Status: In progress
Something I Need
Keira
The meeting with Lena had gone amazingly well, and I was actually growing excited for the project. We had decided on focusing on the role of women in Ancient Rome, something that had no doubt been done before, but was still interesting. We had very similar ideas, and it seemed she would do her share of the work. I was pleased with the progress we had made over dinner, and was looking forward to meeting up with her again later in the week.
As soon as I got home, I pulled out my phone. I had kept it in my pocket on the walk home, debating the whole time whether or not I should text Brendan. I wanted to mention the incredible coincidence with Lena and her boyfriend, but I was stuck on the idea of being clingy. Maybe he didn't even want to hang out or talk to me anymore after we had had lunch. He hadn't made me feel like he didn't want to be friends, but I found that I was second-guessing myself anyway.
I nearly laughed as I took out my phone, setting my bag down on my bed. On my screen sat 2 texts: one from my mom, and one from none other than Brendan himself.
I answered my mom before opening the other message.
Hope your meeting went well
I smiled at myself, shaking my head at my previous antics.
It was great! Guess what?
It took two minutes for a text to come through.
What?
My partner for the project is Alex's girlfriend.
Chucky?? Another text came through right after. My roommate?
Galchenyuk, yeah. Weird, right?
Wow. Small world. I haven't actually met her yet. She nice?
Very. I paused before typing out another message, feeling incredibly nervous as I did so. She suggested all four of us hang out in the next few weeks. I sent it off quickly, without waiting to change my mind.
I set my phone down and hurried to get ready for bed. I felt silly, but I was anxious about what he would reply. Would he think I was suggesting a double date? Was I? I had no idea where these worries and thoughts were coming from. When I settled in bed fifteen minutes later, I took a breath before picking up my phone.
That'd be cool. Will talk to Chuck and let you know
I breathed a sigh of relief.
Okay! I'm headed to bed though.
Me too. Night
***
I spent the next couple of days researching a bit for the project and printing out notes for my classes the following week. I was exhausted already, and the semester had just begun.
On Sunday evening, I skyped with my parents. I hadn't told them yet about my chance encounter with Brendan. I knew the subject was bound to come up eventually, and so I opted to bring it up casually.
"Guess who I saw at the grocery store?"
"Who?"
"Brendan. Gallagher," I added after, though I could tell by the look on my mom's face that she knew who I meant.
"Oh!" She beamed. She had always liked Brendan. "How is he?"
"He's good. We had lunch, and-"
"You had lunch?" My mom looked at me knowingly through the screen, and I felt myself blushing.
"We're just friends, Mom-"
"Better be," I heard my dad call from the background, where he was seated on the couch. I couldn't help but laugh at that.
"Have you kept in touch?" My mom ignored my dad. "It would be good for you to know someone there, honey."
I tried not to roll my eyes at her concern. "Yeah, we text. Funny thing though," I said, quickly changing the subject. "My partner for my history project is Brendan's roommate's girlfriend."
***
It was Monday night when I got a sudden text from Brendan, asking if he could stop by. We had texted back and forth a little bit before then, but I knew he was busy focusing on hockey. So when I received the message asking if he could come by that night, I was pleasantly surprised.
As soon as I received his text saying he had arrived, I headed downstairs. I caught sight of him behind the glass door, all curls and a blue plaid shirt. I smiled and waved, pushing the door open so that he could come in. It was around 11:30, so the sign in attendant would still be there. I ushered him in towards the check in table, and after filling out the information, we headed down the hall.
"How are you?" I asked awkwardly as we walked.
"I'm good, I'm good." He seemed to be holding something back as he grinned, but I didn't push it. "You?"
"Exhausted. So many things to do already."
I unlocked my door and as we walked in, Brendan whistled. I laughed and shrugged.
"This is it."
The dorm I shared with Dani was more like a small apartment; the front door opened to a small kitchen, and then two separate doors led to each of our bedrooms. It was a pretty good set up, even though it was small.
