"Friends?" I asked, raising my eyebrows.
"Yeah, you definitely have the 'no vacancy' sign on. I figured you have a boyfriend that is either stupid enough to leave you alone at a party or doesn't go to school here, right?"
"No, he doesn't," I said, not bothering to correct him. "Okay, I'll have a beer, but can we drink it on the porch before my ears start bleeding?"
"Sure, I'll grab a couple while you head outside."
"Okay," I said, making my way through the sea of bodies toward the door. Multiple hands grabbed at me on my way out, but I ducked away from each of them.
I was grateful to find the porch empty when I finally made my way out. I breathed in the cool crisp air, glad to be away from the smoky haze that had filled the building. I sat on the rustic swing at the far end of the porch, enjoying the relative silence. I could still hear the music throbbing beyond the walls beside me, but the muted sounds were a relief. While I waited for the "werewolf" to join me, I contemplated Carol's words from earlier. Maybe it was time for me to move on. Maybe meeting someone was my sign.
"I was worried you'd ditch me," werewolf boy said, exiting the building with two bottles of beer in each hand.
"I contemplated it, but I thought I remember reading somewhere that werewolves are super fast," I teased.
"Good call. I would've definitely sniffed you out," he said, setting the unopened bottles on the ground before sitting beside me. "By the way, I'm Brad," he said, holding out his hand.
"Kimberly," I said, taking his hand in mine. I was slightly disappointed that I felt nothing at his touch. His hands were smooth and cool from carrying the beers, and all I could think about was Mason's warm calloused hands that felt so right wrapped around mine.
"Freshman?" Brad asked.
"Yeah, is it that obvious," you?"
He laughed shrugging "Junior. So what do you think of UCLA?"
"I like it, but I could do without my Statistics class," I said, grimacing.
"Who do you have?"
"Johnson," I said, making a face.
"Yeah, I heard he's a prick. I took stats last year, but I had Wilson who has mad-teaching skills. I can help you out if you want."
"That'd be great. I'm definitely going to need a little tutoring if I hope to pass the class."
"It's no problem. You pick the day and time and I'll be there. What's your major?"
"Um, I'm doing dual," I said, taking a deep swig of beer. "Art and education."
"Sweet, so you want to be an art teacher?"
"Yeah, my dad runs a foster camp during the summer and I got to teach the art class before…" I said, letting my voice trail off.
"Before?" he asked, questioningly.
"Before I got hurt," I admitted.
"How did you get hurt?" he asked, sounding intrigued.
"It's kind of a long story," I said, wishing I had kept silent, but before I knew it I was spilling out all the sordid details of my disastrous summer. He listened attentively while I talked and I was embarrassed when I finally finished. My diarrhea of the mouth had been getting me in trouble for years. I couldn't believe I was sitting with someone I hardly knew letting it all hang out.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to unload all of that on you," I said, downing the rest of my second beer.
"Sounds intense," he said. "You're like a hero."
"No, I'm not," I scoffed. "I may have saved us, but I didn't save his leg."
"Because you're a medical doctor and you botched his treatment?" Brad said, finishing off the last of his beer.
"No, but I should have gone for help sooner."
"So, those doctors of his told you that if you would have left sooner they could have saved his leg?"
"Well, no," I hedged, getting his point. The guilt I had been harboring for the last two-and-half months shifted a little.
"Have you talked to him since you left? You know, to clear the air?" he asked, using his foot to make the swing move slightly.
"No, I was trying to give him space. Truthfully, I know I'm a dumbass waiting for him to show up, but what we shared in our mock cave seemed so real. Maybe everything was like the cave, nothing but a mockery," I said, waiting for the typical male response.
He surprised me by sighing loudly. "I'm going to want to kick myself later for saying this, but I'm sure he's probably feeling conflicted."
"What do you mean 'conflicted'?"
"Well, no offense, but no dude wants his girl to do the saving, and by what you've said about him, I'm sure his pride took a major smack. Coupled with the fact that now he's a cripple. I'm sure he's hiding out, licking his wounds."
"Don't call him that," I said as anger welled through me at the derogatory comment.
"Look, I'm just stating how I'd feel. You may not think of him as a cripple, but that's how he's viewing himself."
"So, what are you saying?" I asked, surprised.
He sighed again. "I guess I'm saying give him time. The dude's gone through some serious shit."
I laughed self-consciously at his words.
"What?" he asked, looking puzzled.
"Nothing, I just think my radar must be off. I thought I was going to have to dodge moves from you, and instead you're telling me I should give some other guy a chance," I said, shaking my head incredulously.
"Oh no, your radar isn't off, I'm just a sap. Believe me, I thought this porch interlude would be going an entirely different direction than me encouraging you to hook up with someone else."
I laughed. "Well, it's a new one for me, but I'll take it," I teased.
"Can I at least walk you home, or am I too much of a chump in your eyes to do that?" he teased with twinkling eyes.
"I guess," I teased back after pretending to contemplate it. "Let me text my friend to tell her. Even though, after the disappearing act she did tonight, she doesn't deserve it," I said, pulling out my phone so I could text the traitor.
"Okay, all set," I said a moment later, stowing my phone back into my handbag. "So, I'm guessing since you had a different agenda tonight, you don't have a steady girlfriend?" I asked as we strolled toward my dorm.
"No, my high school girlfriend and I broke it off last spring."
"Why?" I asked without any qualms of intruding.
"I guess we just grew apart. We had such high hopes when we decided to apply to the same college, against our parents' wishes, I might add. They all thought a little separation would have done both of us some good."
"Ugh, so she goes to school here too? That's got to hit the suckage scale."
He laughed. "Yeah, it wasn't fun at first, especially since she decided that my friend was more to her taste."
"What a whore," I said.
He laughed again. "Yeah, I guess she is."
"It should be a law that you shouldn't be able to date your ex's best friend," I said, shooting him a sympathetic look.
"Ex-best friend," he corrected me.
"See, that's what I mean. These things never end well for the friendship," I added.
"It sucked at the time since I caught them in the act. I guess our parents were right, we needed separation. She just took it literally," he said with bitterness creeping in.
"Aw, Brad, I'm sorry. You deserve better than that whore," I said, giving his hand a squeeze.
"Damn, the guy has to be a cripple," I heard him mutter under his breath as we approached my dorm room.
"What?" I asked, not sure I heard him right.
"Nothing, I'm just contemplating my morals if I hit on someone who is gaga over someone who got dealt a raw deal," he said wryly, winking at me to let me know he was joking.