Hey guys I'm back from vacation. Here's your update.
I scroll along my social media from my spot rolled into a blanket in my bed. I can barely hear myself think with the deafening music my roommate's playing. I wouldn't mind if it was anything good. I just want her to leave so I can watch Netflix. My original plans to hang out with Aaliyah were cancelled because her parents forbade her from leaving the house. It's slightly frustrating because she's 18 years old and in college and her parents are still 'grounding' her. Not to mention, she didn't tell me until after I got dressed and ready. So here I am on a Saturday night, stuck in my dorm. An incoming call interrupts my scrolling and I read the contact: Maya.
"Are you doing anything tonight?" Maya inquires as soon as I answer the call. I stare at the ceiling and sigh. I can barely hear her because of my roommate's music. "Are you at a party?"
"My dorm," I inform her as I plug my other ear with my finger. I shift onto my side and try my best to focus on her words. "But I'm not doing anything. What's up?"
"Zack is coming over and we're all going to see a movie. Do you want to come?" she proposes and I feel relief well in my chest.
"Yes, please..." I mumble just as Danica opens our door. Two girls enter with bags and I want to sigh. I can already tell that her half of the room is going to be littered with clothes. "I'll be there soon."
I jump out of bed and adjust the blankets in an attempt to tidy up. It's not like it matters; I'm going to come back to a clothing tornado either way. I grab my purse and shuffle out of the room, letting the door slam behind me. My ears ring a little from the noisy music, which follows me all the way down the hallway.
Danica is so obnoxious and I sometimes hate myself for not standing up to her, but it's better for everyone that I don't. If it weren't for Maya, I'd probably have snapped on her already. Now, whenever things go bad, I just leave and go to Maya's apartment or the coffee shop. It's not that I'm scared of Danica. It's just that I'm not one for arguing; I'm more inclined to fight, which is why I avoid heated arguments with her. The last thing I want to do is physically attack her in a bout of rage; I blame that coping mechanism on growing up with brothers. Whenever I make passive aggressive comments, she either ignores them or just doesn't catch on. And every time I try to sit down and talk things out with her, she's too hungover or tired to communicate.
When I arrive at the familiar apartment, I park out front and jog up the steps. It's been a little over a week since I've been here but I feel immediate relief when I step inside. It's bad, I know- I've known Maya for a month; I shouldn't be this comfortable coming to and from her place. It's just that she's more of a friend to me than any of the ones I made last year. I reach the apartment door and don't even bother with knocking. Instead, I let myself in and stroll into the living room, where I find Asa relaxing on the couch.
"Who invited you?" he bites when his gaze falls on me. I give him a brief once over in his lying position. He's wearing his usual attire: sweatpants. I try my best to keep my gaze focused on his face as I drop onto the recliner a few feet away.
"The only other person that lives here," I retort in a tone matching his. "Where is she?"
"Shower," he answers shortly. "I haven't seen much of you lately."
"Do you care that much that you notice when I'm here and when I'm not?" I inquire, which earns a loud snort from him.
"You didn't let me finish. I was going to say that I was starting to get hopeful," he clarifies and I laugh loosely.
"Don't get too ahead of yourself," I retort as I kick my legs up. "What movie are we seeing tonight?"
"Some comedy," he waves dismissively. "Zack picked it."
"When does it start?" I ask as I glance at my phone. 9:38.
"10:15," he answers just as the sound of a door opening draws our attention. Maya emerges from the bathroom in a towel and smiles at me.
"Hi!" she greets happily before walking to her bedroom. Asa gets up from the couch and drags himself to his room. I think I'm right in assuming he's changing. I'm proven correct when he exits his bedroom five minutes later in a green field jacket with a white shirt underneath and a pair of dark blue jeans. I admire his crisp white sneakers as he walks further into the living room with his gaze locked on his phone. Maya also exits her room and immediately rushes us.
