Truth Be Told

seventeen

IN THE DAYS THAT follow, Colin makes himself scarce, spending most days out in the library and eating dinner alone instead of going home to the apartment. He hasn't been himself, to be perfectly honest. If he thought he was hyper aware of Sadie before, it was nothing compared to how he feels now.

She had a crush on him. Or so she claimed. She must be pulling his leg again, but whether or not it's true doesn't matter. He's rattled by it and doesn't quite know how to react. Of course it's impossible to avoid seeing her completely, not when they're still living together, and all Colin can do is to count the days until her departure.

The days passed slowly, much to his chagrin, and when it was finally–finally–time for her to leave his apartment (and hopefully his thoughts), he found himself sighing in relief.

Unfortunately for him, Drew had suggested for them to help Sadie move in before grabbing some drinks for a small going-away celebration. Colin would have skipped it, but his treacherous roommates were keen on getting him to go along with it.

"Do you really have to move away?"

Sadie doesn't bother looking up, too busy trying to fit as many clothes as she possibly can into her duffel bag. "Yes, Drew. We've been over this."

The man's shoulders visibly sag. "Are you still gonna hang out with us?"

She zips her bag up, then looks back at Drew's puppy-dog face. "Yes, of course. Why wouldn't I?"

"The way I see it," Perry says from where he's leaning against the doorframe, "you shouldn't even move out at all."

"I'm tired of living like a sitcom protagonist," Sadie replies, heaving her bag over her shoulder. "Besides, it'll be nice to have a place of my own."

Perry pouts. "What's so bad about being a sitcom protagonist?"

"Nothing, really. I'm just ready for the big screen now."

Colin, already standing by the apartment door, looks down at his wristwatch, tapping one foot against the floor. "We'll miss the bus if you don't hurry."

He's not actually sure if this is true. Mostly he just wants to get this over and done with. The sooner she's out of his apartment, the better.

Sadie looks around the apartment, taking it in for the last time, or perhaps to check if she'd left anything else. "We're all set," she says.

He makes the mistake of meeting her gaze, and though he looks away as quickly as possible, he can't help but feel his face flush.

God, this was going to be a long night.

What, even, is there to be so conscious about? He feels stupid, not only because her supposed crush might not even be true in the first place, but also because if it were, in fact, true, then what does it matter? It's all in the past. It's not like she confessed to liking him now (the thought of which makes his cheeks feel even hotter). More importantly, it's not like he has any feelings for her, now or otherwise.

If anything, she should be the one feeling awkward around him.

And yet when she stepped past him to walk out of the apartment, he felt his breath catch in his throat.

The four of them walk to the bus stop, Sadie in between Drew and Perry, wrapped up in a conversation about a new Netflix show that, in Perry's words, "doesn't actually suck." Colin hangs back, watching from behind them, carrying one of Sadie's bags over one shoulder.

None of them seem to mind him much, but Sadie does look back one time, as if to check if he was still there.

There's more people than usual out and about. Exams have just ended for most of the students and everyone seems to be taking this opportunity to finally relax. The bus, as expected, is a bit crowded, so the four of them end up sitting separately, save for Colin and Perry who found seats at the back.