"What can I say," I argued.
"I know," he mocked. "That's okay. I think it's allowable in this situation."
"Why all the insight?" I asked, curiously.
"My twin brother Dan is paraplegic. He was diving off some rocks at the lake near my house when he slipped and smacked against the rock on his way down."
"Holy crap, I'm so sorry. When did it happen?"
"More than two years ago. It was the day after we graduated high school. A bunch of us were blowing off steam, drinking and partying and stuff. Dan and I were arguing over Megan and me attending the same college. He wanted college to be about us since he claimed Megan and I had been tied at the hip since sophomore year. I was pissed, said some shit and wound up leaving the party. I got the call before I even pulled my car onto the road. He jumped off the rocks and wound up slipping just before he dove and hit the outcropping of rocks on his way down," he said quietly.
"Oh my God, I'm so sorry," I said speechless.
"It was tough at first. They weren't sure if he would make it. But, he did and we've all spent the last few years adjusting to it. That's why I know what your guy is going through. I saw all these stages with Dan. The only difference is his girl didn't want him after the accident."
"What a whore," I said again, making him laugh.
"Is that the only insult you can think of?" he asked.
"Nah, but my friends and I decided freshman year it fits almost any situation when a girl has done you wrong, so we coined it our word. I guess I should pull out the thesaurus."
"No, I like it because it suits both situations perfectly."
"So, how does your brother feel about you off at college without him?" I asked, sitting on the steps of my dorm.
"Oh, he's here too. He had to take online classes freshman year, but I dragged his ass here last year after he was done moping around. We have an apartment right off campus."
"That's awesome," I said, feeling like a weight had been lifted off my chest. Maybe, just maybe, Mason would still come to his senses. "I'm so glad we met tonight," I said warmly, standing to give him a quick kiss on the cheek.
"Me too," he admitted. "Though Dan will be disappointed I didn't bag a chick. He says he's sick of watching me mope around like a kicked dog."
I laughed. "He sounds like a smart guy. I hope I get to meet him," I said, walking up the stairs backward.
"Count on it," he said, heading back the way we had just come.
I was smiling as I trotted up the stairs to my room. Carol had been right. Going out tonight was a great idea. Of course, I'm sure me meeting a guy who would encourage me to wait for Mason probably wasn't her intention, I couldn't help thinking.
Chapter 19
By the time Thanksgiving rolled around, my optimism had begun to wan. Brad and Dan, whom I had been hanging out with every spare moment I had, tried to remain upbeat, but I could tell by the time we left for break, that even they were second-guessing their advice.
"Maybe you'll hear from him during the break," Dan said as we ate pizza in their apartment the day before break.
"Or, maybe he's decided I'm not the girl for him," I said, scooping up a stray piece of cheese up with my finger. "Don't you guys get sick of hearing me whine?" I asked, sucking the cheese off my finger.
"Are you kidding? It keeps me from hearing lonely boy here moan about his dismal love life," Dan said, tossing a piece of his crust at Brad.
"At least I'm out there trying," Brad countered.
"I don't need to try, I've already scooped up my girl," Dan said mysteriously.
Brad raised his eyebrows at me, questioningly. I shrugged my shoulders. His guess was as good as mine.
"Do tell big brother," Brad teased, bringing up the fact that Dan was a minute older than him.
"We're waiting until after break to mention it to anyone," he said with twinkling eyes, knowing full well he was tormenting us.
"You're worse than a teenage drama show," Brad griped. "Will Serena tell Dan the truth, or will she follow Carter to the moon?" he said, mocking one of my favorite shows.
"Hey, no reason to throw my show under the bus," I said laughing, throwing my crumpled up napkin at him.
"Who is she?" Brad asked.
"Can't tell," Dan said, winking at me.
"Well, whoever the lucky girl is, I'm happy for you," I said, flipping on the TV so we wouldn't miss our show.
"You know, it's a sickness that we watch this together," Brad muttered, sinking down on the couch next to me.
"Look, what happens in this apartment, stays in this apartment," I said, laughing as the opening theme song came on for the popular teenage show we were all hooked on.
Brad laughed and started to say something, but Dan shushed him, making me giggle. After earning a dirty look from him, I covered my mouth with my hand.
Brad winked at me and I smiled at him. At times like this, Mason's rejection didn't hurt quite as much.
***
I was still thinking about them the next day as Mom and I spent a quiet holiday alone. Mom fixed a small turkey breast for us, while I grudgingly entered the kitchen to make some of our favorite sides. When dinner was over, I cleaned up the kitchen so Mom could grade the stack of papers she had dragged home for the long weekend. Once the kitchen was done, I sat down at the table with her so I could catch up on schoolwork. We stayed up late, working at the table, not talking much.
The next day, we were both done with our schoolwork and hit the kitchen together after sleeping in.
"Have you talked to your dad lately?" Mom asked as we were fixing leftovers.
"Last week. Why?" I asked, trying to ignore the way my pulse quickened.
"Did he mention Christmas?"
"No. Why?"
"He wanted to know if he could come spend the holidays with us," she said, looking at me critically, well aware of what I was thinking.
"What about Mason?" I asked quietly, slathering mayo on my bread.
"He said Mason has his own plans for the holiday," she said.
My heart dropped and I fought the urge to curl up in a ball like the weakling I had turned into. "Okay," I said, turning to leave the kitchen. I dropped my sandwich in the trash on my way to my room. Blindly, I closed the door behind me before collapsing on my bed.
As a rule, Mom and I did not discuss my puffy eyes the next morning, and I vowed to not shed another tear over Mason. I spent the last two days of break catching up on laundry and packing up the rest of my childhood stuff.
"You know, maybe finishing the year at UCLA wouldn't be a bad thing," Mom said, joining me my last evening at home.
"I already told Amy I'd be sharing her apartment come January. She's counting on me to help split the bills," I said, tossing a couple of my favorite childhood stuffed animals into the box marked "attic." "Besides, I'm already preregistered there and I handed in my withdraw papers to UCLA."
"I just thought, with the whole Mason thing, you might've changed your mind."
"Seriously, Mom, my transferring wasn't based entirely on him. I want to be closer to Dad for a while, and if that means moving halfway across the country, then so be it."