Greg pulled into the circle in front of the building. Parking spaces there were considered premium and unlikely to find empty but the rain was starting to pick up and he'd never been fond of getting soaked. The day was already shitty enough without having wet socks.
To his surprise a space was open just a few feet away from the building entrance. Greg quickly pulled in and made a dash for the lobby entrance. It was basically empty since most of the students were in class. Greg sighed thinking about all the nights he'd spent studying, hanging out, even sleeping in that very room. When he first came to college, he wanted to blaze through it, even taking classes during the summer to avoid going home, so he could graduate and move on into the real world. Now that he was finished, a part of him wanted to still be there. Still spending every possible moment with the best friends that had accepted him from day one and encouraged him to find himself, even if that meant enduring his various phases. In the end he'd found a version of himself that wasn't punk or surfer boy or goth or grunge or prep or anything. It was a bit of this and that and it felt right.
Greg caught himself before he opened the door out of habit. The room had been his home for 3 years but it didn't seem right to just saunter in. It wasn't his room anymore. So he knocked and waited for the door to open.
"Hey Greg." Max smiled at his old roommate. "You could have just come in, dude."
"I wasn't sure." Greg enveloped his friend in a hug. A real hug, not that weird half touching faux hug most guys did. It was one of those society things that Greg never really understood, this issue with straight guys hugging. He and Max and Kyle had often gotten weird looks on campus when they showed physical affection on campus. Especially when they walked around with arms around each others shoulders or waists. But they didn't care.
"Hey Maya." Greg strode over to give her a hug, planting a soft kiss on her cheek. "How are you holding up?"
"I'm fine." Her voice said otherwise. "I'm just having a hell of a time with my hair."
Greg laughed before he could stop himself. Max and his twin sister Maya were half Apache and had adopted the tradition of not cutting their hair. Both had long black hair that reached down past their waists when loose. Greg had spent many a night while they were all watching TV, brushing Maya's hair and helping her braid it.
"I've got this." Greg waved Maya over to his former bed. He quickly had her hair braided and fastened into a bun just like Lucy had taught him. Lucy. The memory made his breath catch.
"Thanks." Maya smiled softly before reaching up to straighten his tie. "We should go."
Max held out a long rain jacket for his sister to slide into before putting on his own.
"Is Kyle meeting us there?"
"Kyle isn't coming." Maya said in a blunt tone as she walked out of the room.
Greg gently grabbed Max's arm as they followed a few feet behind. "What happened?"
"Kyle opened his mouth and choked on his own ass." Max said, trying to keep his voice low and calm.
"What does that mean?"
"Kyle was raised Catholic." Max said as an explanation.
"What does that— oh crap he didn't." Greg shook his head.
"Yep. Told my sister he wouldn't go because Lucy was going to rot in hell. I mean he was kind of drunk at the time but you just don't say that to your girlfriend about her best friend."
"What did Maya say?"
"Not much. She slapped him and said something about being sorry she ever got back together with him." Max shrugged. "I know the guy's a friend but she could do better. Should have been dating you."
Greg shook off the thought. Maya and Kyle had been a couple before he came along and they were all friends. Despite thinking she was pretty attractive and despite the two of them having a rather on again off again thing, Greg never felt right to even consider snatching a friend's girlfriend or even ex girlfriend. Certainly not while the two of them were roommates. It would just be too weird.
And the day was already too weird and uncomfortable burying one of their own.