Time Heals

Chapter 52

Nathan

The first sign I got that Zara's conversation with her trainer didn't go as planned was when Alison burst rather dramatically into my dorm, asking if my girlfriend had showed her face yet.

She plopped herself down on the couch when I shook my head in answer.

"Luke got angry, like really angry and started shouting at her." Ali explained, looking a tad flustered. "And then Zara got a bit upset and ran off. I kind of lost track of her and had to find my way back. Got lost a dozen times and I'm pretty sure my shoe soles are completely scuppered."

Ali pouted and took a shoe off, rubbing her aching feet.

"Why didn't you just call me?" I wondered, slipping my phone out of my pocket to see if Zara had sent me a text. She hadn't so I sent her a quick one asking if everything was ok. "I'd have come picked you up."

"Because I'm a bloody idiot and didn't think of that." She grumped, face etched in a frown. Stifling a laugh at this strange yet loveable girl I fetched the orange juice carton from the fridge, putting the carton to my lips and downing a gulp.

"Ew no way did you just do that!" Ali scrunched her nose at me in disgust, her reaction simply amusing me more.

"It's the best thing about not living with my Mum anymore, I can drink straight from the carton." I smirked, screwing the lid back on and returning the drink to the fridge. "That and Zara and I can have sex whenever we want."

"Ew no, enough information." She squirmed awkwardly.

I laughed at her and at that exact second the door flew open and a pissed looking Eric came striding in, heading straight for the fridge and grabbing a beer. He tried several times with the bottle opener to remove the cap, failing drastically. After a few painful seconds I snatched them from him and opened it myself.

"Thanks man." Eric muttered after taking a gulp. "I swear that girl will be the death of me. She thinks because I'm single she can worm her way into my pants! I'm not that desperate."

"I guess you're on about Lucy?" I guessed because she'd been non stop flirting with Eric ever since the night of the Ryan fiasco.

"I don't understand how she's not been kicked out! Leon was an it wasn't even his drugs." He complained, his grip on his beer tight. "What kind of a college is the Head running anyway?"

"Uh...Eric meet Alison." I gestured to the girl sat awkwardly on our sofa who Eric had not met yet. "Zara's new roommate."

Shock flew across his face as Eric noticed the other person in the room for the first time. I patted him on the back as his cheeks flamed red.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean...any disrespect." He mumbled awkwardly and took a rather large swig of his beer.

"It's cool I hate that Lucy girl too." Ali shrugged it off, glancing curiously at my roommate. "How do you get beer? Not that I'm going to tell or anything but we're only seventeen."

"Eric's big brother gets us a monthly stash." I said, grabbing her a beer and swiftly uncapping it in front of Eric. "Although I think you need to learn how to use a bottle opener."

Eric stuck his middle finger up at me and I chuckled, passing Ali the bottle. She stared at it reluctantly and I could tell she'd never had it before.

After taking a sip she grimaced, thrusting the bottle back into my hands.

"It's so bitter!" She complained and so I kept the beer for myself.

"But it's heavenly." I sighed after having a gulp. Ali didn't seem to agree. "Maybe you're more of a champagne kind of girl."