homeless

one

"You just met the guy and you've already given him your favorite book? Don't you think you're moving kind of fast?" the alien from Ryptonia, also known as Lucy and Madeleine's best friend, teases her friend two days later as they sit in their dorm room. Lucy hands Madeleine back the math homework she corrected for Madeleine, which Madeleine honestly hated. Why did she even need to take math if she wasn't going to become a research psychologist? Darn general education requirements.

Her scowl isn't only for the three problems she got wrong, though. Josh and her weren't even friends, how could Lucy even make a joke about that? 

"Slow down, honey. Introducing the worlds beyond our own to a boy who only reads historical documents? How is that the equivalent of even being interested in each other?" Madeleine shakes her head, starting on the question about survey bias and simulations. Honestly, she didn't understand statistics one bit, and that's saying something because her father and her brother both played baseball and followed it religiously, so much so you would think Madeleine would've caught something amidst all the talk about batting averages.

"So he's not hot?" Lucy asks her best friend, grinning her best goofy smile. Madeleine throws the calculator at her. "Oh, Mads. You've already given your heart to a complete stranger whose only interests are reading historical documents and coffee. Are you actually attracted to Ben Franklin?"

"His name is Josh. Shut up and help me with this math problem. How do I find the area under the curve?"

"You can't, it's not linear enough."

"Oh my God."

"You'll be saying that soon enough."

This time, Madeleine begins one of the most epic pillow fights she's ever had. She throws the closest pillow at her blond friend, and Lucy, laughing, catches it and tosses it back at her. The two are screaming and giggling so animatedly that they don't hear the knock at the door the first, second, or third time. The fourth rap of knuckles finally makes it through to Lucy, who, struggling to breathe, stumbles off the bed and opens the door to find a girl in fuzzy panda pajama pants and a tank top rubbing sleep out her eyes as angrily as a half-asleep person can be.

"I know time doesn't exist to either of you, but I have an exam at 9:30, a mere seven hours from now, so if you could keep it down, that would be greatly appreciated." The girl - their neighbor, Deana- doesn't so much ask but tell them to shut up, and Lucy only smiles awkwardly and nods. "Thank you, and good night."

"Good morning!" Lucy says, shutting the door, and laughing to herself. Turning around, she finds Madeleine in the midst of thrown blankets and pillows with their cases half off, math homework and books, both text and personal, scattered around the floor by Lucy's bed, which the two had been sitting on. "We've been scolded."

"Is it really 2:30 or was Deana lying? I could've sworn it was only midnight last time I checked," Madeleine asks her best friend, who only shrugs in response. "'Cause then I have the same exam in a mere seven hours." Lucy laughs  and throws her pillow back to her.

"I hope it's not a math exam because you suck so much at it," the blond girl teases,flinching when Madeleine threatens to begin yet another fight. "I believe in you, though, if it is one!"

"It's a history exam, which I am good at, thank you very much," Madeleine replies, and a yawn escapes her mouth. "Guess it's time to hit the hay. I have a big day after that." She feigns excitement, rolling her eyes at the thought of the rest of the day.

"Your family isn't that terrible," Lucy tells her, beginning to search for her bed in the mess. "I know how you feel about the divorce and everything, but they still love you and try to express that in their own, messed up ways."