The More Boys I Meet
Thirty Two
It was early December and I was juggling work, school, sleep, and a social life which was kind of new to me. So I did what any other college kid would do. I gave up the whole notion of sleeping.
“Hey!” I greeted Pat as I picked up the phone.
“So,” he started awkwardly.
“What?” I asked, walking to my next class.
“Did you watch the game last night?” he asked.
“No,” I said regretfully. “I was hanging out with Alice and then writing a paper and I haven’t had time to check the score. Who won?”
“Oh you know. They did. Okay. Bye,” he said and hung up. I stared at the phone and shook my head of it. I really needed to concentrate on English first.
After class, I called Pat but his phone was either dead or off, which was really weird. He rarely let his phone die and I don’t think he has ever turned it off.
I called Viktor, but he wasn’t answering either and so I called Marcus. He picked up on the last ring. “Hi,” he said. That was it.
I got up to my room and threw my bag on the floor. “Hi?” I said back. “That’s all?”
“What’s up?” he asked.
“Okay stop it!” I was getting angry. “First Pat calls and it was weird. Then he doesn’t pick up when I call him back. Viktor won’t pick up and the best you can do is hi?”
“I added on the what’s up,” he told me.
“I’m hanging up now,” I said and waited two seconds.
“Fine!” he groaned. “The game wasn’t so great.”
I sighed mentally. “Care to elaborate there?”
“Viktor may or may not have gotten slightly hurt,” he said.
“What?!” I shrieked. “Hurt? How bad? Put him on! You idiots I will kill you all for doing this! You never tell me who’s hurt and it’s only going to get you hurt more!”
“I think I should get brownie points for telling you,” he said simply. “Pat turned off his phone and Viktor left it at your house,” he said snidely.
I sighed, rubbing my temples. “I’ll be home next week for Christmas.”
“You’re not coming home this weekend?” he sounded surprised. And slightly disappointed.
I sighed. “I can’t. I have way too much to do this weekend. I have to work and study and Alice and I are going to a concert on Sunday.”
“Oh okay,” he got really quiet all of a sudden.
“I’m sorry,” I said as I picked at my blanket. “I wish I could.”
“I could come pick you up,” he tried.
“As much as I would love that, I still have too much here.”
He was quiet for a minute. “I have to go,” he muttered and hung up.
And I felt extremely guilty for having a life right there. I sighed and fell back onto my bed. I reached for the nearest pillow and screamed into it until my voice was hoarse. I knew Marcus was upset I wasn’t coming home. I knew Pat and Viktor would probably be disappointed too. And so was I.
“Hey!” I greeted Pat as I picked up the phone.
“So,” he started awkwardly.
“What?” I asked, walking to my next class.
“Did you watch the game last night?” he asked.
“No,” I said regretfully. “I was hanging out with Alice and then writing a paper and I haven’t had time to check the score. Who won?”
“Oh you know. They did. Okay. Bye,” he said and hung up. I stared at the phone and shook my head of it. I really needed to concentrate on English first.
After class, I called Pat but his phone was either dead or off, which was really weird. He rarely let his phone die and I don’t think he has ever turned it off.
I called Viktor, but he wasn’t answering either and so I called Marcus. He picked up on the last ring. “Hi,” he said. That was it.
I got up to my room and threw my bag on the floor. “Hi?” I said back. “That’s all?”
“What’s up?” he asked.
“Okay stop it!” I was getting angry. “First Pat calls and it was weird. Then he doesn’t pick up when I call him back. Viktor won’t pick up and the best you can do is hi?”
“I added on the what’s up,” he told me.
“I’m hanging up now,” I said and waited two seconds.
“Fine!” he groaned. “The game wasn’t so great.”
I sighed mentally. “Care to elaborate there?”
“Viktor may or may not have gotten slightly hurt,” he said.
“What?!” I shrieked. “Hurt? How bad? Put him on! You idiots I will kill you all for doing this! You never tell me who’s hurt and it’s only going to get you hurt more!”
“I think I should get brownie points for telling you,” he said simply. “Pat turned off his phone and Viktor left it at your house,” he said snidely.
I sighed, rubbing my temples. “I’ll be home next week for Christmas.”
“You’re not coming home this weekend?” he sounded surprised. And slightly disappointed.
I sighed. “I can’t. I have way too much to do this weekend. I have to work and study and Alice and I are going to a concert on Sunday.”
“Oh okay,” he got really quiet all of a sudden.
“I’m sorry,” I said as I picked at my blanket. “I wish I could.”
“I could come pick you up,” he tried.
“As much as I would love that, I still have too much here.”
He was quiet for a minute. “I have to go,” he muttered and hung up.
And I felt extremely guilty for having a life right there. I sighed and fell back onto my bed. I reached for the nearest pillow and screamed into it until my voice was hoarse. I knew Marcus was upset I wasn’t coming home. I knew Pat and Viktor would probably be disappointed too. And so was I.