Page 279 of His Virgin Romance Series
GABBY
“So… how are things going?” Leah asked.
In answer, I let out a long and noisy sigh of frustration.
“Wow… that great, huh?”
I missed Leah a lot. She and I had been best friends since primary school, but college had taken us in different directions. Now she was studying IT in Washington State, and I didn’t get to see her as often as I would have liked.
“I told you I was kicked out of my dorm, didn’t I?”
“I got that message,” Leah replied. “Didn’t you explain that you had nothing to do with the party or the pot?”
“I tried,” I said. “But apparently Sandra went in there and swore up and down that I knew everything and that I was involved in every party. I was just trying to palm off the blame by saying I didn’t know about it.”
“What a bitch!” Leah said, in obvious outrage.
“I know… I can’t believe she did that. I honestly didn’t think she would stoop that low,” I said.
“But she got kicked out of the dorms too, right?” Leah asked.
“She did,” I said. “But that’s small consolation. She’ll find another place to stay easily enough. She has a dozen different boyfriends to choose from. I, on the other hand, have limited options.”
Leah laughed. “What about your mom’s place?”
“She has a new boyfriend,” I said. “His name is Cliff… and he seems all right for now, but I just feel uncomfortable staying there for too long.”
“Wait… so you’re not staying at your mom’s currently?”
“No, I’m at Seth’s for the moment,” I admitted.
“Isn’t his place tiny?”
“It is,” I sighed. “And he moved in with Cory a few months ago too.”
“Ah,” Leah said. “Is she okay with you staying there?”
“I’m not sure,” I admitted. “She was very sweet and gracious when I first arrived, but that may have been for Seth’s benefit. She can be a little passive aggressive so staying there long term is not an option either. I’m going to have to find a decent job soon so that I can afford rent for an apartment of my own.”
“You’ll need a roommate,” Gabby pointed out.
“I know,” I replied. “I wouldn’t be able to afford an apartment without one. I spent the whole morning surfing the net trying to find decent options that aren’t too far from campus.”
“No luck?”
“Not so far,” I said, in frustration.
“Are you looking for a job?”
“Started the search for that too,” I said.
I had worked all through my first three years at Columbia, and I had actually managed to save a little, and because of that, I had decided to focus exclusively on my music for my final year so that I could take part in a few more concerts and really immerse myself in the music world. It had been a luxury even then, but it had been something of a gift to myself. Now it was downright unrealistic.
“What about trying to get one of your old jobs back?” Leah suggested. “You had a good relationship with your last boss, didn’t you?”
“Tony,” I said. “He ran a pizza parlor just outside campus. I went in yesterday after my lectures, but he’s not hiring anymore. He told me he’d keep me in mind if anything opened up, but I’m not optimistic. I’ve applied for a couple more jobs in and around the campus… so hopefully I’ll get one by the end of the week.”
“Of course you will,” Leah said. “With that face of yours, you’re bound to get a job.”
