Solace In The Silence ✓✓

chapter 22

The sound of Angie's strangled sobs had been loud last night, an anchor that hadn't let me drift to sleep until a quarter after three.
I'd become a human tissue as my best friend had curled up at my side, her face buried in my shoulder and her hot tears soaking through my sleep shirt.

The longer time had rolled on, the deeper grief had dug its talons into me, and the harder it was to put on a brave face for Angie. Teresa's illness had come out of left-field, knocking both of us for a loop, and I was still trying to process everything the next morning. The last twelve hours seemed like a bad dream.

My thoughts were circling as I walked to my first class, and Teresa's affirmation— I want to start living, honey —repeated in my mind like a depressing mantra. Worse yet, she and Sam were planning to pack up and leave next month, as if the diagnosis of her chronic illness hadn't been enough to deal with. Once they left and the  Ocean separated us, would they even come back? And, more importantly, were they just totally forgetting about Angie?

As I started for the underground tunnel that connected the two sides of campus—the pathway outlined by small lights like an airplane strip—I heard my name.
Pivoting on my heel, I turned around to see that Vicky was fast-approaching, the hollows of her cheeks flushed by the cold wind.

"Hey," she said, falling into step beside me, and I hunkered down deeper into my hoodie. "How was your long weekend?"
Pulling my gaze from her, I grimaced. "Uh, yeah, it was pretty good, thanks." The lie came out easier than the truth. "What did you get up to?"
"Oh, you know, the usual." She waved me off. "Studied until my brain hurt, pigged out on a whole packet of peanut butter M&M's, and watched Crazy, Stupid, Love again just so I could appreciate all that is Ryan Gosling."

Shaking my head, I laughed. Funny thing was, it already sounded way better than my weekend. "Is it bad that I still haven't seen that movie?"
Vicky stared at me, brows raised. "Yeah, I don't know if I can be friends with you anymore."

I sighed loudly, adjusting the strap of my book bag. "I guess you don't want the copious notes I took for you when you missed the last lecture."
"Forget what I just said. You're the best."

I grinned, and she grinned right back.
"Did you hear about the frat party that's happening this Thursday night on Greek row?" Vicky asked after a few seconds, tucking a strand of jet-black hair behind her ear. "Oh, my God, the guys. Talk about eye candy."

The abrupt change in subject caused me to laugh. "No, I haven't." I supposed that was what happened when you didn't live on campus anymore because some psycho-stalker had ruined your social life. I swallowed back the bitterness that was clawing its way up my throat.

Looping her arm through mine, Vicky said in a sing-song voice, "Well, rest assured, because guess who managed to score us an invite?"
Fighting back a smile, I feigned ignorance. "Oh, I don't know... definitely someone awesome."
"I am pretty awesome," she agreed. "Does that mean you'll go with me? Because I think you should. It'll be good for us, Bess. We're college students now. We need to balance out studying for midterms with some well-earned fun."

"Maybe. I might be headed back to my parents' that night." I kept my response vague. I was kind of unsure about whether or not parties and I really meshed that well. Besides, was I even in the mood for standing around awkwardly all night, pretending to have a good time?
Probably not.

We started up the wide steps to the building, and I couldn't resist pulling out my phone to check the time. It was nearly eight-thirty and class would be underway soon. I still hadn't heard from Jake since last night, and I hadn't seen his truck in the parking lot this morning. Normally, I would have crossed paths with him by now, and that thought slipped into the crevices of my mind, only adding to my anxiety.