• CHAERIN'S POV •

 

I'd never loved rush hour traffic so much.

 

iT was already getting dark at 6:30, and in the glow of street lights I was able to look over at Miss Park - or rather, Dara - as she in turn gazed apathetically the road.

 

As it turned out, we were going the same way; she only lived one town over from me, and even knew my street. Her sister had lived two streets over, years back, she said.

 

Dara's phone rang six times in a row and she was making no effort to look at it. "Should you...get that?" I asked, wondering.

 

"Aniya," she said, rolling her eyes. "I'm dodging that bullet."

 

I laughed. "How do you know who it is?"

 

"Who else would call me six times in a row?"

 

It started ringing again, and she sighed. "Okay, I should get it."

 

"No you shouldn't," I said with a little too much edge now that I realized who it was. I knew I hated her girlfriend without even knowing her. For one, because I knew she upset her far too often; and two, because she had what I never could.

 

That apparently made her laugh. "What do you know?"

 

"I know that you let your girlfriend push you around," I stated as fact.

 

She looked over at me, quizically. "And how do you know that?"

 

"Because I know you've given her way too many shots. And she pisses you off, but you always go back. And every time you do something, or almost do something," I said, hoping she would get my reference, "You think about her first. She's always the first thing on your mind, even before yourself. And now, you're afraid to make her mad by ignoring a couple calls. "

 

She laughed, impressed. "Have you ever thought of becoming a paralegal?"

 

"No, why?"

 

"Because my girlfriend's a paralegal, and it seems like you'd be good at it."

 

I rolled my eyes. "Thank you for proving my point."

 

"Okay, what's wrong with putting someone else first?"

 

"Nothing, when they put you first, too."

 

"And how do you know she doesn't?"

 

"Am I wrong?"

 

She didn't say anything for a while. Then, finally, admitted