Fall For You (EDITING + UPDATING)

(4)

"What did you do to my roommate?" Harley asks me, flicking a cigarette around in his fingers. What did I do? What did Alex tell Harley?

"Nothing. I didn't do anything to him."

"Are you sure? Because we all know you don't have the best conversational skills on the planet."

I laugh slightly. "Seriously? All I did was go over to your room to get the DVDs which by the way, you still haven't given back to me."

"They're still at Kiera's. She hasn't finished watching all of them." Harley tells me. "Anyway, don't change the subject. Alex is a good kid. I like him and I don't want you to make him feel like he has to change dorm rooms or avoid the place at times when he know that you might be there."

"What did he tell you?" I ask.

"Just that he feels uncomfortable around you. Can't imagine why though" Harley laughs.

"Hmm, well he knows I have your spare key to the room. Maybe he's worried that I'm going to come in and attack him in his sleep." I joke and Harley laughs.

Harley is one of the easiest guys to talk to from our crew. Maybe it's because out of all of us, he's done the least fucked up shit and gotten in the least amount of trouble. He's not as closed off as others are. I remember when Harley first met us. He was different to how he is now.

His body wasn't covered in tattoos now and he despised alcohol. Now he's got plenty of tattoos covering his body and when he goes to the parties, there's more alcohol in his veins than blood.

I don't know what it was that changed Harley but it did. Though there are still hints of the boy he was sprinkled in him.

"Speaking of your spare key," I say reminded by the thoughts I had earlier in Harley's room with Alex. "maybe you should give it to Kiera. You know, since she's your girl or whatever."

Harley shakes his head at me. "Nah, you hold onto it. I don't want Kiera having it. We're not an official couple or anything."

"You sure?" I ask. I find it odd that Harley doesn't want to give his spare key to Kiera but I don't comment on it.

"Yeah. Anyway, I gotta go. I'll see you later?"

"Sure." I nod. Harley gets up from the wooden picnic table and begins walking in the direction of the car park.

Harley has his own car and a part time job. So on the days that he doesn't have scheduled classes he works at some auto repair shop. I don't know much about it. I've never been curious enough to ask. That's Harley's major. Auto mechanics. He doesn't attend classes for it though. He just works and learns as he goes. He probably learns more actually working with the cars than he would if he was stuck in a classroom looking at diagrams of car engines.

I stay at the table long enough to order a coffee before heading to my first class of the day, Journalism. It's a good class that compliments my English major.

As I walk into the lecture hall, I throw my empty cardboard cup in the trash can.

Searching the room for an empty seat, I spot her. Her blonde hair is tied back into a ponytail and she sits in the front row like the irritatingly perfect person that she is. Matilda. She's the daughter of my mother's new boyfriend, the one she left our family for. She looks up at me and smiles a friendly smile. I return her kind gesture by shooting her a glare. She quickly turns her head towards the front of the room.

I sit a few rows back from Matilda and she turns her head around a few times during the class. Probably making sure I'm still paying attention so I don't ruin her college reputation despite the fact no one knows about my mother being her father's girlfriend. Never in a million years would I tell anyone about her and my family and I have a feeling that she wouldn't tell her friends, if she's even got any, about me. I show her the finger and she finally gets the message and doesn't turn around again for the remainder of the class.

***

I sit through the rest of my classes of the day and just as I'm walking out of my Psychology elective, my phone vibrates repeatedly, a call coming through. I pull it out and check the caller ID despite knowing who is it instantly. She's the only one who ever calls me. My mother.

I reject the call, pocket the phone and keep walking to my car. I unlock the door and climb in. My phone vibrates in my pocket and I think it's my mother, trying to call me again because she can't take a fucking hint. But my phone only vibrates once. 

It's an incoming text message from Kiera telling me that Harley has just finished work and that she, Harley and Cody are all going to grab food. 

I decide to tag along, not feeling like going back to the sorority house filled with preppy girls anyway. I text Kiera back and tell her I'll meet them wherever they're going to get dinner. 

***

"What took so damn long?" Cody asks. "We've been here for ages waiting. Kiera made us wait until you were here and I'm starving." Cody's attitude irritates me. He starts on me as soon as I get to their table in the diner. 

"Traffic was a nightmare." I say, rolling my eyes as I slide into the booth beside him. Disgust covers my face as, opposite me, Kiera and Harley play tonsil hockey. I turn my head towards the bar and the usual waitress nods at me as she gets me my drink. 

She puts the glass of water down in front of me and Cody eyes it. "You're not going to have a beer?" He asks.

Kiera detaches her mouth from Harley's and looks across the table. "First of all, beer is disgusting and secondly, Gemma doesn't drink alcohol. She likes to stay sober."  Kiera says, giving Cody a look that says 'shut-your-fucking-mouth'.

"I think it's great that you stay sober Gemma. I know everyone gives you shit about it but being in college and not drinking takes some real self-control." Kiera adds, looking at me, smiling. 

I shift in my seat awkwardly, feeling uncomfortable with Kiera's praise. I don't say anything as I lift the glass up to my mouth and chug a few mouthfuls of the ice cold water.