The Heartbreak Hypothesis

23 - revelations and zoning

A warm breeze drifted in from my window, playing with the blonde hair I'd just curled. The sky was turning pink and orange behind the buildings framing the horizon, casting a pretty glow over my room.

I stood from my makeshift vanity table at my desk, running a finger along my curled eyelashes to rid them of any excess mascara. I'd opted for my signature look—a form-fitting bodysuit paired with a short black skirt, completed with suede boots and tights. The tights were torn, of course. What from my old life wasn't? But I'd looked up Rocky's online, and I felt as if my grungy, distressed aesthetic would actually help me fit in for once.

My appraisal was interrupted by a light knock at my door. Frowning, I walked over to open it.

And was greeted by the sight of Holly.

She wasn't wearing a mirage of color for once. She looked less like Holly and more like Ivy. Like me, she was wearing all-black—a low-cut dress synched at the waist, paired with high-top platform Converse and a deep burgundy lip.

One word that I never thought I'd describe Holly as was sexy. She was beautiful. Cute and bubbly. But sexy? Still, hovering in the hall outside of my dorm, her curves proudly on display, that was the word that immediately came to mind.

Hopeful butterflies were spinning in my stomach. If she'd gone to that much effort to look like that, then perhaps there was hope for her and Dex after all. And, therefore, hope for my assignment. After all, what girl tries to look sexy in front of a guy she's not interested in?

After my phone call with Dex, I just hoped that he was still interested in her.

"Holly," I greeted, slightly startled. As far as I was aware, I was meeting her and the guys at Rocky's. "Is everything okay?"

She beamed back, not a hint of anything but excitement on her face. "Totally. I just thought we could head over to the club together. Is that okay?"

"I thought Dex was driving you over?"

"He was, but I told him to go ahead without us. I thought we could use some girl time."

"Oh." I tried to mirror her smile, swiveling around and stuffing my phone into my purse. I couldn't help but feel a hint of irritation. How was Holly and Dex not spending time with one another going to bring them closer together?

Maybe this is a good thing, I told myself as I grabbed my keys and joined her in the hall. If the kiss was lackluster for love-sick, eternal optimist Dex, then there was a good chance that it was for Holly as well. By the sounds of things, he wasn't the only one that needed a pep talk. Perhaps that was the real reason why Holly had suggested we drive over together; she needed a girl's opinion. Some reassurance, just like the night in the guesthouse.

I didn't know when I'd become a relationship expert. Maybe about the same time my life started falling apart. A hypothesis for another day.

I let Holly plug her phone into the aux of our Uber on the way to the club—mostly because Ivy was still blowing mine up with an avalanche of texts. I supposed she was finally getting around to actually starting her essay and, like me, was realizing that nothing concrete was happening on the Dex-and-Holly front. Which made it all the more alarming that during mine and Holly's ride to the gig, there was one topic that was noticeably obviously absent from our discussion: Dex.