6. Mia #2
When I couldn’t eat another bite, I studied my fellow roommates while trying not to be too obvious about it. Cody was seated between Evan and Jenna but didn’t seem to be talking to either of them. I kept thinking about our encounter after class yesterday.
He just seemed kind of sad, and that made me want to make him smile. Sara used to say I had a soft heart—always sitting by the kid at lunch who was eating by themselves. Because I knew what that was like.
Evan, at least, tried a couple of times to engage Cody in conversation, but it didn’t work.
Soon, everyone was completely full, and Diego chose that moment to tap on his glass.
"A couple of announcements before we disband until next week."
Aaron and a few others groaned.
Diego held up his hands defensively. "Hey, don’t blame me. I get paid to talk to you all about this crap."
"Can we pay you not to talk to us about this crap?" Aaron asked.
I laughed.
"Just a few things, I promise," Diego said. "First off, if you use the last of something—dish soap, laundry detergent, anything—put it on the grocery list. And don’t forget with the cans and bottles?—"
"We know we’re supposed to recycle," Jenna interrupted.
"That’s not what I was going to say," Diego continued. "But yes, please recycle. I was going to say, whoever’s week it is to take it out, do it at least every other day."
I turned to Jenna and whispered, "How do we know whose week it is?"
"I’ll explain after dinner,” she whispered back.
"Does anyone have anything they want to say?" Diego asked.
Raymond looked like he was going to complain about something, but maybe he was too full to do so.
Suddenly, I found myself speaking.
"If every one of you can cook like this, I’m going to have to find a new place to live. Is there a house for students who survive on canned goods?"
Diego laughed. "No one expects you to put together this kind of feast. But I didn’t do it alone. Evan helped me man the grill. And because he, you, and Aaron helped beforehand, that means Raymond, Cody, and Jenna are on dish duty."
That didn’t seem right.
"I should do dishes too,” I protested. “I only helped set things up in here."
Aaron shushed me. "Don’t say that. That’s all I did too, and I don’t want to do the dishes."
“You’re off the hook, Mia,” Jenna said. “Unless you want to take my place. There’s not really room for more than three of us in the kitchen at one time anyway.”
“There are other things you could do if you have the energy,” Evan said, looking like he had energy for days. “What position are you on for the chore chart?”
"What’s that?" I asked.
"It tells you what else you have to do in the communal spaces each week,” Aaron said. "Like one of us will be in charge of dusting and sweeping the living room, another one the downstairs bathroom, and so on."
That didn’t sound so bad—I’d done chores like that all my life. “Where is it posted?”
"I can walk you through it," Diego offered.
I panicked. Every time I was in the same room as him, I worried he was going to remember what we did at that party. "Aaron can show me."
My words had come out in a rush, and everyone was staring at me. I realized how that must’ve sounded. "Or Jenna," I added quickly. "I mean, because you’re taking all those graduate classes," I said to Diego.
Everyone was still staring. This was hell.
"Is the chore chart in the kitchen?" I was babbling now.
Diego watched me steadily. Finally, he said, "It’s online."
"I’ll send you the link when I add you to the group text," Jenna said, and I thanked her.
Diego studied me a moment longer. I wanted to sink through the floor, past the basement, and to the center of the earth, never to be heard from again. But that never happened when you wanted it to.
"One more thing," he said. "Next week’s meal. Again, there’s no pressure. Just as long as there’s food, we’ll be happy. It needs to be either Cody or Mia. Cody, since Mia’s new, I think it would be only fair if you took next week."
"No." That was all Cody said.
I should have been grateful the attention was off me now, but for some reason, I felt sorry for him.
"We’ve been through this. We all have to take a turn."
"I’m busy next week."
"We’re all busy," Raymond said. "We’re students. I had a test the morning after it was my turn to cook, and I still made BLTs.”
“And they were excellent,” Evan said. “Way to toast and slice.”
I bit back a grin. It was funny as hell to see our youngest roommate throwing shade.
Diego had his eyes on Cody. “You know the rules.”
Cody returned his gaze. “I can’t cook next week.”
“Can’t or won’t?” Raymond challenged.
Diego seemed as if he was finally losing patience, but with Raymond, not Cody. He shifted in his seat, reaching into his pocket. "We’ll flip a coin."
Cody met my gaze briefly before he looked down. Even from across the table, I could see the tension in his shoulders. He was on the edge of his chair and actually looked poised for flight. It was hard to believe it, but there was someone more averse to cooking for the group than I was.
I let out a breath. "I’ll go next week."
All heads turned toward me, save Cody’s.
"Are you sure?" Diego asked.
"Yes." I took a quick glance at Cody, but he wasn’t looking at any of us.
“Thank you, Mia,” Diego said. Aaron said thanks as well. Cody didn’t, but it was almost as if I could hear the relief in his mind.
Or maybe I was projecting. One thing was for certain—I was going to spend the whole week bugging Tori and Hailey to help me decide what on earth I could possibly prepare.
“We’re looking forward to it,” Aaron said.
"Yeah, um, please don’t do that. Let’s set that bar pretty low."
Everyone laughed.
Diego cleared his throat. “Unless anyone’s got room for dessert, which I didn’t actually make, I’d say this concludes Mia’s welcome dinner. I’m glad you all?—”
“My what?” I gaped at him. “That’s why you made all this food?”
Aaron nudged me. “We toasted you in the beginning, remember?”
“Yeah but…” I honestly didn’t know what to say. This incredible feast had been in my honor? I’d lived in one foster home where no one had ever mentioned my birthday. Then there was another one where every holiday, the family’s biological kids would be showered with toys, and I’d get a card.
Not everywhere. I’d had a few decent celebrations, but nothing like this. Especially not from fellow students I barely knew. “Thank you.” My voice was quiet, but everyone heard.
“You’re welcome,” Diego said. He hesitated, and then said, “Whatever you’re feeling right now—people in this room have been through it, too. We get it.” Most of the others nodded.
“Thanks,” I repeated again, this time barely audible.
Aaron put his arm around my shoulder and squeezed briefly. “We’re glad you’ve finally joined us.”
“I am too.” That time, my voice was quiet, but steady.
Though I wasn’t on dish duty, I took my plate out to the kitchen. It would’ve felt very wrong not to. When I left, Diego called my name from the hallway.
I stopped, having to look up to meet his gaze. At the party when I’d been writhing on his lap, we’d been eye-to-eye. That memory made my face flush.
“I hope you know that I’m always available if you ever want to talk about anything.”
“Thank you, I’ll keep that in mind.”
He gave a little half smile. “Something tells me you don’t mean that. But just so you know, you can tell me anything.”
Wanna bet, Diego? For a moment, I tried to imagine what he’d say if I told him I was the girl he couldn’t keep his hands off of at that party.