Roommates

Chapter Five - Fallout

     Nate and Griffin's dorm room is dark and silent. The door opens, and a streak of light illuminates a huddling figure under an array of blankets and comforters. The door closes, and a figure crosses the floor to throw the curtains open, lighting up the room.

     "Up up." Griffin's voice says, speaking to Nate who cowers on his bed. "I can't have you dampening up the room now."

     "Don't you want to celebrate with your team?" Nate squeaks, not moving from his spot.

     "Well, sure, I want to. But I'd rather help out my friend who disappeared on me. What happened to you and your friend?" Griffin says, climbing up the side of Nate's bunk and leaning over the end to get a good look at him.

     "She just... broke down." Nate says slowly, sitting up and revealing his puffy red eyes, tissues scattered all over his sheets.

     "Come here. Tell me about it." Griffin offers, coercing him off the bed, where he sits down against the wall and lifts his arm up.

     A hint of a smile reaches Nate's face. "You're wearing a shirt." He says, sitting down next to him and letting the larger boy wrap his arm around his shoulder. After a moment of awkward interactions, he leans comfortably into his body.

     "Take all the time you need."

     "I can... I can say it." Nate sniffs, "She was all fine and dandy until she saw you. She just kind of... broke, like a dam. I couldn't stop and help her."

     "This... Evelyn girl, right?" Griffin asks, thinking about the redhead he saw sitting with Nate.

     "Yeah. Well, she actually said that... that you could tell me what happened between the two of you." Nate says, looking up at Griffin's face, "I thought you didn't know her."

     Griffin's silence fills the room for a few long moments, his expression a thoughtful one. After what seems like hours to Nate, he finally speaks up, "El... Evelyn and I used to date."

     Nate's head fills with questions. My best friend and my crush used to date? What if I have to chose between them? Why didn't Griffin recognize her before? What if Griffin doesn't want to be his friend anymore? What if he was only into girls?

     "Hey, I know that face." Griffin replies, rubbing Nate's arm. "Let me explain before you jump to conclusions."

     "Sorry..." Nate apologizes, hiding his face.

     "Not your fault." Griffin forgives him quickly, moving on, "We broke up at the beginning of this year, a couple weeks before you enrolled." He explains, "It was... pretty rough, for both of us."

     "Really?" Nate asks, frowning. That doesn't explain all of her behavior. "But- something else happened, didn't it?"

     "Not my story to tell." Griffin says simply. "You'll have to ask her more whenever you make up."

     "If we make up."

     "No, when you make up. I know you both, you'll make up." Griffin says, giving him his vote of confidence. "Now let's get you out of here."

     "Alright..." Nate says shakily, feeling a bit better already. "But... what do I do?"

     "Let her work through some things. She'll come to you when she's ready." Griffin replies, helping pull Nate to his feet. "In the meantime, let's distract you."

     Nate wipes away the wetness pooling in his eye, and then nods. "Yeah. No use crying about it, right?"

     "It's emotional release." Griffin laughs, "But I got you. Hot chocolate on me?"