“No, I haven’t checked my phone. No study group then?”
Shaking his head, his eyes glistening full of hope he asks, “We could hang out at my parents instead, they’re back home visiting my brothers. We could get something to eat and watch movies, study or just hang?”
“I promised Ronnie that we would have a girl’s night. Pizza, Netflix, pajamas,” lies, I just lied to one of my oldest friends because the hope in his eyes screamed for more than I was willing to offer.
“How did you plan this if you didn’t know the library was closed?” he asks narrowing his eyes.
Shit, I’m busted. Scrambling for more lies, my voice unsure I lie again, “We planned dinner first and then after study group, we were doing Netflix, but with the library closing we’ll hunker down and make it an all-nighter.” The words taste bitter leaving my mouth, I hate lying. I hate people that deceive and I don’t like becoming one of these people but being honest and telling him that I’m not as comfortable around him as I used to be, might hurt his feelings.
“I better get back home before the roads get too bad,” he groans.
“Maybe we can get together next week sometime?” I ask in a vain attempt to keep his friendship and meeting for coffee is a good way to stay away from him trying to have sex with me again. “Is the whole campus shut down?”
“I think so,” he chimes happier that I offered a get together later. “That’s what the alert said. It warned everyone to stay inside. We’re expecting five to seven inches of snow,” he says pulling his umbrella away, “I’ll text you later.” With a kiss to the cheek that lingers a little longer than is friendly, he leaves.
Guess I won’t be meeting Kohl at the gym, I think sadly, sulking up to my room.
The smell of tomato sauce, sausage, onions, peppers and cheese assaults my nose, creating an intense stomach grumble and a feeling of glee when I enter the room. The aroma of Z Place Pizza, the best pizza in the state. If I could only have one food for the rest of my life, it would be this pizza. Hot or cold doesn’t matter, it’s a little triangle piece of heaven the moment it hits your taste buds.
Ronnie is sitting with her nose over the tented paper, inhaling the smell coming from the little pin hole in the top. She looks like she’s praying to the pizza Gods with her legs crossed Indian style, her eyes closed and a goofy grin on her face. She’s in complete pizza Zen.
“Let’s eat,” I sing breaking her from her trance, moving to the kitchenette to grab our plates.
“Oh, thank God, I don’t think I could have waited for another second,” she jokes, ripping the paper from the pizza. “
She’s on her eighth little triangle of pizza compared to my third, where the hell does this woman put all that food and why doesn’t she look like me? If I even breath in fattening food I gain weight but Ronnie keeps eating and eating. I swear she must be storing it in her big toe. Tonight, my appetite is diminished, I’m stuffed full after only three little pieces.
Mumbling through the food in her mouth, “Did you hear that campus is shut down? It’s like the first time ever that the JSU campus has closed. Of course, there’s a frat party to celebrate it.”
“I was supposed to meet Kohl, but with the campus being closed he won’t be able to get in the gym. Are you going to the party?” I inquire, when my phone rings from inside my coat pocket.
Moving to where it hangs on my desk chair I see someone is wanting me to accept a new message in Messenger. I haven’t opened any social media for days, I’m leery of anything that comes through.
“Who is it?” Ronnie asks.
Handing her my phone, “Here, you look at it; if it’s something hateful I don’t want to see it.”
She opens the app, reading the words, “Here you’re going to want to read this one,” she insists with a knowing smile but her eyes are wary.
Kohl Black:
“I know you hate all things social media but u never gave me ur phone number. I have a key to the gym if u still want to trek out in the snow. I would love to have ur company while I kill myself working out.
Please, please, please.
I’ll bring u coffee and chocolate and love u and pet u and name u George.”
Grinning at his Bugs Bunny reference, I respond:
“Dah, gee. I don’t know. I think we made a wrong turn in Albuquerque.
Yes, I will meet you at the gym.”
Kohl:
“Great, I’ll be at the athletic fitness center by my dorm. See you soon, George.”
I can’t pry the smile from my face, for the first time in weeks something positive came from social media.
* * *
Kohl
Stupid fucking snow.
Of course, today would be the day that Indiana gets slammed with a rare snow storm in November. The campus is closed; I have no way to contact Ten to let her know I’m still able to get into the gym. I should have gotten her cell number.
Think, Black, think.
I could walk across campus and tell her but that seems a little too eager, she already responds to me like a skittish animal, I need to play it cool. I could try to message her on Facesnap, I know she hasn’t been looking but the messenger app is different from the main app.
What the hell, I should at least try.
Typing out the message I need to make sure she shows up. I want to spend more time with her, talk to her; hell, just stare at her. She’s addicting. I try to keep the message light and funny when I really want to beg and plead. I hope she gets my Bugs