"Let's go, let's go, let's go," she insists as we fall in line behind her.
"Are we carpooling?" I ask curiously as I trail after Maya, who shimmies down the hall while clapping. Asa follows behind me with his hands shoved in his jacket pockets.
"First, you take over my apartment, then, you want to get into my car," he sighs over-dramatically as he grabs his keys from the bowl near the door. "Is there anything else you want from me, Ivy?"
"I can think of a few things," Maya suggests from the front of our single file line.
"Gross," I vocalize as we wait in the hallway. He pulls the door shut behind us before walking off. I stare at their unlocked door as the two of them saunter off down the hall. They really meant it when they said they never lock it.
"Beat you downstairs," Maya chirps as Asa walks right past the elevator.
"You never do but okay," he comments as he pushes open the creaky door to the stairs. I wait with Maya, who hums quietly.
"So...who are you going to sit next to?" she wonders and I offer her a shrug. "Asa?"
"You," I reply as I stare at the lit button.
"Zack's going to sit next to me," she explains.
"There'll be two seats next to you," I retort with a shrug.
"Asa will sit in the one next to me so he can steal sips from my drink when his runs out," she further clarifies.
The elevator arrives and I shake my head. "Then I guess I'll find a seat far, far away," I trail off as I stare at the opening metal doors. She cackles evilly as we board the elevator.
"Do you want to sit in the front seat of his car?" she inquires as we reach the lobby.
"Nope," I say dismissively.
"Suit yourself," she sings with a teasing grin on her face.
Maya leads the way to Asa's car, which is in the parking lot beside the building. I stare in slight surprise when she stops at a black truck. He flashes the lights at us and Maya cringes at the brightness. As she climbs into the vehicle, she slaps his arm. "Asshole," she grumbles. I pull myself up and into the spacious backseat, looking around the neat environment. It doesn't surprise me how clean it is. He seems like that type of person.
He starts in the direction of the theater and I stare at the relaxed way he drives. Maya turns on the music and he attempts to shut it off a few times but her hand slaps his whenever it gets too close. "Passenger picks the music," she informs him.
He rolls his eyes but keeps his primary focus on driving. We arrive and he's forced to park a good distance from the entrance. "Where's Zack?" he inquires as he locks the car behind us.
"Inside," Maya replies casually while pocketing her phone. We head in the direction of the theater and I think about which overpriced snacks I'm going to buy.
Maya looks around before her gaze settles on an average sized guy with pale skin and dark hair. He seemed to have spotted us first by the way he's striding in our direction. I try to gauge the kind of person he might be by his apparel- a flannel with a plain t-shirt underneath and a pair of black jeans.
"Hey," he greets us in a surprisingly deep voice. The black tendrils of his hair are swooped up into a contemporary style, which he ruffles slightly with his hand.
"Hey," Maya replies with a matching smile. Asa nods at him before assessing the movie posters along the wall.
"I don't think we've met," Zack announces as he turns to me with a curious smile. I note the clear braces lining his teeth and silently compliment him. "I'm Zack...Zack Zheng."
"Ivy...Ivy Flores," I mimic and he gets a kick out of this. He lets out a quiet chuckle as he stares back at me. How does Maya have two attractive best friends?
"Come on, we should get the tickets. The movie starts in seven minutes," Asa blurts as he turns his attention back to us. Zack and I look away from each other and turn our attention to the taller boy leading the way to the concessions. Zack catches up and falls in step beside him while Maya walks alongside me.
"Sooo...Zack," she grins at me and I glance at her and nod.
"Yeah, he seems nice," I respond dryly. What I want to say is that she didn't mention he was cute. However, I know better than to do that, especially when he's here with us.
"And cute, right?" she replies suggestively.
"Sure," I decide to agree. She said it, not me.
"I only hang out with good looking people," she explains with a wink before wiggling her eyebrows. "So...who do you think is cuter?"