"It's nice," he offered, and I laughed again, leaning against the counter as he shrugged his jacket off and hung it on the back of one of the chairs. He sat down on the chair, making himself right at home, and I stifled a grin. Brendan, on the other hand, couldn't keep his smile in.
He grinned up at me, and I raised an eyebrow.
"I made the team," he finally said. "I'm staying."
My jaw dropped, and I sat down across from him. "No way!" He nodded, the smile still huge on his face. I shook my head, a smile lighting up my face as well. "Holy crap, Brendan! Wow, that's incredible!" I hardly knew what to say. I knew he had been dreaming of this for so long.
"Thanks, Keira," he beamed. "I just found out tonight, after the game. I called my parents, then came straight here to tell you." He sat back in his chair, shaking his head. "I can't believe it."
"I'm proud of you, Bren," I said, before realizing what I had said. Was it weird to say that I was proud of him? And 'Bren'...? Where had that come from?
He didn't seem to notice. The smile on his face wouldn't leave. We sat there in silence for a while, before I finally spoke up again.
"Want a water or something?"
He shook his head. "No, thanks. I should probably head out. We get the morning off but I'm exhausted."
I nodded, and he stood up, stretching. He grabbed his coat, and we headed downstairs. I stepped outside with him for a minute, and he turned to me with a smile.
"Sorry for the quick visit," he laughed. "I just had to tell you."
I tried not to let those words affect me, but they insisted on repeating in my mind. I just had to tell you.
"It's not a problem," I smiled back. "I'm glad you came." I mentally kicked myself, hoping that didn't sound weird, either.
He didn't hesitate to hold his arms out for a hug. I melted into him, my arms wrapping around his middle. He smelled of pine needles and soap, and it was entirely too pleasant. My chin rested on his shoulder. All too soon it was over, and I was waving as he walked down the sidewalk to his car.
As I got ready for bed that night, I thought about the evening. I had set myself up for a bunch of embarrassing situations by blurting out things. What, Brendan gains a bit of muscle and lets his hair grow out a bit and I become a huge mess of awkward?
I sighed as I brushed my teeth, waving at Dani as she passed by the bathroom door and said hello on her way in from studying. I finished and headed into my room, collapsing on my bed.
As soon as I got home, I pulled out my phone. I had kept it in my pocket on the walk home, debating the whole time whether or not I should text Brendan. I wanted to mention the incredible coincidence with Lena and her boyfriend, but I was stuck on the idea of being clingy. Maybe he didn't even want to hang out or talk to me anymore after we had had lunch. He hadn't made me feel like he didn't want to be friends, but I found that I was second-guessing myself anyway.
I nearly laughed as I took out my phone, setting my bag down on my bed. On my screen sat 2 texts: one from my mom, and one from none other than Brendan himself.
I answered my mom before opening the other message.
Hope your meeting went well
I smiled at myself, shaking my head at my previous antics.
It was great! Guess what?
It took two minutes for a text to come through.
What?
My partner for the project is Alex's girlfriend.
Chucky?? Another text came through right after. My roommate?
Galchenyuk, yeah. Weird, right?
Wow. Small world. I haven't actually met her yet. She nice?
Very. I paused before typing out another message, feeling incredibly nervous as I did so. She suggested all four of us hang out in the next few weeks. I sent it off quickly, without waiting to change my mind.
I set my phone down and hurried to get ready for bed. I felt silly, but I was anxious about what he would reply. Would he think I was suggesting a double date? Was I? I had no idea where these worries and thoughts were coming from. When I settled in bed fifteen minutes later, I took a breath before picking up my phone.
That'd be cool. Will talk to Chuck and let you know
I breathed a sigh of relief.
Okay! I'm headed to bed though.
Me too. Night
***
I spent the next couple of days researching a bit for the project and printing out notes for my classes the following week. I was exhausted already, and the semester had just begun.
On Sunday evening, I skyped with my parents. I hadn't told them yet about my chance encounter with Brendan. I knew the subject was bound to come up eventually, and so I opted to bring it up casually.
