My eyebrows rise.
They wantme?
Crossing her arms, she scuffs the driveway with her flip-flop. “We thought you’d be a good fit. But obviously no pressure. Just if you want to.”
“Uh…” My mouth opens and shuts a few times as I try to get over my surprise.
I never get invited to do this kind of thing. They want me to live with them? In a big house just off campus? That’s… that’s…
“Can I think about it?”
“Of course. Just let me know as soon as you decide. If it’s a no, I’ll need to invite someone else. We have to be able to cover the rent.”
“How much will that be?”
“I haven’t worked out the final cost yet, but probably around six-fifty per month, maybe a little more, and then we’ll just split the power and internet, all that stuff, six ways. I don’t have those details yet, but we will,” she assures me.
I nod, my brain churning as I try to imagine living with all the people she just listed.
Moving in with Mac would be good. It’d definitely make it easier to keep an eye on him that way.
“We’ll make sure we put some agreed house rules into place, like… no smoking inside.” She grits out the words with a forced smile.
It’s obvious she doesn’t want Mac in there. So why are they inviting him?
I kind of don’t want to join unless he’s definitely there.
“Is, uh… did Mac agree to definitely come?”
She nods, her voice strained. “Yeah, he wants in. Actually, Mac was the one who suggested we ask you, so…”
My lips twitch. I have no idea why that guy rates me. We’re so different, yet we seem to just get along somehow.
And I do like the idea of being able to watch him this year, make sure he doesn’t do anything too crazy. Living in the same house will make that easier.
“So, yeah, just, uh… let me know.” Charli smiles at me, and I give her a small grin in return.
“I’ll message you by tomorrow night.”
“Okay.” Her smile grows a little wider before she spins and heads back into the house.
I watch her walk away, my imagination thrusting me ahead into the college year and what it’d be like to live with all these people.
It’d be so different.
I currently live in a studio apartment by myself.
It’s quiet, for sure. But it’s also lonely.
Driving home, I think about it the entire way, which is a little exhausting. I know I have to make a decision. I can’t leave them hanging if they want to fill that sixth space.
But what should I do?
I can’t do anything to jeopardize my grades, but… the thought of living with people on the basketball team is kind of cool. It might improve our game if we get to know one another better.
You don’t want to improve your game. You need to stay under the radar.
“But it’d be fun,” I whisper.
