I Like Me Better when I'm With You (COMPLETED)

It was good, wish you could, could find me where I'm at

Chapter title from Chatoyant (Beauty Bass) by Made in Heights

***

Drew picked up a piece of sushi from her plate. "So, tell me about this new apartment."

Nico had told Drew that he found a new apartment earlier this morning when they had their first class of the day. And now they were having lunch in the union building of their school, a quick break before they have their next class. Nico took a bite of his sandwich, chewed and swallowed it before answering her.

"It's...nice. Quite spacious. It's on Grant Street, just like... 3 blocks away from Athena Hall, you know?"

Drew arched an eyebrow. "That's quite close. I'm surprised that you find a place that is close to school at this time of the semester."

Nico chuckled lightly. "Yeah," he said. He took a sip of Coke from his cup. "Looks like my lucky star finally decided to help me out this time."

Drew nodded. "And who's this new roommate?"

"Jason Grace. He's a Junior in Political Science."

Something flickered across Drew's face. "Jason? Tall, blonde guy? Blue eyes?"

Nico tilted his head a little to the left as he eyed Drew more carefully.

"You know him?"

Drew picked another piece of sushi. "Yeah."

Nico waited until drew finished with that piece of sushi.

"Jason is my ex almost boyfriend," Drew said nonchalantly, like she was just telling Nico that she was having another class after this.

Nico raised his eyebrows.

"Ex, almost, boyfriend..." he said, a slight pause between each word.

Drew hummed and nodded, picking up the last piece of her sushi.

"He has a girlfriend," Nico said plainly.

"He does."

"You know her?"

Drew flicked a strand of her hair, looking almost bored. "Piper McLean. Daughter of Tristan McLean. A junior in Mechanical Engineering. Best friends with Leo Valdez, whom she won a robotics competition with last year. A member of the Triple Delta sorority."

Nico snorted.

"Do you know her favorite food? Her shoe size?"

"Tofu tacos, and 7."

Nico's brows shot up and he laughed. Drew shrugged her shoulders.

"I have sources," she said. "And I know where to find information."

Nico shook his head in slight amusement. "Drew Tanaka," he said. "You, are going to be a great investigator," he said, pointing his finger at her.

Drew pushed away her now-empty paper plate. "Do you really think I chose Criminology just because I like it? No, Nico. I chose it because I know that I am going to be good at it."

Nico crossed his arms over his chest. "Yeah," he said, the left corner of his lip curl up into a crooked smirk. "I think you will completely nail it, Drew."

Drew stood up and slung her neon pink backpack over her shoulder. "Come on, we have 10 minutes."

Nico followed her. They threw the trashes and put the tray on the counter.

"So, when are you moving?" Drew asked as they walked out of the Union.

"This Saturday."

"I'll help you. I can talk to my father and we can use his van."

"Oh," Nico turned his head to look at Drew. "Thank you. That would be great!"

Drew nodded.

Nico chewed his lower lip, then asked her, this time with a bit of hesitation.

"But, you're okay with it, right?"

Drew clicked her tongue. "Nico, I wouldn't offer to help you if I don't want to do it."

Nico shrugged a shoulder. "I know. I mean, not just about...helping me with the moving stuff."

"What, then?"

"You're okay with me living with your ex almost boyfriend, aren't you?"

Drew snorted. "Nico," she said, shaking her head a little like she was totally amused by what Nico said. "Do you even have to ask?"

A small smile played on Nico's lips as he shook his head. "No, I don't."

***

Will lifted his head up from his book when he heard the knock on the door. Mitchell opened the door and peeked his head in.

"Hey, Austin told me to just come in."

"Sure." Will stretched his arms up as he leaned back in his chair. "Come on in," he said.

Mitchell walked in and closed the door behind him.

"You have a new neighbor," he said as he sat on the floor, next to Will's bed.

Will's heart beat slightly faster. "Really?"

Mitchell nodded as he opened his bag and took out a folder. "I saw Drew walking out of Jason's apartment when I got here. So we talked a little"

Will's brows furrowed down. "Drew?"

Mitchell opened the folder and flipped through the papers in it, looking for the ones that he needed. He hummed.

"Yeah. Drew Tanaka," he said. He lifted his head up to look at Will. "She's my junior in high school. Now she's here doing... Criminology, if I'm not mistaken."

"And she is Jason's new roommate?"

Mitchell laughed, then shook his head. "No, not her. Even though if she was Jason's roommate, it will be... awkward, to say the least."

Will's looked at Mitchell blankly. Mitchell just waved his hand dismissively.

"Just some old high school drama," Mitchell said.

"So what is she doing there if she's not the new roommate?"

"She said she's helping her friend. Nico."

"Nico? Not Luke?"

Mitchell chuckled. "What?" He asked. "You think that the mysterious Mr-Iced-Coffee 's name is Luke?"

"No.. No..." Will quickly shook his head. "I mean... The last time I asked Jason whether he already found a new roommate, he said somebody named Luke called him?"

"Ah, and that Luke guy called Jason, right after you gave that mysterious guy his number?" Mitchell asked, slightly smirking.

Will shrugged his shoulder but refused to meet Mitchell's eyes. "Doesn't mean that Luke is that guy I saw in the coffee shop," he said, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible.

Mitchell laughed lightly. "Oh, Will, let's just hope that this mysterious guy somehow finds his way back to you, yes?"

Will could feel a run of heat on the back of his neck. He groaned a little. He stood up from his chair and shuffled to where Mitchell was sitting.

"Oh, cut it out, Mitchell," he said as he sat next to Mitchell. "We have a lab report to work on."

Then again, as they were working on their lab report, Will could not help but wonder.

What if that Luke guy was that mysterious guy?

***