“Just the night. I’ve got a meeting with someone at the campus newspaper tomorrow afternoon,” Margot says, pouring us each a healthy glass of red.
“Yeah, I need to get back home tomorrow night.”
I’m sad the visit is so short but I can’t wait to stay up all night talking with my friends, just like old times. I can’t believe it’s been so long since we’ve been together like this. Absolutely unacceptable.
“I’m so happy you’re here! Should we go out or something? You came all this way…”
The thought of going out tonight makes my eyelids hurt but for them, I’d do anything. Although, I would be shocked if they wanted to go to a party or bar. I was always the one dragging us to unsanctioned school events on the weekends.
“Dani, we’re here to spend time with you, not go to the frat house,” Sweet Sydney says and I grip her hand.
“Hey, there’s nothing wrong with the frat house,” Margot pouts. She’s only saying that because her boyfriend used to be president of the KA house and even though she hated it at first, she grew to appreciate the brotherhood and familial ties that come with being a member of a fraternity.
But there’s still no way she’d want to go there.
“We’re not going anywhere, Danimal. Let’s drink up and you can tell us all about med school.”
For two hours, I yap and yap about my classes, my study groups, my exams. I even tell them more details about Nico. I conveniently leave out the part about Arden and I turning our fake relationship into a quasi real one. But I did promise him that I would tell Margot so I guess now’s as good a time as any.
Especially since Arden left the apartment about an hour ago, using “meeting a friend for a drink” as an excuse. I’m sure he just wanted to give us some privacy for girl chat, especially since he knows that chat is more than likely about him.
“This place is really nice, Dani. You guys have made a great home here,” Sydney says, curling up in the blanket. We had blown up the air mattress I kept in my closet and pushed it up to the couch to create a mega bed for the girls to sleep in tonight. I wish I could join them in the slumber party, but we don’t all fit and I’ve got a perfectly good bed just steps away.Or an even better one with better company even closer.
I can’t believe my devil brain is even thinking about having sex with Arden while I’m sitting right next to his sister. I really need to come clean so my conscience can relax.
“Yeah, it’s been so great living here. I can’t say I thought it would be a winning idea when he pitched it to me but he really saved my life with that spare bedroom.”
“And you guys have been…getting along?” Sydney is the one asking me these questions and I wonder if it’s because Margot is afraid too. Although, I’ve never known her to be afraid to speak her mind about anything.
“We have been.” I don’t really want to elaborate but when Margot looks at me I know I owe her the truth. “We actually have been…seeing each other.”
“Seeing?”
I sigh. “Fucking.”
Margot covers her ears with her hands and starts a chorus of lalala’s. Sydney’s mouth is agape, and they’re creating a wonderful tableau. I take a mental image of the insanity before I pull Margot’s arms down.
“I’m sorry, that was crass.”
“Well, you are a crassy bitch,” Margot admits, and I shrug in agreement. She’s not wrong. “So, you decided to go through with it, then?”
“It was less of a decision and more of an impulse but yeah, we’ve been…dancingfor a couple weeks now.”
“Dancing?”
“I’m trying to be less colorful. Unless you’d prefer I–”
“No no,” Margot shakes her head. “Please, dancing is fine.”
It’s taken this long for Sydney’s jaw to close again. “Wait,” she whispers. “What!” she yells and I realize that with everything going on with her at home, I’ve barely had time to tell her any of these details, including the fact that Arden and I have been fake dating all semester long.
After an apology for lack of information, I spill out everything. She squeals in shock a few times and claps happily at other times. But she mostly gaps the entire conversation.Damn, I missed these guys.
After another hour or so of chatting about their lives, Margot updating us about Alex and her new job and Sydney giving some vague details about her family—that I decide not to press her on at the moment but will later on—we settle deeper on the couch and I finally press play on the movie I paused when they burst into the apartment earlier.
I can’t believe I’m still awake. I was bone tired hours ago but now, for some reason, I’m as alive as can be. I glance over to the girls to make a joke about the movie but find them both asleep, Sydney snoring lightly.
I lower the volume on the TV but don’t turn it off, knowing the silence might wake them. Grabbing our glasses and empty pizza plates, I put them in the sink to wash in the morning. As I walk out of the kitchen toward my bedroom, the front door opens and Arden walks in quietly.