I can't breathe. My stomach hurts so much. Tears start to leak from my eyes. I can't believe she said that to me.
Sorry, let me rewind.
A couple of minutes earlier.
"Hey, Teags what's your plan for today?" L sits on the edge of my bed. Twidling her thumbs to busy her hands.
"Nothing much, but today is my laundry day so I'm gonna get started on that." I'm at my desk writing an essay for psychology on my laptop.
"Well, you wanna come with me? Tate is in class right now."
"Come with you where?" I close my laptop deciding that I've written enough and can save the rest for later.
"To the gym." L gets off my bed and stands there patiently.
"Wait what?" I ask to make sure I heard her correctly.
"Do you wanna come with me to the gym?" L says slowly to make sure I heard her right this time. I start doubling over in laughter. Hah! She really asked me that!
Now back to the present
I'm still dying of laughter when someone knocks on the door in the common area. L leaves the room and opens the door for Jen. She walks in settling a paper bag and a tray of coffee on the counter.
"I brought bagels and coffee!" Jen walks to my room. "What's so funny? Why is she on the floor?" Jen and L both stand in the doorway.
"I don't know all I did was ask her if she wanted to go to the gym." She says that word again and I start laughing even harder than before. L looks at Jen confused. Jen shrugs and L walks away.
"Are you done?" L reappears at the doorway with a coffee and bagel once I've managed to get up onto my knees and catch a breath.
"Whew, that made my day!" I say wiping the tears that leaked out.
"What was so funny?" Jen asks me still confused.
"The fact that L asked me to go to the gym." I stand up onto my feet and walk out of my room to grab a bagel. L and Jen trail behind me still quiet and confused as to why it was funny. "I don't go to the gym. I thought you knew this L?" I explain to them pulling a plain bagel from the bag. My form of exercising is walking to class instead of driving.
"Huh, that's why I always go to the gym with Tate. She always said to not bother to ask you now I know why" L takes a sip of her coffee.
"So wanna go shopping?" Jen asks. As much I'd love too I can't, I'm broke. I really need a job. Ah to hell with it I'll "look around".
"Yeah sure, why not." I dip my hand back into the bag to find cream cheese.
"Yeah okay." L answers.
We take Jen's car to the mall. Jen and L lead the way around since I'm not gonna be buying anything. Jen and L have been jumping from store to store and only bought three things in total. While they shop I look around for a total of minutes so I'm not tempted to buy something. Looking outside the tall glass windows I see teenagers maybe even younger. They are walking around with more bags than I usually have leaving the mall. To be young again and have mom and dad pay for my stuff.
We walk to the next store. Oh no. We walk into H&M my ultimate weakness. I'm gonna be walking out of here with bags in my hand. It's like Target for me, you say you're gonna only buy this then you end up buying this and that, then that. You get what I mean. You get sucked into the shopping blackhole, forgetting what you actually needed.
Yep, I walked out of the store with three bags of pants, skirts, and a couple of tops. Now I'm actually broke. After going to one more store we call it quits and drive back to the dorms. Jen lives a floor below us. But she always hangs out with us because her roommate and her don't get along. But that's from Jen, I don't know what it's like for her roommate.
It's almost six when we get back. Since we already spent some money today we go to the dining hall for dinner. After living off of dining hall food almost everyday freshman year I try to only go here when I have to. I use the tongs placed next to the container holding the food to pick up a piece of garlic bread. The light used to display the food warming up my hand. I walk beside Jen going to the table L chose to sit at. One thing about this dining hall is that it looks identical to the Hogwarts dining hall. All I need is Harry, Ron, and Hermione and you wouldn't be able to tell that I'm not at Hogwarts. I pull the seat out and settle myself in it sitting next to Jen and across from L. I place my plate down and take the garlic bread to eat first.
"Where's Tate?" Jen asks her eyes following her fork twirling around in her pasta.
"She has classes till 9 today." L answered spooning some soup into her mouth. L's eyes shift towards the entrance and she rolls her eyes before she throws her head back. Her auburn locks bouncing behind her, she audibly groans. My gaze shifts from L's annoyed face to the Hogwarts looking doors. My eyes catch Liam's head of red hair, his back is facing me.
"What did Liam piss you off or something?" I ask taking another bite of my garlic bread. Liam and L are really close and it makes sense their parents are remarkably busy working lawyers. So they only truly had each other during their childhood. I've never really seen her pissed at Liam. Well other than the time that Liam came over drunk as a skunk. She thought he drunk drove over to our dorm, but he didn't.
