A stupid bag of chips initiated another stupid fight

March 7, 2013

We’re eating lunch in Briney’s room for a change, Daniel and I and some others of our lunch group. I’ve had a particularly rough week and I have the sweater to prove it. But I am so comfortable with Daniel. He’s making me smile and giggle with his raised eyebrows and quick humor.

I reach across the desk to steal another one of his chips, half-way to the bag when he spots me. He rolls his eyes, we are joking with each other still, and then grabs my arm to keep me from his chips.

I cry out in pain and he releases me, taken aback. I cradle my arm against my stomach. His eyes widen at the realization.

I notice that everyone is staring. Daniel laughs and plays it off. I can’t even hear what he’s said to make everyone leave us alone. Then he turns back to me, his eyes filled with nothing but concern, reaching out to brush my right hand with his fingertips.

“Sorry. I didn’t know,” he whispers.

Of course he didn’t. I’m good at hiding things when I want to.

“It’s fine.” I shake my head and drop my eyes.

“It’s obviously not fine,” he argues.

I duck my eyes. He sighs. “What happened?”

“Ian and I.. we had a dumb fight,” I mumble, barely managing the words.

I don’t have to look up to know an eyebrow is raised at me, but this is anything but humorous.

“Was it really dumb? Or did you have every right to be ups—”

“It doesn’t matter, okay?”

Usually he’ll drop it after I snap at him. But he must know that this was no ordinary fight. He presses.

“It matters. Was this a ‘we’re done’ kind of fight? Or was this a ‘I’ll be mad for a week and then go back to you’ kind of fight?”

I shrug. “Jess.” Daniel’s voice is harsher. He wants an answer.

“It’s hard to know with him,” is all I can really say.

There is a moment where neither of us know what to say.

“It must’ve been a bad fight,” Daniel decides.

He doesn’t need to hear details to read my expression. I bite my lip, hard.

The bell rings and I stand up, gather my stuff. He nudges me on our way out.

        “We’ll talk later.”