I look at him skeptically, but if he’s going to do it, then he needs to hurry up. “So do it. Why are you waiting for my permission?”
“Because you’ll be stuck here until further notice with his pissy mood once he’s coherent enough to realize it’s there. They just shut down campus. Coop just got back a few minutes ago from picking up Sara and Ellie, so they can crash here too. We’re officially snowed in, but at least we can have some fun.”
“I had nothing to do with this if he asks,” I say, and he frowns.
“Where’s the fun in that?”
“I’d like to think I can plan a prank more mature than,Har har, let’s draw a penis on his face.What are we? Seven?” I ask,chuckling under my breath. I cast another look at Jack, feeling a little bad for him since he’s sleeping peacefully, but it sounds like he’s had it coming.
“Actually, I’m a five-year-old at heart. But if you want to step out for a moment to leave me alone at the scene of the crime, it’d give you plausible deniability.”
“Good luck,” I say, patting his shoulder to refill Jack’s water. When I come back a few minutes later, Dylan’s laughing so hard he can barely breathe, clutching his side.
I shake my head, shoving him out of the bathroom to check on Jack, who is still passed out, except now there’s a graphic drawing on his forehead. I nudge his shoulder, trying to be gentle. “Jack, c’mon, you gotta get up. The water is starting to get cold, and you’ll end up worse if you stay in here longer.”
His eyes blink open lazily at me. “Did I fall asleep?”
I can’t help smiling at him. “Yeah. You did.”
“Thanks for not letting me drown,” he murmurs, still sounding congested, but hopefully he starts feeling better soon.
“You won’t be thanking me later.”
“Huh?” Jack asks, and I shake my head.
“Never mind. Here’s a towel,” I say, grabbing a clean one from under the sink for him. Pretty sure Jack might be the only college guy I know who has cleanandfolded towels. “And a tissue, you might want to blow your nose.”
I give Jack some privacy to get out because I honestly don’t think I’m capable of watching him without staring to the point of crossing a boundary. I like Jack much better with clothes on. Just kidding, but it’s certainly a lot easier to pretend we’re friends when I’m not distracted by his lack of clothes.
I sit on his bed, checking my phone to fire off a quick text to Macy, asking if she’s okay. She was hanging out with a friend from one of her classes when we spoke earlier, but she’llprobably have to crash there tonight if she hasn’t made it home by now.
It’s hard to not feel disappointed when the only notifications on my lock screen are from Ellie asking if I got stuck on my way back from class. Jack walks out in only a towel a moment later, and it takes a lot of effort to not laugh at Dylan’s handiwork. “I didn’t have any clean clothes in there,” he explains.
“No worries. How are you feeling?” I ask, trying to appear casual while he grabs some clothes out of his drawers I shut a little bit ago.
“Better, I think? I can kinda breathe now, which is better than earlier, but I’m still freezing,” he says, tugging on his clothes.
“You sound a little better. I told you it would help. Have you eaten?”
“No, but I’m not hungry, though. I think I just want to sleep.”
I nod because I expected he’d want to go back to sleep. I just wanted to check. I’m acting like a hovering girlfriend except I’mnothis girlfriend. My phone vibrates in my hand, and I have mixed feelings when I see my dad’s name. I wanted him to call me, but not as an afterthought.
I don’t know how to make our relationship better, especially when I’m never his first priority. Still, I answer it reluctantly because ignoring it will only make me feel worse. He hardly ever calls without a reason. “Hello?” I answer, holding the phone up to my ear as Jack climbs into the bed next to me.
“Do you still have power?” he asks, cutting straight to the point.
“I think so, but I’m not home. I’m at a friend’s,” I lie, because it’s not like I can say where I really am.
“If you want to come stay at the house tonight, I can come get all of you. It’s been a while since we’ve seen you, and it’d make your mother feel better if you were home in this storm,”Dad says, and I suppose I should be glad he hasn’t seen me at the stadium, but I’d rather stay here.
“Dad, I’m okay, but thanks. We’ll do dinner soon, or something?”
There’s an awkward silence, and I can feel Jack staring at me. “How are your classes going?” Dad asks, continuing the conversation.
I reach for the end of my braid, twisting it between my fingers. “They’re good. All A’s.”
“Good.” This conversation feels like pulling on teeth.
