I Dare You *On Hold*

2| The Dare

I woke up the next morning still wearing what I wore yesterday, when I drove from Texas to Nevada. I didn't even remember falling asleep, but I guess that can happen when you're both physically and mentally worn out. Sitting up, I rubbed my eyes, letting out a yawn as I turned to my right and saw Drew, sitting at his desk, with his headphones on.

Rolling out of bed, I made my way over to my suitcase, searching for fresh clothes while keeping an eye on my friend. His head was down, resting his forehead against his arms while his messy brown hair spilled over them.

Did he even sleep last night?

"Hey, Drew," I called, walking over to him. When he didn't respond, I tapped his shoulder, nudging it until he lifted his head. Sleep lines marked his cheeks and he lazily blinked to refresh his eyes when he looked at me. "Did you fall asleep here?"

Nodding his head, I shook my own but moved on to another question.

"What are you listening to?"

When he sheepishly looked away instead of answering me, I swiped his phone, looking at the device. It was almost dead, with a blasphemous battery percentage of 4%, but when I saw what song he had on repeat, my heart went out to him.

"Drew-"

"It's her favorite song," he defended weakly, taking his phone from my grasp and turning it off. "It's...it's her favorite song."

I knew the moment I saw the title why he was listening to it. If you've been in a car with Natalie Drake, then you'd know her favorite song. As soon as she figured out how to use an auxiliary chord, it was pretty much the only tune she played. "I Got You" by Bebe Rexha was practically her anthem, and now it seemed like it was Drew's lullaby--his heartbreaking lullaby.

"Look," I said, leaning down so I was eye-level with him. "Why don't we go get some breakfast? It'll take your mind off things."

A pained, dry laugh left his throat as he looked down. "It couldn't do that even if it tried."

"Dude, never underestimate the power of bacon," I smile lightheartedly.

He could tell I was trying to cheer him up, at least for a moment, so he grinned back at me, but it didn't reach his eyes. It couldn't, and they were like green pools of regret.

"Come on, let's get ready. Then, you can take me down to the cafeteria," I said, patting his back before getting back to my suitcase.

Ten minutes later, both of us were dressed and heading out the front doors of his dormitory. The fresh campus air was cool, a slight breeze blowing through my hair as we walked to my car.

"So, how's life been?" I asked. "Y'know...besides the breakup?"

Drew winced at the word, but gave me an answer a few seconds later.

"My business degree is coming along. In a few years, hopefully I'll be putting it to good use."

"What kind of business are you trying to start, again? Something about sports, right?"

He tilted his head, shrugging his shoulders. "Kinda. I was thinking that I could open a gym or something. I'd want there to be a pool, for Natalie. You know how much she loves swimming, and she's an awesome teacher. Just last week, I finally got the backstroke down, and she was so happy..."

As his voice trailed off, I looked at him, wishing things weren't like this for him. There was no doubt in my mind that he loved her, but he was the reason this happened. There wasn't much I could think to say to make him feel better. I just hoped his relationship was salvagable.