Off To Uni! (Written after Nick & Charlie by Alice Osmen)

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Seventeen.

Adam:
Rob walks into the dorm and looks straight at me.

"We need to talk."
"Did you talk to him? Did he come up to you? Did he just transfer or has he been here since last year and you're just finding out now?"
"ADAM CALM DOWN," Rob says.

Calm down? Like it's that easy. The last time I had any interaction with Jacob, it was senior year and we had a group project with a bunch of other kids. I got to Jacob's house before anyone and I think we had a moment; at least it felt like one to me; but I broke that moment and never let it happen again. Not with him, or with any guy.

"I was walking Jacqueline back to her dorm and Jacob bumped into me while he wasn't looking; he was with his girlfriend.."
"Oh," I say.

I can't decide if I'm disappointed or relieved by the news.

"But the first thing he said after he said hi to me and I introduced him to Jacqueline was about you. How you were. He didn't even introduce us to his girlfriend until after that."
"Sounds like he still thinks about you," Nick says.
"He asked if you and I wanted to go out for lunch or something soon. I told him I'd text him and he gave me his number."
"How, how is he?" I ask.

Rob smiles slightly.

"He seems really good. He transferred to my school this year for music."
"Do you think we should go hang out with him?"
"I think you need to make that decision," Rob says.

I look over at Charlie and Nick. Nick is nodding his head and Charlie is giving me a thumbs up. If I'm being honest, I'm so envious of their relationship. It's something I always wanted. I mean, I dated girls and they were meaningful relationships, but I feel like until I explore this other part of myself, I'll never really know.

"You can text him and see if he's free tonight for dinner. Charlie, Nick, do you guys want to come?"
"I think we might just stay in for the rest of the day, I have to bring Charlie back home tomorrow and our schedules are going to be working against us now that he's starting school," Nick says.
"Please? Just for dinner? I feel like I need all the support I can get. I'll stay at Rob's Condo tonight so you guys can be by yourself later."
"Ah, yes Adam, no need to check with me, of course you can stay," Rob says sarcastically with a laugh.
"We thought you were just being polite inviting us Adam. If you need us there, we're there," Charlie says.

Rob calls Jacob and they make plans for us all to grab dinner at a restaurant nearby. 

"So is he bringing his girlfriend?" Charlie asks.
"No. Just him," Rob says as he looks at me.

I need to try and compose myself. For all I know, Jacob didn't even feel anyway towards me and maybe I made that moment up in my head. There's a good chance that Jacob thinks I'm straight so I don't fully understand why I'm freaking out. I feel a hand on my shoulder.

"It's going to be okay," Nick says.
"So he wants to meet around eight. I'm going to head back to my place to hang out and get ready," Rob says.
"You mind if I come with you? I just need to sort out some things in my mind and you're the only one that is good at helping me do that."

Rob smiles at me.

"Of course you can, you moron," he says. "You got this though."

Nick:
Adam and Rob leave and I look at Charlie.

"You sure you don't mind going out to dinner with them on our last night together?"
"It seems like Adam really needs us. Plus, he's going to give us the room later," Charlie says with a smirk.
"I'm starting to think that's the only reason you like staying here anymore," I tease.

Charlie walks over to me, runs his hand through my hair and lightly kisses my neck.

"I mean, it's definitely a plus," he whispers.

I playfully push him and we walk over to my bed.

"What time is it?" I ask.
"Just after five. Want to watch a movie before we go?"

I smile at him.

"Sounds perfect."

We put on a movie and Charlie snuggles into my arm. He looks up at me.

"So I'm thinking, I'm a pretty smart guy --"
"Oh wow, starting off so humble," I say jokingly.
"Shut up," he says as he laughs. "I'm thinking on Fridays I can just finish all my homework and that way I can come up most weekends."

I look down at him.

"Don't forget you have friends and family who probably want to spend time with you too," I say. "I doubt your parents are going to want you coming up every weekend once school starts."

Charlie sighs.

"You're right. But I think they'll let me come up enough. And when I can't come up, if you don't have Rugby, you can come down."
"I think I'm going to come down next weekend and spend it over there. I miss Mum, and Nellie," I say.
"I've been stopping by to walk her. She probably forgot all about you now," he teases.
"I'll literally cry."
"I'm just happy that this whole issue we originally had with Adam got resolved so quickly. I feel like your year here would have sucked otherwise."
"Tell me about it. I'm glad he confided in us too," I say.
"I wonder what's going to happen tonight. Imagine if you never told me you had feelings for me and we just went our separate ways and saw each other years later. How crazy would that be?" 

I kiss Charlie on the top of his head.

"There was no way I was ever going to let you get away. But if that did happen, I would definitely make my feelings clear with seeing you again. I would remember all the feelings I had years ago and they would come rushing back; I wouldn't be able to let another opportunity to tell you how I feel slip away. It has to be fate or something with Adam and Jacob," I say. 
"It is strange that he confided in us about him and now he's here."
"Fate. I'm telling you, it's a powerful thing," I say.

Like there would be any universe in which I wouldn't have told Charlie how I felt. There is a cosmic pull with us; we're destined to be together, I know it. The movie ends and Charlie looks at his phone.

"It's seven. Want to start getting ready?" Charlie asks.
"Yeah. I should also text Adam and see where we're going."
"Ah, yes. That is a good idea," Charlie says with a slight chuckle.

I finish getting ready and sit at the edge of my bed as I watch Charlie stare at himself in the mirror, focusing on his curls, as always. I smile.

"What are you smiling at?"

I walk over to him and wrap my arms around him from behind.

"Is there ever going to be a day where you don't mess with your curls?"

He continues to flatten his hair with his hands.

"Probably not."
"I love your curls," I say.

He turns around to face me.

"Even when it looks like it has a mind of its own and is out of control?" 
"Even then," I say as I kiss his nose. "Come on, lets go. Rob and Adam want to meet us there like five minutes earlier so we get there before Jacob."

We get to the restaurant, walk inside and see Rob and Adam sitting down already. They wave and we walk over.

"Is he here yet? How are you doing, Adam?" I ask.
"Huh? Me? I'm okay," Adam says, clearly spacing out.
"You might want to stop shaking your leg, you'll end up flipping the table," Rob jokes.

All of a sudden, I see someone walk straight to our table and tap Adam on the shoulder.

Adam:
I feel a tap on my shoulder and my heart literally drops.

"Wow, Adam. I don't believe it."

[Sorry that this chapter focuses more on Adam and so will the next one. I did add cute Nick & Charlie moments too; hope you guys enjoy!]