It's Always Been You

Slices of Friendship

Michelle and Chris both looked up as Wes and I entered the cramped dorm room, the aroma of freshly baked pizza wafting from the steaming box cradled in my arms. The savory scent mingled with the slightly stale air, making our stomachs growl in anticipation.

"Look who it is," Michelle smirked from her unmade bed, eyeing me suggestively. Her tousled hair and smudged eyeliner hinted at her apparent all-nighters. "I was wondering when Fia was going to pull you along again."

Wes chuckled, carefully closing the door behind us. "And I was wondering when I'd be invited to one of your legendary pizza parties." His eyes danced with amusement.

"The time has finally beckoned upon us!" Michelle exclaimed, punching the air dramatically with her fist. Despite her nonsensical ramblings, we all laughed-she was clearly running on fumes after too many late nights cramming.

"Hey man," Chris beamed, untangling himself from the nest of blankets and rising to greet Wes with a bro-hug. His shaggy hair stuck up at odd angles. "I don't think we've met before. I'm Chris."

Wes hesitated, glancing at where Chris had been sitting on my meticulously made bed. A warm smile quickly spread across his face. "Nice to meet you. Are you...Michelle's boyfriend?" His voice held a hint of cautious curiosity.

Michelle snorted loudly, rolling her eyes. "God no!"

Chris feigned hurt, placing a hand over his heart dramatically. "Ouch, Elle." He sucked in an exaggerated breath, milking the theatrics.

Rolling her eyes again, Michelle sat up, clutching her rumpled sheets. "No, Chris has just been friends with Fia for ages. He's like a brother." She wrinkled her nose in distaste.

"Rough spot to be in," Wes winced exaggeratedly, playing along.

Chris nodded solemnly, sticking out his lower lip in a joking manner. "I know, right?"

I rolled my eyes at their antics. "Let's eat before the pizza gets cold." I set the box on Michelle's unmade bed, and we all dug in happily, the cheesy slices disappearing rapidly.

Not long after, with full bellies, we were sprawled around the room, chatting about random topics as Wes got to know my friends better.

Wes and I sat side-by-side on my neatly made bed, leaning against the cool cinderblock wall, our shoulders brushing. Chris lounged on the floor, back propped against Michelle's bedside, long legs stretched out. Michelle lay on her side facing us, idly playing with a stray thread on her pillowcase.

"Okay..." Michelle stared thoughtfully at the cracked drywall. "Would you rather never be able to walk again or never use technology again?"

"Easy," I replied quickly, considering. "Never be able to walk again, because with technology you'd be able to find a different way to move around anyway. It's evolving so rapidly."

Michelle rolled her eyes dramatically, looking horrified. "Of course the smartest person here, who also happens to be a future doctor, is going to connect those dots. I hadn't even thought about that." She shook her head in mock disappointment.

Laughing lightly, I shook my head.

"Yeah, yeah," she huffed tiredly, stifling a yawn. "Where's Nate, by the way? I thought he was going to hang with us tonight."

My mood momentarily plummeted when Nate got brought up.

Honestly, I didn't have the energy to think about it anymore.

Everyone's eyes turned to me questioningly, their expressions a mix of concern and curiosity as they wondered what new drama was unfolding. I sighed deeply, shrugging my shoulders in a tired gesture as I tried to keep my voice even. "He said he already had plans with the boys."