Amelia: Sorry, B. Was supposed to be the four of us. Didn’t know Luke would tag along.

Bailey: Right.

Amelia: Plus, I mean…it is my place too.

Bailey: Good point. In that case, I’ll invite Lauren over to watch The Bachelor next week.

So what if it was petty? Lauren was a fellow journalism major I’d met my freshman year during my Introduction to Online Media class. But more importantly, Lauren and Paul dated shortly before he met Amelia, and according to my brother, Paul had been completely and madly enamored with her. Legend has it he cried and refused to leave his room for a week, even to shower, when Lauren dumped him.

Needless to say, Lauren was a major sore spot for Amelia, who had never invoked such a strong emotional reaction in Paul herself. Amelia once threatened to break up with him in the midst of a fight, and he’d simply shrugged and said, “If you feel you need to, go ahead.”

I flopped onto my bed and scrolled social media in search of distraction, but all the highlight reels only made me feel worse. Smiling group shots, girls’ nights out, and happy couples were fresh reminders of everything I didn’t have. It didn’t help that Noelle was hostessing until close tonight and Zara had a date with some new guy from Tinder, effectively exhausting all my other friend options.

Normally, I would have enjoyed something like wandering around a bookstore solo for a while, but in light of the party downstairs that I hadn’t been invited to, even that seemed a little depressing.

Setting down my phone, I hopped off the bed and raided my closet. I changed into a nicer pair of black jeans and a cute gray sweater. I felt less shlubby, but I was still trapped in my room. I desperately wanted to get out of the house and take my mind off things for a while—and I didn’t want to do it alone.

There was only one other person I could think of.

It was crazy. One hundred percent certifiable. But it was still better than being here.

And maybe, just maybe, I wanted the excuse.

Bailey: SOS

Chase: SOS? Silk Or Satin?

Chase: Personally, I’m a fan of both

Bailey: Carter.

Chase: James.

Bailey: I’m being serious. I’m trapped in my room and I need help.

Chase: You know the lock is on the inside, right?

Bailey: Yes, smartass. But Amelia invited people over to our place and Luke showed up with them.

Chase: awkward.gif

Bailey: At this point, I might climb the fire escape to get away.

Chase: Just left an evening lecture. Wanna hang?

Bailey: Sure.

Chase: I can be there in 20.

Chase: But use the front door, James. We don’t need your clumsy ass falling off the fire escape.

Bailey: Har-har.