"Between friends, unspoken feelings can feel like a fragile thread pulled taut; one denies its existence while the other hides behind its delicate weave, both yearning for the courage to unravel what lies beneath."
Ian and Julian, long-time best fri...
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The drive to Mel's college was longer than I expected, a straight, boring stretch of highway lined with nothing but billboards and empty fields. I didn't even bother turning the music up; the silence felt better. When I finally pulled up to the dorms, it was all red bricks and ivy—a postcard version of what a school should look like.
I parked, pocketed my keys, and made my way to her building.
The place looked exactly like I thought it would—brick buildings, too much grass, kids with backpacks moving in packs like they were extras in a campus brochure. I parked, popped out, and made my way to her dorm.
Room 204. I found it fast. Knocked twice. Waited.
Nothing.
I knocked again, harder this time.
"Of course," I muttered, pulling out my phone. Where are you? I texted, leaning against the wall opposite her door.
No response.
I slid down to sit on the floor, stretching my legs out. It was quieter than I thought it'd be for a college dorm. Somewhere down the hall, someone laughed, and a door slammed. My phone buzzed just as her footsteps echoed down the corridor.
Mel turned the corner, a frown already on her face. She looked annoyed before she even saw me.
"What the hell are you doing here?" she asked, stopping a few feet away, a canvas bag slung over her shoulder.
"Nice to see you, too," I said, standing up and brushing off my jeans.
She sighed, brushing past me to unlock her door. "You couldn't text me first?"
"I did text you," I said, following her inside. Her room was small—bed shoved against the far wall, a desk buried under books and a dying plant by the window.
She dropped her bag on the desk, glanced at her phone, and gave me a pointed look. "Two minutes ago. That's not notice."
I shrugged, collapsing onto her bed like it was mine. "Surprise."
"You seriously just showed up?
Her room was really small but clean, and she had it to herself, which was a shock. Bed neatly made, a desk crammed with books and a couple of framed photos, and a tiny fridge humming in the corner. The whole setup annoyed me.
I shrugged, looking around her dorm with a critical eye.
"I thought you'd be happy to see me. Is this what I get for making the trip?"
"Yeah, because I begged you to drive all this way,"
"Don't flatter yourself. I just didn't have anything better to do." I walked over to her desk, picking up a framed photo. It was of the two of us at her dad's house, probably ten or more years ago. I was grinning, mid-laugh, and she was scowling like she was plotting to kill me.
