“Well, we were actually having a great time together before you showed up.” I cross my arms. “But I don’t think that’s any of your business.”
“Alright, alright.” He laughs. “Tucker is not my business unless you live under my roof, and then there’d be some rules.”
“I appreciate the offer, Jay, but I’m not moving in with you,” I continue. “I can’t. I can’t leave her here alone. I’d never forgive myself if I left, and then she…”
“But you shouldn’t have to worry about her, Avalon. That’s my point. She should be taking care of you, not the other way around.”
“I’m fine, really, Jay. I’ve got a handle on things.”
“If you need anything, anything at all, you know you can call me, right? It doesn’t matter what happened or what time it is; I will be there.”
“I know.” I smile. “Thank you.”
“Do you need money?” he wonders. “For school or groceries or anything?”
“No.” I shake my head. “School is all paid for, and I have a ton of savings from high school. I’m good. I promise.”
“Okay. I’ll bring your mom to bed and sleep on the couch tonight. Just so if she gets up in the middle of the night for any reason, you don’t have to deal with it.”
“Thanks.” I stand up. “I don’t know what we’d do without you, Jay. You’re a good guy.”
He doesn’t say anything; he just smiles as he picks her up and brings her to bed.
I go to my room, but I don’t go to sleep. I do the one thing no child should ever have to do for their parent—
I look at rehab clinics.
You’d think everyone on campus just won the lottery with the amount of excitement over the first hockey game of theseason.
Personally, I don’t get it, not just with hockey but with any sport. And don’t even get me started on how small the puck is. How does anyone in the crowd even see it?
But I guess it’s a big deal here because it’s all I’ve heard about all day. And the library’s pretty much deserted now because everyone is at the game. I guess that’s one perk of sports, a quiet section of the library all to myself.
“Should we have gone to the game?” I hear the voice before the three girls walk past me.
“I don’t need to go to the game to get into Declan Sanderson’s bed. We went to the banquet together last year; it’s pretty much a sealed deal.” They sit in the corner with the couches.
“I don’t know, he’s seemed awfully chummy with scar-face,” one of the other girls replies.
Scarface?What kind of fucked up nickname is that?
“He’s just being nice. Trust me. I think he’s just hesitating because Brinley’s in our Sorority. I think he wants to avoid making things awkward.”
I laugh. Their eyes dart toward me, but I play it off as if something on my computer is funny. I don’t know the whole story between her and this Declan dude, but it doesn’t seem like he’s interested. From what I've heard, it just seems like he’s trying to be nice.
The second they get back on the topic of another girl he may actually be interested in, which, according to them, is not possible at all, I decide I’ve heard enough.
I pack up my things and head to the coffee shop inside the library.
“Hi,” I begin once I get to the front of the line. “Could I do a large, iced vanilla coffee, please?”
“Can I get you anything else?”
“That’ll be all.” I reach inside my bag for my wallet and nearly have a heart attack when I don’t see my card, but then I find it in the bottom of my bag. I must’ve forgotten to put it away the last time I used it.
“Your total is $6.87.” I hand the barista my card while the barista behind her makes my coffee. I rarely treat myself to a coffee on campus because the cost is outrageous. But I’ve been on campus for over fifteen hours. I deserve it. “I’m sorry, your card was declined.”
“What?” I wonder. “Can you try it again?”