2: In Your Shadow - Evan Peters

Todd

Evan insisted that he drop me off outside UCLA for my first day on campus.

"Got all your things?" He asked me, offering me a small smile as I got out of the nervously, coming around to his window with my tote bag in tow.

"Yeah I think I have everything," I bit my lip as he looked at me from behind his sunglasses.

"You'll do great baby, I'll come pick you up later," he reassured me, leaning out of his opened window and giving me a soft kiss.

"Thanks Ev, I'll see you at around 4," I confirmed with him, deciding to lean in through the window to give him one last hug.

"I feel like I'm dropping my kid off on their first day of preschool," Evan joked, hugging me back the best he could beneath his seatbelt.

"You're the best daddy," I joked back, earning a shocked look from Evan's face as I pulled away.

"Now...I can get used to that," he laughed as I shoved his shoulder lightly.

"Alright go, you're gonna be late," he motioned towards the university entrance with his thumb, and I nodded in agreement, finally leaving his side and entering the school.

I waved at him as he drove away, and then took a deep breath as I tried to navigate where my first class was. The university was big, it felt like my first day of college all over again on steroids, by myself and trying to find people to approach that looked half friendly.

When I'd made it to class, I sat in the back row, analysing people as they filtered into class. I had to remember, this was their first day too, and it made the situation less intimidating.

A guy sat by my side, a little older than I was, blonde and tall. He set down his bag and took out his phone, flicking through it until the professor finally came into the class and began our first introductory lesson.

Our professor was cooky, dressed in a pin-striped cloak with slacks and loafers, even with the warm weather outside.

Class ended after a couple hours, and I was completely engrossed in my notes when I felt eyes bearing into the side of my head. I looked up, to face the guy sitting next to me, pushing his reading glasses up his nose.

"Alex, right?" He asked, pointing down to the name scribbled on the front of my notebook.

"Yeah," I replied, nodding my head shyly, "what's your name?" I asked.

"Todd," he said simply, collecting his belongings and shoving them all into a black backpack. I nodded, packing up my own things and arranging them in my tote.

"What do you have next?" He asked, as he got up out of his seat and began to walk out of the classroom. I followed, looking down at the timetable I'd printed out hoping my next class wasn't too far away.

"I'm.. in studio 4B, what about you?" I asked him, trying to look up at the walls for any signage telling me where the fuck 4B was.

"Same, we'll find it together," he said, walking in the opposite direction. I felt like I should follow him, he seemed to know where he was going.

Our studio class finished quickly, and Todd, my only friend, and I were eating outside on the grass. He took a pack of cigarettes out of his backpack, and lit one between his lips.

I'd learnt that Todd had grew up in LA, now 24, and lived close by at his parent's house. His mother was a well known interior designer, his dad a defence attorney. He claimed that his mom had helped style houses for people as famous as Blake Lively.

"I'm sure this is a smoke free campus," I said, taking another bite out of my chicken and avocado wrap.

"Ah fuck it, no one is around anyway," he said, breathing in the smoke and blowing it out in the opposite direction to us.

"Grab my socials, you seem like you have your head screwed on, we might make good study partners," he said, passing me his new iPhone and opening Facebook.

I obliged, thinking it was a good idea to make friends even this early on. Todd said he didn't know anyone really doing a BA like we were, and that if I stuck close, I might be lucky to land a job in the interior design realm.

We parted ways shortly after. I found Evan in the parking lot tapping on his steering wheel impatiently. I had taken an extra 10 minutes trying to find the parking lot he had rung me about.

When he saw me he smiled. I got into the passenger side and let out an exhausted breath.

"How was your first day?" Evan asked me, leaning over the centre console of his Chrysler and offering me a kiss.

"Good, met a friend," I said, happily kissing him again, "I missed you."

"Missed you too baby," he said, "who's your friend?"

"His name is Todd," I said simply. Evan didn't seem to like that, his face twisted in confusion.

"Like, a guy Todd?" He asked, propping his sunglasses on his head as he began driving away.

"Yeah, a guy," I said nonchalantly, watching as he licked his top row of teeth with his tongue.

"Right," he said, then quiet consumed the car until we got back to the apartment.

"What's wrong?" I asked him, trying to grab onto his hand as we walked into the building from the parking lot.

"Nothing," he said, walking ahead of me and standing with his back pressed against the mirror in the elevator, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Ev, come on," I groaned, finally grabbing onto both his hands. He let me hold them, before a smile crept on his face.

"Ok.. I'm jealous, is that what you wanted?" He pulled me in by my hands and wrapped his arms around my waist.

"Evan oh my god, you're so dumb," I said, leaving a kiss on his neck as we got to his floor.

"I know I know, I'm happy you made a friend, I need to scope him out though," he said as a teasing warning, still holding my hand as we got to the front door of the apartment.

"Maybe soon, it's a bit early to be inviting him over, we just met," I laughed, following Evan to the bedroom and falling backwards on the bed.

"He'll never live up to Evan Thomas Peters," he joked, leaning towards me and attacking me with a multitude of kisses. I pushed him away laughing at how ticklish it felt.

"You know that, baby," I reassured, kissing his soft lips before we cuddled up on the bed for an afternoon nap.