Page 23 of Cheap Shot

I resisted making a comment about the pot and kettle, or the apple not falling too far, but neither seemed helpful. He was aware they were siblings and shared similarities, even if he wasn’t thinking clearly.

“I don’t think it’s really about you. She didn’t tell me everything, but she mentioned having a hard time at her last school and how she felt like a quitter for leaving. I think she needs to prove to herself that she can stand on her own.”

“But she doesn't have to. That’s the point,” he argued.

He wasn’t wrong. “I tried to tell her that, but I think she needs time.”

“Well, at least she’s talking to you.” He pushed his hair back. “Thanks for watching out for her. I don’t trust many people with her, but I’m glad I have you.”

I nodded, worried my face would reveal my guilt.

“Oh, did she tell you who kissed her at that party? I asked her, but she ignored me.”

I coughed, nearly choking.

“Geez, man. Can’t breathe and walk at the same time?” He clapped me on the back until I stopped.

“Apparently not, thanks.” I sucked in a gulp of air. “No, that didn’t come up.”

“Well, next time you see her, try asking.” He turned and jogged backward toward his class. “Later!”

I waved then turned toward my building, rubbing my face. This was going to lead to disaster; there was no way around it.

Chapter 9

Haley

I stared at my laptop screen, debating how pathetic I really was. The search engine stared back at me, how to make friends in college typed into the bar, waiting for me to hit enter. This was humiliating. I shouldn’t have to ask the internet for advice on how to do something three-year-olds seemed to have a handle on.

Plus, I could already guess the answers. Join a club, go to school events, talk to people in class. Not hide in your dorm. That was probably the key. How could I meet anyone if I didn’t leave? I should be doing homework in the library or common area downstairs rather than in my room. It was just so much easier to focus when I was alone.

That wasn’t the point. I couldn’t complain about not having friends when I wasn’t doing anything to fix the situation. I needed to put myself out there. Be approachable, at the very least. It wasn’t like my new best friend was going to knock and introduce themself.

I thought for only a day or two that Emery and I might become friends, but after leaving notes each time we missed each other almost I gave up.

We caught each other in person just long enough for her to tell me she and Tara decided to try living together. She was going to keep her dorm in case things didn’t work out, but I hadn’t seen or heard from her since. I couldn’t blame her. She had a life before I got here and was moving on with it.

My next hope was some of the girls on my floor. Some of them left their doors open when they were inside. I hadn’t because it could get loud and be distracting, but I was almost done with all my assignments due this week. I could afford to let my focus slip a bit, so I got up and opened my door then returned to my desk.

That wasn’t necessarily going to help much since my desk faced the window. People passing by would ignore me if all they saw was my back. If I wanted this to work, I had to meet them halfway. Well, less than halfway. I was really relying on others to do most of the work. I stood and turned my chair so I could rest my feet on my bed and mostly face the hall.

There. I closed out of the search window. I solved that problem myself, for the day. If I didn’t have any luck, I could try something different tomorrow.

Forty minutes passed without a single person walking down the hall. It was early evening, so most of my neighbors would be studying or at work.

This was like the time my dad took me fishing when I was little. We sat on a boat in complete silence for nearly eight hours, waiting for the fish to bite. It was the most bored I’d ever been in my life, and we never ended up catching anything.

Hopefully, this would yield better results.

At least I finished all my homework, so it wasn’t a complete waste of time.

I stood and stretched then peeked into the hall to see if anyone was around, but no one was out, so I headed down to the bathrooms, casually looking for any other open doors. There was only one, but the room was empty.

This was a dud. I kept mine open but collapsed on my bed face first. College wasn’t supposed to be like this. I was supposed to be so busy I didn’t go to bed until dawn. I should be having pizza nights and binging shows with random people. Where were all the crazy adventures and memories to last a lifetime?

Last year started out like that. I was in my dorm long enough to catch a few hours of sleep if I was lucky. There was always something going on, and I managed to be included in all of it. I clicked with my roommate, Sophie, immediately, and together we introduced ourselves to the hall, then the entire building, growing our friend group as we went.

That was how I met Adam.