Life As We Know It

Do you ever sit in a crowded room, or walk down a hallway full of people and just feel like you’re alone? Your eyes follow the individuals as they go about their business, but you feel like time has slowed, like you’re standing still and everyone is looking though you, like you aren’t really there. It’s like looking in a mirror; you can see the activity, and you can see yourself among it, but when you reach out to actively join in you are met with a thick wall of glass. That’s what life feels like. I know I’m alive, and I know I’m actively involved, but at the same time I’m just not fully convinced.

Something hitting the wall by my head pulls me back into the present. Across the hall, my friend Gerard waggles his fingers at me. I give him a weak smile accompanied by an eye roll. He winks back at me before turning to Josh, “I told you she wasn’t present.”

Josh snickers as I toss his eraser, the object that had been thrown at my head, back to him.

Gerard, Josh and I have been best friends since the seventh grade, after I’d gotten hit in the head with a dodge ball and they were given the task of taking me to the nurse. Now, six years later, all three of us sit outside room 113, waiting to start our first class of college. Surprisingly enough, we had all managed to get into the same New York art school, a feat none of us thought we could pull off. The rest of our friend group has scattered across New York and New Jersey. Only Frank is remotely close, attending a small liberal arts college about a hour outside of the city.

“Stay on this planet, moon child,” Josh jokes, using the nickname I’d been given by the group shortly after they all discovered that I spent more time in my head than in the reality presented in front of me. I don’t mind, in fact I embraced it to a point where I had the name tattooed across my knuckles the day I turned eighteen.

I stick my tongue out at my friend as the teacher open the studio doors. The three of us stand, and head inside, grabbing the table closest to the door.

I’d decided to come to art school on a whim. Unlike Gerard, who wants to design and write comics, or Josh, who has his heart set on becoming a graphic designer; I have no idea what I want to do. All I know is I am good at what I do, and I want to keep doing it. So, I’d applied and got in, easy as that.

As the teacher drones on about everything that’s due this semester, I close my eyes, beginning to sketch.

“That’s fantastic,” a female voice pulls me out of my trance.

My eyes land on cherry red lips, “Thanks.”

“I’m Lyn-z,” the female across from me holds out her hand. I glance at it, but don’t make a move to take it.

“Scarlett.”

“Don’t mind her,” Gerard jumps in, reaching for Lyn-z’s hand, “her parents didn’t teach her any manners.”

I shoot Gerard a sideways glance before returning to my sketch. It isn’t that I don’t like people or that I don’t want any new friends, in fact I quite like meeting new people. I just don’t like being interrupted while I’m drawing. There is a creative flow that starts when I sketch, if it gets severed I can never quite get it back. This sketch will now never live up to it’s full potential. I guess I shouldn’t blame this Lyn-z chick, she couldn’t have known. Still, I’m frustrated.

“Your first project is to draw a room that means something to you from a bird’s and a worm’s perspective,” the teacher instructs, writing everything down on the white board. “It will be due two weeks from today. Please add shading and as much detail as you can.”

I scribble all this down on the back of my hand with a pen. Josh, always big on organization, grins at me as he pulls out a spiral bound planner and pencils in the assignment. If only one of us got to graduate, my money would be on Josh.

After our morning art class the three of us split, agreeing to meet up for lunch before our color theory lecture, the only other class we have together on Mondays. As I walk towards the academic buildings, situated on the outskirts of campus, my phone beings to ring. I grin at the picture that flashes across the screen.

“Hello Frank,” I answer with a laugh.

“How’s the first day of classes treating you Scar?” Frank questions. On the other end of the phone there is a string of coughing and a few whispered curse words.

“Are you smoking, Frank?”

The boy on the other line giggles, “Damn you Scarlett, you always know.”

I laugh, “I miss you Frank.”

It took Frank and I the longest to become friends. He has already known Gerard for a while when I came into the picture. Although Frank will never admit it, I’m convinced he was scared I was going to steal his best friend. Frank was also loud and hyper which was off setting to me, due to my severe shyness at the time. Eventually, we put our differences aside, stopped trying to claim Gerard, and became close. Frank taught me how to play the guitar and was always willing to share his pot with me. I let Frank crash on the couch in my bedroom when he was too drunk to make it home and helped him clean up his face in the bathroom after his almost daily beatings. I even bailed him out of jail once.

“I’ll come and visit this weekend. Are Josh and Gee taking care of you?” Frank responds.

