call it what you want

Chapter 7

Ameeriah

Today's a cold February first morning and I'm so happy that the first week of classes is almost over.
Now that I'm used to my schedule and where my classes are and meeting people in my classes, all that first week of class anxiousness is finally over. Class won't be as nerve wracking now.

I have two classes today so I roll out of my warm bed and wash my face and brush my teeth.

As I get dressed in a pair of light wash jeans and a tight dark red long sleeve shirt, the sun peaks through my window to shine onto my face.

As I'm admiring how pretty it is this early in the morning, my eyes shift over to my roommates side, the empty side.

It's not weird that she's not ever here, because she wasn't ever really here last semester either, she was always staying with friends, but I figured she would have at least dropped off some stuff.

She's literally the worst, and I try to see the best in people, I really do, but damn, that chick.
Literally anything I tried to warm up to her or at least be friendly wasn't just ignored, but she would continuously tell me how much she hated my presence.

So yeah, she's pretty awful, but I don't know, I'm kinda...worried?

Glancing down at my phone, I see that I need to get to class so I throw on a pair of knit socks and some converse and head out the door.

I decide to grab a coffee before heading to my lecture.
Today I have a biology and then a psychology lecture.

I throw on my headphones and start playing some music, a mix of the 1975, Taylor Swift and Phoebe Bridgers, and About You by the 1975 plays first.

It's a chilly morning so once I walk into the warm coffee shop on campus, I'm immediately warmed with the smell of coffee ground and cozy orange lighting.

I get my coffee and head off to lecture.

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Walking back to my dorm, I hear my phone go off.

Jackson Pick you up around 9?

Oh yeah, I forgot about that.
Whatever, I'm just gonna suck it up and go because he really did help me the other day when Ryan was outside my door.

I spent the rest of the afternoon working on some planning for next week and baking some cookies.
They're chocolate chip and oatmeal and so good, my nana's recipe.

When I get back to the dorm from the communal kitchen that's always completely empty, it's almost time for Jackson to pick me up.

Just as I'm thinking that I hear a knock.
"Oh girlfriendddd.." I hear in a singsong voice and I roll my eyes slightly.

This is gonna be a long night.

When I open the door, Jackson is a a hoodie and jeans.
He raises his brows real quick before he said, "you ready?"

"Yeah I think," I say and pause. "Wait am I dressed okay? Is this not enough?"
I'm literally just in jeans and a plain shirt and converse.

I watch as his eyes slowly scale down my body.
"It's a house party Ameeriah, not the grammies. You look fine, let's go."

When we get into his car, it smells faintly of like a woodsy smell? Like a shampoo or something, I don't know. It's a light scent, but it smells good.

I start to overthink as soon as I buckle up.
It's not that I'm uncomfortable or anything, because Jackson doesn't have a bone in his body that would ever make anyone uncomfortable unless he wanted to.

I'm just.. nervous I guess?

I've been to some parties before, actually scratch that, I've been dragged to some parties before when I was dating Ryan because if I didn't go he would guilt trip me and make me feel like the worst human on the planet until I would just go with him.

He plays some music on the way there, and sings- very loudly as he drives to the party. One of the first songs he jams to is Maria by Justin Bieber.

Everyday I learn something new about Jackson, against my will.
For example, his Bieber fever.

When we pull up, he parks and turns the car off.
As soon as he starts to reach over to his car door, I put a hand on his shoulder to stop him.

"Wait," I say quickly.
He turns abruptly to look at me. "What?" He says, his eyes searching my face.

I wrack my brain for a response.
"I," I pause, "I, uh, didn't really think of what I was gonna actually say next, I just don't wanna go in right now."

He smiles and lets out a little laugh when he glances back down to my hand that's still on his shoulder and I move it quickly off.

"Why don't you wanna go in?"
I sigh because I really don't have a reason.
I don't really have social anxiety or anything but there's just gonna be a lot of people and a lot of pretty girls and this just isn't my scene.

"I'm not gonna force you to go in. If you don't wanna go in, we can go catch a movie or something or I can bring you back to your dorm, it's really fine," he says, really sincerely.

I exhale out of my nose as he's looking at me. "You wouldn't be mad?"
He immediately scrunch his brows with a confused look on his face.

"Mad? Ameeriah no, I'm not gonna be mad at you, what the hell?"

I sigh again because I realize I'm just taking everything that Ryan did and projecting it onto him.

"Sorry, sorry, I'm just," I rub my hands over my face for a second. "No sorry, I'm good, let's go," I say as I start to open my door. "Wait actually," I say as I shut the door again and he lets out a goofy smile.

"What am I supposed to be doing again?"
He just questions me with a confused look, so I continue.

"Like I know that with Ryan we're pretending like we're dating, but what am I supposed to be doing here? Am I acting like your girlfriend? Or am I just here, as a friend, to keep your dick away from random chicks?"
"Both."
"Okay, check, got it, I just wanted to make sure I knew my duties."

He doesn't move.
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah dude, come on," I say as I push down all the weird feelings I had about not wanting to go in.

When we start walking towards the house, we can hear the muffled music playing from inside.
Hearing the gravel beneath out feet as we walk beside each other, he starts to talk.

"At anytime you wanna leave, just say the word okay?"
"Mhm," I nod back and he opens the door and we walk in.

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Thanks for reading!
Are you an introvert or extrovert?

I'm 100% an introvert so it was a lot easier writing Adare & Wes' pov because I related to it LOL but it has been fun to kinda play in Jackson & Ameeriah's minds