The Middle | ✔️

Chapter 48

Jamie

"Hands down, this is the best day I could ever remember, always remember the sound of the stereo..."

I'm driving along with my music turned up to the max, singing along to Dashboard Confessional and feeling positive. I'm gonna see Erin soon. I'm gonna be completely honest about the reality of my situation with Noah. I'm gonna feel better. This was a good decision.

When I finally arrive in the City, I thank my lucky stars that my car has a built in Sat Nav system, because I would have no fucking clue how to navigate my own way around New York. It's evening now, and the sun is just starting to set, but the place is still hectic with traffic and people. They don't call it the city that never sleeps for no reason, huh?

I park up in a parking lot near the NYU dorms, grab my overnight back, and take my very first step on NYC soil. I take a deep breath. I think I'm gonna like it here. The distance from North Bridge alone is making me feel better.

Once at the dorms, I call Erin and she buzzes me up. Some guy asks me if I wanna 'smoke' in the elevator, I politely decline. When I approach Erin's dorm room, I see that the door is standing open. She's ready for me. I step inside, and immediately I drop my bag and feel my knees buckle as she tackles me onto a bed.

"I'm so fucking happy to see you!" She exclaims, as I push her off of me and laugh.

"Really? Doesn't seem like it." I say.

"Oh my god, look at you! You haven't changed at all." She takes in my Foo Fighters t-shirt, ripped skinny jeans and vans. Just the usual look, really.

She's already wearing her pyjamas, and as I look past her and take in her roommate Sarah properly for the first time, I notice that Sarah is also wearing pyjamas. Looks like we're having a wine night. Fine by me.

"Hi Jamie, I'm Sarah. Nice to meet you, Erin never shuts up about you." Sarah offers me her hand, how formal.

"Nice to meet you too, I haven't heard much about you but you can tell me all about yourself tonight." I shake her hand and look around the dorm. "can I assume it's wine and movie night?"

"You know it. Dirty Dancing or Ghost?" Erin says with a big smile.

"You pick." I laugh, walking over to the coffee table and helping myself to a pre-poured glass of rose wine. There are three, so I know one is mine. "Damn, that tastes good."

"So, what made you suddenly decide to drive to New York for the first time in your life, on a random Monday?" Erin raises her eyebrows as we sit down on the sofa opposite the TV and coffee table. Sarah sits down on her bed.

"It's kind of a long story." I take a sip of my wine, followed by a deep breath, "But I do wanna talk about it, I think it'll help."

Sarah smiles at me kindly, before standing up off of her bed again. "I'm gonna run downstairs for a smoke."

"You don't have to leave, I don't mind." I tell her. I don't wanna kick her out of her own dorm room.

"No, honestly, I wanna go for a smoke anyway. I'll be quick." She assures me, picking up her purse.

"I might join you..." Erin says, looking at me with extremely guilty eyes.

"Uh, excuse me, I thought you quit!?" I ask her, only slightly annoyed. She can smoke all she wants, just don't lie about it.

"I tried, I swear, but Sarah smokes too so, it hasn't been easy." Erin rubs the back of her neck.

"Hey, keep me out of this!" Sarah says, "You can make your own decisions, you've had absolutely no peer pressure from me whatsoever."