"He's trying to make sure I don't come back pregnant this weekend." I try to hold back a laugh to save L from the embarrassment.
"But he's right we wouldn't want that," Jen says smiling leading her fork full of pasta into her mouth. This time I let out the laugh that I was holding in.
"What's funny?" Liam implored pulling the seat out next to me. The material of his navy blue Yale hockey jacket crinkling as he places his plate down.
"Nothing," L mumbled still annoyed by his presence. She looks away and places another spoonful of soup into her mouth.
"What? You still mad at me because I gave you some condoms?" Liam shakes his head and takes a fry and points it at her. "I'm just looking out for you, I'm too young to be an uncle."
I nudge Liam's shoulder. "Leave her alone. You are without a doubt worse than her." Everyone knows that he is one of the biggest man-whores on campus. Okay, this is weird. I'm pretty sure neither of them wants to hear about each other's sex lives. "You should be the one worried about becoming a parent. But L I do hope you took those condoms." L looks at me with her face scrunched up. "I'm joking, well partly." L laughs taking a piece of her cracker and throws it at me.
"Okay enough let's talk about something else." Jen insisted.
They start to talk about their classes but I zone out while eating my food. I think about Raya and how she's doing. That girl overloaded her summer with classes. She can basically graduate after this year. She started college off as a sophomore but a freshman. Because of all the college credit she earned during high school. Boston College has been her dream school since forever. I won't understand her thought process if she does choose to graduate college early. She finally transferred and she'll only be there for a year. I wanted to take my time in college to get a full four-year experience.
I snap out of the zone when I hear the screech of the chair next to L. Carter sits down in the seat across from Liam. His hockey jacket making the same crinkling noise that Liam's did. I guess he came with Liam and I just didn't see him at the entrance. He quickly greets all of us his glance on me lingering a little longer than expected. He promptly eats his food and listening in on the conversation.
"So when's the next game?" I hear L ask Carter and Liam when I fully snap out of the zone.
"Next Thursday," Carter replies simply looking down at his plate his forearms resting on the table. Now looking at his plate and Liam's plate compared to mine they eat so much. Their food is stacked on top with more food you would think they are eating for two or even three. Carter moves his eyes from his plate to me, his gray-blue eyes peeking at me through his dark lashes. "Are you coming to the game?" He inquires. L always attends Liam's games so he is already expecting L to be there. Jen abruptly stands up with her plate walking away.
"I don't know. It's not like I understand what's going on." I shrug, he laughs and leans back into his seat before turning to L.
"I expected better from you Lena." I'm confused. Carter chuckles at L.
"I don't know what to tell you. I tried teaching her." L lifts her hands' palms up as to say she doesn't know. I didn't know they were close. Jen comes back with her plate full again. Carter is about to say something else but Jen beats him to it.
"So are you going to that Halloween party that Delta Kappa is hosting on Saturday?" Jen questioned to nobody in particular. Her question reminding me of when Carter asked me the same question at the coffee shop.
"I said I would go with Tate," I mumble contemplating my choices. Maybe I should stay home I mean who is ever in the mood to be in a stinky, sweaty, and crowded frat house. Jen looks satisfied with my answer.
"I'm not going." L simply answered but her eyes shone with excitement. I wonder when the last time she saw Phillip was. Carter and Liam don't bother answering the question because we already know their answers to the question.
We continue talking about random things catching Carter giving me a few glances once in a while. I slip into my thoughts noticing that this is the first time Carter has sat with us. It's not a big deal because this isn't middle school, but he hangs out with L and Liam but never sat with us before. It's nothing and it doesn't matter but overthinking is my number one talent. Once we finish our food Carter and Liam get up to go talk to a few of their teammates in the dining hall. We get up to put our plates away. I walk beside L the wind breezing my hair around. The minute hit the sidewalks L nudges my shoulder.
"I could cut that tension with a knife if I physically could." I roll my eyes because she's reading into this too much. "But you know Tate was right the height difference is adorable."
"What are you guys talking about?" Jen interrogates.
"Teagan and Carter."
"Oh, I didn't feel any tension." Jen spitefully said. I don't know what the tone was about but she is right, there was no tension. Jen drives us back to the dorms. Thinking back on the dining hall Jen was quieter than usual. I don't know if she has a history with Carter. But she didn't like L's idea of me and Carter.
I decided to double update this week :)
Should I do author notes at the end of every chapter? I don't even know what I would say. But I hope you are enjoying the story so far.
Please don't forget to comment and vote!