After Life

36

I had made it through my Art and Catastrophe notes, and felt I had a fairly good handle on the content that we were told would be most important to review. I was currently immersed in my world studies course, completely exhausted and unable to focus on a single line of text. I had re-read the same line many times, and it still made no sense. My tired eyes were sore, and no matter how hard I tried to force them to focus, they weren't having any of it.

I sat up again, pushing all the papers away from me.

"I need a break," I muttered, reaching forward the grabbing the carton of rice that we hadn't yet finished.

"Maybe work on your final project a bit," Mia suggested, her eyes still on her books. Her dark hair spilled from the messy knot on her head, casting shadows across her face.  "Have you thought up a theme yet?"

"No," I sighed, pulling my knees towards my chest. "Any time I think about it, all I can see is what Harry already refused."

"Lane, you're thinking of that cause you want to see him shirtless, don't even blame the project for that," Mia teased, looking up at me from under her lashes with an evil smirk.

"Fuck off, Mia," I warned, casting my eyes down.

I hadn't told her about my feelings towards Harry, knowing that while she would be supportive, she would also be determined to make us a reality. And as much as I wanted that, I didn't want to force it. I didn't want to pressure Harry into anything, and I didn't want to make our already uncomfortable relationship any worse. And, if I was being honest, I didn't want his rejection.

"I don't blame you," she continued, ignorant to my mood shift. "He's hot as fuck. If you do get him shirtless, take a whole card of pictures and we will make wallpaper out of it."

"You are absolutely no fucking help, you know that, right?" I said, throwing a piece of fortune cookie at her as she snickered on the floor.

Our fight was interrupted by my phone, vibrating quietly on the table in front of me.

Picking it up, a felt a flutter in my chest at the name.

"Hey," I smiled into the phone, causing Mia to make kissy faces at me before I flipped her the finger.

"Hey," Harry replied, breathing heavily.

"What are you doing?"

"Just getting in the door," he said, just as a bang could be heard in the background, followed by the sound of something dropping to the floor.

I laughed. "You could have settled in a bit before you called, you know,"

"I know," he admitted, as I listened to him shuffle around his apartment. "I wanted to catch you before you went to bed.

"Harry, its not even ten at night,"

"Whatever, shut up," he snapped, before groaning. "Ah, my couch."