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ow… to let you know what I decide.” He reached for his cell phone and pressed buttons to get it ready for a new phonebook entry.

I told him my number, and we both packed up our notebooks, getting ready to leave.

* * *

It was just a few blocks to my apartment, and there was still plenty of traffic out, so I decided to walk home. When I walked in the door, I hung my keys on a key hook and kicked my shoes off in the entryway before walking in to sit beside Clara on the sofa.

Clara had a pizza box on the coffee table with a couple pieces already eaten, so I grabbed a slice and asked her how her day went.

“Oh, the usual, really. I stopped and got that blue dress on the way home today. I just couldn’t wait to get it! I didn’t want my size to be gone by the time I went in. You want to see it?” Clara was always so upbeat and positive. I loved that about her.

“Sure!” I didn’t have to fake my enthusiasm. It had been a long time since I’d seen Clara so excited about a new guy like this, and I was really happy for her.

I followed Clara into her bedroom and watched as she held the new dress up across the front of her body. It was a great color for her. Blue always brought out the color of her eyes really well. We often shared clothes since we were pretty much the same size.

My eyes were a lighter shade of blue than Clara’s, and my hair a dark brown in stark contrast to Clara’s golden blonde hair, but most of the things we wore suited both of us well, so it was an added benefit to have twice the wardrobe.

“Wow, that dress is gorgeous! Why don’t you try it on?” It never took a lot of coaxing to get Clara to play dress up. She was a very girly-girl so she loved anything having to do with glitter and glamor. She went into the closet and changed into the dress. She came out modeling it as though she were on a runway.

“What do you think?” She looked at me expectantly.

“That looks great on you, Clar! What are you guys going to do this weekend?” I sat on her bed and watched her as she looked through the jewelry on her dresser and held different sets of earrings up to her ears.

“Cason invited me to go out for some drinks on Saturday night, and then we’re going dancing at the Thunder Lounge. Oh my God, Zia, you should totally come!”

“Uh, probably not. I don’t want to be a third wheel, and it’ll probably be a good time for me to get ahead on some assignments I have coming up.”

Before she could protest, I quickly added, “But don’t worry! You won’t even notice I’m not there as soon as you meet up with Cason.” I had to dodge that bullet.

“I guess. I just hate leaving you home all by yourself on the weekends while I’m out having fun. I feel like a terrible friend.” She over-exaggerated a frown as she turned away from the mirror she had been looking in and walked toward me. She sat beside me on her bed and grabbed both of my hands in hers.

“Seriously, don’t feel bad. I am so happy for you, and it’s not like I’m going to just be sitting around here being bored. I have a lot of homework to do, so it’s really no big deal.” I hoped that would put her mind at ease.

It did.

“Well, you’ll at least have to help me get ready that night. Will you help me curl my hair? I can never do it the way you do, and I want it to look perfect!” She sang the last part like a giddy little girl.

“You know it!” I smiled at her and went to my room to turn in for the night. I hadn’t slept well the night before, as was usual for a Monday.

Once I got to my room, I closed the door and changed into my night clothes, which were a pair of pajama pants and a red fitted camisole tank. I headed to my bathroom and completed my bed-time routine, brushing my teeth and removing my makeup before crawling into my cozy bed.

I connected my cell phone to the charger and checked for any messages as it lit up to charge. No new messages.

I turned out the lamp and laid my head on the pillow, turning to face the wall opposite my night stand. Just before sleep overtook me, I thought to myself that I couldn’t believe how crazy I was for making an offer like that to Dylan, a complete stranger.

Of course he wouldn’t take me up on it.

Would he?

And just as I slipped into that stage between wake and sleep, I heard the phone make the soft ding to indicate an incoming text. I incoherently reached to check the phone.

It was a number I didn’t recognize.

Unknown: Ok I’m in.

Me: In where? Who is this??

Unknown: It’s Dylan. And I’m in. I’ll let you help me.

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