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“Can you stop it?” She cringed. “It’s giving me creepy joker vibes. Do I have to worry about you visiting me with a chainsaw while I’m sleeping?”
“It’s not that weird.”
“Oh, it’s weird, Aster. I’ve never seen you like this.”
“I’m just happy, that’s all.” I shrugged it off, opening my arms, but realizing that might make me look a little too peppy.
“Well then, I’m not sure how I feel about a happy Aster. It’s kind of scary.”
“I’m sure it’s a hell of a lot better than a ticked off one.”
Pursing her lips from side to side, she thought about it. “I suppose you’re right, but I don’t know you well enough to truly make that judgement yet. But, in all seriousness, what’s got you so happy on this random Tuesday night? Did you create a new life through osmosis in a plant jar or something?”
“That’s not how it works.”
She waved it off. “You take things too literally. But are you going to tell me why you look like a drowned rat?”
She slowly took in my outfit and breathed sharply. “Wait a minute. That’s notyoursweatshirt? It’s huge. Were you on a date?”
Her hands were flailing now, and seemed a little too excited for someone who wasn’t actually on the date. She let out a squeal, bouncing on the spot. I wished she’d be a little more discreet about this.
I shook my head, bringing my finger to my lips and shushing Thea. Her bouncing slowed, and when I opened my door, I motioned for her to come in.
She was hesitant at first. “You know I was joking about the chainsaw thing, right? If you kill me, people will find out.”
“I’m not going to kill you.”
“Pretty much anyone who’s going to kill you would say that.” It didn’t stop her walking in the room, though.
When I shut the door, she turned, folded her arms, and cradled the ice cream tub like it was her first-born child. She then looked at me with a raised brow. “I think I just had a date,” I say it so quietly, I almost don’t believe it myself because it was supposed to be a study session, but it didn’t feel right calling it that now.
Thea dropped her hands and a wry smile formed on her lips. Glad to see she was quick to get over the weird chainsaw thing. “You come home wearing the guy’s sweatshirt and you’re still not sure if it was a date?”
“It’s complicated.” I pressed my lips together in an attempt to think through everything before blurting out something I shouldn’t.
Thea blew out a sarcastic breath. “Must have been a pretty tame date if you still don’t know,” She mumbled under her breath.
My mind flitted back to the football field and that kiss. The grinding. It was anythingbuttame in my eyes.
“It’s because we’re friends… Kind of.”
She perked up. “Wait a minute, is this the guy you took to that sorority thing? The one where you looked like a vampy goth queen?” I smiled in answer. “I’m surprised he didn’t take things further then. You looked hot.”
“Mhm.”
“Don’t hmmm me. There’s something you’re not telling me, isn’t there? Did something happen that night, too?”
“We kissed.”
“And you’re still questioning whether this was a date or not? I’m sorry, but I’m having flashbacks from Middle School when my best friend would tell me all about the right ways a guy held her hand.”
As she talked, she made her way over to one of my neon green bean bags and flopped onto it with her ice cream and pulled out a spoon from the front pocket of her sweatshirt.
“It’s not that simple.”
She scooped up a large spoonful of her ice cream and slurped it down. When I looked at her, her eyes went wide, and she tipped the tub. “Do you want some? I don’t usually share food, but since I’m in your dorm and you’re looking at me like I’m feral, I guess I could share just this once.”
“I’m good.” With my arms folded and my head still reeling, I headed to the bed and sat on the comforter.
