* his name is pronounced just like JC; Jaeger's is just Jay-Ger
j a c y
✰
My hands shake a little as I use my key to unlock my dorm room door. I hope my roommate is nice. My mom stands so close to me, I can feel her breath on the back of my neck.
The room is empty when I walk in, but there's stuff already on the left side of the room. I don't know much about my roommate, only that his name starts with a J.
I put my stuff on the bed, take the sheets from my mom, and start putting them on the bed. She opens the closer door at the end of my bed and starts helping hang up my clothes and putting them in the dresser that stands inside.
Beside my bed, at the head, there's a small, three drawer plastic cubicle as a nightstand, and then a desk. On my roommate's side, is the same thing: a three drawer plastic cart and a desk. There's a closet door at the end of his bed and the door to the bathroom. Sort of in the middle of the wall facing the desks, is the door to walk into the room.
That door opens and my roommate walks in. Mom is still facing the closet, and I'm still trying to get the corner of the sheet on my bed. When I turn around...
"Jaeger?" I ask, shocked. My brother's best friend.
"Jacy?" He asks. Mom whips around, hitting herself in the head with a plastic hanger.
"Hi sweetie!" She says. Jaeger jumps when she speaks, not knowing she was in the room.
"Hi, Mrs. Wilson!" Jaeger greets. "How have you been?"
She smiles. "Great! I can't believe I'm sending my baby off to college! It makes it easier on this Momma knowing that he's rooming with you, though!"
I blush. No, this is NOT good. I thought I was finally free from Jaeger— not that I mind him being here. I've had a massive crush on my brother's best friend since I was in sixth grade, and he and my brother were in seventh.
About an hour later, Mom says that she needs to head back home and to call her if I need anything. Even though she's only thirty to forty-five minutes away from home.
Although my brother, Cameron, went off to college two and a half hours away this year. Last year, he went to a college twenty minutes from home. He lived in the dorms for the first semester last year, then commuted back and forth his second semester.
Mom says she might drop off dinner one day this week, and now I'm starting to understand why Cameron chose to go so far away this year.
✰
Jaeger smiles that prize-winning smile at me; I feel myself start to blush again.
He laughs softly. "How have you been?" He asks me, sitting on the edge of his bed.
I sigh. "I've been okay. Cam left to go back last week, but you probably know that. I remember him mentioning he was going to go hang out with some of the guys."
"Yeah, I actually saw him the day he left. I had to talk to him about something. He seems to be doing good."
I nod. "Yeah, it is his second year though. Yours too,"
He nods. "Yeah. If you need anything, just left me know. I can show you where stuff is and where classes are and stuff."
I nod. "Thank you, I'd really appreciate that. I have no clue what I'm doing, to be honest."
He laughs. "I didn't either, but I had to figure it out on my own. My roommate last year was kind of a... jerk, to put it nicely."
I nod, looking at him.
"What are you doing tonight?" He asks me.
"I-I didn't really have any plans..." I say.
"Can I take you to dinner? There's a really nice diner not too far from here."
I smile at him. "That'd be nice."
✰
At six o'clock, Jaeger and I leave our dorm, grabbing our phones, wallets, and keys and start walking toward the diner.
Jaeger holds the door open for me, and then I follow him to a corner booth.
"How many times a week do you come here?" I ask, laughing.
He laughs, too, saying, "A lot. We've got to come back for breakfast some day, too! They've got amazing food."
I order a Pepsi and spaghetti, and Jaeger orders an iced, sweet tea and a burger with fries.
Our food was delicious, and I will definitely be going back there. I tell Jaeger this, and he laughs.
"I told you you'd love it!" He says. "Now, I'm taking you to an ice cream parlor. It's so good, Jace!"
I smile, because I can't remember the last time he called me Jace.
It's freezing in the ice cream parlor; I feel the cold as soon as Jaeger opens the door. He gets a cup of Oreo, and I get a cup of Cookie Dough.
While we're waiting for our ice cream, Jaeger notices me shivering and gives me his jacket. I look at him, trying to protest, but he shushes me as he zips it up.
Over our ice cream, we talk about the teachers and what I should expect when classes start that Monday. Jaeger tells me not to worry, he'll do everything he can to help me.
As we walk back to our dorm, I take off his jacket, handing it back to him.
"It's nice out here this evening," I say, looking around.
I hear him laugh softly. "Yeah, it is..." he says.
✰
When we get back to our dorm, Jaeger looks at me before opening the door.
"I know you like me, Jace," he whispers softly, opening the door and pushing me against it, reaching his arm behind me and locking it. I look at him, swallowing hard, expecting him to be angry, but there's a smile on his face.
He tips my chin, leaning in too quickly for me to register that it's happening until it's happened. His lips press against mine, and I'm glad I'm leaning against the door, because if I wasn't, I think I'd probably fall.
As if Jaeger senses this, he holds me closer to him, smiling against my lips. He makes a noise, sending my heart into high-gear, butterflies swirling around in my stomach.
He pulls away, still cupping my face in his hands and smiles at me sweetly.
"I've wanted to kiss you since your brother and I were in tenth grade," he whispers, pressing his lips to my temple.
I smile at him. "How long have you know, Jae?" I ask him.
He smiles, pulling back and grabbing my wrist. "Not long. You remember when I said I saw Cam the day he left? I said I had to ask him something? I asked him if he would be mad at me if I made a move. He started laughing and he told me everything. He also said that he would break me if I broke your heart. But don't worry, I don't plan on ever letting you go,"
I blush, pulling him into me and kissing him again.
2/13/21
lol guess who doesn't have a valentine again
