The GEEKs

18. psychos, tadpoles, and a frat house

I open my eyes and it takes me a moment to remember where I am. My cloudy gaze slides over the side of the room that I'm facing in the sticky dimness; then I roll over on my back and when I glance at Kat's face, I see her eyelids twitch as if she just closed them shut.

We fell asleep. Fully clothed, except for our shoes. And I...love it? I mean, I've missed this, just talking to someone until you fall asleep. It felt nice. Felt like...I was safe, I guess. From what? I don't know, but I do know that the guys that were discussing the fuckableness of girls last night would ostracise me if they heard me say that. It's just so chill and felt so normal, like I could have stayed in Kat's room with her for hours, doing nothing... Well, not exactly nothing. Just making out some and laughing and listening to music and talking some, and falling asleep. It just felt like everything is ok, like I didn't need to worry about anything, or be anyone.

"Are you gonna pretend to sleep for much longer?" I prop myself on my elbow and poke Kat's side.

"Do I have panda eyes?"

"What?"

She sighs, rubs her under eyes with her knuckles and sits up on the edge of the bed with her back turned to me. "It's almost nine."

"I was right then." I sit up too and stretch my arms.

"About what?"

"You didn't throw me out at five."

"Congratulations," she mumbles, jumps to her feet, and walks to the bedroom door but instead of opening it, she freezes and presses her ear to the door crack. "Are you in a hurry?" Kat looks over at me.

"Uh...no, not really..."

"Do you mind staying here until there's no one in the living room?"

"Are you ashamed of me?" I tease her but judging by the look on her face, this situation is graver than my uneducated brain could ever comprehend. "What's the big deal?"

"Gwen and Eva are out there."

"So what?"

"Well that's the thing!" Kat turns around and throws her arms out dramatically with a pained look and that same whisper-shouting she was using last night. "It's not a big deal, but you don't know my roommates. Lizzy's gonna start planning our wedding—"

"Because I spent the night here once?"

"Yes! And Gwen's gonna be acting all smug because she's gonna think she was right all along and—"

"Right about what?"

"You know...things! And Eva's gonna get all quietly judgy... I would just rather not have to deal with that... You have some weird roommates too, you should understand."

"Hm." Maybe she's got a point. After all of Xana's outbursts of obsession with Kat and Stone's relationship, there's no way in hell I'll ever allow her to find out about last night.

"Shit! I'm in a hurry! I forgot I work at ten!"

I have to do something or Kat will blow a fuse so I step over to her and put my hands on her shoulders while she's looking around frantically, completely taken over by panic. "Calm down, it's going to be okay."

"Who knows how long they're gonna be sitting out there? And I can't even call in sick or something... What if I just leave you here?" Her eye suddenly sparkle at me.

"No!" I snort.

"Nah, it wouldn't work anyway because someone would probably come into my bedroom to borrow a sweater or something... I can't risk that..."