Ryan continued to pretend, walking me to lunch, to classes, and back and forth from my room. He was the perfect boyfriend; he opened doors, brought late night brain food, and he even rubbed my shoulders while quizzing me on study guides. A part of me wondered if he was trying so hard because he knew the end of the week meant the end of pretending, and he hoped I would change my mind.

Beth and Chad found an apartment, and some of her things were already packed in boxes. A sad air befell the room when we were both in it, surrounded by cardboard. The walls looked empty and clinical without her teddy bears and tiaras displayed on the walls and ribbons dripping from the shelves.

Thursday night, occasional cracks of thunder rattled the windows. The rain beat against the window in a heavy gust, and Beth sighed at her carefully highlighted textbook. I slammed my book shut and put a CD in the stereo, twisting the volume knob as high as it would go.

“What are you doing?” Beth yelled over the music.

I jumped up and down, holding my hands out to her. “It’s our last night as roomies, roomie! We’re sending you out in style!”

Beth giggled and stood up, grabbing my hands and shaking her hair to the beat as we bounced together. After a few songs, a loud banging resounded from the door. I shimmied over to open it, laughing when I saw Kim’s smiling face.

“Sounds like a party!” she yelled, holding up two six packs of cheap beer. “I come bearing gifts!”

“Woo!” Beth squealed. Her hair flapped about as she danced in her bare feet.

Before I’d finished my first can, another knock on the door revealed a rather wet and confused Ryan, who cringed at the volume of the stereo.

“What are you doing?” Ryan yelled. A wide grin stretched across his face as he watched us bounce.

“It’s our impromptu going away party for Beth!” I yelled back.

“Cool! I’ll make phone calls!” Ryan exclaimed, pulling out his cell phone.

Within twenty minutes, our room was shoulder to shoulder with our entire study group, plus a few girls from down the hall that had wandered in out of curiosity. Kim and Tucker were jumping on Beth’s bed, and the rest of us were dancing and laughing.

By midnight, everyone except Beth, Chad, and Ryan had cleared out to study. Beth grabbed her purse and hugged me.

“Thank you so much! I needed that. It’s been so sad around here!”

“You’re welcome. I’m going to miss you terribly,” I said, jutting out my bottom lip.

Beth squeezed me until it was hard to breathe. “I’m going to miss you, too. But we’ll still see each other, right?”

“Of course we will.” I smiled.