Friday morning brought a crippling cold with it, making it extra hard to get out of my nice warm bed. Nevertheless I managed to haul myself into classes and was actually thankful to dance as a warm up.
It was slightly alarming how fast college was going. I was already a month in and felt like I hadn't really done anything yet.
As I headed home from campus I bumped into an eager Angela.
"Bella, just who I was hoping to see! How would you feel about a girls night tonight at mine? Just you, me and Jess?"
I was never one for having girl friends. Even in school I seemed to associate almost exclusively with guys. So the idea of a full night gossiping and exchanging make overs seemed like hell.
Then again, college was a place for new things…
"Sounds great Angela," I said through a slightly strained smile. She didn't seem to notice and excitingly told me the details.
I agreed to go over later on and was soon on my way again. The wind had started to ramp up and I was already looking forward to changing into my fluffy socks and big sweatshirt.
Just as I was reaching the door of the dorm I heard my phone buzzing in my pocket. I awkwardly tried to get it, hastily answering without even seeing who was calling.
"Hello?" I yelled, a little too abruptly, bursting into the dorm entrance.
"Hey Bella! Is..is this a bad time?" Jacob's voice rang out.
"Oh shit, Jacob I'm so sorry. I'm just getting in from outside. Man, that's some serious wind!" I exclaimed, noticing the furrowing brows of the receptionist from behind her desk.
"Tell me about it. Anyways, I was just checking in and wondering whether you might wanna catch a movie tonight with me?"
My stomach flipped a little bit before the realisation came crashing down.
"Oh Jacob, I would love to but I'm so sorry I–"
"Excuse me love, I'm trying to concentrate here. Can you stop your blabbering and take it somewhere where no unfortunate soul has to listen to it?" the receptionist snapped.
I stood in a silent shock for a millisecond and then quickly bustled up the stairs.
"Bella…you still there?"
"Sorry Jacob, I was just saying that I would really love to but––"
I was cut off once again from a booming stereo on the first floor. Jeez, was this girl deaf? I quickly went up the next set of stairs to get away from the noise.
"Jacob, I'm really sorry I just –"
"Bella? Bella? You're kind of breaking up…," Jacob's voice was muffled and segmented. I cursed under my breath and tried to get through to him again, but it was no use.
I sighed as I hung up the phone. You'd think a college dorm would have better reception. I rang him another three times but the call wouldn't go through.
Once I got into my room I changed into my fluffy socks and big sweatshirt. Funnily, they didn't make me quite as happy as I had imagined they would.
As 8pm approached I grabbed my bag and made the walk over to Goldsmith dorm. It was slightly bigger than Darndale, but was ultimately much the same.
I went up to room 243 to find Angela, but was instead greeted by a brunette girl.
"Yeah?" she snapped, disgruntled. I was clearly interrupting something.
"Oh..um..sorry..I was looking for Angela?" I asked, confused.
"She's not here," the girl replied.
"Do you…do you know where she is?"
"What am I, her PA?" she frowned and slammed the door in my face.
Well that was rude.
"Bella, I'm so sorry. Change of plan, we're staying in Jessica's room. It's number 316," Angela informed me when I phoned her.
Jessica answered the door and had her usual smile plastered on her face. The one that seemed just ever so slightly forced.
"Come in, come in," she beamed.
They were both already in their pyjamas and had a huge bowl of popcorn. I laid my bag on the ground and sat up on one of the beds.
"You don't have a roommate?" I asked.
"She's out of town for the week. So nice to have the place to myself for once," Jessica smirked. I couldn't help wishing that Candice would go out of town for a while.
"Sorry I forgot to tell you we changed room. We were having it at mine but then Lauren told me she was…entertaining…tonight."
Both Angela and Jessica wrinkled their noses.
"So Lauren is that cheerful girl I just met?" I said sarcastically. Angela rolled her eyes.
"She's a nightmare. She's like that all the time," she groaned. Hmm…maybe Candice wasn't so bad after all.
"Not to mention she "entertains" every second night. Ugh she's such a tramp," Jessica said.
"Real nice, Jess," Angela giggled.
"Well what would you call someone who has sex with a different guy all the time?" Jessica laughed.
"Well to be fair, it's not always a different guy. A lot of the time it's the same guy," Angela wrinkled her nose again.
"Ugh yeah. Man, I really don't know what Edward sees in her," Jessica sighed.
My attention was suddenly grabbed. "Her and Edward are…together?" I asked.
"Well, they hook up a lot. Edward doesn't strike me as a relationship type," Jessica replied.
"Much to your dismay," Angela smirked. Jessica frowned.
"Jess has had a huge crush on Edward for like a year," Angela laughed, as a pillow came flying at her head.
"I do not!" Jessica exclaimed.
"Really? He seems like an absolute asshole to me," I stated. Both girls looked surprised.
"Not many girls say that. Everyone seems to be too entranced by his looks," Angela wiggled her eyebrows at Jessica, who just rolled her eyes once more.
"Well I mean, don't get me wrong. The guy's handsome. But he's a pain to be around," I groaned, thinking of all our encounters, none of which have been pleasant.
"Well good for you Bella, not getting sucked in by that just-out-of-bed hair. So come on then, spill all the deets about Jacob Black," Angela mused, with Jessica perking her head in interest.
I should have seen that one coming. I told them all about the date, once again omitting the part in the alleyway. We chatted some more and Jessica told me all the guys she was interested in. Boy…that was a long list.
"And what about Mike? You guys seem to be close," I pointed out.
She shook her head profusely. "Mike's just a friend," she insisted.
"Then why do you go crazy when he even looks at another girl?" Angela smirked. Jessica shot her a glare and she let it go. I decided it best not to mention Mike and I's encounter earlier on in the week.
"So come on then Ang, you must have someone on the go," I mused.
Angela blushed slightly and seemed to be debating whether she should say something or not. In the end, she gave in.
"Okay, this might sound crazy, but I've kind of been thinking a lot about….well…Eric?"
"YES!" Jessica exclaimed, knocking over the popcorn in the process. "Sorry, sorry, it's just I've been waiting a year for you two to finally get together. You'd be so perfect together!"
"You think so?" Angela laughed.
"Of course, right Bella?" Jessica exclaimed. I nodded in agreement. I could definitely see that happening.
"We're really good friends. To be honest, I kind of thought he would have asked me out by now. Maybe he doesn't think of me like that after all?"
"Nah, he's probably just shy," I suggested, "you could always ask him out?"
Angela shook her head. "No, I would never have the guts…"
"Oh come on! This is the 21st century. That whole men asking the women out thing is so outdated. You want to go out with him then ask him!" I exclaimed.
"Hmm…fine. I'll do it. But only if you walk the walk and ask Jacob on your next date," Angela smiled.
"Fine, no problem," I shrugged.
