were always an exception to the rule. While Michelle was packing a few things into her suitcase, a voice from behind startled her.
“Is Maggie around?”
She turned and came face to face with the mystery guy from the roller rink. The blow dryer she’d been holding slipped from her fingers and landed on her foot. “ Ah !” she cried out in pain.
“Are you OK?” He rushed toward her.
She held her hand out to stop him and retrieved the dryer. “I’m fine.” She was in shock that he was standing in her dorm room.
Recognition suddenly flickered in his eyes. “Hey, it’s you.”
“Uh … hi.”
“Are you Maggie’s roommate?”
“One and the same.”
“Michelle, right?”
She nodded, surprised he remembered her name after their brief encounter.
“Small world.” He laid a hand on his chest. “I’m Ben.”
Michelle’s stomach dropped. This is Ben? Maggie’s Ben? Michelle had no words. Of all the guys at the roller rink that night, he had to be the one she made out with?
“Do you know where she is?”
“Uh, she’s in the bathroom,” she stuttered.
“OK. Well, I’m giving her a ride home.” He glanced at the pile of things by the bed. “Is this her stuff?”
“Yeah, but I’m not sure if she has everything packed up yet.”
“I can wait.” He stood quietly in the doorway.
Michelle didn’t know what to do or say. She couldn’t believe her horrible luck. If Maggie ever found out about them, she would be crushed.
She glanced over at Ben and caught him checking out her backside.
He looked away as if he knew he’d been busted, and anger began to bubble up within her.
She turned to face him. “Maggie’s an amazing person and a good friend.”
He nodded in agreement. “She is. She’s the best.”
Michelle thought for a moment. “I don’t like to see my friends get hurt.”
“Neither do I.” He looked at her searchingly.
Her eyebrow raised.
“Look, we had no idea we both knew Maggie when we met. And she’s my friend, not my girlfriend, so we did nothing wrong.”
“But you know how she feels about you,” Michelle stated.
He shrugged his shoulders indifferently. “I’m more interested in how you feel about me.”
“Really?” Her sarcasm was unmistakable.
“Hey, I had fun with you that night.” His gaze intensified. “And I know you had a good time, too.”
Michelle chewed on the inside of her bottom lip as she remembered their intimate make out session. At the time, it had been exactly what she wanted, but that was the old Michelle. Now, she felt only shame. And the fact that he completely disregarded Maggie’s feelings made her anger boil over. Her eyes narrowed, but just as she was about to rip into him, Maggie breezed into the room.
“Ben!” Maggie threw her arms around his neck. “You’re here!”
He gave her a quick hug. “Hey, Magnolia. You ready to go?” His eyes were still locked with Michelle’s.
“Just about.” Maggie scurried around the room gathering her bags, never noticing the tension or the stare down between her friends. “This is my roommate, Michelle.”
“Nice to meet you, Michelle.” Ben continued to stare at her.
Michelle shook her head and rolled her eyes. “Why Magnolia?” she asked Maggie.
“Oh, that’s just what Ben calls me sometimes.” Maggie had the same smile on her face she always got when she talked about him.
“It’s a high school thing,” he added in a patronizing tone. “Guess you had to be there.”
Ben finally turned his attention to Maggie when she began handing him things.
Maggie hugged Michelle, then grabbed her last couple bags. “Merry Christmas. See you next month.”
“Merry Christmas. Call me if you need me.” She watched Maggie exit the room with a bag over each arm.
Ben looked back over his shoulder. “Bye, Michelle.”
Michelle was more sure than ever that Ben was no good for Maggie. But how could she tell her without breaking her heart? Or worse, without losing her
“Is Maggie around?”
She turned and came face to face with the mystery guy from the roller rink. The blow dryer she’d been holding slipped from her fingers and landed on her foot. “ Ah !” she cried out in pain.
“Are you OK?” He rushed toward her.
She held her hand out to stop him and retrieved the dryer. “I’m fine.” She was in shock that he was standing in her dorm room.
Recognition suddenly flickered in his eyes. “Hey, it’s you.”
“Uh … hi.”
“Are you Maggie’s roommate?”
“One and the same.”
“Michelle, right?”
She nodded, surprised he remembered her name after their brief encounter.
“Small world.” He laid a hand on his chest. “I’m Ben.”
Michelle’s stomach dropped. This is Ben? Maggie’s Ben? Michelle had no words. Of all the guys at the roller rink that night, he had to be the one she made out with?
“Do you know where she is?”
“Uh, she’s in the bathroom,” she stuttered.
“OK. Well, I’m giving her a ride home.” He glanced at the pile of things by the bed. “Is this her stuff?”
“Yeah, but I’m not sure if she has everything packed up yet.”
“I can wait.” He stood quietly in the doorway.
Michelle didn’t know what to do or say. She couldn’t believe her horrible luck. If Maggie ever found out about them, she would be crushed.
She glanced over at Ben and caught him checking out her backside.
He looked away as if he knew he’d been busted, and anger began to bubble up within her.
She turned to face him. “Maggie’s an amazing person and a good friend.”
He nodded in agreement. “She is. She’s the best.”
Michelle thought for a moment. “I don’t like to see my friends get hurt.”
“Neither do I.” He looked at her searchingly.
Her eyebrow raised.
“Look, we had no idea we both knew Maggie when we met. And she’s my friend, not my girlfriend, so we did nothing wrong.”
“But you know how she feels about you,” Michelle stated.
He shrugged his shoulders indifferently. “I’m more interested in how you feel about me.”
“Really?” Her sarcasm was unmistakable.
“Hey, I had fun with you that night.” His gaze intensified. “And I know you had a good time, too.”
Michelle chewed on the inside of her bottom lip as she remembered their intimate make out session. At the time, it had been exactly what she wanted, but that was the old Michelle. Now, she felt only shame. And the fact that he completely disregarded Maggie’s feelings made her anger boil over. Her eyes narrowed, but just as she was about to rip into him, Maggie breezed into the room.
“Ben!” Maggie threw her arms around his neck. “You’re here!”
He gave her a quick hug. “Hey, Magnolia. You ready to go?” His eyes were still locked with Michelle’s.
“Just about.” Maggie scurried around the room gathering her bags, never noticing the tension or the stare down between her friends. “This is my roommate, Michelle.”
“Nice to meet you, Michelle.” Ben continued to stare at her.
Michelle shook her head and rolled her eyes. “Why Magnolia?” she asked Maggie.
“Oh, that’s just what Ben calls me sometimes.” Maggie had the same smile on her face she always got when she talked about him.
“It’s a high school thing,” he added in a patronizing tone. “Guess you had to be there.”
Ben finally turned his attention to Maggie when she began handing him things.
Maggie hugged Michelle, then grabbed her last couple bags. “Merry Christmas. See you next month.”
“Merry Christmas. Call me if you need me.” She watched Maggie exit the room with a bag over each arm.
Ben looked back over his shoulder. “Bye, Michelle.”
Michelle was more sure than ever that Ben was no good for Maggie. But how could she tell her without breaking her heart? Or worse, without losing her
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