Page 21 of What We Got Wrong

Scarlet had clearly been irritated when she saw that Liv was sending a few things home for her sisters, which Quinn found strange. Like, what was the solution? To not give them the gifts? To make Liv return them? It seemed a bit excessive, though maybe there was something about the situation that Quinn wasn’t seeing. She probably hadn’t helped matters, though, not inviting Scarlet over, or even meeting up, for the whole break, even though they lived less than two hours apart.

When the next semester started, Quinn worked to find the right balance between her friends and her girlfriend. It was unfortunate that they didn’t like each other. In her perfect world, they’d all be buddies, hanging out together. But she felt like she constantly had to choose, and there were many times she’d be out with Scarlet and come back to her dorm to find Liv and Emma together. She was happy that they were becoming close, but Quinn felt like she was missing out.

It was for the best, though, that she and Liv weren’t spending as much time together. She liked her roommate so much, but she was pretty sure she’d been headed for a truly disastrous crush. Scarlet was the perfect distraction.

Which was probably not how you’re supposed to think about your girlfriend…

Scarlet lived close enough to commute to campus, so she lived at home with her parents, and given the awkwardness with Liv, they spent more time over there. Her parents seemed perfectly nice. They didn’t care that Scarlet was dating a girl, they let them come and go as they pleased, and they didn’t even care if Scarlet had friends over to drink in their basement (which Quinn wasn’t participating in, at least until after swim season), but Scarlet constantly found reasons to fight with them. Quinn’s parents weren’t perfect, sure, but she couldn’t imagine treating her folks like that.

On the weekend after the last swim meet of the year, which did not go well for the team as a whole, though Quinn did better than expected in her primary event, Scarlet announced that she was going to throw Quinn a celebration. Her parents were out of town, she told her, and considering Quinn’s swim season moratorium on alcohol would be up, she figured it would be a great opportunity to party.

Scarlet had even encouraged her to bring Liv and Emma, though that may have had more to do with the fact that Quinn wasn’t going to know many of the people at the party. Selling it to her friends was proving to be a bit more difficult.

“Scarlet’s got her house to herself this weekend, so she’s throwing an end of season celebration,” Quinn said. “For me.”

Emma turned to her, eyebrows raised. “For you?”

“Yes. Since swim is over. And, you know…since her parents are out of town. But she told me to invite y’all.”

Emma turned to Liv, and they had a silent conversation, all raised eyebrows and pinched faces. Which was totally cool, that they were getting so close that they could communicate like that. Quinn wasn’t jealous at all.

“Sounds like fun,” Liv said after a few moments of silence. “I haven’t been to a real college party yet.”

Later that night, long after Emma left, Quinn was surprised when Liv returned unprompted to the topic of Scarlet’s party. “I can DD for the party, if you’re good taking your car?”

“So, I was thinking about that,” Quinn replied. She wasn’t planning on drinking at the party for a whole host of reasons that she wouldn’t get into with Liv, and there was no reason for her friends to skip the alcohol if they didn’t want to. “What if I DD? If I’m sober, you wouldn’t technically be surrounded by drunk people.”

“This is your party,” Liv reminded her. “That your girlfriend is throwing you?”

“Can I tell you a little secret?” Quinn asked, and Liv leaned in closer, close enough that she could smell her sweet rose shampoo. “I don’t need to drink to have a good time. I’m a pretty happy person.”

Liv looked charmed, so Quinn was proud of herself. “So…you found a loophole for my parents’ rules.”

“Exactly,” Quinn said. “I mean, no worries either way, obviously. But I know you’re under a lot of pressure, so…if you want…”

“I’ll think about it,” Liv told her with a small smile. “Thanks for the offer.”

“Any time, pal,” Quinn replied awkwardly, and she wished that she could slap herself right in her stupid, stupid mouth.

The night of the party, Liv decided that she wanted to get ready with Emma, so after a quick workout and shower, Quinn had their room to herself to choose what to wear. She landed on a nice pair of dark blue jeans, a black V-neck T-shirt, and white tennis shoes before pulling her hair back into her standard ponytail. It wasn’t much different than what she usually wore to classes, at least when she wasn’t rocking sweats. And she did grab her nicer coat—a black bomber jacket that her mom had found “for a steal” after Christmas.

“Damn, you look good,” Emma greeted her when she arrived at her dorm to pick her friends up.

“You’re one to talk,” Quinn said. Emma’s hair was perfectly straightened, and she was wearing black pants and a loose emerald top, the perfect complement to her sparkling green eyes.

“I know I’m cute,” Emma replied with a performative hair flip.

Quinn would have probably agreed with Emma, but in that moment, she saw Liv, and she temporarily forgot how to speak, her sounds lost in her throat, her tongue too big for her mouth.

Liv dressed nicer than Quinn pretty much every day, but she’d never seen her “going out” dressed up, and it was a good look. She had on an actual little black dress that broke Quinn’s brain just a little, showing off more of her legs than Quinn, her roommate, had seen all year. Her hair was in bouncy waves, her eyes smokey with a hint of silver shimmer, her lips a glossy soft pink.

Quinn couldn’t help but notice that Liv was checking her out, too.

It was for the best that she wasn’t drinking, because she was liable to do something stupid.

“I know, right? She’s gorgeous,” Emma said, shifting her focus between Quinn and Liv, not even bothering to hide her smirk.

“Are y’all ready to leave?” Quinn asked when she finally found her voice.