“So,” he says as we slowly make our way to the door. We both turn and say bye to everyone lingering. “How have you been?” he asks as we walk slower than two snails.
“I’ve been good,” I say, looking down at our shoes, then I look up at him. “How have you been?”
“I’ve been better,” he comes right out and says. “I’ve been a lot better.” I don’t have to look at him to know what he means. “But”—he shrugs his shoulders—“it is what it is.” He stops walking when we get to my car, and I’m tempted to say something more, but I’m not sure anymore. His phone dings in his pocket, and he pulls it out to look at it. “I have to go,” he says and is about to lean in and kiss me but catches himself and stops. “I guess I’ll see you around.” He puts his hands in his pockets as he smiles, and I nod at him. He turns and climbs into his own car after he tosses his bag into the back. I watch as he pulls out of the parking lot, then I grab my phone to call Melissa right away.
“Dude, you will never believe this!” I say as soon as she answers with a
“Yo!” I’m getting in, then starting it and pulling out of the parking lot. “Arya has the hots for John.”
I hear her slap something. “I fucking knew I didn’t like her!” she yells.
“Yes, you did.” I shake my head. “You were all she’s so nice, and I’m so happy you have a sane roommate.’” I mimic her. “You went so far as to tell me she was one of the good ones. Remember?”
She huffs out. “Okay, fine, I liked her, but I don’t like her anymore.”
“Gee, really.” I hit the steering wheel. “I can’t believe I let her get into my head. I was so stupid.”
“Okay, well, now you know,” Melissa says. “What are you going to do about it?”
“I’m getting my man back,” I say as I turn onto my street. Looking in my rearview mirror, I see two headlights right behind me. “You know I’m going to be like one of those crazy fucking girls breaking up with him and then begging him to take me back.”
“Do you think he’s moved on?” She asks the question I am even dreading asking myself.
“I don’t think so,” I start. “He walked me to my car when it was time to leave, and then he leaned in and almost kissed me.” I pull up in front of my dorm. “But he pulled back at the last moment.”
“Why don’t you just call him?” she suggests. “Just tell him that you want to meet him and then show up wearing a trench coat and lingerie. Boom. Problem solved.”
“I can’t just show up wearing lingerie. What if Austin and Noah are there?”
“Listen, what if they aren’t?” she says as I park my car and grab my stuff to walk up the stairs to my room. “You need to let that twat face know that you are on to her and her plot to take your man.”
“Okay, I’m walking in now. I’ll keep you posted,” I say as I hang up and walk into my dorm room. We both have loft beds with our desks under the bed. We went shopping together to get matching bedding. I look at her side and see that she isn’t back yet. “That’s strange,” I say out loud to myself. “She left before I did.” I put my bag on my desk, taking out my laptop. As I open it up, I plug my phone into the charger and bring up the text from John.
Hey, are you busy tomorrow? I was wondering if you wanted to study.
I read and read it before I delete it and then start a new one.
Can you check and see if you picked up my notes by accident? I don’t have them.
I press send on that one because it looks believable. I see the little bubble with the three dots come up, so I wait for his answer. The bubble comes on, then disappears for a full minute or maybe it was thirty seconds, but it felt like a whole year. I look back down, but this time, the door opens, and Arya walks in.
“Hey,” she says, going to her side of the room and tossing her stuff on her desk.
I turn and look at her. “Hey, yourself.” I look at her as she shrugs off her jacket. “So you looked cozy tonight with John.” I come right out and say it. I’m not even trying to sugarcoat this shit.
She looks over at me. “We were just discussing things. Besides, I was just making you see that he really is a player.” She looks down, then back up. “I’m just showing you that he would have no problems moving on. You should thank me.”