The Separation Situation: Sequel to The Renovation Complication

5. One More Day

Mason

It's nearing midnight and I've only just unlocked my dorm. I'm exhausted. And I have to wake up at four a.m. for practice tomorrow.

College sucks.

I honestly wouldn't have even made it this far if it hadn't been for Tori. By senior year, I was just about run into the ground. My average grade was an 'F'. I thought I could graduate by flunking every class and using football as an excuse. I was an idiot.

On the bright side, I guess football helped me get here too. Without this stupid scholarship, I probably wouldn't be here right now.

Maybe I'd be in Annandale in my room, talking to my girlfriend.

Be grateful, the voice rings in my head and I wish it would stop stop stop it. It's already got me in enough trouble as it is. Or maybe I've gotten into trouble because I don't listen to it.

"Anna, is that you?" A groggy voice sounds in the darkness before I flip the switch, pouring florescent light onto the situation.

On his side of the room, Max Wright is tangled up in his filthy bedsheets, groaning at the sudden change of scenery. A few meters away, a girl with pink hair is frantically pulling on her jeans.

"Jesus, Max." I hiss, instantly turning to face the wall instead of the semi-naked pixie.

"Actually, it's Emma." The girl snaps back at my roommate, "But you can call me... hmmm - never."

After a long minute, I'm ready to smack Max in the back of the head. He knew I was going to be coming back tonight, and yet organised a hook up anyway. I try to block out his whines at Emma to 'come back to bed, baby' and 'I'm sorry, Anna is the name of my... sister'. Really? That's the best he can come up with?

Someone taps on my shoulder and I spin around, taken aback. I stare about two feet down at a girl with more piercings than I can count. Easy is the first word that comes to mind when I see the look in her eyes.

"You're cute," She pulls up her bra, showing a little less cleavage than I think she intends to. "I'm in room 481 if you need."

I give her my best 'not interested' expression. "I'm also taken."

She smirks bitterly, "Sweetie, so am I."

When she leaves, I throw my backpack on top on Max's unmoving body with a thunk. Instantly, there's a shout of objection and the boy sits up, rubbing his eyes with his pale fists. His dark hair is flying in every direction, too long and too in my face. When he finally sees my murderous expression, he gives me a blank look. "What?"

"What's wrong with you?" I practically shout, which he cringes at. I bet sleep feels nice, asshole. "You knew I was coming back tonight and you still brought her back here? It's pathetic."

He rolls his dark eyes, pouting. "You were off in Wonderland, getting it on with your girl! Why shouldn't Max be allowed to have any fun?"

I make a sound of disgust, clenching and unclenching my fists. It makes me sick that he would describe my relationship with Tori like that. It's not at all like that.
I inwardly flinch at the subject. It's touchy, and definitely uncharted territory. Not something I would ever talk about with the likes of Max.

"Shut up, go to sleep." I bark, ripping away my bag and stomping toward my own bunk.

"Trying," He snaps.

I hastily unpack and climb into bed. I stare at the alarm clock, unable to fall asleep. 00:03.

I can't keep my mind off the girl six hundred miles away, probably sleeping soundly right now. I said goodbye too soon and now I'm wondering if I can maybe catch a return flight and call in sick to practice. For one more day. And then life goes on after one more day. And I have to end up back here at some point, always at one point because I really believe that at this point this scholarship is the only thing keeping my mother's heart beating right now.

I think about falling into those pools of honey and am instantly reminded of what plagued her when I first met her. Two years ago, Vic had moved in next door to me, all long legs and chocolate waves and cheekbones. And then I met her.

You know, in the locker room, Alex would sometimes bring up his infamous little sister. He would talk about how she moved away with his mother and pretended they didn't exist. I never put much thought to it before, but he talked about her a lot. He obviously had some issues with her. He would tell us about her visits and how tall she was getting and how she looked like Adam, even when we all just stared back dumbly and disinterested.

All I heard was that she may have been cute. And I was always a little disappointed that my parents took me out to California to visit the family come summertime.

And then one day, he told Dylan what had happened. He didn't seem all that affected by it, to be honest. I overheard fragments of scenarios about his mother committing suicide and that his baby sister was being shipped to Annandale in a crate marked Fragile. I didn't think about how cute she was going to be after that. I thought about her moving in with a bunch of strangers and not knowing anyone that wasn't in the ground.

So, like that naturally charismatic, loveable guy I am, I tried to be friendly to her. I didn't want to get too friendly, in case Alex somehow got me kicked off the team, but I was nice enough.

And boy, she was cute. She was more than cute; she was gorgeous. You know how hard it is to just be friendly with someone like that?

Turns out I didn't have to be friendly for long before she blew her temper. At that point, sweet and innocent was thrown out the window of her shabby room. She was sarcastic, rude, immature and extremely irritating. I think she lived to annoy me.

She still does.

But somehow, I fell in love with her. Her smile, her laugh, her brain, her thoughts, her.

Love, it always seems like such a big word until you're in it. After that it seems so impossibly small, insignificant, meaningless. Surely there has to be more to this than just 'love'.

I think that's how you know it's real. When you can stay up until you're alarm goes off at 03:59am, trying to describe the enormity of your feelings for her.

04:00am.

And one more day begins again.

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My mid-week update, just to make sure I FAIL EVERY SUBJECT EVERY, OH MY GOD I HAVE A PROBLEM