“Yeah, they’ve been fantastic. We all walked to class together this morning. When do your classes start?”

“Eleven something. This campus is so small though, my dorm is right next to the main building.”

“Have you made any friends, Frank? I worry about you there all by yourself.”

Frank laughs, “My roommate is pretty rad. I met a few people last night at a house party. No one was as cool as you or any of our other friends.”

“Good,” I answer back, pulling the glass door of the academics building open. “Don’t you dare replace us.”

Frank laughs again, “Impossible.”

I smile even though I know my friend can’t see me, “Have a good day, Frank. Call me later, I want to hear all about your first day.”

“Bye Scar, remember to kick ass.”

“You too Frank, bye.”

I shove my phone back into my pocket before glancing at room numbers. I’m looking for 145B. I continue to walk past all sorts of lecture halls…142, 143, 144; the numbers jump to 146. I spin around, maybe 145 was just down another hallway. Nothing. Are you serious? I pull out my schedule and double check the room - 145B. Not really sure what to do, I walk around the square building again, stopping in front of 144. This is such bullshit.

“Excuse me,” a male voice off to my left sounds, “are you looking for 145B too?”

I turn to look at the person who spoke. He’s tall and tan with short brown hair. Two thin black bands encircle his arm.

“Yeah.”

“I’ve walked around this floor three times,” the boy grumbles. “I’m Tyler.”

“Scarlett,” I offer back. “I think I might have passed a map somewhere.”

Tyler nods, the two of us wandering down the hallway. Sure enough, right outside the elevator is a paper map enclosed in a plastic protector. There are ten floors plus a basement.

“You don’t think the ‘B’ means basement, do you?”

I check my phone for the time, letting out a long sigh, “We’ve got ten minutes till class. I say it’s worth a try.”

Tyler reaches forward and hits the button, “Are you from New York?”

“I live in New Jersey. What about you?”

Tyler and I step into the elevator and he hits the button labeled ‘B’ before he responds, “Ohio.”

“That kind of far, isn’t it?” I question, unable to imagine leaving the comfortable bubble of New Jersey and New York.

Tyler shrugs as we step off the elevator. Right in front of us is room 145B, “Whoever came up with the set up for this building was a dick.”

I laugh and nod my response, sliding into the first empty desk I see. Tyler takes the seat next to me, unpacking a notebook and pencil from his red, JanSport backpack. Josh has the same one, but his doesn’t look nearly as new, not to mention Josh has got at least two dozen signatures on it from various shows he’s been to.

“What’s you major?” I question.

“Media arts. I want to go into video game design.”

I nod, pretending like I know what that means, “I’m a drawing major. Don’t ask me what I want to do with it because I’ve got no idea. “

Tyler chuckles, “As long as you’re doing it because you love it.”

“I am.”

Fifty minutes later Tyler and I ride back up the elevator together. My next class is in this building. Tyler, on the other hand, has ten minutes to make it over to the arts building. We exchange numbers quickly before he hurries off, disappearing in the crowd.

It’s strange how small we are. Being in the city only amplifies that feeling. Each individual is going about their own business, probably almost unaware of the fact that everyone else is also living a completely separate life. In the city you can disappear. The fact that humans are an incredibly small part of the world just seems so much more present here. I am nothing, floating around in a sea of other’s who are nothing, trying to find some meaning in our existence, something that makes waking up every morning for seventy or so years worthwhile.

Suddenly, my body makes impact with another. Lost in thought, I hadn’t exactly been paying attention to where I was going. Glancing upwards, I see a scowling blonde. Realization washes over me and instead of apologizing I wrap my arms tightly around the girl I had just run into. “Jenna, when did you get back? How did you know where I’d be?”

The blonde in front of me laughs, her arms encircling me as well, “I got back last night, I texted Josh to see where you would be. I wanted to surprise you, so surprise!” Jenna laughs, her usual happy smile set on her full pink lips.

Jenna had decided not to go to college, feeling that continuing to do her philanthropy work was just more important right now. Instead of freaking out over getting acceptance letters like the rest of us, she spent the summer in Cambodia doing some kind of volunteer work with families there. Out of all my friends Jenna and I are probably the closest. She was my friend way before we met the rest of our group. We’d grown up next door to each other and our mothers were inseparable. This gave us lots of time to build the friendship we have now.

I pull Jenna into another tight hug, “I’m so happy that you’re back. You aren’t leaving again for a little right? Please say I’m right.”

