"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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Just when Ryan thought he'd fully acclimated to college life, homesickness hit.
Every day was something different. When Pete wasn't working, he was a fixture on the couch, playing video games. Harper often joined him when she wasn't studying. Jordan spent most of her time out of the apartment with her study groups. Sam had a work-study at the computer lab. Ryan's work-study was at the library, which let him do a lot of his own studying while at work and gave him some quiet time. He missed the quiet time forced upon them at the group home every night, one hour of no screens that usually ended up with squabbling between some of the other boys, but Ryan and Pete had always been chill, reading and listening to music in their room.
Ryan didn't know if he should be concerned about Pete. He could tell when Pete had been drinking by the bright red flush on his cheeks, and it seemed to be almost every night. But he drank too, and this was college, and Pete's first experience with any kind of real freedom.
The simplicity of life back home was what he missed. How he knew everyone, and knew his schedule, and things weren't going five hundred miles an hour. He could spend quiet nights with Jacky just watching movies and not doing anything more than loving spending time with him. Other nights there'd be a party, but it would be planned well in advance so Ryan could mentally prepare for it. And he'd know everyone there.
It was the end of his third week, and after a grueling practice in preparation for the first game of the season the following night, Ryan dragged himself home, only to find the apartment full of people. "Ryan!" Pete shouted, his face already red despite the clock over the microwave reading 6:29 p.m. "You want some pizza? I made sure they got pepperoni for ya!"
"Sure," Ryan said faintly. What he wanted to do was pass out on his bed. Or better yet, scarf down half a pizza sitting in a room by himself and then pass out. But he dropped his stuff off in his room, kicked off his sneakers, and headed back out.
He had never craved alone time this much, he thought as he loaded his plate with three slices of pizza. There had never been alone time at the group home. And after his mom died, he hadn't wanted to be alone with his thoughts. Now his brain felt crowded with everything new that was happening.
"Maybe Ryan can settle this debate," Van said, turning to him with that predatory look on his face.
Ryan wasn't sure if he could handle Van tonight. "What debate?"
"Could Jack have fit on the door with Rose, or did Rose basically murder him?" Van asked.
"That's so biased—" Sam started.
"The question is if he died unnecessarily," Jordan said. "We're not debating murder here."
Van waved his hands. "Fine, fine! Ryan?"
Ryan swallowed down his first piece of pizza. "I don't know if I even know what you're talking about."
