Everything Is Just Fine

Chapter 2

The cafe in Rosenberg Hall is on the third floor. The first floor is where the cafeteria and some boardrooms are, the second floor is where the ballroom is. Why the hell a college needed a ballroom is beyond me. The cafe has several tables in front of the small counter, and a few tables out on a balcony that overlooks campus. Toby and I order our drinks, black coffee with sugar for me, and some latte something or another for Toby. We take them out on the balcony, claiming a table closest to the railing.

Toby leans over the railing, tipping his chair on its two legs. "How far up do you think we are?"

"Far enough that if you fell right now you would seriously injure yourself."

Toby looks over at me, his honey eyes sparking with mischief before he tips back on all four feet. He sips his coffee, looking around the open space, the tall buildings of campus, and the speck of streets and shops we can see from our vantage point.

"We should explore the town tomorrow."

I take out my phone, snapping a picture of the view. "I have to check in with my new boss at Wendell's Donuts, but after."

Toby tips his head, resting it on one of his hands. "You like taking pictures, huh?"

I can't help but snort. "I want to be a photographer."

"Of models?" Toby wags his eyebrows.

"Of nature, dumb-dumb. My childhood dream was to one day have my pictures in magazines like National Geographic."

"Does anyone still read that?"

I shrug. "Maybe not, but it's still my dream."

Toby suddenly stands, his metal chair scraping against concrete. "Come on."

"Where are we going?"

"Bookstore."

I hurry after him as his long legs carry him inside before I even stand. He doesn't stop to see if I'm behind him. I have to double my efforts to keep up with him. Really, it's unfair how much taller he is than me.

"Why are we going to the bookstore? Classes don't start until Monday."

"Before I came here, I toured the campus, and the tour guide kept going on and on about this local band." He pauses at the elevator to jam the button. He turns his eyes to me. His easy smile never seems to leave his face. I wonder what it must be like to be so collected, so calm and cool. Confident. That's what Toby is. Confident. And it's something I lack, among other things. "Apparently they have a bunch of merch in the bookstore, and I'm curious to see what all the hype is about."

I can't help but roll my eyes, chasing a band was not what I had in mind for this semester. To be fair, I didn't think this was something that was actually going to happen when I came to WU.

But I'm not going to protest too much. What the hell else am I going to do on a Saturday afternoon? Plus, I promised Nana I would make friends, and so far Toby seems pretty cool.

The bookstore is predictably empty when we arrive. Everyone has already bought their books online or is waiting until class actually starts before getting them. There is only one bookstore associate, a student with bright pink hair and a moon tattooed on her temple. She barely looks up from a copy of a popular fantasy novel as we enter.

The store is laid out with school merch taking up the majority of the front with the bookshelves in the back. To the left is a huge display of Poisonous Winter merch.

"All of the band members are students here," Toby informs me. "The lead singer and the bassist are the children of the Dean of Students."

I bump my shoulder against Toby's teasingly. "You seem to know a lot about them, are you sure you aren't a fan already?"

He rolls his eyes. "Shut up, man."

I walk forward, looking into a bin of posters. A plaque next to it says all the money from their sales goes back into helping the community of Freemont. They all look cool and alternative. The type of band I would totally listen to. There are five members, each posing like rebels for the camera. Under their faces are their names: Sebastian and Shelby Winter, Mahara Adabi, Adrian Cameron, and Abel Ryan. Each of them looks intimidating like they're way too cool to be playing bars and gigs in Freemont, Pennsylvania.

"You gonna buy anything?" a voice says behind me.

I turn expecting to see the student working in the store, but instead, it's Shelby Winter. Her hair is long and blond, shaved on one side. The buzzed bits are dyed pink. She's smiling at me, eyes hidden by sunglasses. Her full lips are covered in dark red gloss. She's wearing a simple black dress with a jean jacket over it. The jacket is covered in patches and studs.

"I don't know," I say.

"You don't like giving to the community?" She asks, tilting her glasses down just enough to glare at me over the frames.

"Of course I do, but I have never heard you play."

Shelby smiles, pulling her glasses all the way off her face. Her eyes are bright blue like the sky. "Newbie?"

I shrug, not particularly fond of being called a newbie.

"Come to the party at Phi Kappa Nu tonight. You can decide for yourself if our merch is worth buying." I can feel her studying me. I wonder what she sees when she looks at me. Does she see what I see when I look in the mirror? A short, unimpressive guy that hides underneath beanies and hoodies and has no idea who he is.

"What's your name?"

"Jesse Lancaster."

Her lips quirk. "Well, Jesse Lancaster, hope to see you tonight."

Shelby looks over my shoulder, finger waves at Toby, and exits.

Toby rushes over as Shelby strolls away. "What the hell just happened?"

"I think we were invited to a party."

Toby's smile spreads. "Oh, hell yeah."

I shake my head. "No, not hell yeah." Already I can't breathe. The idea of being in a room full of people--people I didn't know--is not my idea of a good time. "I have social anxiety, Toby. Even the thought of it is giving me hives."

Toby frowns. "Are you okay? We don't have to go if you don't want to."

But I can tell he really wants to go. "Go without me."

"No way, man. I'm not socially anxious, but even I don't want to walk into a party of people I don't know."

I let out a rush of breath. I hate this. I promised Nana I would make friends. Plus, that's what the pills are for. "If we go, do you promise not to leave my side?"

Toby crosses his heart. "Scout's honor."

I can't help the smile that forms. "You did that wrong."

"How do you know?"

"I was in the scouts."

He snorts. "Of course you were." His face falls to concern. "Are you sure you're going to be okay?"

I wave him off. "I'll be good. Just promise me you won't leave."

Toby places his hands on my shoulders, looking at me more seriously than I thought him capable of. "I promise, dude. You and I are going to be stuck like glue." His frown turns to a smile. "You and me, Jesse. We're gonna be tight." He presses his palms together, pretending he can't get them apart.

I shove him away with a laugh. "God, with you as my roommate, it's going to be a long semester."