relax when you called him out on it.
"That highly depends on the topic" I respond, checking the time on my wrist watch ─ ten minutes past curfew. Our resident advisor was a little lenient with us during exam season so I brush away any urges that told me I needed to be in my room. Sighing, I lean against a Chevrolet parked next to his car and thankfully, it doesn't beep. The dinner must have been heavy because for some reason I felt so bloated I just wanted to get rid of my jeans. Maybe I had absentmindedly gobbled too much fried chicken.
Sky hesitates for a moment next, before blatantly stating the topic to my face. I had expected him to look for metaphors instead but I guess he was plainly disinterested in the use of literary devices in general. Apart from being extravagantly competetive to match Yale standards, I was also an escapist. So when I hear him say 'about the kiss' ─ my first instinct was to avoid the situation, tell him I was tired and never see him again. The sane part of my brain chose otherwise.
"Sure" I mutter nervously, rubbing my arms over the beige colored bomber jacket I was wearing. Behind me, Katherine clears her throat.
She must have figured it was time to go because she walks up to us, yawning profusely ─ which was totally fake because she was a night owl and prided herself for being it.
"I'll just leave y'all alone, really sleepy" She excuses herself and meets my eyes for a second before trudging through the revolving doors. It meant she would be in the lobby, waiting for me but at the same time, she'd not make it obvious. In these two years, I'd mastered the art of speaking to Kat via expressions in silence.
