Page 43 of Daydream

“No. I’m only here for twenty-four hours—I don’t even think it’s that. I need to leave soon to watch Stas at the rink and then I’m taking her to a bookstore. She’s really stressed out at the moment. Well, I guess you guys will have noticed. Plus she’s struggling with the distance.” Nobody says anything. “Shit, we both are. It fucking sucks, but I’m going to give her my full attention while I’m here. She’s in a meeting with her professor right now so I had time to stop by.”

I didn’t know Anastasia was stressed out because I haven’tchecked. She’s always busy, and since I started studying with Halle and didn’t need her study group, I’ve barely seen her. It was easy when she lived here because I saw her every day. It’s easy to make sure the other guys are okay because they turn up at my house almost daily. It’s made me realize that I’m not good at maintaining friendships that don’t appear in front of me, and that I need to add checking in on her to my priority list.

When Nathan says goodbye and leaves, Robbie is the first person to say something. “We need to keep a closer eye on Stassie. I’ll speak to Lola. I don’t know why she hasn’t mentioned it. She’s pretty busy, too; maybe she hasn’t noticed.”

“I feel really bad,” Russ admits. “I knew she missed Nate, but I thought she was okay otherwise.”

“I didn’t know,” I say. “I haven’t asked her how she is.”

“Well, I knew,” JJ says, and I had kind of forgotten he was there. “Guess I’m just better than you all.”

“Goodbye, Jaiden,” Robbie drawls. “Go and do your job.”

“Bye, friends. It’s been a pleasure as always.”

When it’s just the three of us again, I lie down on the couch. “I might go to bed.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to come tonight? Aurora asked me to put Halle’s name on the list.”

I was supposed to see Halle last night, but I had to go to the studio to finish up a project, so came home instead. “Why didn’t she ask me to put her name on the list?”

Russ shrugs. “Dunno. Are you coming then? Since she’s going? Should I put your name on the list? It’d be cool if you came. No pressure, though, or anything. But it’s no problem if you want me to add your name.”

I still don’t want to go, but I do want to see Halle, and Russ is being kind of weird. Also, Robbie’s giving me the look I’ve seen him give Nathan a thousand times. JJ would joke that it was them communicatingtelepathically, but I’m getting nothing. I hate when people give me weird looks and expect me to know what the fuck they’re trying to say.

Everyone is being weird today.

“Sure, I’ll come. I’m going to nap here, though, before I get ready. I’m too tired for the stairs.”

My roommates both put their recliners up, nodding in agreement, and Robbie turns onJudge Judy. “I’ll set an alarm. Oh, this is a good episode.”

“WHY DO YOU LOOK SOmysterious and brooding?” Kris asks, holding his hand up to get the attention of the bartender.

“Thinking.”Trying to drown out the music by dissociating. “Not brooding.”

“Well, not to interrupt whatever plan you’re cooking up in that beautiful brain of yours, but Halle just walked in with her friends,” he says, nodding toward where our group is. “God, I’d let Cami Walker ruin my life.”

As excited as I am to see her, there’s something about Kris saying Halle is with her friends that makes me feel good. I think it’s because not that long ago Halle was saying she didn’t have any.

“Ask her out then.”

Kris scoffs. “I did. Last year at Robbie’s birthday party, and she told me she wouldn’t date someone younger than her. It’s a curse liking older women.”

Kris carries on talking about his recent unlucky spell with women, but I’ve stopped fully paying attention. I’m not sure one year counts as liking older women, but I don’t have the energy to debate it with him.

Halle’s taken the spare spot between Jimmy and Brody, two new guys from the team who love the band and were offered tickets byRuss. I don’t like either of them. I wish Russ had thought more about his generosity. They’re good at hockey, but they took the douchey athlete stereotype and ran with it.

Maybe it’s because I was raised by two moms or maybe it’s because Iactuallyrespect women, but I’m not a fan of how some of my teammates act.

“You might want to go and save her from Tweedledee and Tweedle Douche Bag,” Kris adds. “I’ll wait for the rest of the drinks.”

Brody is already hitting on Halle by the time I get over to them, which means I get to do the only good thing about dealing with men who respect bullshit hierarchy and misogyny more than they do human beings. “Leave.”

I feel like I’m pretending to be someone else when the harshness comes out of my mouth, but I do really want them to leave. Leave the venue, ideally.

“Sorry, Cap,” Brody says, hitting Jimmy on the shoulder to get his attention. “Didn’t realize she’s yours.”

She’s yourssays everything anyone would ever need to know about these two, and I’m embarrassed to know them as they shuffle away to bother someone else.

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