The blonde laughs at me as I start off down the hallway again. Josh had signed me up for some kind of intro philosophy class on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, thinking that it would be good for me to get some of my thoughts out. Although I’m not pleased, I also don’t want to be late on the very first day. The last thing I need is the professor to hate me.

“I don’t leave for another two months. I’m headed to Greece next to try and bring in some necessities to the individuals caught up in the rioting,” Jenna responds. “How’ve you been Scarlett? I want to know everything.”

“That’s an awful lot to know.” I answer back, with a grin, stopping outside my classroom. “Why don’t I tell you over lunch? I’m supposed to meet Josh and Gerard. I’m sure they’d be thrilled to see you.”

Jenna nods, pulling me into yet another hug. “I’ll see you after your class Scarlett. I’ll be standing right here.”

My philosophy class drags on. This isn’t going to be a place where we share thoughts that formulate in our brains in the wee hours of the morning. No, instead we sit and listen to this old dude drone on about how to assemble and disassemble arguments and how to properly read philosophical works of literature. We’re supposed to read a book a month. I can’t read a normal book in a month, let alone some dense philosophy. I’m going to ruin Josh for signing me up for this class.

Just like she promised Jenna is waiting outside of my lecture, her nose buried in some sustainable living magazine. Walking up in front of her I grab the magazine, placing my forehead on hers before leaning forward and placing my lips on her nose. We’ve been using this as our greeting as long as I can remember. Sometimes we’ll do it to our other friends just to see their facial expressions. “I’m hungry.”

Jenna laughs before placing her lips to my nose, “Lets go find the boys.”

Together we walk back through the crowded streets towards the corner diner. Unfortunately, our college doesn’t provide any kind of dining options so we’re on our own for food. On the plus side, New York has a huge assortment of food and all of it is fantastic.

“How’d your class go?” Jenna questions as we walk, fingers flying over the keyboard of her phone.

“Well, it’s definitely not a discussion class. I’ll be lucky if I pass it. I’m honestly going to kill Josh. We have to read a book a month.”

“I’m sure you’ll do fine. You read a lot, Scarlett,” Jenna answers as we slip inside the diner, taking seats at the counter. “Have you heard from Frank?”

I nod, “He called me this morning. It sounds like he’s doing fine. It’s weird not having him around. You just kind of get used to having people around and you kind of take that time for granted, not thinking there will ever be a time when they aren’t just next door or whatever. He’s coming up this weekend though so he won’t miss our traditional Friday movie day.”

Jenna rolls her pale blue eyes at me, “You are so in love with that boy it’s pathetic.”

“Frank is one of my best friends Jen, I think it’s weird when people don’t have crushes on their friends,” I answer back with a smile.

“Yeah, but I don’t think you have crushes on all your friends, at least not the same way you have one on Frank. You’d jump that boy’s bones in a heartbeat if you could.”

I feel blood rushing to me cheeks and flip Jenna off, “Yeah well, he’d do the same.”

“You two are ridiculous.” Jenna answers as Josh and Gerard walk in.

Gerard plops down on the stool next to Jenna, giving her a big smile before ordering all of us coffee. Josh wraps his arms around both Jenna and my shoulders, his lips making contact with each of our cheeks twice before he moves to sit next to me.

As a friend group we are all very touchy. There is no such thing as privacy or personal space. We all kind of share everything. It’s not weird for us to share beds or see each other naked. We’re all just that close. I have a feeling it’s because we’ve known each other for so long. After a while certain things just stop mattering. I wouldn’t want it to be any other way. If you can’t have an authentic relationship you shouldn’t be friends.

“I’m going to kill you for putting me in that philosophy class,” I direct as Josh.

He mocks me with a grin, only stopping when I grab hold of his earlobe. He’d just recently started stretching his ears and is terrified of anything happening to them before he gets them to the size he wants. “Why don’t you just drop it?”

“I’ve only got fifteen credits. I can’t drop below that or they take away my scholarship,” I answer back. “So did anymore meet anyone other than Lyn-Z this morning?”

Gerard shakes his head, taking a sip from the off white mug that was just placed in front of him. “Just Lyn-Z, she’s also in my intro to animation class. She seems pretty cool. She’s from Michigan but she’s been in New York for a year now. She plays bass in a local band.”

“Someone has a crush,” Josh and I sing, leaning into each other as we laugh.

Gerard scowls at the both of us. He has a hard time making friends and I’m happy that he and Lyn-Z seem to be connecting. Gee needs other people in his life.