"I am not answering that right now," I retort as we inch closer to the other members of our group, who are already waiting in line and assessing the menu.
She laughs at me as we join the two guys. Both of them get popcorn so Maya whispers to me not to buy any and that we'll steal some from them. I don't complain and spend my money on chocolate and a large Sprite. When we reach the theater, Asa holds open the door and Maya steals a couple pieces of his popcorn as we pass. He doesn't say anything and instead, trails in behind us. Zack decides on a seat in the middle of the large room and in the center of the row. He sits, followed by Maya, me, and then Asa. Maya nudges me lightly as I remove my sweater.
"Shut up," I whisper to her as I take my seat.
Asa sits beside me and puts his drink in his cup holder. I stare at the bowl of popcorn in his lap and he notes my desiring gaze in the still lit room. He sighs loudly. "First my apartment, then my car, now my popcorn..."
I interpret that as a sign of his defeat and take a handful of the savory treat. "I have chocolate if you want some," I say as I hold up the little bag. His eyes glance at it just as the lights begin to dim.
"Shut up, the movie is starting," he hisses as he turns his attention to the film. I stare at him for a few more seconds before tuning in as well. I want to correct him that it's actually just the trailers but decide not to.
Maya whispers noisily with Zack for the first half of the movie until an old woman tells them to shut the hell up. Unsurprisingly, Maya gets offended and tries to throw a piece of popcorn at the woman but Zack catches it midair and calms her down through a fit of giggles. They remain silent for the rest of the movie, aside from laughs lead by the entire theater. When we're leaving, Maya spots the old woman and narrows her eyes.
"Bitter old hag," Maya mumbles as she walks by. The woman doesn't notice and I chuckle under my breath. Asa watches with an amused but stern gaze.
"Don't encourage her," he scolds me with a shake of his head.
"I'm starving," Maya complains as she pats her stomach. She glances at a poster of food and groans longingly.
"Me, too," Zack responds in agreement as his eyes assess the poster.
"I'm not," Asa responds and Maya looks at me.
"I had dinner at 8," I comment sheepishly. She narrows her eyes at me and Asa before turning to Zack.
"Let's go get some food," she proposes before glancing at us. "You lames can go back to the apartment."
"Whatever," Asa says as he throws away the bucket of popcorn, which we practically finished. I shoot a glare at Maya but she's too busy asking Zack where he wants to eat. We reach the exit of the theater and part ways. Maya and Zack walk in the opposite direction towards his car and I trail behind Asa, who leads the way to his vehicle.
I catch up and attempt to match his strides in silence. I try to think of a conversation topic to bring up and decide to go with the most obvious one. "Did you like the movie?" I ask and he shrugs.
"It was okay," he replies casually. "It wasn't as funny as I thought it'd be."
"It was pretty funny," I rebut as I recall multiple scenes that made me laugh.
"To people with a bad sense of humor," he responds as he risks a glance to me. So much for trying to make conversation.
"Shut up, Asiago," I grunt and give him a dirty look. The corner of his lips threaten to turn upwards into a smile, which throws me off a bit. He unlocks his car and swiftly gets in with one fluid motion. I attempt to match his actions and pull open the door. I step onto the assistive ledge at the speed he did and feel my foot start to slip. He watches in amusement as I slide off the step and he even bites back a chuckle when my face hits the side of the seat.
"Mood," he comments as he lets a giggle escape.
"That hurt," I complain as I manage to pull myself in. I slam the door to his car and he narrows his eyes at me.
"Watch it," he responds threateningly as he starts the vehicle.
I open the door and he stares at me, waiting for me to slam it again. "What are you going to do about it?" I retort with a menacing glare. His gaze turns slightly confused as he stares at me.
"That sounds oddly sexual and I know you're a pervert so I'm just going to let you slam the door," he replies cautiously.
"You're gross," I say as I shut the door as soft as possible.
