“It's not that I don't like it here, just the classes. And I miss home. I don't miss my parents, though. Is that strange?”
It should be strange to wanna go home, but not for your parents. It was almost like the naked thing. I felt anxious to go home, but I didn’t know why. I couldn't care less if my parents were there. I don't know if that's because I've wanted to go home for so long and they keep denying me, or that I really missed Port Willow, Washington.
“I guess you left friends behind and you miss them. That’s understandable. Or a boyfriend?”
He asked me if I had a boyfriend back home. My heart started to beat faster at the question. Wasn’t that one of the questions you asked to see if someone was single? Or have I watched too many teen romance movies? I couldn't tell this gorgeous guy I had no real friends or ex-boyfriend left back home without sounding like a complete loser. I couldn’t remember many friends… Destiny Stephens and her sister Ada. I did remember them. But not much, only as I was leaving high school. I remembered Destiny was off to college and Ada was sad I wouldn’t be around. I do remember feeling excited to come here, to be going to college. But I have no idea why now. It had been nothing but painful.
“No boyfriend,”I replied.
I didn’t look at him but at my hands now in my lap. I was nervous around him. I didn’t want to say something that would be embarrassing. He was the first guy I had a small crush on since being here. Maybe the only thing that would make being here worth it.
“That’s good to know.”
I swear he made a purring sound. But then it stopped just as it had started.
“I have to go, but tomorrow? Same time and place?”
My heart skipped a beat. He wanted to come sit with me again tomorrow. I wanted to squeal and jump up and down like a giddy schoolgirl. But I held it in, like a normal nineteen-year-old.
“I’ll be here around twelve, I’ll see you then.” He stood and put one of his hands in his jean pocket. I waved. He chuckled and winked.
“See you tomorrow, Clare.”
He walked away, and I watched. A girl wearing a low-cut top, her breasts half spilling out, bounced over to him and stopped him. She had long blonde hair that she flicked over her shoulder as she touched his arm.
I leaned forward, seeing what would happen. I felt this anger inside me at the girl. She was beautiful and I would understand Frankie being interested in someone like her. It was just hard to watch.
He moved a step back and turned to me and smiled. I sat up straighter like I’d been watching something I shouldn’t have. He waved at me, and I waved slowly in return. What was he doing? I looked on as she bounced away and he continued walking away. I tried not to follow him, I did. But just before he walked around the building, he looked back at me, and I couldn’t hold the giddy laugh in.
I didn’t know what he said to that blonde, but she was watching me now, and it made my chest feel tight. I was worried she would come speak to me and I wasn't good with confrontation.
I quickly packed up my things and left for class early.
Chapter8
Clare
"Girl, I'm coming to lunch today. I wanna meet this Frankie who has transformed you from the stay-inside-and-binge-Netflix girl in her oversized sleepwear, to the one with the permanent smile on her face and hearts in her eyes who can't wait to get outside every day to see him."
I threw my pillow at Vicki to get her to stop. She made me sound like a lovesick puppy. I didn't look like that… did I?
"Oh, I can see your face. You are so in love with this guy, and you won't even introduce him to your best friend and roommate."
My eyes pricked and I smiled over at Vicki. She thought of us as best friends? My chest swelled at that admission. I didn't think she would want to be best friends with me. I never did anything of what she called fun and she’d called me a party pooper more than once. But she had just said that. She’d called me her best friend and that meant a lot more than she would ever know. She threw my pillow back at me. I caught it and she winked.
"He can't make lunch today, but he said he’s coming to the party tonight." The one she’d asked me to go to last week and I’d agreed to thinking I might find him there. But turns out he found me first.
Frankie had come and met me for lunch every day this week. On Wednesday, I’d had some bad marks in class. I knew I wouldn't pass; I was flunking college. I was upset and he could sense my mood. I’d tried to keep a smile on my face, but I knew my parents would find out about my grades soon enough and I didn't want to deal with that.
I found myself opening up to him. I had told him about how much pressure my parents had put me under to succeed, how I struggled with the course work, and he had hugged me… He then kept his arm around my shoulder and let me rest my head there as he talked about a future with him in it. It was the best feeling in the world. I didn't want it to end.
I must have told him I loved to eat chocolate when I was feeling down because Thursday, when he met me again, he had a whole bag of mixed chocolate goodies for me. I’d gained the courage to ask him to come with me to the party tonight. I'd been wanting to ask him all week, but I was nervous. He’d just smiled, the one that had my stomach dip every time he did it, and said, "I would love to go with you." Which made my heart skip a beat then freak out that he had actually said yes.
Vicki didn't come back to the room until late last night, so I hadn't been able to tell her what happened. She had been so supportive all week, listening to everything I had to say about all the things he did, like when he touched my shoulder or he sat so close our legs touched. I wanted to make sure he wasn't just being friendly, that maybe he wanted more, and she had enough experience to tell me. He wanted more.
"You tell him to come here and pick you up. Like a real gentleman. He can escort us to the party."
I laughed. "Okay."
