considering they have been rooming together since freshman year. I’m glad she wasn’t paired up with a nut job like I was.
My freshman year I’d roomed with another guy from the baseball team. They kept the jocks together by sport since we had to arrive to campus early and kept the same insane schedules—early mornings and the occasional late nights when traveling for games. My roommate back then, John Lechance, was a junior. Usually they don’t pair upperclassmen with lowerclassmen, but they had a hard time placing John, so they stuck him with me. It hadn’t taken me long to figure out why. The guy was a loose cannon. I gave him the benefit of the doubt as long as I could, but when I discovered he was using steroids, I drew the line. No way was I going to be around that shit. I made it playing ball on the college level without using performance enhancing drugs; I wasn’t about to risk being accused of using because my stupid roommate was. I told Coach; there was an investigation, and John was kicked off the team and expelled from the school. My double was a single for the rest of the year, and I was paired up with someone much cooler sophomore year.
The front door opens right into the living room, and I take a look around as I step inside. It’s modestly decorated, with a cream-colored sofa and loveseat and dark wood coffee and end tables. The apartment is an open floor plan, with the kitchen and dining area on one side and sliding doors leading out to the balcony on the opposite side. Abstract paintings hang on the wall behind the television, and picture frames dot the wall behind the couch.
I start to follow Kate to the kitchen, where Casey is sitting at the table with her head in her hands—undoubtedly frustrated beyond belief that I’m still here—but one of the framed photos on the wall catches my eye. I’d recognize that picture anywhere. I have one copy framed in my room at home and another stuck to my pin board in my dorm room.
The picture is of me and Casey on our seventh birthday, blowing out the candles on our joint birthday cake. I remember clearly how I wanted an Iron Giant theme and she wanted a Fantasia theme. Our moms settled it for us and chose a Toy Story theme with both Woody and Jessie. It was the first of many birthdays we had spent together growing up, and the first of many where our parents had to intervene and force a compromise. In fact, we never missed one until college. I thought about her on that first birthday away when all my teammates were going out with their dates for Valentine’s Day. I hadn’t asked anyone out, not that there weren’t any possibilities. I just couldn’t stomach the idea of spending even a moment of that day with some meaningless chick. That had always been my day with Casey. I thought about her the two birthdays after that, too. How could I not?
Shaking off the feeling of nostalgia, I walk into the kitchen and take a seat at the table across from Casey. She peeks at me between her fingers, and I grin at her attempt to glare. She’s so damn adorable when she’s mad.
“I thought I told you to leave,” she says, though it’s muffled through the hands she still hasn’t removed from her face.
“Kate let me in.”
“I need a new roommate,” she grumbles.
I laugh. “I think she’s great.”
Casey removes her hands from her face and full on glares at me. She’s getting really good at that. “Seriously, Decker. What. Are. You. Doing. Here?” She enunciates each word as if I don’t understand English.
“I told you. You mean the world to me, Case. I’m here to prove it to you. I’m not going anywhere, so you’d better get used to it.” Her expression shifts slightly at my words and I have a glimmer of hope, but, just as quick as it had appeared, she’s back to glaring at me.
“You have finals.”
“I made arrangements.” I raise my eyebrow at her in challenge.
Her eyes narrow. “I don’t want you here.”
“Yes, you do. You
My freshman year I’d roomed with another guy from the baseball team. They kept the jocks together by sport since we had to arrive to campus early and kept the same insane schedules—early mornings and the occasional late nights when traveling for games. My roommate back then, John Lechance, was a junior. Usually they don’t pair upperclassmen with lowerclassmen, but they had a hard time placing John, so they stuck him with me. It hadn’t taken me long to figure out why. The guy was a loose cannon. I gave him the benefit of the doubt as long as I could, but when I discovered he was using steroids, I drew the line. No way was I going to be around that shit. I made it playing ball on the college level without using performance enhancing drugs; I wasn’t about to risk being accused of using because my stupid roommate was. I told Coach; there was an investigation, and John was kicked off the team and expelled from the school. My double was a single for the rest of the year, and I was paired up with someone much cooler sophomore year.
The front door opens right into the living room, and I take a look around as I step inside. It’s modestly decorated, with a cream-colored sofa and loveseat and dark wood coffee and end tables. The apartment is an open floor plan, with the kitchen and dining area on one side and sliding doors leading out to the balcony on the opposite side. Abstract paintings hang on the wall behind the television, and picture frames dot the wall behind the couch.
I start to follow Kate to the kitchen, where Casey is sitting at the table with her head in her hands—undoubtedly frustrated beyond belief that I’m still here—but one of the framed photos on the wall catches my eye. I’d recognize that picture anywhere. I have one copy framed in my room at home and another stuck to my pin board in my dorm room.
The picture is of me and Casey on our seventh birthday, blowing out the candles on our joint birthday cake. I remember clearly how I wanted an Iron Giant theme and she wanted a Fantasia theme. Our moms settled it for us and chose a Toy Story theme with both Woody and Jessie. It was the first of many birthdays we had spent together growing up, and the first of many where our parents had to intervene and force a compromise. In fact, we never missed one until college. I thought about her on that first birthday away when all my teammates were going out with their dates for Valentine’s Day. I hadn’t asked anyone out, not that there weren’t any possibilities. I just couldn’t stomach the idea of spending even a moment of that day with some meaningless chick. That had always been my day with Casey. I thought about her the two birthdays after that, too. How could I not?
Shaking off the feeling of nostalgia, I walk into the kitchen and take a seat at the table across from Casey. She peeks at me between her fingers, and I grin at her attempt to glare. She’s so damn adorable when she’s mad.
“I thought I told you to leave,” she says, though it’s muffled through the hands she still hasn’t removed from her face.
“Kate let me in.”
“I need a new roommate,” she grumbles.
I laugh. “I think she’s great.”
Casey removes her hands from her face and full on glares at me. She’s getting really good at that. “Seriously, Decker. What. Are. You. Doing. Here?” She enunciates each word as if I don’t understand English.
“I told you. You mean the world to me, Case. I’m here to prove it to you. I’m not going anywhere, so you’d better get used to it.” Her expression shifts slightly at my words and I have a glimmer of hope, but, just as quick as it had appeared, she’s back to glaring at me.
“You have finals.”
“I made arrangements.” I raise my eyebrow at her in challenge.
Her eyes narrow. “I don’t want you here.”
“Yes, you do. You
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