Page 35 of Clichés & Curses

The best thing about living with someone after a while is how you get into a routine of things subconsciously. When we had started living together off-campus last year, and midterms week was coming up, I had simply decided to cook dinner for the bothof us throughout the week, as I had more free time in my hands than Nina. But the grateful look she gave me every day that week had made me realize how that small act of kindness might have meant more to her than it did to me. When midterms results were released, the first thing she did was hug me, thanking me countless times as the results from each new class came out one by one. She never really said what she was thanking me for, but I’m pretty sure I got the message. Since then, it became a norm for me, with us celebrating the end of midterms week by eating at the same place we were sitting in that moment then.

The Chinese restaurant had opened just a week after we started our freshman year, and we had been frequent customers ever since. Once the waitress put our food down on the table, we instantly dug in. I let out a moan once the taste hit my tongue—the mix of spices perfectly blended in the fried rice.

‘I have been looking forward to this since Monday,’ I told Nina, once I swallowed down that first spoonful.

She nodded her head. ‘Me too. This is honestly what kept me going this week.’ Using her spoon, she pointed at her plate of rice and her sweet and sour chicken. ‘The promise of good food.’

‘Nothing beats good food.’ It was true, nothing does. We actually wrote down ‘close to good food’ as one of the requirements when we were choosing an apartment building—even with our last one. We had really lucked out with the place we chose, considering how the area was surrounded by numerous restaurants.

We continued eating in silence, enjoying our celebratory meal of the week, with me trying to figure out how to break the news of my date with Aiden.

‘Anyway,’ I started. ‘I need your help for tomorrow.’

‘Sure. What’s happening tomorrow?’

‘I’m going on a date.’

Nina instantly stopped chewing her food, her eyes widened in shock.

‘What?’ I narrowed my eyes at her, alarmed by her unexpected reaction.

Once she swallowed down her food and took a sip of her drink, she asked, ‘With Colton?’

‘What?’ I repeated, even more confused. ‘No, with Aiden. Why would it be with Colton?’

‘Aiden?’ she questioned, raising an eyebrow. ‘You mean, the one living with the track team Aiden?’

I nodded. ‘Yes, that Aiden.’

‘I didn’t know you liked Aiden.’

‘I mean I don’tnotlike Aiden,’ I replied. ‘But he seems like a nice guy.’

There was a slight pause before she said, ‘Then, what about Colton?’

‘What about Colton?’ I questioned it back to her, failing to see how Colton fit into this.

‘I mean, you like Colton. I just don’t understand why you’re going out with Aiden,’ she explained.

Still failing to see the relevancy. I tried explaining in bullet points, ticking off each item with a finger. ‘First off, Aiden actually asked me out. It’s hard to go out with someoneaka Coltonwho didn’t ask me out. Second, yes, I do like Colton but we’re just friends. And third, why are you so surprised that I’m going on a date with Aiden? I’ve been on dates before when my crush on Colton was still ongoing.’

‘That was different. Back then it was a passive crush, based on his looks and his star athlete reputation,’ Nina started explaining. ‘But I don’t think it’s a passive crush any more with how much time you’re spending together.’

‘What do you mean exactly?’

‘What I mean is, your crush on Colton, a few semesters ago, was based on a fantasy—like mine used to be on Miles. It was all in our heads, because we didn’t know them. We made up the romantic scenarios ourselves and just put their faces on it. So, of course, I didn’t question you going on dates before. But now, you actually know Colton, and I’m damn sure you’re liking the real person a lot more.’

I scoffed. ‘How can you possibly know that?’

‘You’re happier on Wednesdays,’ Nina pointed out. ‘At first, I thought maybe something good happened on that one random Wednesday but then I noticed it every week. There was a certain happiness in you. Once you told me about the practice sessions you had with Colton, that’s when I realized it’s because of him.’

My breath hitched. I didn’t know if this was one of those moments where having an observant roommate was a blessing or a curse.

‘Okay fine. Yes. I like Colton, more now than I did before,’ I admitted. There was no point in denying it, when it was true. ‘But we’re just friends and it’s not like he likes me back.’

Nina just raised an eyebrow. ‘Really, Clara? You cannot be that oblivious.’

I just stared at her confused.

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