“Who did you meet today, Josh?” Gerard asks, trying to get the attention off of himself.

“I met this guy named Tyler, he’s a little awkward but he seems nice enough. He’s in my ethics class.”

I turn to Josh,” Does he have black armband tattoos?”

“Yeah…” Josh looks confused, his eyebrows furrowing together, lips pursed together.

“I met him! He seems chill enough. We helped each other find our classroom today.”

“Sick,” Josh answers back, giving me a high five.

“So, you have to take a general consensus,” Gerard prompts.

It may be a little fucked up, but all of us vote on if we can bring someone new into the group. Majority vote wins unless someone has a good enough reason as to why they should or shouldn’t be allowed to hang out with us. This started back when I used to bring questionable guys around. Everyone needs to look out for each other.

“Lyn-Z?” I question.

“In,” Josh shrugs.

“In,” echoes Gerard.

“Majority rules.”

“Is it fair to vote on Tyler since Gerard hasn’t met him?” Jenna questions, her eyes scanning over the menu.

“Well, Josh and Scarlett would be majority so my opinion wouldn’t matter anyway. If they think he’s cool I trust their opinion. Josh is protective as fuck of Scarlett, he wouldn’t let a guy he didn’t think was trust worthy around her.”

Jenna nods. She hasn’t ever approved of our tradition of voting in new friends. She claims it’s restrictive and petty. The blonde has a bit of a ‘I know better than everyone else’ complex and isn’t afraid to share.

“So it’s decided, Lyn-Z and Tyler are part of the group.”

After we’ve all ordered Jenna turns to look at me, “I’m good to crash at your place for a little right?”

“Yeah, as long as you don’t mind sharing a bed,” I answer back.

Gerard, Josh and I live in a two bedroom, one bath apartment on Church Street. Somehow, Gee and Josh managed to squeeze two beds into the master bedroom, giving me the second bedroom to myself. We use the pullout couch in the living room for when people come to visit us. Most nights we just kind of fall asleep wherever. Josh and I had been sharing my bed since we’d moved in about a week and a half ago.

“With you right?” Jenna questions. “I’m not trying to share with Gerard or Josh, they both snore.”

“I do not!” Josh answers back with a whine. “Besides, I already claimed Scarlett’s bed. It’s the comfiest and she’s the best cuddler.”

“You could sleep on the pull out couch in the living room. At least you’d have your own space,” Gerard offers as our food arrives.

“Frank’s going to need it when he comes up this weekend,” I interject. This gets me an eye roll from all three of my friends.

“Scarlett, you know he’s going to sleep in your bed,” Gerard says, as we all shift our plates to the left.

This has been a tradition since middle school. Everyone’s parents would pack different things. So, to avoid outright trades, we would all eat part of our lunch before switching. That way, everyone got to try some of everything. It’s a pretty good system.

“He’s only texted me seven times today asking if you’re still doing okay,” Josh grumbles. “Like I’m going to let anything happen to you. I won’t even let Frank happen to you.”

Jenna backhands Josh causing his New York braves hat to fall onto the counter in front of him, “Don’t be disgusting. Do what you want with whoever you want Scarlett, just don’t get pregnant.”

“Got it mom,” I answer back with a forced grin and a salute. I wish they would all stop worrying about me having sex with anyone in our friend group. That had only happened once and we were both super drunk. Now, I just make out with my designated make out buddy for the night and then pass out on the couch.

“Jenna, are you coming out with us on Thursday?” Josh questions as we once again switch plates.

“That’s a hard no. I’ve got some trip details that I need to take care of and a blog that desperately needs updated seems as I’ve been without the Internet for the past three months.”

“Lame,” Gerard, Josh and I chorus, holding out the ‘a’.

“Someone in the group has to be an adult.”

I laugh, slapping some cash down on the counter and standing up, “I’m Jenna, I’m better than everyone else because I help AIDS victims feel less like shit for five minutes out of my day."

“This is why I leave for such long periods of time, you’re all assholes,” Jenna laughs, following us all out onto the crowded street.

Gerard and I hang against the diner window, each pulling out our package of cigarettes and lighters. Once our cigarettes are lit we catch up with Josh and Jenna who are a few paces ahead of us.

As Josh explains how to get to our apartment from here, I glance around at everyone passing by. Humans are a strange race, always glued to these small electronic devices, trying to prove we’re interesting to a dozen other people on these social forums as if any of the people on there really give a fuck about what we’ve been doing. No body really cares about any body anymore, not like the way I care about my friends. No one’s willing to die for anyone anymore. How fucked it that?

