A Long Way From Home

Chapter Twenty-Five: Results

       I woke up with an arm over my neck and a leg in-between mine. A gross, tacky flavor lined the insides of my cheeks, tasting kind of like a mixture of old vegetables and cold soup. Really nasty, for sure. Faith's snores were light and consistent, which meant she was about to wake up. It was her leg. Matt slept on the opposite side, and his arm was over my neck. For an arm so scrawny, it was surprisingly heavy.

       The clock was too far away and too blurry for me to tell what the time was. I closed my eyes again. It felt good just to lie there on the floor, to just sort of exist right before the rest of the world woke up and disrupted the privacy of being the first person awake. It was peaceful. And easy.

        I sighed. A small ache in my chest reminded me of Shea. It had been a while since I texted her. But did I feel like getting into an argument? Not in the slightest. I didn't have the mental capacity for that on top of school and people and everything else that existed in my life.

        Thinking about her didn't make me as sad as it used to. Now it just made me feel a little... cold. I missed her like hell, but at the same time, it might be good for us to have time away from each other for a while. A break from comparisons, from fighting, from teasing, from relying on one another. We'd have to talk eventually, but not yet.

         Faith's leg kicked in her sleep, jerking me with it. I untangled my legs from hers and rolled her away with my foot. I picked up Matt's arm by his hand and dropped it over his chest. Neither of them stirred.

       Matt's hand.

        It was nice of him to help me yesterday. He is a really nice guy, and a really good friend, no doubt. He just can be an annoying ass sometimes too. It's a little endearing though. At least, it can be. There are times where it's just obnoxious.

         But he didn't have to be so nice yesterday. But that's what friends do, right? Look out for each other, help each other. I was definitely overthinking it a little bit. Maybe a lot a bit.

         I sat up, twisting back and forth to pop my back. Sleeping on the floor is good for that sleepover feeling, but other than that, it's just good for back pain. Faith shifted and looked up at me through squinted eyes.

         "Morning," I mumbled to her. My eyes still felt crusty, so I wiped them with my hoodie sleeve. "Sleep okay?"

        "Mhm." She turned face-first into her pillow on the ground, nestling deeper into it. It was Saturday. So, if she wanted to, she really could sleep all day. But she'd probably hate herself for it.

         I tried to read the time again.

          08:48.

          Earlier than I'd willingly wake up on any given day, but I felt surprisingly refreshed. Besides, everyone else would be sleeping in super late to try and erase yesterday's exam stress. That meant the dining hall would be pretty empty.

         "I'm gonna go pick us up some breakfast. I'll be right back okay?"

         Faith grunted into the pillow, barely raising a thumbs up beside her head.

         I stood up and slipped on my flip-flops. Like I expected, the hallways were empty and completely silent. Not a single soul was awake. At least, students. Professors were probably awake. Maybe. Who knows with them? They're a different breed.

       The dining hall was similarly abandoned, save for the few staff members who cleaned and worked the kitchens. I walked over to one of the buffet lines and grabbed two plates. The woman who sat behind the counter shot me a quick smile before turning back to the griddle. I smiled back, but she'd already turned away.