"Guess who I saw at the grocery store?"
"Who?"
"Brendan. Gallagher," I added after, though I could tell by the look on my mom's face that she knew who I meant.
"Oh!" She beamed. She had always liked Brendan. "How is he?"
"He's good. We had lunch, and-"
"You had lunch?" My mom looked at me knowingly through the screen, and I felt myself blushing.
"We're just friends, Mom-"
"Better be," I heard my dad call from the background, where he was seated on the couch. I couldn't help but laugh at that.
"Have you kept in touch?" My mom ignored my dad. "It would be good for you to know someone there, honey."
I tried not to roll my eyes at her concern. "Yeah, we text. Funny thing though," I said, quickly changing the subject. "My partner for my history project is Brendan's roommate's girlfriend."
***
It was Monday night when I got a sudden text from Brendan, asking if he could stop by. We had texted back and forth a little bit before then, but I knew he was busy focusing on hockey. So when I received the message asking if he could come by that night, I was pleasantly surprised.
As soon as I received his text saying he had arrived, I headed downstairs. I caught sight of him behind the glass door, all curls and a blue plaid shirt. I smiled and waved, pushing the door open so that he could come in. It was around 11:30, so the sign in attendant would still be there. I ushered him in towards the check in table, and after filling out the information, we headed down the hall.
"How are you?" I asked awkwardly as we walked.
"I'm good, I'm good." He seemed to be holding something back as he grinned, but I didn't push it. "You?"
"Exhausted. So many things to do already."
I unlocked my door and as we walked in, Brendan whistled. I laughed and shrugged.
"This is it."
The dorm I shared with Dani was more like a small apartment; the front door opened to a small kitchen, and then two separate doors led to each of our bedrooms. It was a pretty good set up, even though it was small.
"It's nice," he offered, and I laughed again, leaning against the counter as he shrugged his jacket off and hung it on the back of one of the chairs. He sat down on the chair, making himself right at home, and I stifled a grin. Brendan, on the other hand, couldn't keep his smile in.
He grinned up at me, and I raised an eyebrow.
"I made the team," he finally said. "I'm staying."
My jaw dropped, and I sat down across from him. "No way!" He nodded, the smile still huge on his face. I shook my head, a smile lighting up my face as well. "Holy crap, Brendan! Wow, that's incredible!" I hardly knew what to say. I knew he had been dreaming of this for so long.
"Thanks, Keira," he beamed. "I just found out tonight, after the game. I called my parents, then came straight here to tell you." He sat back in his chair, shaking his head. "I can't believe it."
"I'm proud of you, Bren," I said, before realizing what I had said. Was it weird to say that I was proud of him? And 'Bren'...? Where had that come from?
He didn't seem to notice. The smile on his face wouldn't leave. We sat there in silence for a while, before I finally spoke up again.
"Want a water or something?"
He shook his head. "No, thanks. I should probably head out. We get the morning off but I'm exhausted."
I nodded, and he stood up, stretching. He grabbed his coat, and we headed downstairs. I stepped outside with him for a minute, and he turned to me with a smile.
"Sorry for the quick visit," he laughed. "I just had to tell you."
I tried not to let those words affect me, but they insisted on repeating in my mind. I just had to tell you.
"It's not a problem," I smiled back. "I'm glad you came." I mentally kicked myself, hoping that didn't sound weird, either.
He didn't hesitate to hold his arms out for a hug. I melted into him, my arms wrapping around his middle. He smelled of pine needles and soap, and it was entirely too pleasant. My chin rested on his shoulder. All too soon it was over, and I was waving as he walked down the sidewalk to his car.
As I got ready for bed that night, I thought about the evening. I had set myself up for a bunch of embarrassing situations by blurting out things. What, Brendan gains a bit of muscle and lets his hair grow out a bit and I become a huge mess of awkward?
I sighed as I brushed my teeth, waving at Dani as she passed by the bathroom door and said hello on her way in from studying. I finished and headed into my room, collapsing on my bed.
♠ ♠ ♠
xo