"I'm not trying to?—"
But he's already gone, his laughter echoing down the hall.
I grab a plain black t-shirt. Change my mind. Grab the blue one that Leo says brings out my eyes. Change my mind again.
"This is pathetic," I tell my reflection, now wearing a grey Henley that may or may not make my arms look better.
Gavin
Make that 4
Traffic's light
"Fuck!"
Leo's head appears in my doorway again. "Grey Henley. Good choice. Shows off the arms." He waggles his eyebrows and disappears before I can throw something at him.
I hear laughter from the living room. My roommates are enjoying my crisis. I yank on the first jacket I see, my beat-up leather one that's probably too much, but whatever, and check my hair. Still a mess. Always a mess.
Gavin
I'm here so get outside
Unless you need more time to pick an outfit
My face burns. How does he?—?
Me
I wasn't picking an outfit
Gavin
Sure Doc
Your roommate in the window says different
He's holding up scorecards
You got an 8.5
I'm going to murder Leo. Slowly. Painfully.
I grab my wallet and phone, storming past my cackling roommates. "I hate all of you."
"Have fun on your date!" Max calls out.
"It's not a—" But I'm already out the door, and Gavin’s leaning against his truck, grinning like he won a prize.
"8.5's not bad," he says by way of greeting. "Leo says the jacket pushed you over an 8."
"I'm going to kill him."
"Nah, he's funny." Gavin opens the passenger door for me, which… what? "You had to save me from him. I've been here for a few, but he gave me a whole rubric. Points for fit, color coordination, whether you remembered to fix your hair..."
"I always forget to fix my hair."
"I know." He says it with a smile, which does things to my chest I'm not examining. "I like it messy."
