envenoMATE

9. Possibly Go Wrong

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Nine.

Adina lay on her bed, which was just high enough for her to gaze out the window. It was 4:14 in the afternoon on the last Friday before the spring semester began. Technically, she had made up with Caroline, but things were still tense from the outburst on Monday. Tabitha was busy helping the second semester freshmen and transfers settle in. Over Christmas break, Julius was finally persuaded to move in with Dorian and Daniel. Eager to be with her boyfriend and feeling too old for dorm life anyway, Becky moved into their small house as well. They had invited Adina to join, but she knew she had to decline. Her mother had already made the payment for her dorm room, and considering she was still awkward around Daniel, living together did not seem like a great idea.

The school’s baseball team could be seen running laps around the campus, and Adina watched them longingly whenever they passed through her vision. She never really had friends back in Montana, which left her lonely at times, but nothing like this. Now that she knew what it was like to be included and a part of something, being alone felt like a nagging emptiness rather than a tolerable half-desire. Sighing as the several young men ran by in groups of five or twos or anywhere in between, Adina thought about joining a sport . . . or something. There had to be something she could do to make  more friends since her current ones weren’t working out like she thought they should be.

Adina’s mind flicked to Daniel as a black car resembling his drove into a nearby parking spot. A boy and girl got out, laughing and pulling out their suitcases. Adina swallowed as she tried not to cry at the sight. There were no words to describe the desire in her heart for that to be her and Daniel, but after what he did? Adina could not even act like everything was okay with Becky or Dorian. Life just felt different. Never having been in an argument to that degree with her own family, Adina was unsure of how to proceed. Her family had squabbles, but nothing like an actual fight. Making up with them was easy and natural. They were family, and that relationship could not be severed despite a difference of opinion. But with Daniel? In less than thirty minutes, Adina went from absolutely in love to totally unsure. Wasn’t love supposed to be easy? Wouldn’t everything make sense and never change?

Daniel had left quite a few voicemails seeking reconciliation, but Adina could not get over the scene which played and replayed in her mind. She did not want to end things with him, but she did not know how to work the riff out either. How desperately she needed a distraction, another good reason to join a club or something. Coincidentally, it seemed the distraction was coming to her.

Adina jerked from her thoughts as someone pounded harshly on her door. “Adina!” a feminine voice shouted. Frowning and trying to figure out who it could be, Adina rolled off her bed and wrapped her plaid robe tightly around her body.

“Sadie,” Adina greeted in confusion after she opened the door and saw who was outside. After the camping trip  toward the beginning of the year, the two girls had a casual relationship of greeting each other when they passed on campus, but that did not explain why Sadie would be knocking at Adina’s door.

“Hey,” Sadie smiled with a devious look in her eyes. “What are you doing tonight?”

Adina shrugged sadly when she was finally able to get free from the girl’s strong gaze. “I don’t know, I--”

“Great!” Sadie interrupted, pushing her way into Adina’s room and heading straight to her closet. Either she did not notice Adina’s gloomy countenance or she choice to ignore it. “There’s a party tonight at Devil’s Den to celebrate the kick off of a new semester or whatever. Put this on. We can ride together.”