“Want to sleep?” I ask, resting my elbows on my knees.
“Not really…”
“Want to watch a movie?”
“Okay.”
“Don’t make that face!”
“Sorry, it’s just your second personality always takes me by surprise.”
“Right back at you.” I reach for the remote. “Got anything in mind?”
“You choose.”
She shifts in her seat, curling up into the corner of the couch, wedging a cushion behind her lower back, placing another over her stomach, getting comfy while I work my way through the movies.
“I wouldn’t mind seeingLord of the Ringsagain,” I suggest, twirling the remote around in my fingers.
“Okay.”
I flick off the lights and hit play onThe Fellowship of the Ring. Lois is asleep before we even get to the midpoint, so the next evening, we put it on again, and again the next few nights. She never makes it all the way through—it takes us a full week to finish the trilogy. The same happens withThe Hobbittrilogy, and that’s how a whole other two weeks end up flying by without my even realizing. I never gave her a hard deadline, but Lois should’ve left my apartment a long time ago now. I should issue her a firm reminder, but I don’t mention it, and neither does she. Every time Carter sees her at my place, I know what he’s thinking—but he’s smart enough to keep it to himself. The weeks go by, September comes and goes, and nothing changes. Nothing except one small detail, maybe. She still fires up whenever I tease her, and I love nothing more than seeing her riled, but there’s this weird kind of intimate bond taking root between us. She’s my first-ever female friend—and as it turns out, it’s actually kind of nice.
I’ve grown scarily used to seeing her study, sleep, bitch, whine, and eat on my couch, and if I’m being honest, I’m not at all in a rush to see her go anymore.
12LOIS
I should be over the moon. The clinical practice sessions are finally starting up, which is when sports therapy students get their hands dirty and start learning on actual, real live humans. Today’s lesson is all about pool-based conditioning and stretching, and everyone in my class is desperate to get started. A chance to finally roll up our sleeves and dive right in. The Cardinals are our guinea pigs, and I have to admit—there’s nothing quite like a basketball player’s thigh to practice on.
I watch the guys burst into the sports complex, Kirk leading the charge, pushing open the double doors. I lower my gaze, without really knowing why. Yeah, I should be over the moon. But deep down, I’m terrified.
I look up, and I instantly wish I hadn’t. Donovan and Lewis are bringing up the rear.
The professor claps his hands. “I know practicals can be very exciting, but let me remind you that this grade weighs heavily on your final result.” He flips open his notebook. “Can the pool group please take up your positions. The rest of you, come over and join me.”
I head over to Professor Moretti, silently thanking him for sparing me an hour parading around in my swimsuit. I probably won’t be so lucky next week, though.
The coach arrives, and the players fall quiet. Even if I didn’t already know, I’d have guessed this was Donovan’s dad. They’re carbon copies of each other—the same chestnut hair and brown eyes, the same mannerisms.
“Okay, guys. I want half of you in the pool and the other half on dry land. When I blow the whistle, switch.”
“Yes, Coach!”
I don’t need to scan the crowd for Kirk. I instinctively know where he is. Our eyes meet for a split second, and I freeze. Great. The one time he actually looks at me, and I just stand there looking like a dying fish.
He heads toward the diving board and jumps in, swimming over to a corner, a brunette hot on his trail. I sigh. I know every inch of that body by heart. I miss it all so bad. Over our four years together, I saw him grow up and fill out—I watched him turn into a total knockout. I blink away the rising tears, and turn my attention back to the professor.
“Today, we’ll be focusing on the thigh muscles: the adductors, tensor muscles, and quadriceps.”
“What about the glutes?” a girl whispers somewhere behind me.
“Don’t forget: Grading starts immediately.”
I rub my palms together, massaging the pads of my hands as I wait for him to pair us up.Please, God, anyone but Lewis or Don!I’d even be willing to take on that super hairy guy over there. Anyone but them.
“I’m feeling generous this morning,” he says as he grabs up his pen. “I’ll let you choose your own patient.”
I jerk my head up, suddenly comforted as I watch some of the girls fighting over the two Campus Drivers.
