My phone buzzes on the covers. I glance at the screen and sit up against the headboard.
Liv
You up?
ME
Same as always.
Liv
Wanna come over?
ME
It’s late though. Isn’t Nick gonna get mad?
Liv
He’s not home, and even if he were, he wouldn’t mind.
ME
Give me half an hour.
After I graduated from high school, Bellami agreed to let me study at NYU. He didn’t like the idea at first, saying it wasn’t good enough for me and that I should aim higher. I didn’t care much about education.
I promised Olivia we’d go to college together, so I packed my things and moved to New York.
Sure, Bellami and I got into a huge fight that ended with him threatening to follow me, and guess what? He fucking did. He’s like a dog with a bone. Once he’s got it, he doesn’t let go.
I wasn’t sure if she had ended up here. We hadn’t spoken in almost four years when I found her on campus. Man, I was on the moon! How could I not be when I finally found my best friend after years apart? She recognized me instantly. I thought it would take more than a glance, but to her, I still had–and I quote–‘the same shit face’.
Now, we have classes together, and we hang out whenever we can. She lives with her roommate, a guy I’ve spoken to a couple of times. At first, I thought she was hooking up with him, but when I saw how she looked at women, I realized I was dead wrong.
Liv is a raging lesbian. It wasn’t really shocking, to be honest. She never cared about guys in high school, after all. And when I say that she looks at women like they’re goddesses blessing the ground we walk on, I mean it.
She has this burning hatred for the male species, and not only is it hilarious, but also 100% justified. I think it all started with her deadbeat father, and then the endless parade of shitty men she’s met simply reinforced her initial disgust and disdain.
I get off the bed and stride toward the bathroom. My reflection in the mirror makes me frown. I look exhausted, with dark circles under my eyes tainting my handsome face.
What? I’m hot, and that’s a fact. I don’t see why I should humble myself and pretend I’m not dashing.
My eyes flicker to the light blue glass flacon resting on the cabinet shelf. It’s one of the many bottles of Aoi’s perfume I storenearby. I wouldn’t even say that it’s merely because of the scent, but more about seeing something that belonged to him every day.
I seem to always search for pieces of him in the world.
***
“You know I’m against drugs and shit, but maybe you should try sleeping pills.”
I glare at her. “I already told you, no.”
“You’re a fucking zombie, Visha,” she counters. “If you don’t at least get eight hours of sleep, you’re gonna drop dead eventually.”
“I’ll survive this,” I chuckle. “I’ve been dealing with this shit for years. Besides, I have already tried sleeping pills. They don’t do crap for me.”
She grabs a pillow and throws it at me. “Spend the night here. At least you won’t be alone. It seems to help sometimes.”
