Heavy in Your Arms

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"Ava Dunn," Jesse begins, and I know she's about to get bossy. "Put that textbook away right now." She's standing in our open doorway, her hair damp from the misty rain outside. Zeke left here about 3 hours ago, and after an hour of giggling, swooning, and rehashing of our night, I managed to pull myself together enough to start studying for my psychology final. Then he texted me, and I had to text him back and swoon some more. I had just gotten focused on the Maslow's hierarchy of needs when Jesse burst through the door. 

"Hey Jesse," I murmur, keeping my eyes on the book. "I'm studying, is there something you needed?"

"Uh, yeah Ava, I need to know about the HOT GIANT MAN FROM BACK HOME THAT YOU BANGED LAST NIGHT!" She's loud enough for everyone in the hall to hear her, and I blush instantly. She's won this round.

"Gosh, keep it down. Get in here," I demand, closing my book and grabbing a towel from the clean laundry basket. I hand it to Jesse so she can dry off, and I take her backpack and throw it in the vicinity of her desk. She's toweling hair dry and when she realizes I'm shuffling my feet in front of her, silent.

"So help me, Ava, if you don't start talking right now, I will throw away every single pair of comfortable shoes you own."

"Okay, okay. You don't have to threaten me. Zeke... Zeke is from back home, you know, and we were talking at the party, and we hit it off." I know she won't let me off this easy, but I have to build up to the more embarrassing parts of the story. 

"Let me give you and idea of the level of detail I expect, Ava. Were you friends back home? Do you know anyone that knows him? Did you know he was in that frat? Who made he first move? Well, obviously he did, but the point is that I want DETAILS. Paint me a picture, Ava." She sits daintily on her bed, crossing her legs at the knee and looking up at me expectantly. 

"Well, I um... I knew his brother. Back home. But Zeke was a year older, so he was already here when I... Met his brother. So I met him a few times, and I guess I knew of him, but we weren't friends or anything. I didn't know he was in Jordan's fraternity and I certainly didn't expect to see him last night. And I made the first move, so... In your face. " I stuck my tongue out at her and plop down next to her. 

"Bullshit you made the first move. Tell me exactly what happened- you and Zeke were talking about people from your high school when Jordan and I wandered off to give you some privacy-"

"To fool around, you mean."

"Semantics. We left you alone so you could have some privacy while we enjoyed our own privacy. Then what happened?" She was like a tiny Oprah, pressing forward with her interview agenda no matter how many ways I tried to distract her. 

"We went up to his room, to talk," I tell her the truth, picking at the stray threads on her quilt, knowing that I'm leaving out some important information that he'll dig out shorty.

"You asked to go to his room?" she raises an eyebrow in question. 

"No, he asked me to go with him, so we could speak in private. Without all the noise."

"Ah ha! so Zeke did make the first move. Did he try to make conversation or did he just immediately attack you once you were alone?" Her eyes sparkle.

"No, we talked for like an hour. And then later he was... hugging me. And he said I was beautiful, and sexy, and I kissed him," I admit, I know she's not buying this version of events because she sighs heavily like she's the saddest girl in the whole world. She leans against my shoulder, her eyes wide and her lips curled down in a frown.

"Ava, it hurts my feelings when you leave out important details. I know there's more. Don't make little Jesse sad, please?" She hams it up, batting her eyelashes and pouting.