Between Friends and Lovers

(29) Oliver

Middleworth University stood as an institution of academia in Mayberry closer to the outskirts. Its imposing Gothic-style buildings cast long shadows across the lawns. At the centre of the campus, a grand plaza was adorned with statues of the university’s esteemed founders gazing out over the bustling student body. Ivy climbed the weathered stone walls while the air was filled with hushed murmurs and the occasional laughter echoing from hidden courtyards.

I pocketed my hands as I made my way to my first class. Political Theory with Professor Highmore. I was surprisingly high alert even though it was a morning class, and I wasn’t used to getting up early since the holidays started. The beginning of classes was what I needed to ignore the mess that my personal life was becoming. With the drama with my brother and the impending drama with Alex, it was hard for me to relax. I needed something that was going to need or take most of my attention.

I slowed my walk as I got closer to lecture room 08. I removed my earphones and took a deep breath before walking in. There were a few people already sitting there even though there were twenty minutes before class could begin. I looked around, trying to decide where I wanted to sit. It was an auditorium-style seating, and I wanted to sit somewhere inconspicuous, and the middle seemed inconspicuous enough. Taking a seat in the space, I took out my phone.

I looked around, trying to see if there was anyone I knew, but there was no one. So, I decided to focus my attention on my phone and wait until class began. I wasn’t sure how much time had gone by with me mindlessly scrolling through Instagram, but from my peripheral, I saw someone sitting on the last empty seat next to me. I ignored them until they tapped me.

“What are you looking at?” Rosana asked once I turned to her.

“Hey.” I closed my phone. “I didn’t know you were in this class.”

She shrugged. “Yeah, well, it’s not like I mentioned it. Or that we’ve talked.”

“Right.” I rubbed the nape of my neck. “The last time we talked, we were celebrating being single.”

“And we haven’t talked ever since,” she said with a nod before opening her backpack.

Wasn’t that true? The last time I talked to Rosana was after the party, and we’ve never talked ever since. And it wasn’t that I was ignoring her, I wouldn’t ignore her since she was one of the few people that I didn’t mind being around. But the problem was that I didn’t have her number, and I wasn’t sure how she was going to react if I reached out to her on Instagram. We also hadn’t seen each other since then, even though we were neighbours.

But even if I did reach out to her on Instagram or bump into her, what was I going to say? Rosa was chill, but there was still the fact that I hadn’t talked that much to her since two years ago, and she was different from Alex. With Alex, I was never sure what to say, but she was familiar enough that I knew what she wouldn’t appreciate, I didn’t know Rosa that well. And I would be lying if I said I didn’t want to get to know her that well.

“Maybe we should rectify that,” I said confidently, and she turned to me with a smile. “After this, I have an hour before my next class.”

“Are you asking me to hang out with you?” she asked with a raised eyebrow.

I shrugged. “Sure if you want to.”

She laughed before saying, “Okay, but I choose where we go.”

I nodded. Not having a problem with that.


                                ******

I wasn’t sure where Rosa wanted us to go, but I didn’t think it would be the cafeteria. When I voiced this out to her, she laughed before telling me that the cafeteria had the best pimento cheese hot dogs. We had a funny little back-and-forth about the hotdogs before she convinced me to try them.

“Your verdict?” she asked, looking like she was about to combust with anticipation.

I slowly chewed before saying, “They’re good.”

“Good?” she nearly exclaimed. “Just good?”

“They’re amazing.” I took a sip of my orange juice that Rosa had made a face to before getting cranberry. “I didn’t think they’d be this good.”

“Stick with me, Oliver, and I’ll show the best things about Middleworth.” She took a bite of her hotdog.

As I looked around the cafeteria, the melding of modern design and traditional charm immediately captivated me.

The sleek, polished surfaces of the countertops and tables contrast with the warm, earthy tones of the wooden chairs and floors. Soft lighting casts a cosy glow over the space. A few students sat scattered throughout the room, some engrossed in their textbooks while others chatted animatedly over plates of food.

“How did you know about them?” I asked, directing my attention back to Rosa.

“Last year when I wasn’t sure which university I wanted to go to, I decided to check out MU,” she began, opening her can of cranberry juice. “And for me, that meant also tasting the food.”

“Good thing you did.” I took another bite.

There was silence as we both focused on our food. I was enjoying being here with Rosa. But I still felt like this wasn’t a place I’d find her. Rosana Almeida, at first glance, seemed very similar to Diane. She came off as someone like that, but after going to look at the stars with her and spending the rest of the night eating burgers from Blackwood Diner, I wasn’t sure I knew who Rosana was. I could speculate, but I felt like the real thing was going to blow my speculations through the roof.

“I gotta be honest. I didn’t think that you’d bring me here.” I kept my eyes on her, wanting to see her reaction.

