Page 42 of Don't Be in Love

His lips parted. “You haven’t been on the London Eye, and you’ve been here five months?

“It’s a giant spinning wheel of metal that’s eerily close to a body of water.”

“Have you done any of these things?”

My eyes snagged on the last line. He followed my gaze.Kiss a Brit. Blood crawled its way up my neck.

“I guess you can cross that last one off.” He scratched the back of his neck. “Especially if you’ve kissed any other—”

“I haven’t. Focusing on class only, as I’ve mentioned.”

He nodded, taking his bottom lip in between his teeth in thought.

Chirps and tweets from bugs against the windows were clearer now. An unhelpful audience that loudened our silence. I stood up from the floor. He followed.

“Well, this’ll be a good way to think about things that aren’t class.” His eyes darted to mine and then back down.

He handed me the laptop; I passed him his jacket. Then he picked up my bag and I checked my emails on my phone one more time. Our usual post-session ritual.

Part of me had missed it the past two weeks. But logic told me that it was simply a needed distraction from running around.

“Come on, I’ll walk you home,” he replied, pulling an umbrella out of his bag.

15

Don’t Learn About His Hobbies — Adelaide

“We most likely won’t be back until one because we have to meet my dads at their place first. Then we’ll head to the red carpet and the actual movie and after, well, the afterparty.” Sabrina was rambling.

She tended to ramble when she was nervous or guilty. Currently, it was the latter. Because looking at her roommate (me) who was dressed like the epitome of the Tired College Student (the flannel pajama pants and an over washed T-shirt uniform), made her feel like she should’ve tried harder to convince me to go.

“Brina.”

“Addy.”

“I. Am. Fine. I’m actually more than fine. I had my last midterm and now all I want to do is watch cocky people go on cringey dates and fight about whose villa is larger,” I explained before tediously pushing a bobby pin into her hair.

I tilted her head down to make sure the pins were parallel before letting her get up from the coffee table. Her light blond hair complemented the glittery lavender A-line dress, along with her iridescent eyeshadow and teardrop earrings. She looked like a gumdrop. A gumdrop with a frown.

“If you look at me like my dog died one more time—”

“But you’re going to be all alone. On a Friday night. In London! What if you need something and don’t know where to go?” she stressed.

“We’ve lived here since June! She’ll be fine!” Mia shouted from her room. “Addy loves to be alone, she’s like a little grandma.”

You crack down on homework and suddenly Summer Adelaide is forgotten and has become the grandma of the group.

“I really wouldn’t mind some time by myself,” I emphasized.

“You’re sure?” Brina whispered.

“Yes. Now you’re going to be late!”

She grabbed my wrist and read my watch. “Crap! We’ll see you later!” she shouted into my ear as she hugged me.

Mia gave me an enthusiastic wave before they were out the door. I watched the picture frames rattle on the walls before pushing myself off the couch.

“Time to start the night.” I slugged back a gulp of my milkshake as I shuffled into my bedroom with my slippers.