“What did you study?”
The buzzer goes off on the table, indicating our pizza is ready at the pick-up window. “English,” he says, before getting up to retrieve our pizza.
Things go quiet for a bit as I dig into my slice and Niall into his, leaving Michael’s slice sitting between us. This may be, with no exaggeration, one of the best bites of pizza I’ve ever had in my life.
“Holy. Shit,” I say, pushing my plate towards Niall. “You have to try this.”
Niall chuckles. “Danny, I’ve had the whole menu. That’s how I knew to bring you here.”
“I might be in trouble. I think this is closeish to my apartment.” I pull my phone out and plug the apartment address into Google Maps. “Yep. It’s a three-minute walk from here.”
“That sounds like a win to me,” Niall says, popping the last of his pizza in his mouth.
We both stare at the piece sitting in the middle of the table, the pineapple looking especially juicy. I now know the pizza here is great, but the pineapple is just so unappetizing.
“I’ll cut it,” Niall says, grabbing the plate. “We’ll both take a bite at the same time, if it will make things easier for you.”
“I thought you said you’ve tried the whole menu,” I say, giving Niall side-eye.
Niall cuts the slice in half. “I have, but the pineapple was a while ago. And I haven’t circled back to it on the menu.”
“That’s reassuring,” I say, taking my half off the plate. We cheers our slices and, after holding in the air for a few seconds, I take a bite.
The first thing I taste is the pancetta, with a forward note of cheese. It’s pleasant. But, to my taste buds dismay, the pineapple flavor comes rushing forward. It takes all my power to not spit out the pizza, to not offend this establishment I see myself frequenting multiple times a week for the next few months.
“I can’t do it,” Niall exclaims, throwing the rest of his half down on the plate.
“Thank God.” I throw the rest of mine on top of his. Niall swiftly takes the plate, along with our other empty plates, and deposits them in the trash next to the bar. I lean back in my seat, feeling full and a bit sleepy.
“Erm…I bet you’re pretty beat from traveling, yeah?” I open my eyes to find Niall standing at the table.
“Yeah. I think it’s catching up to me. I think the full feeling is not helping.”
“Do you wanna take a nap back at my place?
I sigh. “Sounds lovely.”
Niall sticks his hand out and I grab it, with him yanking me out of my chair. “C’mon Danny.”
17
“I’m heading to class!” I call out, the condo silent in response.
Weird. Typically, I’m the first out the door. Maybe Michael went to the store early.
I head downstairs and find the coffee pot full, but cold. Huh. Weird. I look out the window, and suddenly the backyard goes from sunlit to cloaked in darkness.
Red and blue lights flicker on the walls of the living room. As I turn, someone starts pounding on the door.
When I open the door, no one is there. My eyes trail the lawn and stop when they hit the street.
Michael is sprawled out in the middle of the road. His head slowly lifts up, turning in my direction. Bloodied. He reaches his arm out to me…
I startle awake, visions of Michael fading with the early dawn sunlight.
Wait. Early dawn sunlight.
I look around for my phone, which I find plugged in on a nightstand I don’t recognize. I’m in a bed I don’t recognize and I’m also wearing a t-shirt that clearly isn’t mine.
