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I don’t notice until it’s too late that my back is pressed up against a thick tree trunk, and the girl’s fingers are skirting down my stomach as she lowers to her knees. As a blast of cool air hits my oblivious cock–when did she unfasten my shorts–I snap back to the present.
“I’m uh… I’ve maybe had a little too much.” I help the girl stand as I zip up, giving her what I hope is an apologetic smile. “We’ve been training so hard over the summer, and this is the first night out in… Well, I sort of forgot to pace myself.”
Her expression morphs from startled to confused to understanding as I babble, and she gives me a small smile. “That’s cool. It’s not my favorite thing to do anyway.”
“Why would you, then?” I can’t stop myself from frowning.
She lifts her shoulders bashfully. “I figured you’d like it.”
“Oh.” I’m momentarily speechless. “Could we just hang out instead?”
“Yeah.” She nods and follows me back to the patio where we find a few lawn chairs. Dani—I finally catch her name—is also a freshman and plans to study engineering, same as me. And by the time the rest of our friends find us, all four of them wearing matching smirks, I assume they found what they were looking for. That makes me feel slightly guilty, although I’m hoping since Dani and I have a lot in common she’s okay that all we did was talk.
All in all, it’s a good night. But it’s not until I’m standing outside the athletic dorm that I remember I switched rooms, and I have to drag my ass across campus to my new home.
Thank God my new roommate was a no-show today. I’m fucking exhausted, and I’ve socialized enough for one night.
Chapter two
Liam
The room is empty when I get inside. While I can tell my roommate has been here, it looks like he dumped his shit and ran. Fine by me. With any luck he’ll be out until tomorrow.
I get to work unpacking, which doesn’t take long since I only have clothes and school supplies, nothing to personalize the place. Since no one bothered to take me shopping to get anything, I’ve got only what I already had, right down to the comforter I’ve been using for years. I naively assumed the lack of a pre-departure shopping trip meant I’d get that stuff here instead of having to lug it with me.
I was wrong.
Oh well. It’s just a room. A place to sleep. Who cares if I don’t have posters on the walls or pictures on my desk. There’s nothing from home I want to be reminded of at the moment. Especially not the people who couldn’t care enough to show up today.
I sling my bag on the unclaimed bed and start pulling out my clothes, grateful to find there are already hangers in the closet.
Of all the days my parents could’ve picked to forget my existence, today is the worst. I don’t know why I expected them to think about me when they haven’t in over a year, but I was honestly shocked when I woke up to find them gone, especially since my dad was supposed to drive me here.
Waking up to a quiet house is nothing new, which is why I went to great lengths to ensure today would be different. I posted a note on the fridge, circled the date on the paper calendar in my dad’s office, and sent them both text reminders. There’s no way they should’ve been oblivious to the fact I was moving to campus today. Yet, like every other day, they were nowhere to be found when I woke up.
Typically, that means my dad is at work and my mom is sleeping, but this morning even her car was gone. The woman barely leaves her bedroom anymore, but today she was gone before nine—go figure. I waited close to two hours, hoping they were just delayed, but no one ever came home much less answered my texts.
Unfortunately, that too is normal.
If it’s not work-related, my dad is prone to ignoring any attempt to reach him. And my mom…lets just say the house could be burning down and she wouldn’t notice. I was always good at fending for myself, but this past year took independence to a whole new level. That’s why I planned ahead and took every opportunity available to remind them I’d be headed to school today. I should’ve known it’d be in vain.
When it was clear they weren’t coming, I packed my car and got on the road. I still have no idea what I’m going to do with my car, seeing as it’s not supposed to be on campus in the first place, but I had limited alternatives this morning. Hopefully, I can get a pass somehow.
Once my meager belongings are put away I head down to the front desk to see where I can park, trying not to notice the families hugging and sharing teary goodbyes, which will only make me even more bitter. It’s not their fault my parents couldn’t be bothered to help me move in or see me off. Have they even realized I’m gone?
“Name?” a woman asks as I approach.
“Harrington. Liam.”
“William?” She looks up at me.
“Yeah.” I feel myself deflate at the mention of my full name. My father’s name.
My body hums with pent up anger as she looks me up, and I do my best not to scowl. William. I used to think that name was an honor. Now, not so much. Thank God I have access to the bank account so I could pay my tuition, otherwise this lady would probably tell me I’m homeless.
“How can I help you?” she asks.
“I had to drive here unexpectedly. Any way to get a parking pass or something?”
