Chapter Five
Ella
My eyes glance around the dining hall, taking in the sights of all the students eating and laughing over their dinner.
I twirl my fork around the spaghetti on my plate, taking another bite, and ignoring the fact that I’m one of the only students sitting by myself right now.
Cami’s stuck working on a group project and wasn’t available, so I’m left eating alone tonight.
I know a few familiar faces in the sea of tables, but I haven’t had any real conversations with anyone lately, except for a man I’ve never actually met.
I pull up my phone and swipe out a text.
BBUGirl: Do you ever feel like you don’t belong?
SoloSurfer: All the time.
BBUGirl: That’s right. You’re solo. How could I forget?
SoloSurfer: Maybe I want to change that.
BBUGirl: ???
SoloSurfer: The hockey guys are throwing a Halloween party soon
SoloSurfer: Meet me there?
I inhale a breath.
Do I want to go?
Yes.
Should I go?
I don’t know. Even if I wanted to go, how could I possibly? I barely have enough time to message SoloSurfer during the day, not to mention spend actual time with a human other than my classmates or Cami.
I exhale and type back before I can overthink it.
BBUGirl: Maybe
SoloSurfer: Maybe?
BBUGirl: Yeah, you need to give a girl some details first
SoloSurfer: Ok, fair enough
SoloSurfer: It’s at the hockey house on Halloween night
SoloSurfer: It’s chill, but you have to wear a costume
BBUGirl: Anything in particular?
SoloSurfer: Anything you want.
SoloSurfer: Isn’t that the best part of dressing up?
Touché, SoloSurfer. I nibble on a fingernail as I sort the pros and cons in my head.
Pro: I finally get to meet SoloSurfer.
Con: I would be meeting SoloSurfer.
What if the meet-up goes terribly wrong? What if it’s actually a fifty-year-old man living in his tighty-whities in his mother’s basement? What would happen then?
Well, I guess I would stop wasting time.
That thought stops me cold. I’m done waiting and wasting time. Time is valuable after all. Before I can overthink it, I type back three little letters. Yes.