12
I drop my bag to the ground and sit on the edge of the steps at the campus entrance. I haven’t been waiting long when a loud group of girls approach. Luna is at the centre, and everyone is laughing at something she’s said. Of course, for my one friend, she’s made four.
“Hey, girl,” Luna greets me in an unusually high-pitched tone. “How was your first day?” She waves her new friends goodbye without introducing me, and brings me in for a tight hug.
“It was pretty good. I made a friend.” I hug her back, realising how much I missed her today. “What was that?”
“Just trying something new,” she says with a laugh, her normal tone returning now that the other girls are gone. “Heard from Brooks today?”
“No. He doesn’t have my number,” I finally admit. I didn’t want to have to tell her that, after everything, he didn’t even ask if he could call me.
“Maybe he thought he didn’t need it, seeing as he lives in the building? Who knows, he could be over there waiting for you now.” She loops her arm through mine.
“Do you really think so?”
“Honestly? I have no fucking idea. But won’t it be fun finding out together?
” she asks, her right eyebrow cocked mischievously.
We step off campus and into the bustling city, where work colleagues meet for happy hour and young families take advantage of early dinner seating, filling the restaurants that line the street.
“How was class, anyway? Was it as boring as you thought it would be?”
“It was actually pretty great,” Luna says with a glimmer in her eye. I squint slightly as I look at her, trying to put my finger on what might have put her in such a great mood.
“That’s amazing. I’m so glad you’re getting into your course.
You know, Mum and I were talking before we left, and she thought it might be a good idea if you took art as an elective next semester.
I know your dad doesn’t like you drawing, but one little elective never hurt anyone. ” Luna’s arm tenses against mine.
“Really, Abi? My first day, and you’re already on my back? I went through all of this with Rita months ago. You know that I’m taking Introduction to Business Law for my second-semester elective. This is the course outline that Dad picked, and it’s the one I’m stuck with, so can you just drop it?”
“Ok, ok. I’m sorry. I won’t bring it up again.”
We walk the rest of the way home in silence. When we turn into the alley next to the parking lot, I see Brooks walking towards his car. My growing smile is cut short when I realise that he’s not alone. A tall, leggy, thin blonde is walking beside him. Harper.
Disappointment floods over me. It would have been one thing if he had dismissed me after the party.
I could have chalked it up to a meaningless hook-up, at least on his end.
After our date though, I was beginning to think we had started something real.
I never had to worry about Mark and other girls.
And if I ever felt jealous, he’d pull me into his chest and let me know that I’m the only girl for him.
I’d breathe him in, feeling instantly safe and protected.
Luna tightens her grip around my arm as we wait for him to realise we’re there.
He looks up from his phone, locking eyes with mine and smiles.
He shoots me a friendly wave, then puts his hand on Harper’s back, guiding her to his car.
I wave back and force a smile as a pang of jealousy punches me in the chest. We continue walking through the entrance and enter the courtyard.
“They’re friends,” I blurt out before Luna can start whatever it is that she was planning to say.
“I didn’t say anything.” She raises both hands in surrender, but we both know very well that she was about to.
I slide my phone out from my back pocket and click on the last message Mark sent.
“How was your first day, ladies?” Sam asks, startling me when he stands up from the garden bed he was sitting on.
“Some better than others.” Luna nudges her head in my direction.
She releases my arm, takes her keys from her backpack, unlocks the door and ushers us inside.
“Brooks’ number is on the paperwork I filled in for the apartment, you know, just in case we break the toilet or something.
You should just message him. I mean, there’s no point torturing yourself when his number is right there. ”
“You don’t think that’s desperate?”
“You are, though, aren’t you?”
My face grows hot as my eyes dart towards Sam. He’s Brooks’ friend. He’s going to think I’m a stalker and warn Brooks to stay away from me.
“Why don’t you message him about something apartment-related?
Remind him that the door creaks loudly and needs to be fixed.
His uncle said he’d get him on the job, but nothing’s been done.
” She flicks through the stack of papers on the corner table and pulls out the one she’s looking for.
Passing it to me, she points to the number at the bottom of the page next to the word Maintenance.
I take the paper, still not convinced that this idea will work and go straight into my room, place my bag on the bed and sit down to take my shoes off.
Feeling the instant relief of freeing my sore feet, I lay down on the bed, looking at the paper with Brooks’ number.
Even if I did have the guts to message him, he’s with Harper right now, and they looked like they were going out on a date.
I take my books from my bag and start to put my assessment dates in my calendar.
Once I’ve highlighted my key dates and filed everything away in deadline order, I call my parents and tell them all about my first day of university.
I talk to them for a while before I hang up and immediately check the time.
9 pm. Deciding to have a quick shower before bed, I walk out into the living room.
Sam is still here watching a movie in the dark with Luna. She has her feet resting on his lap.
Stepping under the hot water, my muscles welcome the soothing pressure.
I dip my head back and let it wash over my hair and face.
Maybe the weekend meant more to me than it did to him.
Maybe he acts like that with all of the girls he’s seeing, and it means nothing to him.
He is older than me, he could want a more sophisticated girl.
I could be sophisticated. I’d be casual and go on dates, and when I saw him with other girls, I wouldn’t react because I’d be doing the same.
Not going on dates with girls, obviously, but with boys.
Lots of boys. No, wait, men, because I’m sophisticated.
Who am I kidding? I’m a child, and he knows it.
The water runs cold, and I step out of the shower, partly dry myself and wrap my towel around me.
Peeking out of the door to make sure no one is watching, I take the opportunity to dart across the living room towards my bedroom.
Luna and Sam have both fallen asleep in the same positions they were in earlier.
Everything always comes so easily for her.
She wanted a date to the formal, and the most popular boy in school asked her.
Her dad basically throws money at her, so she never has to work for anything.
Teachers love her, boys love her, hell, even my own parents seem to love her more than me.
And now this. We both met boys on the same day, and here she is snuggling with one on our couch, and I had to watch mine get into his car with another girl.