Page 8 of Getting Lucky Number Seven

Try food on campus that you’ve never tried before.

Okay, this one’s too weak. It’s what I’ve already been doing, and by their definition of bucket list, I’m a total rebel.

Another search showed things I couldn’t afford to do, like go to Hawaii and study abroad—I mean, whodidn’twant to do those things? Awesome ideas, webpage, but first I’d need to win the lottery, and I’d spent too much time studying statistics to believe that’d ever happen. As Miles used to say, the lottery was just a tax on people who weren’t good at math.

I smiled at the memory of the first time he’d said it and I’d laughed, linking my fingers with his and thinking my boyfriend was smart and my kind of funny.Man, I miss him sometimes.

I shook my head.Focus, Lyla.

And then, like Goldilocks—or whatever the redheaded version of that was—I stumbled upon a list with items that were just right. The top suggestion took my number four spot.

4. Sing karaoke

I’d always wanted to do it, and had actually gone to a birthday party where they had a karaoke machine, but had chickened out. Beck was probably going to try to resist being the other half of my duet, but I’d feel much better with someone else than going solo, so I’d find a way to talk him into it.

Hmm, kiss a beautiful stranger is pretty much the same as my number three. Only that one sounds more poetic. Maybe I’ll change it to that.

Oh, dancing on a bar! That one might be a good one.

Or it might be humiliating.

But I’d already ruled out skipping class to have sex, and I needed to stop talking myself out of things and go for a few of them. So I added number five, with a sub goal, of course.

5. Dance on a bar. (Learn how to sexy dance, so I don’t make a fool of myself when the bar dancing happens.)

After a few more minutes, I added another one that had always appealed to me, but I’d never thought I could do.

6. Get a tattoo

It’d be something cute and feminine. Not too big, and something not many people saw. But it was definitely bold, so go me!

I skimmed the other items on the webpage, wondering if I should add anything more, but the knock at the door cut my search short. I quickly minimized my list.

Whitney stuck her head in my room. “Hey, I was wondering—whoa! Your hair!”

I shook out the thick fringe bangs and tugged one of the fiery strands in front of my face. The bright color still caught me off guard, but it also gave me a thrill every time I saw it. “What do you think?”

“It’s effing fabulous. It looks amazing with your skin tone, and those bangs and the long layers really add volume and style. I’m impressed. That took balls.”

My grin was probably way bigger than the situation allowed, but I did something bold. Me. Who knew I’d be so happy to be accused of having balls? “Thanks.”

“A group of us are going to grab food and then go bowling. Do you wanna come with?”

I bit my lip. “Is Colin going to be there?”

“Yeah. What happened with him the other night, anyway?”

I was too embarrassed to relay what the guy had said about me, especially to the flawlessly put together girl who wore outfits Barbie would be proud to rock and looked like she belonged in a sorority house. Since Kristen was in one, I was surprised Whitney wasn’t, actually. “I just don’t think he and I are a good fit. I’m going to pass tonight, but I swear I’m going to go out more.” Just not anywhere Colin was. There was bold, and then there was putting myself in a situation that’d destroy my limited confidence. That was the last thing I needed if I was going to go to a party in a couple of days.

Whitney leaned her hip against my doorframe, crossing one ankle over the other. “You know you can hang out with me and Kristen anytime you want, right? It makes me sad to think of you all by yourself studying while we’re out.”

That made me feel a bit like her pity project—she was a nice girl, her heart in the right place, but we didn’t have much in common. I’d met her through the roommate finder search on the Boston College housing site. She’d fit the two requirements I needed most. 1) She didn’t mind a cat, and 2) The rent she’d listed for the apartment was in my price range. Five months of living together and I still didn’t know much about her besides she went out a lot, and liked guys, and that the feeling was mutual. She could probably teach me a lot about confidence and flirting, but again, if I had to deal with Colin on outings, it wasn’t worth it.

“Don’t worry about me. I’ve got Einstein to keep me company tonight.” I patted his head and he snuggled his nose deeper into my sweater. “And like I said, I have plans this weekend—Beck and I are going to a party.”

“Beck. Good choice.” Whitney got a dreamy look on her face, no doubt picturing him now. He’d only been here a handful of times, mostly to pick me up—he was allergic to Einstein, so he could never stay long. But that was all it took for my roommate to crush on him. As soon as I suspected he might not be totally uninterested in Whitney’s come-ons, I’d asked him if he could please refrain from sleeping with her. I didn’t need the extra drama, and he had a ton of other options, so I didn’t think it was an unfair request.

But the way Whitney said his name made me wonder if I was being unfair to her.No, I’m saving her the hump and dump treatment. Plus she’s been with what’s-his-face a lot over the past few weeks, and even if that doesn’t work out, it’s not like she’s ever had any shortage of male attention.

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