"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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Later that night, Ryan shrugged a flannel shirt on over a white t-shirt, ran his hands through his hair, and tried to decide if he wasn't putting enough effort into this. His reflection in the bathroom mirror was doubtful.
"Are you going on a date or something?" Pete asked when Ryan returned to their room to swap the flannel shirt for a college sweatshirt he had felt compelled to buy despite not having a ton of extra spending money.
Jordan, who had just come out of her room, squealed to a halt in the hallway. "What?" she snapped.
"No, it's definitely not a date," he said to both of them.
"Then why are you getting all dressed up?"
"Dressed up?" Ryan looked down at his sweatshirt and jeans.
"You're going out, though," Jordan said. "So where are you going?"
"Marina wants me to be her wingman at some fundraiser thing," Ryan explained. "It is not a date." He looked at himself in the mirror again. "Do you think I look like I'm going on a date? That's the last thing I want."
"You look fine," Jordan proclaimed. "But does Marina want to date a closeted gay? That's the real question."
Pete nodded. "Yup. That's exactly what's going to happen. Guys will see you and be attracted to you. It's inevitable."
"I'm not sure what exactly she means by being her wingman. We haven't talked about that yet." Ryan sighed. "Do you guys want to come? She said it's all free."
Jordan narrowed her eyes. "But it's a fundraiser."
"Did she said it's free or it's all free?" Pete asked.
"I'm bringing some money just in case," Ryan admitted. "Just for food, maybe."
"I'll go," Pete said, getting up.
Jordan was on her phone. "Oh yeah, the Fall Festival. I went last year. There's tons of free stuff. There's some kind of donation thing but it's not required."
"You want to come?" Ryan asked carefully.
"Sure," Jordan said, and Ryan tried not to grin. The roommate meeting had gone a long way in repairing things between them. "I'll see if Sam and Harper want to go to." She walked off, texting. "When are you leaving?"
"I'm meeting Marina at six," Ryan called after her.
Pete was already jamming his feet into his sneakers and pulling on a corduroy jacket. In a low voice he asked, "You ready to see Charlie again if Harper decides to come?"
"It'll be fine," Ryan said, counting how much he had in his wallet. Barely enough if there were food trucks. "We can always split up if things get awkward." He headed to the kitchen to eat some leftover pizza so he wasn't immediately hungry at the scent of food.
