Love Always (NG4)

8 - Surviving

Being back in Boston helped to keep Sam busy. Every morning he dragged himself out of bed. The one thing he did well was sleep. His roommates teased him, but they were too dense to understand.

Luke complained about his mood. The guy was too good looking, because he knew it more than Cole had back when he was a jerk. Sam had never minded jerky Luke, but suddenly the guy bugged him. He had blond hair and a tan from his summer working at Cape Cod, but he was cocky with girls. With his artistic abilities, he was a very talented illustrator. Slouched on the ratty sofa with a beer in his hand, he had the bad boy look with eyebrow and nose piercings and his colorful tattoos. His ripped jeans hung below his boxers all the time.

On Sam's first night back, Luke lowered his bottle from his mouth. "Last year, you were behind closed doors giving it to Rory, now you're moping for her."

"You're no f'ing fun." Theo joined in.

Theo was kinder than Luke who couldn't keep his drunk mouth shut. Luke and Theo were total opposites but had stuck together since being assigned as roommates their freshman year. Sam hooked up with them through Theo who was a photography major too. Rory called him 'cute little Theo'. The kid was only an inch or two taller than her. He had dark hair and eyes and fair skin. The two were total contrasts. Unlike Luke, he was clean cut and dressed like Sam in sports pants.

Luke slurred, "Your ex wife liked my post."

The girls who lived on the top floor of their three family dwelling were drinking in their basement apartment.

The one hanging on Luke looked like him, blonde and thin. She had a turned-up nose, which she looked down, and said, "You're divorced? How old are you?"

Sam glared at Luke. "Not divorce just taking a break."

He stood and walked to his room. He texted Rory about being back at the dump. His heart thumped when she called him. Hearing her voice smoothed over his tired heart. He worried if he would miss her more afterward. She was the one who didn't have friends, but he was used to having her by her side.

After their call, he forced himself to join the others. Theo looked at him with raised eyebrows. He shrugged. "She's doing good."

"What the, man, why are you talking to her?"

He looked from Luke to the three girls he hardly knew who were looking at him like he was a TV show on the CW, the kind with girl drama Keira liked to watch.

"She's my best friend."

"But she dumped you."

Shut the fuck up, Luke. "Only because of the distance." She still loves me.

Two of the three vied for his attention and wanted to make him feel better. The third was shyer. It was a shitshow since Theo and Luke liked the two girls who started hanging on him.

After a few minutes, he drained his beer and stood up. "I'm out." No one called him back as he walked from the bathroom to his bedroom.

When his alarm went off, Sam wanted to throw it across the room. He had survived a week of classes. Actually, they were exciting courses, senior thesis and senior seminar. He had waited a long time to make it that far. Why had he thought engineering was the right major? Oh right, for the money.

He groaned, but then he remembered it was Saturday and he was meeting Will Drake before his game. His friend from The Point was the star wide receiver for his Division 1 college, and Sam was documenting his season for his own senior project. It would be a combination of sports photography and video. Knowing the athlete opened doors for him with an all-access pass.