Page 13 of Coping Skills

Chapter Seven

“Hey,chica. Where you been?”

Elena looked up from the phone in her hand as she pulled the side door by the kitchen closed behind her. She usually came in that way because it was closer to her room, plus if Matt and Hannah were on the couch, she wouldn’t walk in on them. “What?”

Hannah leaned in the kitchen doorway, her arms crossed. “I feel like I’ve barely seen you since you got back, and it’s been almost a month. How are you? What’s going on?”

Elena slid her phone in her back pocket and set her bag down. “I was hanging out at Daniel’s for a while. I know Matt just got back from his last trip a couple of days ago, so I thought you’d like some time to yourselves. Y’know,” she gestured toward herself, “third wheel?”

Hannah scoffed. “That’s not true. You live here. You shouldn’t feel awkward about coming home.”

Elena managed to stop herself from rolling her eyes. “Okay. Noted. Can I come in all the way, or is your ambush in the kitchen for a specific reason?”

Hannah didn’t hold back her eye roll. “It’s not an ambush. I was about to make some popcorn, and I heard you come in. That’s all.”

Picking up her bag, Elena took it to her room, which she’d finally finished unpacking and organizing last week. She took her laptop out of her bag, waiting for Hannah to say something else. When she didn’t, she unloaded the rest of her homework from her bag, setting it on her desk so she could work on it later. Hannah obviously wanted to talk.

“Is Matt not here?”

Hannah shook her head, sitting on the end of Elena’s bed. “Chris is playing tonight, and he went to Lance and Abby’s place to watch the game.”

“You didn’t want to go?”

Hannah shrugged, picking at fuzz on the comforter. “I had homework. And Abby wasn’t going to be there, so it was just the guys. I decided to stay home.” She looked at Elena, her green eyes brightening. “Plus, I thought it’d be fun to have a girls’ night. We could watch movies and eat junk food, or go out to a club or something if you want, like we used to.”

Leaning back against her desk, Elena crossed her arms, giving her friend a level look. “You want to go to a club.”

Her famous blush reddened Hannah’s cheeks, and Elena snorted. “We could. If you want to.”

Elena couldn’t believe how easily Hannah blushed, even at twenty-two. Any time she got flustered or nervous, not to mention embarrassed, all the blood rushed to her face. Elena knew all about Hannah and Matt’s sex life, both from Hannah dishing and overhearing things through the paper-thin walls when she’d stayed out in the living room to watch TV or read after her roommates had “gone to bed.” She’d only made that mistake twice before clearing off to her bedroom the same time they did. Or she opted to stay out late enough when Matt was home that they’d already be in bed by the time she got home. Hence her habit of coming in the side door.

The increasing amount of time she’d been spending with Daniel since the day she’d brought him that pie helped as well. And that was the reason Hannah was now cornering her and wanting a girls’ night. Even going so far as suggesting they go to a club. While Hannah had always come along, at least when she was single, Elena knew it wasn’t ever her favorite thing. Anymore, it wasn’t really high on Elena’s list either.

She shook her head. “Nah. I don’t really feel like going to a club.”

Hannah’s eyebrows went up a little. “Really? Been going too much lately?”

If that wasn’t a fishing expedition for information, Elena didn’t know what was. She couldn’t contain her chuckle. “No. I haven’t been to a club in ages.”

“How come? You usually love going dancing.”

Elena shrugged, turning to straighten some papers on her desk, put a few stray pens back in her pen cup, and organize her highlighters. “Just haven’t felt like it.”

“Elena, are you okay? Really? You haven’t been yourself this semester.”

Swallowing the lump that came to her throat any time someone asked about her wellbeing, Elena didn’t answer at first.

Hannah jumped in before Elena could figure out how to respond. “I know I kind of pressured you into moving. I’m sorry if you’re not comfortable. The situation at the time was … less than ideal.”

Snort. “Less than ideal? It was fucking awful.”

“I’m sorry. I really am. I thought having a house would be nice for both of us. I didn’t think—“

Shaking her head, Elena cut in, meeting Hannah’s pleading eyes. “No, Hannah. No. Don’t be sorry. It’s not the house or living with you and Matt that’s the shitty situation. It was this whole summer. And everything since. I’d still be like this even if we were in our old apartment or living on my own. It’s really not you. Please don’t think that.”

Hannah nodded slowly, her eyes going glossy with tears. “How is your dad? I haven’t wanted to bother you about him, but I worry.”

Blowing out a breath, Elena blinked back her own tears, shoving them down like always. “I know. I’m sorry I haven’t filled you in. I just—I hate talking about it at all. When I’m here I like to pretend that everything’s like it always was, but—“ She shook her head, looking down and biting her lip.

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