Rosie

Chapter 2 - Sam

Second-year of college. A second-year being stuck in the same place. The place I didn't choose to go to. I have been in the same place for over a year now, without even a break. No that is not true I went to see my grandma for Christmas. But I spent summer break here. I helped my old roommate move out at the beginning of June. The 8 to 9 weeks after that I spend partying with the people who hadn't left yet and the ones who came back early. In all that I only spend a week alone.

It was Friday night, the last weekend before the start of the new year. Which means party night. Monday is also the start of a new basketball season, another reason for the whole team to get drunk and enjoy the last bit of freedom.

I'm about to leave to meet up with Charles to buy alcohol for the party he is holding at his place. We needed someone to buy drinks, I am the only one who has a fake ID and Charles is the only one who rents an apartment outside of campus. He is 23 which explains him not wanting to stay in dorm rooms anymore. When I met him, he already lived outside of campus and he was working in the campus coffee shop to afford it. We have known each other for about a year now. He is cool and most of the time he doesn't ask questions.

I decide to take my bike instead of my car not knowing how the night will end and in which state I will be by the time I'll go home. I go to Charles's apartment first and after that, we will take his car to go to the supermarket.

I arrive ten minutes later. Charles is already waiting outside so we leave immediately. We end up buying enough alcohol for 40 people. I don't question it even though we have only 17 people on the team. Charles is surprisingly quiet on the way back.

"How was summer break?" I have a feeling it had something to do with the time he spends at home.

He turns the radio down a little bit "Shit"

I saw that coming his silence didn't indicate that it was the most fun time "Why?"

"Lena" Lena is his girlfriend. She thought he cheated on her when he was still here before summer break. He didn't though but she wanted payback, so she did cheat on him. After that there a lot of drama that honestly, I didn't really care to follow. I have enough things to deal with in my own life.

I know that when he went back, he intended to fix things between them "Things didn't go okay with the two of you?"

He just shrugs "Nah"

"I'm sorry man," I tell him. I truly am she was a nice girl. I met her a few times when she came over.

The car goes silent for a few minutes before he speaks "How did you spend 10 weeks stuck here?"

It was my turn to shrug "With the few other castaways that stranded here"

"Girls?" he asks.

"A few of them" I state.

"Parties?" he asks a grin forming on his face.

"A lot of them," I tell him. I hear him snickering at my comment. He turns the volume up again.

I don't want you to get a wrong impression of me. I'm not a player and I'm not a typical bad boy. I'm also not going to tell you how what I've been through in my past changed me into the fucked-up person I'm today. I don't sleep with every girl I see even though people seem to believe that. I don't get drunk at every party even though people expect that. I treat people with the respect they deserve which also means that if I don't think they deserve any they won't get any. People seem to think that that makes me a jerk but honestly, I think it just makes me one of the few honest people left.

I don't hang out with all the wrong friends. I just feel like I need to enjoy the freedom I have today and if to do that I have to pretend to be an asshole sometimes I'll take that. It's always better to have people criticizing you for a person you are not than to have them criticize you for who you really are.