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When I enter the bathroom, I’m immediately enveloped in a thick cloud of steam. A combination of woodsy and mint scents hangs in the air, and the sound of water rushing from multiple showerheads echoes off the tiles in the small room. I feel my phone vibrate against my leg, but I wait until entering one of the vacant stalls and setting down my caddy to pull my cell from my pocket and unlock the screen.
Caden: Summer’s cool with the plan. Meet us in front of the fraternity at nine?
It’s only five. I groan under my breath. That’s still a lot of time to figure out how to waste, but beggars can’t be choosers. I tap out a reply.
Me: I owe you.
Caden: Nah. You don’t owe me anything. You should hang out more. You might even like Summer.
I scoff, but the sound is drowned out by the spray from the other showers. It’s not Caden’s fault I know for a fact Summer and I won’t hit it off in any sort of romantic way.
Me: See you at nine.
I set my clothes and phone on the shelf and turn on the shower. As I wash my hair with my favorite eucalyptus shampoo and then my body with unscented soap, I force away thoughts of Creed and think about what I can do for a few hours.
* * *
And then theworld goes up in a catastrophic blaze of glory.
As I wait to meet up with Caden and the girls, I sit in a dark movie theater that smells of buttery popcorn, watching as the final scene comes to an end on the large screen. The movie wraps up much like my day with a befitting unhappy ending.
I scowl. Maybe I’m being dramatic, but I blame Creed for my shit mood.
The spacious room is mostly empty. I take up one of the seats toward the back of the theater, and a few rows in front of me, an older man with dark hair sits alone. Everyone else seems to have chosen the new rom-com showing on two separate screens. Not me. And not this guy. I send a mental high five to my fellow loner.
As the credits roll, he stands first and doesn’t even look my way as he strolls up the aisle to the exit. His expression is flat as if he’s as unmoved by the world’s cinematic demise as I am. I remain seated but lift my hips enough to fish my phone from my pocket to check the time. It’s fifteen minutes until nine, so I stand and make my way up the aisle, pushing through the door into the dimly lit hallway. I keep my eyes down, focusing on the burgundy-colored carpet that’s been worn down by foot traffic. The lobby is busy, bustling with late night moviegoers standing in line for tickets and snacks. An arcade just off the main room is packed with people of all ages messing around before or after their films. I just want to make it to the party without being noticed so I can drink my weight in cheap beer and forget about the day.
When I push through the doors at the main entrance, I take a deep inhale of the chilly city air. It’s nothing like back home where trees, plants, and animals give the small town an earthy smell, even in the winter. The thought triggers a sense of nostalgia. I miss home sometimes, especially on occasions like tonight when I feel alone despite being surrounded by so many people. These people are strangers to me, though, and I really only have myself to blame for not having a close circle of friends. After Creed cut ties with me, I found myself reluctant to form other close friendships, and that hasn’t changed. It’s probably time I put my ex-best friend in the past for good and move on with my life.
I sigh as I walk through the packed parking lot toward my car. What I really need is a beer and a guy who will distract me for the night.
I find my little black hatchback and slide into the driver’s seat. I start the engine and crank the heat on, cursing when a blast of cold air fills the car. As I give the engine a few minutes to warm up, I scroll through my phone, choosing a nineties alternative playlist and turn up the volume on my radio. I pull out of the parking space and head back toward the campus, deciding to park my car by my dorm so I don’t have to worry about getting it home later. I have no intention of leaving the party sober.
CHAPTERTHREE
JAKE
The smell of beer,various cologne and perfume scents, and too many bodies in too little space are starting to make it hard to breathe. I let my gaze wander around the room that glows with dimly lit red bulbs. Couples dance in the center of the living room of the frat house where all the furniture has been pushed against the walls.
“What do you think about Summer?” Caden shouts over the noise of the party before tipping his head back and taking a long swallow of the cheap beer from the keg.
Music thumping from speakers stacked in a corner make it almost impossible to hold an actual conversation, but I try as I yell over the noise.
“Seems nice.” I sip from my own beer.
“Nice.” Caden snorts. “I’ll take that as you’re not interested.”
I glance over at him and offer a shrug. “I don’t know her.”
“And there she is all alone.” He tilts his head toward the attractive brunette sitting on one of the couches with her head bent over her phone. “If only, I don’t know, someone wanted to get to know her.”
At times like these I really hate not being comfortable enough to just sayLook, dude. I’m gay. I’m tempted to out myself on the spot before any other matchmaking attempts can be made.
“Where’s your girlfriend anyway?” I ask, and Caden shrugs.
“Last I saw she was making out with some guy I’m pretty sure is in her English class.”
I frown. “I thought you two were serious. You don’t sound bothered at all.”