“Where did you think I’d take you?” There was humour in her voice.

“I don’t know.” I sat back on my chair. “I feel like you’re not that simple to read.”

“Funny enough, I believe that.” She rolled her eyes. “You’re not the first to say that.”

The way she said it made me believe that I just touched on something deep. But I didn’t know whether it was something she would be keen to talk about. Rosa wasn’t easy to read, and I didn’t want to offend her somehow.

“I didn’t mean that in a bad way. It’s just that you’re the girl who wants to look at the stars and eat burgers at 1 am,” I said with a smile—a genuine smile. “You also have crazy mad love for this town. So I didn’t think that you’d take me to MU’s cafeteria for brunch.”

She chuckled. “You thought that I’d take you to some hidden gem eating place?”

“Yes.” I nodded. “It seems like more your style.”

“Hmm.” She leaned forward. “I could take you to the ‘hidden gem eating place’, but it’s also where my idea of a perfect date would be, and I’m just not sure that I can take you as a friend.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Would I have to ask you out before you take me?”

“Maybe.” She winked.

Something about that excited me, and I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.


                                 ******

Hours after my second and last class of the day, I decided to check on Cooper. The problem was that I forgot that Cooper was still in high school and it wasn’t school out just yet. And that was how I ended up spending two hours at the cafe hoping that he’d show up.

During the whole time, I was replaying the conversation with Rosa. I couldn’t remember the last time I had a conversation with someone, and my mind didn’t feel like it was going haywire. Every conversation I had with someone ended with me having a headache from constantly having to watch what I said and keeping an eye on their reactions to make sure that I didn’t offend them. But that hadn’t been the case with Rosa. I enjoyed our conversation, and that high didn’t end even when she told me that she was also in political science, meaning we were going to have a lot of classes together.

The only difference was that her minor was in education, and mine was in business management.

But that high did end when I got a text from Alex asking if we were going to exchange the gifts on Wednesday. Panic settled on my chest when I realised that I hadn’t gotten a gift for Alex. Even worse, I didn’t know what to get.

“Just get her a bracelet with those little charms on it,” Cooper suggested, unbothered as he sat on the other side of the booth.

“And that would be the perfect gift for her?” I raised an eyebrow.

“Yes.” He gave a one-shoulder shrug. “At least that’s what Maverick said.”

The mention of Maverick’s name brought back the conversation we had last Friday, and I found myself cringing.

“You asked Maverick what would be the perfect gift for Alex?”

Cooper nodded, clearly not seeing the problem with this.

“Does he know that I’m the one who wanted to know?”

“Not really,” he replied. “He probably thinks I was asking for her birthday. It is coming up just so you know.”

“I know.” I didn’t, but I wasn’t going to tell him that.

“I’m just saying.” He probably could tell that I was lying. “Anyway, back to the gift thing. Rick said that Alex is sentimental. So if you’re going to get her something, make sure you get something that she can keep for a long time. But also make sure that it’s simple and not too flashy. She doesn’t like something like that.

Taking in all that Cooper said, I leaned back on the chair, allowing myself time to process it. And that was going to take time, so I decided to change the conversation.

“Tell me something, Coop,” I said, and he looked at me. “What’s going on between Maverick and Alexandria.”

“What do you mean?” He shrugged. “Nothing is going on.”

I didn’t know if I believed that. Not after the conversation I had with Maverick on Friday. Something was going on between those two, I just wasn’t sure if it was one-sided or what.

“I don’t believe that.” I shook my head. “The way he talked me to me on Friday made it seem like there’s more to their relationship.”

“He’s just worried about her, Oliver,” he pointed out. “There’s nothing more to it.”

“So you’re sure that he doesn’t have feelings for Alex?”

“He doesn’t.” His voice came out squeaky, a sign he was lying.

“Cooper.”

He sighed. “At the beginning, I thought he did, too. I asked him about it and he told me that he didn’t. And I believe him.”

“Well, I don’t.”

“Oliver, things have changed. Alex isn’t the only one who went through hell in the past two years. Everyone in our group did, and that formed unlikely bonds between some of us. It doesn’t mean we have romantic feelings for each other.” He looked out the window before adding, “New friendships were formed during that time, and some of us became closer than the rest. So I believe Maverick when he says that he doesn’t have feelings for her. He was the one who supported Alex more than the rest of us, so it’s only natural for him to worry about her.”

“But be honest, Oliver, do you want to be with Alex?”

“I don’t know.”

“Just do me a favour, man. Don’t make her fall if you don’t plan to catch her. She doesn’t deserve that.”

At least he didn’t try to scare me the way Maverick did, but honestly, that didn’t make his words easy to digest.


                                  •••••

Enjoy!

Stay safe🤍