Page 117 of Collision
“Well, don’t worry about it. I already knew Thomas would be here.I saw him yesterday afternoon, and he told me. But I’m beginning to think that he won’t come after all. Maybe it’s better that way,” I lie. The truth is, I perk up every time I hear new voices coming from the hall.
“Oh, don’t despair,” Tiff says with a wave of her hand. “He always comes late to parties.”
I don’t have time to investigate further, because Alex calls out and invites us to join him at the pool, where he is playing water polo with some classmates. We sit on the edge, dangling our legs in the water, cheering every time they score a point. When the game is over, Alex approaches me.
“Did you see that shot?” he enthuses, resting his crossed arms on my lap.
“You were great,” I encourage him proudly. Alex sits beside me and we observe the chaos around us in silence for a while.
“So…” he says vaguely, “I heard there was a little commotion yesterday, on the fourth floor of the men’s dorm.” I immediately stop swinging my legs in the water.
“Really?” I ask, hoping Alex won’t notice the way my breathing just sped up.
He nods his head and keeps looking away from me.
“Apparently two girls were arguing in front of Collins’s room.”
I bite the inside of my cheek, nervous. “Oh, uh…seriously?”
“Yeah… So, I got curious and asked around a bit about who the girls in question were…and the description that emerged was pretty odd.”
“Odd h-how?” I stammer.
“Because one of the girls sounded a lot like you.”
“Me?”
“Yes, Nessy, you.”
“Why?”
“You tell me.”
I huff. “I have nothing to tell, Alex.” I shrug. “It wasn’t me.”
“Are you lying to your best friend?” he asks, draping a wet arm around my shoulders.
“Alex!” I groan, but that only seems to amuse him more and he pulls me tighter to him. “Okay, okay! It was me!” I admit, and only then does he free me.
Alex gives me a tender look. “You really wanna hurt yourself this time, don’t you?”
I shrug. “Apparently, I can’t help myself.”
“Tell me about it.”
“Where do I start?”
“Wherever you want.”
“Okay, but you’re not going to like it. It’s not like me…” I rub my palms on my thighs.
“How long has this been going on?” he prompts.
Sigh. “Since the night at Matt’s frat house.”
He gives me a disgruntled look.
“I know you think he was the one who came on to me, that he was using me, but it wasn’t like that, Alex. I had just learned the truth about Travis. He suggested I leave the party with him, but I was the one who said yes, I was the one who got drunk, and I was the one who insisted that he should…help me forget. As unlikely as it may seem to you, Thomas actually tried to reason with me, but I wouldn’t listen to him. I actually kind of…jumped him,” I admit in a shame-filled whisper.
