The Sophomore (College Years 2)

He frowns at me. “I know. I just—what the fuck ever man. Be ready to go in an hour.”

Eli slams the door before I

can respond.

I was a dick just now. I’ll apologize to him later.

Sitting up, I pull open my bedside table drawer and rummage around inside until I find what I want.

A little baggy of weed. Another bag of a variety of pills. Got those while on tour and have been saving them for a special day.

Looks like tonight is gonna be pretty damn special.

Eight

Ellie

“You look like a goddess,” Gracie breathes as she turns me toward the mirror.

I blink at my reflection, trying to take it all in, but it’s difficult. I look…like me. But different.

Older.

After class, I ended up at one of those walk-in haircut places and took a risk by asking for a trim. And curtain bangs.

“Oh honey, with your big brown eyes, you can totally pull that look off,” the hairstylist reassured me as she sat me down in the chair.

She took off four inches and gave me curtain bangs, just as I requested, and the perfect length too. I don’t hate them. Not at all. When I showed up at Gracie and Hayden’s apartment, they squealed when they saw me, pulling me inside with grabby hands and telling me how fantastic I looked.

It did my battered ego some good.

Now here I am in their bathroom after Hayden curled my hair into gentle waves and Gracie applied makeup, mostly to my eyes.

“What do you think?” Gracie asks, bringing me back to reality.

“I look…”

“Older,” Hayden says as she worms her way into the tiny bathroom. We’re standing shoulder to shoulder. Well, Gracie is standing above us, because she’s pretty damn tall, while Hayden is average height and I’m a freaking shrimp. “Your eyes, El. So pretty.”

I turn to the left, then the right, checking myself out. “Gracie did a fabulous job.”

“I only emphasized what was already there,” Gracie says. “This is all you, babe.”

My heart warms. Not having Ava around has left me feeling lonely, but I don’t know why. I have good friends. Ava is my very best friend and no one can replace her, but I’ll be all right.

“Let’s pick out clothes for her now,” Hayden says to Gracie, like I’m not even there.

“I want to stick with my shorts.” I point at them. I bought them on clearance last week at one of my favorite stores and they make my butt look good.

“They meet my approval,” Hayden says as she thoroughly checks me out. As in, she’s staring at my chest, and then my butt. “But you need something different up top.” She plucks at the shoulder of my pale blue T-shirt. “Too bland. We’re going to spice it up tonight.”

Worry makes my stomach clench, but I fight the feeling. I want to dress to impress. Not only for Jackson, but for Carson too.

Yes, both my boys, as Gracie and Hayden call them, will be there tonight. Hopefully. I invited Carson after our sociology class was over, and told him to bring a couple of friends with him. He seemed pleased by my invite, his eyes sparkling behind the glasses, reminding me that he is really cute. I shouldn’t dismiss him so easily.

And of course, I assume Jackson will be there. We share the same friend group. Eli is definitely coming. I figure he’ll bring Jackson with him.

He’s bound to be there. He’s never one to miss a party.