Never Ever

5| Just another fivesome

As the meet wraps up, Addy and I make our way out of the complex with the rest of the crowd. "Pax told me Jesse's throwing a party at his apartment tonight," she says as she hooks an arm through mine. "Can we go?" She glances over, trying to determine from my expression if I'm in a partying mood. "Or we can go back to the dorm if you want. I could cook us some pasta."

I can't help but laugh. In the getting-to-know-your-roommate stage, Addy had asked what my favorite food was, and I'd nonchalantly said pasta, so now she cooks it at every opportunity. I don't have the heart to tell her that, at this point, it's pasta overload. "You want to make Jesse jealous tonight, don't you?"

She bites her lip. "Yes, and I know that makes me sound like a crazy, petty bitch, but that's because I am."

"And who can argue with that?"

She smiles. "Exactly."

We spend the rest of the walk back to our dorm discussing serial killers. As weird as it sounds, our mutual fascination was discovered the first night I moved into our dorm. We were getting to know each other as roommates often do, talking about what series we liked, when Addy suddenly hit me with a, I like watching things about serial killers. I'd stared right back, eyes wide with surprise, and said, me too. Thus was born the start of our brief but blossoming friendship.

"I was bored in the library the other day, so I started watching this new documentary called How To Plot A Murder," she says giddily. "This guy bought a 200-acre farm to kill people and feed them to his pigs."

"That's so cliche. He should have gone full Mob Boss and dissolved them in barrels of acid."

"I know. I only got through the first episode, so we can start it together if you catch up."

We run up the steps to our dorm room, passing a few girls who stop to chat with Addy, and I stand there awkwardly, smiling and nodding as they talk about their English assignment. When it doesn't look like they're finishing anytime soon, I back away slowly and head into our room to start getting ready.

The truth is, a party at Noah's apartment is the last thing I want, but Addy needs me as her wing woman, and securing college friendships is far more important than avoiding Noah right now. I keep it simple in jeans and a t-shirt, wanting to draw as little of Noah's attention as possible, but something tells me from the way he winked earlier I'm still on his radar.

Addy walks in and slumps in front of the mirror to do her hair. "Up or down?" she asks, piling her hair on her head before letting it drop.

"Down," I say, "and talk me through this feud with Jesse because I still don't get what he said to make you so mad."

Addy looks up from the vanity mirror, where she's now busy applying mascara. "After you left to get water, Jesse asked me if there was anyone left in the Calbears that I hadn't tried it with, so of course, I got pissed and called him an asshole. We've hardly spoken since, but I ran into him the other day on campus, and he was with another girl." Her eyes meet mine in the mirror's reflection, flashing with deviance. "So, now I'm going to show him I've moved on too." She looks at her reflection again, running the hot iron through her hair. "Take my advice, Ev. Don't get involved with a Calbear."

I briefly think of Noah and say, "No chance of that."

When we're ready, we catch an Uber to Noah and Jesse's apartment. Addy keeps telling me how much I will love it, how huge the place is, how fancy the building looks, and I nod like I haven't already been there before, feeling like the biggest liar ever. But having her know that I went to Noah's apartment last week would only lead to questions, and questions lead to answers – ones I'm not ready to disclose.