Paris saw him leaning against the wall of the building, smoking a cigarette. When he saw her, he dropped his smoke and stamped it out with the sole of his shoe.
“That’s going to ruin your voice,” she told him sagely.
“Not yet,” he shrugged. “I came to talk about last night.”
“What happened last night?” she asked, acting clueless.
“You can’t just pull out an eraser and erase all those things that happened last night, you know.”
She shrugged. Maybe she could, maybe she couldn’t. Who was he to know? *Your best friend?*
“Fine. So, are you seeing anyone right now?”
He didn’t like to beat around the bush. That was what she liked about him. Used to like about him, she reminded herself. At least until he pulled that stunt last night.
“I don’t really know. You?”
“I don’t really know either.”
“Back on that anti-monogamy phase, huh?”
He felt a smile creep onto his face. They had known each other for so long. She knew all the phases he had gone through, his likes and dislikes. He knew her like the back of his hand.
“Hey, don’t change the subject to me. I asked you first.”
“We’re back in 7th grade now?”
He smirked.
“Anyway, I heard you’re dating that blond chick.”
“Where did you hear that?”
“Oh, just in these things called magazines and the World Wide Web. You’re not exactly an anonymous guy, you know.”
“I am to everyone except you.”
“You do realize that that line was straight from Hallmark.”
He made a face at her. Then, his face turned somber again. She felt a pang when she realized that she missed the little kid that was hidden behind that face. He almost never acted like that anymore.
“That was a while ago. Anyway, I only dated her because she had the same name as you.”
“…”
“Sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”
“No, it’s okay. I was the one who brought it up, after all.”
“Paris…”
“Let’s – just be friends again first, okay? I really need the time right now.”
“You know I’ll always be your friend, Kid.”
He smiled that ‘kid’ smile at her again. She couldn’t help but smile back.
“Let’s get coffee or something. It’s fucking cold here. What the hell possessed you to stay in New York City during winter?”
Shut up while you’re ahead,” she advised him.
He gave her that smile again. And she smiled right back.
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Skin created by Kali & edited by Karen.