Pervade and Faint

Chapter 24

When we reached Massachusetts, I took the wheel.
"If I drive for one another minute, I swear I'm going to take us to paradise instead of Harvard", said Cindy and she parked the car aside. We switched positions abruptly.
Cindy reclined her seat and she fell asleep before I could even ask her if she wanted something.

I drove for only about half an hour. The university arrived and it felt like I was entering it after a decade. I sighed again and felt much better. I rolled down the window and inhaled the fresh air of Harvard. It really reinvigorated me. I parked the car in an empty spot. There were a lot of cars in Harvard. Many students used their personal vehicles. Despite the rush of the cars, there was always an empty spot. Students like me, foreigners, didn't really have cars. That's because of the lack of need.
"Cindy", I whispered.
She didn't wake up.
"Cindy", I repeated and gave her a gentle shake.
She moaned and moved, as if she was making love. I remembered her moans when we had first made love.
"Cindy we're here", I said and she finally opened her eyes. There was an ocean of redness and laziness in her eyes and it reminded me of her sister.
Cindy's eyes elongated as she looked outside.
"We're here?" she asked, surprised and puzzled.

We got out of the car and headed towards our rooms. I finally felt better. Mere passing through the lawn and walking up the stairs passed a wave of comfort in me.
"I'm so sleepy", said Cindy and pulled a key out of her pocket.
"Yeah, me too", I said and hopped a bit. My posterior went numb and I hardly felt it. Cindy opened her door and walked in.
"Do you have water?" she asked, coming out if her room.
"I'll have to check", I said and put my hand on the doorknob of my room. I wondered whether Tyrese would be in there or not.
"Yeah, check it. I'm parched", she said and stood beside me.
I turned the doorknob and pushed the door. It produced an old creaking sound.
Tyrese sat up and smiled when he saw me. But he wasn't alone. He was sitting with a girl on his bed. There were a bunch of pencils scattered on their bed. It took me a while to notice that they had been playing jack straw. That's an outdated game, I thought. Most of the pencils were mine. I realized that when I took a good look. But I didn't really mind. I was happy to see Tyrese. A really huge smile played on his face when he saw me. I wondered whether he also missed me or not, because I certainly did.
"Bro", he said and stood up.
He embraced me, tightly, as if we were meeting after a decade. It definitely seemed like a decade.
"Finally man", he said and placed his hand on my shoulder.
My eyes, as well as my thoughts were still fixed at the girl sitting on her bed. I wondered who she was.
"Oh um, guys...meet my girlfriend, Rose", he introduced, and she smiled.
"Hey rose", I said, enthusiastically.
"Hi", she said and smiled. She seemed nice.
Cindy shook hands with her.
"You guys continue. We'll be in my room", said Cindy and she took my hand. We stood there for a while and Cindy walked me out of the room.

"I think I'll just sleep in my room", I said. But Cindy already pulled me in her room.
"No, that girl wasn't laying good eyes on you", said Cindy and sat on her bed, pulling me closer to her.
I laughed. Cindy forgot about the water all of a sudden.
"But she's Tyrese's girlfriend", I said and both of us looked at the door.
Cindy's door burst open and Tyrese came flying in.
"You okay?" I asked.
"Yeah, what about you guys?" he asked.
"We're good", I answered and raised both eyebrows, asking him what he was in pursuit of.

"There's something called knocking before entering", added Cindy, furiously gawking at Tyrese. Tyrese looked at her for a second, and then back at me.

"So when did Rose come?" I asked and smiled. Tyrese didn't smile back.
"Bro she's feeling much more like thorn rather than Rose", he said and slapped the air. The stress and tense in his face was quite conspicuous and it really bothered me.
"Is everything alright?" I asked.
Tyrese took a deep breath and let it out.
"It's pretty stupid, but...you remember I made that bet?" he asked, rhetorically.
"Which one?" I asked, trying to remember which bet he was appertaining to.
"I made a bet that Turner was going to evaporate in a few months remember?" he said.
"Yeah, how can I forget that one", I said and smiled.
"Yeah, the thing is...the rag is still alive", he said.
"So what?" asked Cindy.
"I lost all of my money. I aint got a single penny", he said and turned his pockets inside out. He had nothing but his phone.
"I mean, I really have no problem with that. My dad is going to send my money tomorrow. But the thing is that Rose is here...and we have been sitting blank since yesterday", he said.
"Oh! So that's why you were playing jack straw", I said and he smiled.
"Exactly", he said.
"And by the ways, half of the pencils were mine", I announced.
Tyrese laughed on that and it felt much better to see him happy.

I took my ATM card out and handed it to Tyrese.
"All yours man", I said and smiled.
"Really?" he asked, astonished.
"Yeah man", I confirmed and told him the pin-code.
"Thanks man", he said and a huge smile played on his face. But I knew that he wanted to thank me with much more than just a smile. But a smile was enough for me, even more than a reimbursement.
All of a sudden, Cindy threw her keys at him. He caught them with one hand.
"I swear if it crashes, you're dead", said Cindy, rolling her eyes. He smiled.
Cindy got out of her bed and stood beside me.
"If you weren't a friend of my love, I would have kicked you out of my room", said Cindy and kissed me on the check.
"I swear I love you guys", he said and he hugged both of us in a single hug. He wrapped his arms around us and that was probably the best moment of my life.

"I still want to kick you out", added Cindy.

"You guys are amazing", he said and released us.
"Don't spend profligately"' said Cindy and he nodded. He was just about to turn the doorknob, for he turned.
"Oh um, by the ways, you probably might have to sleep in this room", he said and pointed a finger towards me.
"Why?" I asked.
"Swear you're not going to yell?" he asked and a mischievous smile played on his face.
I shook my head.
"We made out on your bed"
"Get out of here!" I yelled and all of us laughed profusely.
"You're so disgusting", said Cindy, making a face.
He turned the doorknob and opened the door.
"You're joking right?" I asked, trying to get to the reality.
"No, I swear I'm not. I was too drunk to notice that I was on your bed. But don't worry, I'll get it cleaned up", he said and winked. He left the room. The most beautiful thing in friendship is what occurred between the both of us at that moment, forgiveness.

"So", said Cindy.
"What?" I asked and she smiled.
"You're going to sleep with me", she said, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah, I guess I will", I said and took a pillow from her bed and threw it in the floor, deliberately. I lay down on the floor.
"Get the hell up here", she said and I laughed. Cindy slipped my shirt off and pushed me in her bed. She kissed me gently, tracing her hands on my chest. Her phone rang and she quickly sat up.

"Who is it?" I asked and she checked her phone.
"Your dad", she answered and placed it on the table without answering it.
"Wait, what?" I asked, flabbergasted.
"Um _ I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier", she said.
"Tell what", I said, digging deeper.
"Nothing, I just talked to your dad a few times", she said.
Silence descended upon us for a while.
"Amir", she said and looked at me, her face tense.
"Who's Sophia?" she asked.
My heart leaped and bounced as soon as I heard Sophia's name, as if it was dying to hear it. It definitely was dying to hear her name. But listening to her name from Cindy's mouth was just awkward.
"Um _ why?" I asked and my heart raced.
"No, just asking", she said.
"Cindy, why did you ask about her?" I asked. There was rage and an ocean of tension in my voice.
"Your dad was just talking about her", she said and stopped, as if she had said something amiss.
"What did he say Cindy?" I asked, frightened and anxious.
"It has nothing to do with us", said Cindy and held my hand. I let go of her tenacious grip.
"Cindy, tell me", I ordered, furious.
"I'm telling you. We don't have to worry about it. She's married."
__________

Confusion.
"What?"