The More Boys I Meet

I started classes but I found it harder to concentrate this year. All I wanted to do was have fun. Go out. Party with the boys. Go to the beach. Watch the boys play hockey. Be with Marcus. Wait what? It’s not like that kiss lead to anything more. After the phone call we both silently agreed to not speak about the incident. It was better that way.

I shook my head of those thoughts and concentrated on my math test. “Okay,” the professor clapped her hands. “Time to turn in the tests. See you Wednesday.”

My eyes widened in panic as I realized that I wasn’t finished. “Oh my God. I am going to kill his essence,” I whispered.

“Here,” a girl next to me pushed her test over and I didn’t think. I quickly copied the work for the last five and we handed in our tests.

Once out, I turned to the mysterious savior. She was about my height, blonde and very curly hair, big, brown eyes and she wore cut off jean shorts and a black tee shirt. She seemed relatively laid back. “Thank you so much.”

She smiled. “It’s okay. You looked pretty frazzled in there anyways. I figured some answers would help.”

I laughed and we made our way out of the building and into the sunshine. “Well thanks. I’m Ellie by the way.”

“Alice,” she held out her hand and I shook it. “What are you majoring in?”

“Secondary education with an emphasis on English. I’ve been putting off taking math for the past three years and now well, the first test and I’m already screwed. What about you?”

“Chemistry major. I need some more credits, so I thought another math class would be good for me.”

I shook my head. “Dear God woman. You’re crazy, you know that?”

She laughed. “So are you off campus?”

I nodded and gestured to the apartment building in the distance. “I’m the top floor studio.”

“I’m in the apartment right next to you, except in a one bedroom on the second floor,” she pointed at the neighbor apartment building. “You heading there now?”

I shrugged. “I’ve got nothing better to do.”

She smiled. “Cool.”

And just like that I made a new friend.

That Friday, Pat called and I told him all about Alice. “She’s really cool Pat. Not a slut, she’s nice, weird, and I’m teaching her about hockey.”

“And have you told her that you’re best friend is a star on the Blackhawks?” he asked, skeptical. And for good reason too. Rachel seemed nice, but really she wasn’t.

“She doesn’t believe me. She says that I’m schizophrenic.”

He laughed and I heard him talking to a few of the guys, probably telling them what I just told him. “Well bring her home,” was his response.

“I am actually. Over Thanksgiving break. Her family will be leaving ahead of time so she has nowhere to go.”

“This should be good. Does she know you’re in cahoots with another hockey player as well?” I could literally hear the eyebrow raise.

The thing was, I wasn’t worried. Too worried at least. Marcus wouldn’t say anything. And he had a cool demeanor. “In cahoots Pat?” I asked. “Really?” I shifted the phone to between my shoulder and ear as I tried to paint my toe nails a sparkly blue. “Who says that anyways and who told you we are in ‘cahoots’?”

“Stally,” he said, sounding slightly hurt. “And I say cahoots.”

I rolled my eyes. “He says a lot of things. What does Marcus say?”

He laughed again. “Nothing. He bangs his head on the ice and prays for death mostly.”

I held the phone in my hand and stared at it. “The thing is I’m not sure whether or not to believe you because that is a possibility with you idiots around.”

He sighed at me. “So are you actually coming home this Thanksgiving?” he sneered.

I rolled my eyes. “Yes Patrick. I promise I am coming home this year. We will be home the Monday before Thanksgiving. Is that good enough for you?”

“Yes,” he sniffed.

“Well good,” I scoffed. “Because we all know how I live to please you.”

“Bitch please,” he said. “If that happened, you wouldn’t have stolen my candy stash and BROUGHT IT FOUR HOURS AWAY!”

“Bye Pattycake,” I laughed and hung up, all the while popping a piece of Pat’s candy into my mouth.