Chapter 1
College
Towson University. After being dropped off and moved in by Natalie, things seemed a bit…boring. I had at least four classes, along with graphic design, which seemed to be the only thing that really interested me. I sighed, lying back on my twin bed before the door to my room opened and in walked Megan, my Alabama born 19-year-old roommate with such a southern accent that it made me smile hearing her talk.
“Megan, say ‘hoe dunk’” I said, smirking. She rolled her eyes at me and I chuckled before sitting up on my bed.
“No. You always make me say that” she replied. Megan put her notebooks on her desk and laid down on her own bed before slipping off her shoes.
“Professor Brooks was being such a dick today” she groaned into her pillow. “He’s always a dick” I shot back, looking over at her.
“Yeah well, he was more of a dick than usual today! He made me work with Kelley,” she mumbled. I cringed. Kelley was in the same class as us but no one ever wanted to work with her because the woman had no 'stop' button. She could talk and talk and talk for hours on end if you would let her.
Trust me, I knew. I had been a victim of her chatter when I stayed at her roommate Beth’s room one night because Megan had a “guest” in ours.
I felt my phone vibrate and dug it out of my pocket, smiling widely when I saw the name flashing on the front screen.
“Ohhh! I know that smile. Is that miss Natalie Hudson calling you again for like the 23rd time today?” she teased. “Yes it is” I played along. I answered my phone, pressing it against my ear.
“Megan sends her love.”
“Oh Meg! I love you too!” she exclaimed happily.
“Natalie! Love you! I know one day you’re going to leave Beck for me!” Megan yelled back. I shook my head at her and laughed with Natalie.
“I don’t know. Beck is kind of a keeper,” she said. “Thank you! See Megan, she loves me more,” I teased, sticking my tongue out at her.
Megan chuckled before rolling over in her bed to read her book.
“How’s things over there?”
“Over in University of Maryland?”
“Yeah, over in University of Maryland. Have you seen Lee around?”
“Yes. He’s got a lot of friends on campus already and he’s invited me to a few parties with him. Did I tell you he met a girl?”
I smiled at this but in the back of my mind, I kept thinking about Jessie. Three months after Lee and Natalie started college, Jessie and Lee broke up for good. Jessie knew things weren’t going to work out due to Jamie and there time together was over. Lee had been depressed about it for a month and didn’t speak to anyone but eventually he opened up again and I was glad to know he was playing the field.
Jessie told me that Mark and Chase took over ‘power to the players’ and were trying to enter the club in local gaming competitions.
I couldn’t be prouder of our little protégé.
“No, you didn’t. The last time we spoke, which was yesterday, you talked to me about my favorite person.”
“How can Nicholas be your favorite person? What about me, huh?”
“I love you. He’s just my favorite person”
“I swear, you spoil him rotten.”
“Ha. I know I do.”
Natalie laughed as I leaned back against the headboard.
“Jessie called me yesterday and Jamie was babbling the entire time. It was adorable. Chase had to come in and take her out of the room.”
“She’s gonna be a talker.”
Megan mumbled, “hopefully not like Kelley” before continuing her reading. I laughed at her words and heard Natalie saying my name repeatedly.
“Sorry, Red. Megan made a funny.”
“Oh, is that a first?”
“First of many, I believe.”
“I want to come see you.”
“When and where?”
“Really?”
“Of course. Why wouldn’t I want you here?”
“I just thought you would,I don’t know, be a bit stand-offish?”
“Stand-offish? Nat, I love you and I want to see you just as bad as you want to see me,”
“I love you too. I just don’t want you to feel like I’m-”
“Suffocating me?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, you’re not. I want to see you, Natalie and when I do see you...”
I looked around the room at Megan and sat up before whispering, “I’m going to show you just how close I want us to be.”
“Ohhh! Such a smooth talker” Megan teased, huskily. I blushed at her words as she giggled before walking over and sitting on my lap.
“Natalie, do you mind if I be your replacement for awhile?”
“Nooooo. Beck, don’t let her.”
“I don’t know. I think I might be able to bring Meg to the dark side" I teased, sliding my hand over Megan’s thigh.
“Beck, if Megan is on top of you again, I’m going to be pissed.”
I quickly pushed Megan off my lap with a ‘thud’ as she shrieked before catching herself on the edge of her bed.
I laughed with Natalie. “I was only kidding. Don’t kill Meg,” she exclaimed happily.
“You’re girlfriend’s mean to me," Megan yelled, pouting.
“You love it," I stuck my tongue out at her.
Megan climbed back on her bed. Natalie and I talked until Megan wanted to go to dinner and I told her I would call her back.
College life wasn’t really as bad as I thought it would be. I had an amazing roommate. I still talked to my friend’s from high school and I could see Natalie any time I wanted.
Life here was a dream. So, I always wondered, when’s it all gonna go down hill?
