hobbledehoy

Study Buddies

A small hand waved itself in front of my face, causing me to blink several times before I looked over and saw who it belonged to.

"Hyrum," Ali whined in frustration, "You promised you'd help me with my lines! But you've been zoning out every few minutes for the past two hours!"

"I'm sorry..." I rub my eyes and yawn, "I didn't get a ton of sleep last night."

Ali puts her script down on my coffee table and pats my back. "You should have told me you were tired! We could have rescheduled!"

"And that would have been the sixth time! I promised I'd help you out, and I feel crappy for always backing out."

That was the truth, I really did feel bad for constantly ditching one friend for another. And Ali and I had really grown closer over the last week or so.

She brought me some really nasty brownies, but I got the point; friends give each other treats.

"So how are things going with you and Tatum?"

"That prick? He thinks that because we're in a relationship on stage, we're one in real life too." Ali says with obvious disgust

I laughed out loud, it was funnier to me than it was to her.

I yawned loudly and laid my head back on the couch. I was probably the worst script buddy ever, and I knew we both desperately needed to memorize our lines.

"Well if you aren't going to help me study," Ali puts her script in her large backpack and pulls out a different book, "You could at least help me with my English lit."

"What if I suck at it?" I joke.

She smiles and brushes a strand of her short blonde hair out of her eye, "You're a writer, it'd really suck if you sucked."

With a grin plastered to my face, I take her thick English text book and set it in my lap.

Okay, Hyrum, stop thinking about Merlynn for just ONE HOUR...

I had to keep telling myself that, sometimes even under my breath in a whisper.

I spent a a good hour and a half explaining to her simple English history, and what an influence two of the best writers in the world had on it. It was a bit like tutoring a high school student; she obviously didn't want to fail, and she was willing to do the work--but she was so unimaginable bored.

"Okay, if you teach me anymore I'm pretty sure my head will explode." Ali groaned.

"How about we call it a day?" I stand up and help her to her feet.

"Hallelujah!" Ali exclaims as she starts cleaning up her stuff.

"So..." I stuff my hands in my pocket and watch my friend, "Are you going to Wes's party tonight?"

"Definitely! How did you know about it? Are you guys friends now?"

Haha. No.

"Everyone knows about his parties..." I reply, then I add like a punk, "They're legendary."

"Well you should come with me," Ali smiles up at me as she slips her arms through the backpack loops, "Unless you have plans with Merlynn..."

"No, I actually haven't seen her all day... And she won't answer my messages, so I suppose she's just busy."

It was a bit odd, we hadn't spoken since our strange, a bit confusing, slightly filled with mixed signals--date.

"Give me a call if you want to go," Ali walks to the door, "We'll walk together!"

I nod quickly and give her a small smile. I did actually really want to go, but I didn't want to seem like a desperate loser who's never gone to a campus party.

So I'll just call her later.

"Wait!" I shout accidentally without warning, "I, er, don't have your number."

I shift uncomfortably and a sheepish feeling washed over me.

Ali's sweet smile never wavers. And she slips her small hand into my back pocket, pulls out my cellphone; and puts her number in.

"See you tonight? Maybe?" Ali purrs and strokes one finger across my chest.

"Maybe." I squeak, much to my embarrassment.

And with that, she's out the door and I'm alone; squirming around awkwardly while I waited for my heart to stop pounding.

"Right. I, uh, think I'll go clean something..."