Meet me at the gym?
Asch
For what?
River
What do people normally do at the gym?
Asch
Don’t be a dick. Fine. See you there.
It won’t be as good as the fights, but his MMA style is different enough from boxing to where it’ll at least give me a challenge. Maybe we can do something that will get this nervous energy out.
Maybe.
Then we can figure out what the hell to do about Pandora—because one thing’s for sure.
I can’t handle seeing her this defeated.
Not by me.
Not by anyone.
24
PANDORA
“I don’t know how you misspelled my name again,” I say to the barista. “Pandora isn’t hard. It’s literally a famous name. Everybody’s heard of Pandora’s box.”
The barista shrugs at me. “I’ve got ten orders all at once. Take it up with whoever took your order.”
I grumble and take the tray with my order. The coffee cup saysPandraon the side, like it’s somehow possible to not hear the ‘o’ in my name.
Carly is on her phone, smiling to herself as she browses.
Who is she talking to? Tanya? Did they watch another fun movie together, one that’s desperately dull and metaphorical, full of imagery meant to elicit depression and hopelessness and beat you down with how much life sucks?
I place Carly’s drink in front of her. “Here you go.”
Carly sets her phone down and smiles. “Thanks!” She takes a sip before she sighs. “I have two essays due by next Monday. And only one is started.”
I sit down across from her and pick up my own vanilla-and-cinnamon coffee drink. “That makes me glad none of my classes require essays.”
“Yeah, but I’ve heard your complaints about molecules. I’d rather read three books than memorize chemical structures.” Carly rests her chin on one hand. “There’s a horror movie marathon at the local cinema this weekend. You want to come? It starts on Saturday at three.”
Horror movies. Those are gory, right? That would be more fun than movies where people whine about their marriages.
“Yeah, I’d love to. I think.” I check my phone calendar.
There’s an event already listed on Saturday.
Oh.
River’s boxing match.
He hadn’t even mentioned it when he’d shown up to bother me at the library. I guess he doesn’t want me there.
