Ever Since

Bradley

Friday

"Underwood, you studying?" Chad says leaning against the doorframe to my room day drinking as usual.

"No, I'm just doing stats for fun" I snap.

"I was kidding around, man you're on edge lately" He says and sits on the edge of bed.

"I'm fucking stressed, man. I have to pass this or else I'm done with football"

"You'll pass, don't worry. Get you a tutor or some shit or some need to copy off of"

"Yeah, maybe I will" I lie not wanting to tell him about Loren.

"Anyway, don't forget we have my brothers frat party tonight" Chad says and leaves the room. "So we're pre gaming soon"

Now that Loren is in my head again, I can't concentrate.

"Yeah, dude I remember"

I look at my phone and think to call her for help I don't really need at this level. Honestly, when I actually started coming to class and doing the extra homework Loren makes me, I can really ace this.

I hear my phone buzzing on the floor, dancing around on vibrate. Loren.

"Hey" I say a little too happily.

"Hi... You called me?" Loren whispers.

"Yeah... I need help with something here" I say nervously.

"I can't do this right now"

"No, freshman" I almost beg. "You have to help me"

There's a long pause and I almost think she hung up.

"Can you come over please?" I say even though it's a stretch she'll say yes.

She lets out a long breathe and puts me on mute.

"I'll be over in an hour" she says flatly.

"Where are you going in an hour?" I hear someone say.

"Who was that?" I say cleansing my jaw.

"No one, I'll be the—"

"Hey brother, listen, stop calling Loren" Ben says.

"Get her here in an hour tops or no cash" I say threateningly.

"Fine. But I'm thinking of raising the bar a little, for old time sake" Ben says hinting at a dark time from the past.

"Get her here. Now!" I yell and hang up.

I clean up my room a bit from the massive amount of clothes on the floor. I make my bed since I don't have a study here well, because I don't study at all. I open the window above my bed to get some fresh air in and smoke out.

Before I know it, the door flies open.

"Ever heard about knocking?" I say to Loren who just walks in my room.