Gravity

Chapter 10

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Soundtrack

Girl Almighty – One Direction
Let's have another toast to the girl almighty
Let's pray we stay young, stay made of lightning

***

The first month of college flies by in a blur.

It's a mix of 9am classes and crazy parties. Staying up till sunrise and sleeping till noon. Going riding with Ivy a few times a week and spending most of my weekends at Tyler's.

Unfortunately, Avery and Tessa have had the same idea and I have to deal with them nearly every time I'm there. Which I really wouldn't mind at all if Tessa didn't treat me like gum on the bottom of her shoe. What's worse is that she and Tyler actually seem to get along, and he doesn't see what I mean when I point out her underhanded ways of insulting me. But I put up with it all because being near Tyler is worth any of the trouble I have to deal with.

Although, as he pointed out this past weekend, we could always stay at my place instead.

And while we have done that a couple times, my windowless dorm room lacks the kitchen, queen sized bed, and bathroom that Tyler's apartment has.

If I'm being completely honest, it's also been nice to be around Avery. We're actually starting to be almost-friends again.

And when I say almost-friends, I mean that he no longer rolls his eyes every time I speak or contradicts every opinion I have. Plus, he's stopped purposely getting in my personal space to try and get me flustered.

See? Progress.

Ivy says that the whole situation is a Greek tragedy waiting to happen, and if you asked anyone else they'd probably agree. But she doesn't see what I see.

Despite everything, I really do think Avery cares about Tessa. They're sickeningly cute together and he wouldn't jeopardize that by going after me, especially when he knows there's absolutely no way I'd ever cheat on Tyler. Who, for the record, gets along swimmingly with Avery.

I think that it's easy to judge the whole arrangement from the outside, but it's working for us and I won't rock the boat by questioning it.

**********************

This particular evening I'm lounging out on my bed, textbooks and lecture notes sprawled around me in a half circle as I study for Anthropology exam, when a hectic knocking sounds at my door.

I wait in silence for a moment, thinking it's most likely Derek, the annoying RA who keeps trying to get everyone on the floor 'involved' with freshman activities. Newsflash: there's a reason we all avoid those events like the plague.

The knocking continues, followed by, "It's Ivy! Open up!"

I slowly climb out of bed, careful not to disrupt the order of my notes, and make my way over to open the door.

"Sorry, I thought you were Derek," I say upon letting Ivy in.

"Yikes," she laughs, ungracefully throwing herself onto my desk chair.

"What's up?" I ask, climbing back onto the mountain of textbooks that is my bed.

"Help me," she groans, throwing her head into her arms on the desk.