In Halls

Smashed

My phone chimed as I got outside the Union building into the chilly September sun. It was Sophie.

Hey El how was your first night?? I got with this awesome hot girl and she even texted me this morning!!

Her message was accompanied by a row of emoji kissy faces and those little exploding celebration horn things. As I was reading, she sent me a picture of herself cheek to cheek with another girl, both sticking their tongues out, holding cocktails and looking like they were having a whale of a time. I sent her back a string of dancing girls.

You go girl!! Been far too long! Sounds like you had fun

Oh we did (winky face)

I want to hear EVERYTHING as soon as we can video chat

I will spill all don't you worry. How was your night?

Ugh. We had a fire alarm that kept us out on the cold for a full hour, and two of my flatmates got with each other

Sucks man. You out again tonight?

Yeah if the rest of my flat are

I was distracted by a tap on my shoulder. Ed again. He was holding my coriander plant.

"Hey, you left this on the swimming club table, figured they wouldn't appreciate it so I brought it for you. You heading home?"

I scowled and took the plant. After the amount I'd paid for it, I should have been a bit more careful with it.

"Thanks. Yeah, I need a nap."

Ed laughed as we turned down the road that led towards our residences.

"I wish I could have a nap. I'm just going to grab a snack and head over to my Dad's place."

"Your Dad's place? It's like the second day of Freshers Week," I pointed out.

"I know, I know, but I haven't seen him in almost a year. Guatemala, remember? And all the rest of my stuff is there, I'm sick of living out of a backpack."

I refrained from pointing out to him that it had been his choice to spend a full year backpacking. Instead, I nodded and I changed the subject back to SplashSoc.

"What was all that about?" I asked him, "At the swimming table, you know, 'Guayo' and all that?"

Ed turned his head down, studying the litter of Freshers leaflets scattered on the kerb.

"Oh, nothing, I just know those guys. Guayo, it's just a nickname for Ed, my... some people used to call me that."

"How is Guayo a nickname for Ed?" I asked, perplexed.

"I don't know, how is Jack a nickname for John, or Dick a nickname for Richard?"

I kept quiet, since I wasn't convinced those were actual nicknames real people used.

"I guess... it's a Guatemalan thing, or maybe a Spanish language thing?"

"Okay, Guayo, that makes perfect sense," I said, possibly with a hint of sarcasm. We'd just reached the door to our building and I scanned us in with my key card.

"I never said you could call me that. My name is Ed. You start calling me Guayo, I'll start calling you Little Bear."

I hesitated on the stairs, flummoxed. How did he even know about that? He read my look of bewilderment and chuckled.

"I overheard you and your parents talking when you were kicking them out yesterday morning. How come Little Bear?"

Now this was a bit like prying. But I guessed maybe I had been prying on Guayo, so fair was fair.

"It's... from a children's book. When my brother was at school and my Mum was at work, my Dad would read me this story. Anyway, it doesn't matter. How did the President of SplashSoc know your least favourite nickname?" I said, opening our flat door.

"Oh, I used to swim for county before I went away, I guess we've just met at a lot of events and trainings."

As he spoke, he was sliding his jacket off his broad shoulders. Used to swim for county ticked through my brain while he shook himself free of it and slung it over his shoulder. It wasn't that he was super built-up, I hadn't even noticed his body yesterday. But now, looking at his arms, I was glad I'd only signed up for women's casual. I wouldn't have to go through the mortification of him repeatedly lapping me in the mixed sessions.

"Cool," I said, after a pause. "I'm going to stick these in the kitchen."

In the kitchen, the blinds were drawn. At first I couldn't work out why. Then I saw Josh, his face fixed in a grimace, sprawled on the sofa clutching an oversized cup of coffee.

"Morning," I said. He groaned, then groaned even harder as I pulled up the blinds to find some space for my herbs. I reminded myself internally to find my other pot plants, just as soon as I'd had a quick snack.

"How are you feeling?"

"Hanging out of my arse. Fucking hell, I was so smashed last night." His voice made it sound like the most tragic event that had ever occurred.

"Ready for the next round tonight?" Ed said, ruffling Josh's short blond hair. Josh's response was another groan, but he also nodded. I tossed him my very squashed slice of pizza. He needed it more than me. Instead, I started slicing a banana onto a piece of bread.

"So," I said to Josh, "You and Tara?"

Josh swore again.

"I don't even remember what happened mate. But I woke up like this."

He lifted his baggy jumper to reveal a scrawny chest, covered in long red scratch marks. Ed whistled.

"Ouch," I said. Flatmate relationship drama, check. "So, have you spoken to her since?"

"Fuck no. I just snuck out of her room last night and I've been laying low."

"Laying low in the communal kitchen?" Ed said with a smirk. "God, it's a state in here. Let's sort some of it up at least."

He crossed to the table and began picking up cards, sticky with alcohol from the night before. My banana sandwich in one hand, I started to help out by chucking Christopher's beer cans in the recycling.

That was when Ed's foot knocked something on the floor. Something that clicked, and crunched under foot. Broken crockery.

Ed stared at the floor, his face creasing into a frown.

"Oh. I don't remember that happening."

He bent down and picked up a fragment of mug, just half the handle attached to a triangular shard. I froze, flooded with a sense of guilt. Josh, oblivious, was tucking into the pizza.

"I guess... it as an accident?" I said.

My words sounded wrong. Of course he would think it was an accident. By saying that it must be an accident, I implied that it wasn't. And that was the truth. I could tell him, though. It wasn't like Tara was my best friend. But then Josh would know that I'd told him. And Josh and Tara might be a thing. But Tara might not have meant to actually break the mug. She might have regretted it. Or she might have forgotten it. And maybe none of them had even seen me in the room when it had happened.

"We were all so drunk by the time we left, it must have just... fallen."

I spoke uncertainly, but Ed seemed too busy staring at the broken mug piece in his hand. Then, he shook his head.

"Whatever. It was just some crappy souvenir mug. It doesn't matter."

And he bent down and carefully picked up every piece.