What Once Was | ONC 2023

Chapter 8

Why did Melissa have to say that? I was better off thinking that Andy just lost interest in me. I wished I hadn't heard her say that he was serious when he said he cared for me, liked me, loved me. 

My parents knew something was wrong at dinner when I didn't eat all my food. I didn't even text Eric back that evening. My homework sat on my desk, waiting for me to start on it. 

Why did breaking up have to feel this way? Why did I have to feel everything from the bottom of my soul for a man that liked me at best? And why did his sister have to go and ruin the only thing that made me feel better? 

I let myself wallow in self-pity for a while. A week to be exact. I avoided people when I went to class, and I didn't even try to talk to Eric. I basically ignored him. My other friends were basically not talking to me anyway, including Melissa. He was the only friend I had left, pretty much. So I knew he was worried about me.

When I finally managed to pull myself out of the self-pity pit, I felt refreshed. I'd processed everything and decided that I would be fine without Andy and he would be fine without me. We would both move on and find that happiness again in someone else or, if we get our timing right and run into each other again, we'll eventually find it in each other. 

Well, if that happiness even existed. I had a feeling that it only existed sometimes for certain people, and I wasn't one of them.

Eric saw me when I entered campus and he waved me down. I walked glanced around before going over. "You're looking better," he said when I was close enough he didn't have to shout. "Are you back with that Andy guy?"

I shook my head. "No. We're probably not going to be together again. Sorry I've been ignoring you. I just needed some time."

"I heard there was a party tonight. In case you want to find Mr. Rebound, that is. Wanna go with me?"

A rebound wasn't something that was ever going to last, and I didn't want that for me. "If I date someone else, it won't be a rebound. I think I can handle something serious. The way I'm wired won't handle something meant to be short-term."

He nodded. "How about you come with me anyway? Get outside your comfort zone and meet a new demographic."

I raised an eyebrow at him. "You don't even know that demographic."

"Be that as it may, I can't say that you won't find a nice guy there."

I rolled my eyes. "Since when do nice guys go to parties? Do you even remember high school? We all went to one party. At that one party we witnessed beer-pong for the first time while all the jocks stood around making monkey noises and every other guy in school drooling over the popular girls that were dancing on the furniture. What makes you think people get more mature in college? They're just high schoolers that can drink."

He paused. "Valid point. Still, you never know. I'm a nice guy, right?"

I pressed my lips together. He very much was. "Debatable. I mean, there's some stuff that I could tell your next girlfriend that might make her reconsider."

He sighed dramatically as he walked away a couple steps and then came back. "You're killing me here. We both know I'm a good guy. Therefore, you could come to the party because if I'm there, who knows if maybe another good guy is showing up that doesn't normally go to these?"

It really was useless arguing with a law student. "Fine," I responded, shaking my head. "I'll go this one time. If I don't meet anyone, you're not allowed to drag me to another."

"Deal."

"When is this party and where?"

"Tonight at my place."