"I knew it'd stop you," he replies in satisfaction as he backs out of the parking spot. He heads in the direction of his apartment and I take a chance and put on the music. He doesn't say anything so I quietly sing along for half the ride. A brief interlude comes and he finally speaks up. "Who sings this?"
"Emeli Sandé," I answer as I stop harmonizing along. Does he really find this song good enough to ask about the artist?
"That's what I thought. I didn't realize you were featured on it," he responds dryly and my mouth drops. The corners of his lips tug up as he glances at me. The smile sneaks its way onto his face as he waits for me to respond.
"You're so mean," I grunt in slight embarrassment. I'm not Beyoncé but I didn't think my voice was that bad.
"You always say that," he nods at me.
"Because it's true," I reply as I keep my gaze out the window.
"False. I'm nice," he denies.
"Any time you do something nice, you counter it with something really mean," I inform him matter-of-factly.
"Then it cancels out like PEMDAS. Therefore, I'm neutral," he concludes in a proud manner.
"That's not how it works," I retort with a slow shake of my head.
"I'm pretty sure it does," he says in a joking tone. I turn to face him with slightly wide eyes. He's acting...friendly. I fight the urge to ask if he's okay and decide to play into it a little to see where it goes.
"I don't think so," I respond as I tilt my head playfully.
"Whose major is closer to math?" he inquires as he tilts his head the opposite way.
"I wouldn't know." I offer up a weak shrug.
"Finance," he informs me, "therefore my major is closer to math, which means that I know what I'm talking about."
"You don't even know my major," I defend myself after I suck my teeth.
"History," he responds simply, which gets a confused look from me.
"How do you know that?" I ask quietly.
"Maya," he replies casually.
"So she can tell you my major but she won't tell me yours?" I retort with narrowed eyes.
"You asked her?" he questions with that same small grin on his lips.
"You asked her?" I retort in slight disbelief.
He chuckles in a breathy fashion. "When she told me about you, she mentioned it," he explains.
"What'd she say about me?" I question in surprise. I didn't realize she told him about me.
"She told me how you guys met. She mentioned that you're a sophomore and that you're a history major," he lists before squinting in thought. "She also said you're straight and, I quote, 'friendship will have to do.'"
"Yet you always assumed we were sleeping together," I extract and he shrugs weakly.
"Look, Maya meets a lot of different girls, some of whom she tells me about," he replies with a shrug. "You come around pretty often so I just figured..."
"Maya can't have friends?" I ask with raised brows.
"She can. She does. She has me, Zack, and Tyson," he lists. "She never has female friends."
"Well, she has me now," I correct him and he nods.
"Yeah, I'm aware. You're here every other day," he concludes as he pulls onto the street of his apartment.
"Weren't you just complaining how I was never here anymore?" I ask with a teasing look in my eye and he scoffs.
"I was praying you wouldn't come back," he clarifies.
"Sure," I reply doubtfully with a satisfied grin.
He pulls into the parking lot and returns to his previous space. "I mean it," he assures me as he turns off the car.
"Sure," I draw and he glances at me before pushing open his door. "I get it. You enjoy having me over. You're just too scared to say it."
He laughs in response. "Believe what you want," he says as he leads the way into the building.
"So you don't like having me over?" I ask as I approach the elevator.
He glances at me before pushing open the door to the stairs. "Beat you upstairs," he comments, completely disregarding my question.
A grin breaks onto my face once he disappears. He's an asshole so if he didn't want me over, he'd have easily told me. By the time I make it upstairs, he's waiting outside of the elevator. "How aren't you out of breath?" I ask when I see him leaning against the wall casually.
"I do it everyday," he answers as if walking up five flights of steps is the norm. Well, we've just determined that it is for him.
"There's a perfectly good elevator right there," I tell him as I point to the metal contraption I just got off of.
"That elevator is not perfect," he informs me with a scoff. "It breaks down every other week."
