Page 49 of The Very First Night

I refuse to breathe life into that possibility, so I just continue to glare at Jenna. “Yes.”

Tanner reappears next to me, grabbing his backpack off the back of his chair. “I just noticed the time; I have a class in Taylor Hall in fifteen. I’ll text you later, okay?” He looks down at me with anticipation.

“Okay,” I respond quietly.

Tanner says goodbye to Jenna and hurries out of the diner.

Jenna gives me another look.

“Shut up,” I growl.

TWENTY-THREE

KAT

If I didn’t just fail that exam, I will be surprised beyond measure.

Okay, that was a bit dramatic, but I will genuinely be shocked if I get anything better than a C. Despite dreading receiving that grade, I am relieved that this means the semester is now over.

Due to a freak rainstorm nearly flooding campus last weekend, Flash Fest was pushed to this Friday. What is typically a moment to let loose right before finals week will now be an opportunity for a final hurrah before people leave for the summer.

Flash Fest is an outdoor concert held on campus every year and, while the bands are seldom my taste, it’s still a lot of fun. Last year, Third Eye Blind came, which was kind of iconic.

I find myself excited as I walk back to my dorm room because, for the first time in a week and a half, I get to see Elijah. I can’t say things have gotten better, but I just know that if we spend some time together, he’ll sort out his feelings.

The air is thick and humid with the heat soaring well above ninety degrees. The sudden heat wave has left me dreading the long months ahead, wondering if this is just a glimpse of the punishing summer to come. If it’s hot here, it will more than likely be hot back home.

Sweat beads on my forehead and trickles down my back, reminding me that I am at the mercy of this blistering sun. Normally, I enjoy strolling across campus, but between my exam having been all the way in Franklin Hall and the sweltering heat, I can’t help but yearn for the mediocre air conditioning in my dorm room. Even though it’s old and not very efficient, it’s still much more bearable than my current situation.

I can’t help but let my mind travel back to that night in the fall when the air conditioning at the Lambda house was broken—when I spent the night with Elijah anyway just because I wanted to spend time with him. Everything seemed so much simpler back then—back when my biggest concern in my relationship was his unsubstantiated concern about Tanner.

As I stroll across campus, my eyes glaze over and I barely register the excited chatter. I can’t help but wonder if any of this was worth it. I might not be able to remember what happens in the future, but I sure as hell know that all of this must have been something I was trying to stop from happening.

Isn’t that the way it always goes? The more you want to prevent something from happening, the quicker it comes to fruition? Or maybe I messed it up even more this time around.

As I unlock the door to my dorm room, I hear faint music seeping out from Jenna’s room. Inside, she is curled up on her bed with a thick textbook lying open in front of her. Her eyes are focused intently on the page as she scribbles notes in the margin. She had mentioned having an exam for her psychology class today, but part of me assumed she would be cramming at Marcus’s place.

“What time is your exam?” I ask.

“Three-thirty,” she responds without looking up from her textbook. “I think I’ll be fine. I’m just trying to cram a little bit more information in before I head over there.”

I look down at my phone to see that her exam starts in about forty-five minutes, but that doesn’t explain her being here.

“What’s Marcus up to today?”

When her eyes meet mine, you would almost think I struck her. “He has two exams today, why?” she asks.

I start going through the contents of my bag, mentally cataloging what books I should try to sell back to the campus bookstore. “Don’t know; you just haven’t been around much.”

I expect her to get cagey about it, so when the words tumble out of her mouth, I look up at her.

“I’m sorry,” she says quietly, her head hanging in shame. “I’ve been a really shitty friend.”

“No, you haven’t?—”

“I have,” Jenna interrupts. “I’ve been so wrapped up in stuff with me and Marcus that I completely missed how you’ve been feeling…with Elijah.”

Her comment catches me off guard.

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