"I need space." Those were the words Jacky said to Ryan the night before they both left for separate colleges. Now, each of them will try to learn who they are without the other. Will their paths lead them back together?
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Ryan's first few days of classes flew by, his head spinning with syllabi and upcoming assignments and study groups and freshman events that he attended to try to get out there and meet people, when he wasn't going to football practice and trying to get his work done. By Thursday afternoon he nearly fell asleep on the T, sweaty from practice, not sure if he'd be able to keep himself awake long enough to go to the "Thirsty Thursday" party the football team was hosting at one of the frat houses. Then he felt his phone buzz in his pocket. He pulled it out and saw a text from Monica.
Hey, haven't heard from you in a couple of days... you doing okay?
His eyes stung, and he blinked hard, realizing how much he missed having a friend he could really talk to. Everyone in the city so far had been great and nice, but they didn't know him or his past, and he didn't want to unleash all that backstory on them. Monica, however, was one of his best friends from home, and so far the only one who had checked up on him.
And then he saw the text he'd been about to send her the other night, about breaking up with Jacky. He deleted it and instead sent, I'm sorry, it's been hectic
Same here, so much going on!
While Ryan knew he could leave it at that with Monica, he typed another text. Plus Jacky broke up with me the night before we both left for school
Oh Ryan I'm sorry, Monica texted back immediately, with that one-teared crying emoji and a heart emoji. I did not see that coming... are you okay? Do you want to meet up and talk about it?
I don't know, Ryan wrote back. The fuzzy voice over the subway car's loudspeaker announced Ryan's stop, and he stood up.
We could just hang out and watch a stupid movie and eat ice cream
Ryan considered that. Yeah, actually, that sounds awesome.
Already he was feeling better by the time he got back to the apartment. No one else was home yet – it was Pete's first day at his new job at Trader Joe's – and Ryan relished the quiet as he took a shower and settled in to do his reading for tomorrow. Then he heard a faint knock on the door.
It was Harper's friend Charlie, the one with the dark hair and gray eyes and eyeliner. They had their shoulders hunched up inside their black hoodie and looked uncomfortable. "Is Harper here?" they asked.
"Not yet," Ryan said. "I don't know when her classes are done."
"Um." Charlie shifted on their feet. "Could I maybe wait here for her?"
"Sure, no problem."
Charlie came in and sat down on the couch stiffly and just sat there, not looking at Ryan. Ryan shut the door and considered briefly if he should ask. But he also figured Charlie would have told him what was wrong if they wanted to talk about it. So instead Ryan made his voice softer than normal and asked, "Did you try texting her?"
