Love Lives and Lies

Spring Junior Year- 2

Chapter 43

I'm starting to feel a bit lonely. Clarissa has been dating Derrick for a year now and I swear Lizzy is practically engaged to her hometown boyfriend. They sometimes go out on dates over the weekend and I'm left alone in the dorm twiddling my thumbs.

I've got the other girls on the volleyball team of course, but it's just not the same going out with them and not my closest friends. I've become so attached to Lizzy and Clarissa, I don't know how to socialize very well on campus without them. The last time I went out without them I ended up passed out on a party bus. Let's just say it wasn't my shining moment.

I'm scrolling through my phone thinking about all the people I have in my contacts. Most of them are friends from back home or volleyball teammates. I see Alec's number and I think about texting him, but he said he has a big midterm this week so I don't want to bother him.

I scroll a little farther and I come across a person that I haven't thought about for a while. We were so close before. It's so weird to not know them now. I don't know what their life is like or what they're up to. They could be a completely different person now and I wouldn't even know it.

I sigh before going to swipe up my screen to look for someone else who might want to hang out with me. In swiping up though, I accidentally end up calling the person.

"Shit! Shit!" I scream as I frantically try to hang up the phone.

I get it hung up a second later and debate whether I should text them to say it was a butt dial or just hope they'll ignore the missed call.

I don't have more than a second to think about it before they're calling me back. What the fuck? What do I do? Do I answer?

The phone rings once more and I panic. It would be rude not to tell them what happened. I owe it to them to explain why I called them. I rationalize this in my brain as I swipe to pick up the phone call.

"Hey," I answer the call, sounding a bit breathless. How pathetic do I sound?

"Hey," they respond, not saying anything else.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to call you. It was a butt dial."

"Oh," they say, almost sounding upset. "I was worried when I saw the missed call from you. I thought something could be wrong."

"No, nothing wrong aside from me being lonely," I immediately slap myself on the head for saying that. Why am I always so awkward?

They chuckle in response, "Why are you lonely?"

"Oh, Clarissa and Lizzy are off with their boyfriends this weekend and I'm just back at the dorm watching movies. I'm just bored honestly."

"Why don't you come over?"

I almost choke when I hear that. "Uh," I start to say, but don't know what to say next.

"It doesn't have to be weird, Ava. We can just hang out as friends. Honestly I miss you. It would be nice to see you."

I let out a breath I'd been holding. "It would be nice to see you too, Theo."

"Great, it's settled then. I'll see you in a few minutes."

"Yeah, I'll head right over," I agree before hanging up the phone. What did I just get myself into?

As I walk over to the frat house, I try to rationalize everything in my mind. Theo and I can just be friends. There doesn't have to be anything more to this. We were super close for a long time and there's no reason I can't go hang out with him.