Forgetting Roman

{twelve}

{twelve}

                “So was skipping class totally worth it?” Livvy asked as we trampled through our dorm room with bags upon bags filled with new clothes. We had spent the entire morning jumping from store to store rummaging through rack after rack of clothing.

                Six stores and close to five hundred dollars spent between the both of us, we grabbed a cab and directed the driver towards school. I had never spent so much money on clothing in my entire life but it seemed that today was the day for firsts.

                Not only did I try on clothing I never pictured myself in but I actually bought them because they actually looked nice on me.

                “Yeah,” I replied to my dorm-mate as I dropped the paper bags onto my bed and followed suit. My feet were killing me, my hands were frozen, and I was starved. “I actually had fun.” I added as I kicked off my boots and fell back onto my plus pillows.

                Across the room Livvy laughed as she began to take her new clothing out of her bags. The paper rustled together as she spoke, “You say that as if shopping never is fun.”

                “It isn’t,” I told her, “Not to me anyways.”

                I could feel my dorm-mates eyes on me as the rustling of her bags stopped. The room fell silent, but it only lasted for a few seconds before Livvy replied, “How can you not think shipping is fun?” she gasped.

                Turning my head I took notice of Livvy staring at me with wide eyes. I shrugged and turned onto my side so I was facing her completely, “I was never the type of girl who liked to shop.”

                Livvy sat on her bed, ignoring the fact that she sat on some of the bags she had been unpacking a few minutes prior, “Then what did you do for fun?” she asked as she bent down and began untying the laces to her heeled boots.

                I rolled my bottom lip into my mouth and pondered over a response I could give her. I could lie- the usual response I would give anyone who asked of my past or extracurricular activities before coming to university, or I could tell her the truth and follow Dr. James’ wishes of trying to form friendships and trusting others.

                Pushing myself up so I was resting on my elbow, I stared at my dorm-mate and licked my lips, “I went to parties, I drank, went on outrages trips with the people I once considered my best friends, broke a few laws, smoked pot, and fought with my boyfriend over things that weren’t worth fighting over for.”

                In the end I went with the latter.

                Opening up and trusting others were the next steps to normality.

++

                Declan and I found ourselves in the library once again, silently sitting before each other with books opened to random pages and spirals indented with our handwriting. Once a weak we met up in the back of the library to study. Since Declan was taking classes I had already taken, I helped him out with questions and problems he didn’t understand while he helped me with topics to write about for my English Literature class.

                 An hour into studying, Declan dropped his blue ink pen onto the bend of his Biology book and stretched his arms above his head. Through my lashes I noted how the muscles in his arms flexed under his black long sleeve, and for a minute I saw what Jessica saw in Declan.