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“Midnights Til Dawn,” Izzy clarifies, and I nod.
Imani raises an eyebrow. “Yeah. Okay.”
My eyes float to the clock on what I’m assuming is Izzy’s side of the room. “You have all four album covers?” I take a step forward to get a closer look.
Izzy beams. “It’s the only décor I was adamant about getting.”
I mostly stream my music, so I haven’t paid much attention to the physical albums, but I know she released four of them. Each album has a different picture with different numbers, and if you collect all four, it makes a clock. “I love it,” I say with a grin. “This might sound weird, but do you think I can take a picture of it for my blog?” It’s probably the first time I’ve talked about my blog with someone who isn’t Rae, but the way Izzy’s eyes light up eases some of the fear gripping me.
“You have a blog? Where you talk about Taylor Swift?”
I laugh as I hold up my phone toward her wall. Glancing her way, I check in with her before snapping the picture, and she happily nods.
Angling the shot, I say, “I talk about a lot of things. Music, movies, life.” I shrug. “Whatever inspires me.”
“I love that,” Izzy says whimsically. “You have to tell me where I can find it. I’d love to take a look.”
“Yeah?”
She gives a sharp nod. “Definitely.”
“Okay.” I smile. “I’ll write it down for you.”
Jess gets to her feet. “I’ll get the link from Izzy. I’d love to check it out, too.” She turns to Imani, pulling her up. “Come on, I saw some people in the common room and want to meet everyone who lives here.”
As she’s being pulled out of the room, Imani asks, “Do you two want to come?”
“I’ll catch up with you!” Izzy says with a bright smile. “I just want to finish putting some of this stuff away.” She points to the top of her desk, littered with knickknacks and keepsakes.
Imani’s eyes jump to me, and I say, “Same.” I point to my bag. “I’ll put my stuff in my room and then meet you.” I had planned on working on a post, but I know I should make more of an effort to meet the other people on the floor. I’m not scheduled to post again for a few days, anyway. I have some time to get things ready.
“It was great meeting you, Margot!” Jess says on her way out, and Imani nods in agreement.
Once the other girls leave, I ask Izzy if she knew Jess before they got to campus.
She shakes her head. “No, but she seems great. I may have lucked out with the random roommate assignment.”
“I think you did. Have you met anyone else on the floor yet?”
Izzy nods, still putting her stuff away. “A couple of guys from the other side. I think they live just past the elevator. They seemed nice, though. How about you?”
Just thinking about the guy who lives across the hall has me gripping the strap of my bag tighter. I could tell this practical stranger everything, but I can’t bring myself to do it. I want a fresh start—the same fresh start I was supposed to have before that jerk showed up in my class this morning after keeping me up all night.
“Not yet,” I say and hope she can’t tell I’m lying.
Laughter sounds in the distance, and she straightens, satisfied with her organizational skills. “Well, let’s go meet them.”
I nod with my best smile and hope whatever-his-name-is is anywhere but the common room.
6
jackson
Matt and I are playing Cards Against Humanity with some of the people who live on the fourth floor with us, but all I can think about is my audition. I can’t stop compulsively checking my phone even though Dave said I should hear back in a few weeks. Who knows if he’ll even get back to me, but at least I gave it my all. He seemed impressed when he complimented how tight my transitions were, but maybe he’s just a nice guy.
“Jackson!” one of the girls at our table cries out. I think her name is Bridget. Or Jaqueline? She ran up to me, introduced herself, and then introduced her girlfriend. I was half paying attention, my mind still reliving the songs Dave asked me to play on that tiny stage. “It’s your turn!”
“Shit, sorry.” I draw a card.
