Max
I’m so excited!! this is gonna be the best year ever babes I can feel it
Jude
<3
Celeste
<3
“In the meantime,” Celeste says aloud after placing her phone down on the armrest. “I’m going to paint my nails. Do you want to watch something?”
“Sure! I think I’m going to paint mine, too.” I swipe my thumb across the tips of my fingers. “It’s been a while.”
Celeste scoffs. “Do you even have enough nail to paint? You always keep yours so short, you can barely tell you have nails at all.”
“Nikki appreciates that I keep them nice and short,” I say with a grin.
“Why would she care about—” Celeste starts, then squeezes her eyes shut and twists her face in disgust. “Eww, gross. Nevermind. Shut up.”
I can’t stop the giggle that escapes my throat. Celeste throws a pillow at me, and I know we’re good now.
Sunday, August 24, 2025
The next morning comes far too early.
Sleeping in a new place is always a gamble. If my body is tired enough, it’s not a problem, but last night my nerves were buzzing with excitement, making it nearly impossible to fall asleep. The unfamiliar space and the horrendously thin mattress didn’t help. Plus, Atlanta is extremely noisy—like, I knew it would be in theory, but somehow it turned out even worse than I expected.
Now, though, the racket continues, but now it’s within the thin walls of the dorm itself.
At first, it’s the sound of commotion—the front door opening and shutting, feet shuffling through the shared space of the apartment. Then I hear unfamiliar voices, speaking in hushed tones at first, then growing louder.
I glance at my phone to see the time. 9:48. I guess it’s not actually that early at all.
Then, a gruff voice: “Which room, Max?”
Max. Right, it’s the last roommate moving in.
A much different voice replies: “A is mine, but put the floor pillows and the box of blankets in here. Gotta make this place cozier!”
I roll back over in bed and let my eyes fall shut. I might as well stay in my room for now—I’ll probably be in the way if I go out there. Plus, who knows when I’ll get another chance to sleep in?
As I move to reach for my earbuds, I hear Theo’s door open and shut.
“Oh my god,hiii!” an excited sing-song voice exclaims. “You’re Theo, aren’t you? Theo Briggs? I’m Max Alvarez!”
“Yep, that’s me! Hi Max!”
“Are you okay with hugs?”
“Sure, bring it in!”
With a sigh, I drag myself out of bed and throw on some gym shorts. I can’t leave Theo alone with new people for too long. It’s my job as the extrovert of the friend group to alleviate as much of the social anxiety as possible.
“I hope you don’t think I’m too creepy,” Max continues. “But I definitely snooped through your Instagram, and I have to say, you and your boyfriend are so insanely adorable!”
Theo lets out a nervous laugh. “Aww, thanks, man!”
