how to catch feelings

52

"Where have you been all afternoon?" Meg asked when I returned to the dorm that evening.

"Library."

The girls exchanged a glance. Good grief, they were always doing that.

"Whatcha doing at the library?" Damaris asked.

They knew me too well, really.

"My grammar homework."

"Anything else?"

"Enjoying my Monday Starbucks."

"Ah. Talk to anyone?"

I shrugged and set my backpack at the bottom of the stairs.

"You're a horrible liar. I went to print slides and I saw you sitting with Cole."

Dang it. Sniped.

"Okay, yeah, so what? I ran into him at Starbucks, he said he was going to do homework in the library and he asked me if I wanted to join. Is it against the law to do my homework in the library?"

"You don't do homework."

"And certainly not in the library."

"Shut up."

"You're just mad because you know we're right."

"Whatever." I kicked my sneakers off and grabbed my backpack to go upstairs.

They followed me.

"Y'all talk about anything?"

"Sure."

"Like what?"

"Like how annoying my roommates are for constantly hounding me about normal things that aren't even any of their business." I was hoping that would get them to take the hint, but it didn't.

They both hopped up on my bed.

So much for the plan to change into leggings.

I settled for emptying my backpack. And then organizing my textbooks. And then tidying up my desk. And then admiring my fish.

Really anything to avoid looking at the people sitting on my bed.

Eventually they got bored and wandered back downstairs.

Thank God.

***

Tuesday was craptastic, to say the least.

It started out alright, I guess. I went to class, emailed the roommate of Trent's friend, made lunch.

Bagel dogs, because I'm hella lazy.

At least I put them in the oven instead of just microwaving them.

But then I had the bright idea to check my email because I was bored and needed something to do in the eleven minutes my lunch took to cook.

An email from Marcus.

As soon as I read the subject line, I knew it couldn't be good.

*** ***