Every inhale I take makes the edges of reality blur just a little bit, my head feeling lighter and lighter. Before I’d left for New York I’d filled most of my cigarettes with weed. That was one thing I’d figured out before Frank. He’d always carry around a piece with him, becoming super paranoid about getting caught with it. For me, that was way too much hassle. I’d twist the tobacco out of the cigarette, mix in a little pot and repack the whole thing. To a normal person it just looked like I was another idiot who was trying to off myself a few years earlier than originally planned.

“Earth to moon child, climb down from whatever planet you climbed up to, and rejoin the land of the living,” Josh taunts, waving his hand in front of my face.

“Fuck off, alien boy,” I shoot back, a small giggle escaping my lips.

The blue haired boy in front of me shakes his head, “You’re stoned out of your fucking mind. I swear you’re worse than Frank.”

“You like it,” I wink before pulling open the door of the arts building.

The lights in this room are too bright. The swirling colors on the computer screen in front of me demand my attention, making it impossible to focus on what the teacher at the front of the classroom is saying. My stomach growls even though I just ate. I can feel my eyes dropping and force them to stay open. Digging around in my bag I pull out a tin of Altoids. Glancing over at Josh I hold the mints out to him. He grins and takes three, giving two to Gerard.

“Getting high before class was dumb,” Josh whispers to me as he begins to click through a few of the programs loaded on to the computer in front of him. “Do you even know what we’ve been talking about the past half hour?”

We’ve been in this class for half and hour? I glance at the clock in the top corner of the screen. There’s no way. How did I lose that much time? Frowning I rub my eyes, trying to get the fog to clear a little. This has never happened before. I don’t lose time, not like that at least. “It’s the first day of class, nothing he’s saying matters. Besides, if anything’s due I’m sure you’ll have it written down.”

My friend rolls his eyes, “Just don’t get in over your head Scarlett, this isn’t high school anymore. It was cool to be a burnout then, not so much in college.”

“Go fuck yourself Josh,” I answer back before twisting around in my chair so that my back is to him. Josh has no idea what it’s like to be high. Nine times out of ten I’m fully functioning and no one knows when I’m under the influence. How dare he try and tell me what I can and can’t do with my life?

As soon as class gets out, I collect my stuff, hurrying out of the building. Gerard and Josh can catch up with me if they want. Right now, I just need to walk alone. I don’t want to get into a fight with either of my friends. It’s better if I cool off for a minute.

When I reach the apartment, the smell of Jenna’s famous vegan chili wafts down the hall. Pushing the door open, I step into the kitchen. The first thing I notice is that Jenna has restocked all of the shelves with food as well as refilling the alcohol shelf. I give her a big smile, pulling the blonde into a tight hug.

“Where are Josh and Gerard?” Jenna questions, once I’d let her go.

I just shrug back, popping a few grapes sitting in the fruit bowl into my mouth. Climbing onto the counter next to the stove, I prop my feet up on the small kitchen table, eyes fixed on the door.

“Did you get into a fight?”

“Not necessarily a fight. I just don’t agree with the way Josh chooses to share his opinion on my lifestyle choices,” I answer back as my phone begins to vibrate in my back pocket. “Hello?”

“Scarlett!” Frank’s voice rings back at me.

“Frankie! Are you done with classes?”

“Yeah, I’m just heading to the cafeteria now. Gotta feed my tummy,” Frank giggles, and I can almost see the tip of his tongue sticking out of the corner of his mouth. “What’re you eating?”

“Jenna came back into town so she’s making her chili,” I answer back.

“Dammit. I’m jealous as fuck.”

I laugh back, getting up off the counter and disappearing into my bedroom when Gerard and Josh walk though the door. “How’d classes go?”

“Eh, it’s all kind of boring. I don’t really care about math or science or whatever else I sat through today,” Frank answers back. “At least I’ve not got any homework yet.”

“I’ve got to draw a room that means something to me from two view points and I have start reading this stupid philosophy book,” I grumble, pushing the window in my room open and exiting out onto the fire escape.

“A philosophy book? Look at you being all scholarly and shit,” Frank laughs back.

I roll my eyes, pulling a cigarette out of my pack and lighting it up, “It’s only the first day and I already want to drop out and be a gypsy.”

