My checkup went well, and I had less restrictions. Easing back into my normal life was what they suggested.
Oh, if they only knew.
I continued to walk by Blachley, although the emptiness I felt made me sad. I wondered if she stood screaming at me as I walked blissfully ignorant and mute next to her. The stairs in the dorm echoes with only my footsteps. Everything was exactly the same and completely different, so how was I going to ease back into my normal life?
I had to re-create my normal, and it just felt foreign.
Tyler passed me on the sidewalk from time to time, and his gaze never held mine for any length of time. His green in his eyes looked faded, tired, and his face didn’t hold the joy it once had. I wondered if they had found the missing deed yet.
“Hey Savanah?” I turned to see a lacrosse player walking towards me after class. I honestly had met him a few times but couldn’t remember his name.
“Hi.” I smiled, waiting for him to get closer, digging through piles of names and memories in my head, trying unsuccessfully to find his name.
His brown hair tousled on his head, setting of his completely symmetrical face. “Hey, I just wondered if you wanted to grab a coffee sometime?”
Holy crap, he was asking me out? Ok, act natural. I smiled trying to hold my expression still. “Coffee?”
I needed more information, not that I really wanted to go on a date, but I still felt he deserved an actual conversation here.
He pushed his phone in his pocket, “Yeah, I just think it would be cool, you know.”
“Coffee.” I couldn’t think of another word. Partially because I didn’t know what I should be saying right now. It was so strange that he was asking in the first place.
“Well, you know, it isn’t a big deal, I just thought since you were always drinking coffee you may want to try the new place downtown.” He rocked back on his heals. Exactly like Tyler used to.
“Um, coffee.” Wow my intellect was really showing about now.
“Say Thursday?” His eyes were casual, like he did this all the time.
“Coffee.” I said, allowing my voice to go up a bit at the end. What was wrong with going to coffee? Didn’t I just think I was bored and lonely?
“Perfect, meet in the back-parking lot about eight? I have a team meeting, but I will be done by then.”
“Cool, coffee.” I let the word fall and smiled.
“Cool, see ya then.” He walked away, zipping up his lacrosse jacket as he reached the door.
“Coffee.” I said to myself quietly. Yes, coffee sounded good, sounded normal. I headed to lunch, not really focusing on anything.
I dropped my bag at a table, still wrapping my brain around the thought that I was having coffee with a guy. And I had no idea what his name was. I was sure this was an old sitcom episode.
I started loading my salad plate. “Hey Savanah.” This was another random guy I hadn’t met before.
“Hey-you.” I looked at him with my brown eyes narrowed suspiciously. I moved, thinking he was trying to reach something I was in the way of. He just filled the space and looked at me square in the face. “So, I was thinking, if you aren’t doing anything Friday night, did you wanna go to the game with me?”
My head tilted. What in the actual parallel universe had I landed in?
“Um, I can’t I am still not released from my concussion.” Besides, I have no idea who you even are. But that felt a bit bitchy.
“Oh, ok. Well if you change your mind, come say hi.” He turned away. I stood there, wondering how he even knew who I was.
I walked back toward my table.
“Hey Savanah.” At least this voice I recognized. Crystel stood with a smirk on her face. “Why don’t you sit with us, I think it would be safer.”
I nodded and followed her to one of the large round tables. I retrieved my bag and sat down with my salad. She grinned next to me. “So,” she took a fry and dipped it in sauce, “How’s it goin?” she popped it in her mouth.
“I – I, I really don’t have any idea.”
Crystel laughed again. “Busy day?”
I eyed her suspiciously now. “Yes, and what do you know about my day?”
She laughed taking another bite, “Well it seems you are back on the market and you have a line of people waiting to take their turn.”
My fork fell and my voice rose a bit, “What? Back on the market? What am I, a house?”
She swallowed. “I knew it didn’t go the way I heard.”
I exhaled slowly. “What are you talking about?”
“Well, according to Terry in botany class, Tyler told Will at team lift that you guys were no longer a thing. Apparently, lacrosse lifts at the same times that baseball does and so then Moe asked if that meant anyone could ask you out, and Tyler just got all moody and said that he didn’t really care what Moe did, that ‘he was done with you.’ That got Henry’s attention. He asked if that meant you were good for it. Tyler got pissed at that, which made Aziz ask if it was over, why did Tyler get so bent out of shape? I guess Tyler took a swing at him for that. Which then pulled Darius into it of course, and the weight coach had to come out of his office. It was a huge, big thing according to Terry.” She took a bite of her burger.
My face was stuck completely open, trying to figure
