Page 128 of Study Buddies

“Me too,” Mia said, and then she blushed. “I mean, I’m glad you’re happy too, even though you didn’t mean to tell me.” She paused, shaking her head. “I still can’t believe that this is a thing that women our age do. Not judging! I’d just never heard of it before.”

“I hadn’t either, but maybe it’s a little more common than we know?” Hailey pondered.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

Hailey shot me a look as if I was being obtuse. “Well, you live with three men, too.”

“That’s totally different,” I said over Mia’s gasp. “It was just because I needed a place to stay.”

“Yeah, and now there are four of you in a two-bedroom house, if I’m not mistaken. Is Kyle the only one you’ve been on a date with?”

My mouth shut as Mia stared at me. “I thought maybe you were with Jayden. I mean, he sure talks about you a lot.”

“We’re friends,” I said. At least friends who sometimes slept next to each other or had long, intimate conversations while pressed against each other on a hammock.

“And are you… friends with the other two guys?” Mia asked, her eyes wide.

“Yes.” I held up a hand before either of them could say anything. “But it’s not the same. We’re just roommates. And even if I wanted them to be more, it’s not like your guys, Hailey. Two of them hate each other.”

“Oh. That sucks,” Hailey said. “And it must make things uncomfortable at their house.”

I nodded. I hated the way Lucas and Kyle argued, but other than that, I really liked spending time with all three of them.

Hailey turned to Mia. “So, what’s your story? Are you by any chance living with a bunch of hot guys?”

Mia laughed. “Definitely not. I share a room with my sister, Sara. Although that’s only for two more weeks. I don’t know much about what happens after that.”

That was such an odd statement that I had to know more. Maybe that was okay, though, since she already knew some very private things about Hailey and me. “What do you mean?”

“Ever heard of the Stepping Stones program they have here?” Mia asked.

Hailey scrunched her nose as she thought. “I think I’ve heard of it. It’s for new students, right?”

“Yes. It’s a six-week program, and they provide extra support, like workshops, special advisors, and extra academic help. Sara and I are part of it because we grew up in the foster care system, so, you know, we moved around a lot and couldn’t always put school first.” She sighed. “That’s why I went to a community college last year—both to save up money and also try to strengthen my academic skills.”

I wasn’t quite sure what to say to that. Mia had mentioned before that she’d had five different foster moms. I didn’t know about the rest of her family. “That’s great that you and your sister are in it together. I didn’t really make any friends here until I met Hailey last year.”

“Yeah, it’s been wonderful.” Mia’s eyes lost their focus, and I could sense a ‘but’ coming. “But… well, it’s been a while since I lived with Sara. We were placed with the same family for three years, starting when I was twelve and she was eleven. But then they adopted a pair of younger kids, and we got split up.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Hailey murmured, and I nodded.

“We were so excited when we both got into Langley and into the program. And it’s great being her roommate, but… well, it’s been about four years since we last lived together, and things feel a little different now.”

“How so?” I asked.

Mia shrugged it off. “It’s probably normal. I mean, we’re at college now, we’re adults. I can’t expect it to be like when we were younger and swapped makeup tips. Or stayed up all night talking about boys.”

Hailey grinned. “Well, now you can talk about boys with us, too.”

Mia’s smile lit her face up. “That’s right, I can. Although I really want to see pictures of all of your roommates. They sound hot.”

“They are.” I grinned.

“I mean, I already know Jayden is,” Mia said. “Not that I’m interested in him! It’s just, you know, I have eyes.”

“I understand.”

“Wait, you said that Stepping Stones program is for six weeks. So what happens when it’s over?” Hailey asked.

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