Our Soul Connection

07| Do I know you?

When I finally reach my dorm, Lori is in her room with a visitor it sounds like. It's almost lunch time so I rummage around the kitchen and decide to make some ramen with eggs. Weirdly enough, Stetson was the one who first told me to put scrambled eggs in my ramen. I've done it since. At that moment, I started to miss his friendship. I never even had that kind of friendship with Mia.

It was so weird to see him today. I haven't seen him since I left Texas 3 years ago. He and Niko were one year behind me in school. They graduated two years ago. Stetson hasn't heard from Niko in two years and he is still asking about him?

Lori's bedroom door swung open and she giggled as she walked out.

"Hi, Athena." She nearly danced to the sink behind me to fill the water bottle she'd brought from her room.

"Lori," I said simply.

"I heard you come in. You and Dorian have a little fight?" She nearly giggled and my temper's fuse lit up.

"There is no me and Dorian. Why do you ask?" How would she even know?

"He texted." The fuse started to burn faster and hotter.

"Mm," I hummed stirring my noodles.

"He said you left walking. So who was the hottie that dropped you off?" Then I was seething.

"None of your fucking business, Lori. Jesus. Go tend to your conquest and leave me to my lunch. I am not in the mood for your shit."

"Okay, jeez." She rolled her eyes and closed her water bottle. "Still, he was a cutie. You should have brought him up."

I snorted while pouring my noodles into a bowl and turned to her, "Have at him. I knew him from Texas." Then I took my bowl and bottle of water to my bedroom and slammed the door.

I placed my meal on the table next to my bed and sat down. I pulled my shoes off one by one and began to prepare for a day of Netflix and chill by myself.

I totally blew it with Dorian. No, that there was anything to blow up in my face here. I never even gave him a chance to build anything. He was already being a good friend in the couple of days that I'd known him. Unlike most people, he seemed to enjoy my company. Why, though, I wasn't quite sure. Just as I focused on the tv my phone pinged.

Dorian: I'm sorry. Did you make it back okay?

I debated on ignoring the text, but I was just telling myself had I'd ruined it. Maybe I hadn't completely blown it.

Me: No, I'm sorry. I just don't know how to connect with anyone anymore. It gives me the ick and I start to feel uncomfortable.

Some hard truths that probably even I needed to hear. Maybe, he will understand.

Dorian: I get it. I pushed you too hard, and when you left in the cold, I was worried you'd freeze to death.

I typed and deleted, typed and deleted. It was probably best not to bring up Stetson since he wasn't going to be around anyway.

Me: It's okay. Can we just forget about it?

I waited what seemed like ages, and took a couple of bites of my food. Maybe I was too big of a dick for him to move past it. I couldn't blame him really. Ping!

Dorian: I think we can move past it, but I think we should slow down if I'm making you uncomfortable.

This time I couldn't find a good way to respond. So I didn't. I ate the rest of my noodles and curled up in my bed to watch tv until I drifted off.