We make small talk for the next twenty minutes until Zack and Maya arrive. "You guys didn't kill each other," Maya acknowledges when she sees me stretched out on the couch and Asa relaxing on the recliner.
"Move over," Maya insists as she grabs my legs and swings them forward. I shift into a sitting position as she and Zack join me on the couch. We sit in silence for a minute or two before she decides to make a suggestion. "Let's play a game."
"What game?" Zack asks as he turns his gaze on her.
"An icebreaker..." she trails in thought and we all eye each other in slight hesitation. "Never Have I Ever?"
"When I hear icebreaker, I think of the name game..." Asa mumbles as he blinks slowly at Maya.
"That would definitely help you, right, Asiago?" I comment and he gives me a fleeting glance before shifting in his seat so that he's facing us.
"Everyone, five fingers up," she instructs. We all abide, even Asa, who seems most reluctant. "You start, Asa, since you're so excited."
He takes a few seconds to think before turning to me and opening his mouth."Never have I ever kissed a boy," he starts and I immediately feel attacked.
My thumb goes down while everyone else remains at five fingers. "You did that on purpose!" I snap and a smirk falls onto his lips.
"Did I, Ivana?" he asks.
I huff quietly as I try to think of something that'll get just him out. "Never have I ever.." I purse my lips, "opted to take five flights of stairs over an elevator."
"And I'd do it a thousand more times," he replies as his finger drops.
"Can we not choose oddly specific things? The point of the game is to get everyone else out," Maya pipes with a smirk. I notice Zack chuckling with his one hand still intact.
We continue to play and we all get down to two or three fingers. I stare at my ring and pinky fingers waiting for Zack to take his turn. "Never have I ever kissed three or more people in one day," he proposes and Maya groans loudly, dropping down to one finger.
"Seriously?" she complains as she glares at Zack. I hesitantly drop one of my fingers and everyone looks at me in slight surprise.
I turn my attention to Asa, whose turn it is, but Maya stops me. "You're not just going to pretend you didn't just confess to that," she pipes.
I nod to her hands. "You did, too," I remind her as my cheeks start to blush.
"Yeah, that's an everyday thing for me, though," she replies.
"It's not an interesting story. One of them was just a guy I was flirting with at the party and the other two were during a game of Truth or Dare," I explain as my neck starts to burn. I can feel the blush rising as Maya looks at me in slight awe. I continue to explain myself in an anxious ramble. "It was high school. Besides, I barely count the dares. I can never say no to them."
"Really?" Maya asks as she tilts her head curiously. "Who else do we know that's like that?"
She rolls her head until she's facing Asa, who's sitting in a relaxed position with two fingers up. "Who do you think would win in a dare competition?" Zack asks as he looks between Asa and I.
"Maybe Ivy," Maya proposes.
Asa scoffs. "That would never happen," he remarks with a shake of his head.
"Oh really? You don't think I'm competition enough?" I ask him.
"Nope," he answers strongly.
"You guys should go up against each other. Zack and I can dare you to do things," Maya suggests with a smirk and Asa shoots her a glare.
"No," he responds in short.
"Why not?" she presses.
"Because you'll ask me to do weird stuff," he says.
"Isn't that the point of the game?" Zack replies.
"No. A normal dare would be something like 'run outside naked,'" he explains and I widen my eyes a bit. He'd do that? He definitely has me beat, then. "She'd have me do something weird like lick the bottom of the microwave or drink a glass of canola oil."
"Well I guess we'll never know who the truest dare doer is," Maya trails sadly.
"As long as you're playing we won't," he replies conclusively.
She perks up immediately as if hit with an epiphany. "What if I dare you to play against-?" she starts and he sighs noisily while pulling himself off the recliner.
"And on that note, I'm going to bed," he says as he heads in the direction of his room. Maya offers me a short grin.
"Some other time," she assures me with an anticipatory grin on her face. I slowly nod in response, not quite sure if I want to take part in that.