“Go into tattoos Scar, I’ve told you that so many times. You’re style is perfect for that. Fuck school dude,” Frank answers back, a slight whine coming into his speech. He always thought I was better than art school. Before I had left I was offered a job as a tattoo protégé for my artist in New Jersey. Seems as I had already accepted my offer to art school I had to turn it down. Frank was pissed at me for weeks.

“Scarlett, please come out of your room,” a voice on the other side of the door sounds.

“Go away!” I holler back before answering Frank. “I’m here now. I’ve got to at least navigate this semester. Remember, you promised me a semester for a semester.”

“Yeah. Who are you telling to go away?”

“Josh. We had a disagreement,” I answer back, rolling my eyes. I’m not upset with him anymore but it is kind of fun to make him apologize.

“What happened?”

“Oh, I got high before class and was just too distracted to pay attention. I lost like thirty minutes. I think I’m just gonna toss what I have left and buy new stuff.”

“Dude, the same shit happened to me. I went to Biology this morning and sat there for what felt like ten minutes but in reality the entire class had passed,” Frank laughs back. “Tell Josh to take his opinion and shove it up his ass.”

“I don’t think it’ll fit. He’s got kind of a tight ass,” I answer back receiving a fit of laughter from Frank.

“This is why we’re friends Scar. I’ll see you on Friday okay? I want you to be at the train station waiting for me.”

“You got it dude. Enjoy your dinner.”

“You too, Scar.”

I hold the phone to my ear even after the line has gone dead. Being this far away from everyone is hard. I hate that I can’t just walk across the street and steal Frank’s food or borrow a shirt when all mine are dirty. I can’t just go over to Bob’s and chase after his chickens when I’m high and have him show me how the welding gun works. Ray can’t climb through my bedroom window at three in the morning because he’s worried his overbearing parents would be disappointed in him coming home at such a late hour. I hate how I can’t sit outside of Mikey’s school and pick him up after classes and help him with homework over ice cream.

Getting up, I toss my cigarette butt over the edge of the fire escape before climbing back into my room, trying to shake off the feeling of nostalgia that has enveloped me. Now isn’t the time. I’ve got three of my best friends here with me, which counts for something.

Wandering out into the kitchen I see Jenna, Josh and Gerard all squeezed onto the couch, steaming bowls of chili held in their hands. Upon seeing me, Josh gets up, coming to stand next to me as I dish up dinner.

“Sorry I pissed you off,” Josh says, his eyes never leaving the food in his bowl. He always worries I’m not going to forgive him.

I just shrug, “Frank says to shove your opinion up your ass.”

Josh smirks, “And what do you say?”

“I forgive you, you goof,” I answer back with a smile before moving into the living room to watch whatever movie is on.

After sitting through the first two 'I Know What You Did Last Summer' movies, I head back to my room. It’s one-thirty in the morning and I have to be up at eight for classes. Kicking off my pants, I crawl into bed, pulling the covers up under my chin. Not fifteen minutes later, I feel a pressure on the other side of the bed and know that Josh has decided to sleep in my room again tonight.

“Scarlett,” Josh starts, rolling over on the mattress so that he’s facing me, “I really am sorry if I hurt your feelings today. This is hard, ya know. I don’t want to see anything happen to you. I’m so used to Frank being here and knowing how to take care of you when you’re high or whatever.”

“That’s the thing, Josh,” I respond, propping myself up on my elbow, “I don’t need to be taken care of. I know what I’m doing. I know what I’m like when I’ve smoked. I don’t need anyone looking out for me. I mean, sure, I appreciate you guys trying to protect me, but we aren’t in middle school anymore.”

In the dim light let in through the window, I see Josh frown. He’s always been protective, fighting off any creepy guys I’d attract or picking me up off the ground when I’d crash and burn. I appreciate his efforts, I do, but he shouldn’t feel like it’s his job.

“Before we left Frank pulled me aside and told me that if I let anything happen to you he’d castrate me.”

I laugh a little, rolling so that my head rests on Josh’s bare chest. He curls his arm around me, finger’s pulling through my hair, “Did Frank really use the word castrate?”

Josh chuckles in response, “You just mean a lot to all of us.”

“Yeah,” I answer, closing my eyes, “you guys mean a lot to me too.”

Notes

Hey guys! I'm super excited for this story and I hope that you are too. My plan is to try and update once a week probably on Saturday or Sunday. The chapters will all be about this long and each one will be from a different group member's perspective. As characters are introduced the character section of the story will be updated.
Questions? Comments? Drop me a review and I will do my best to answer all of them :)
Love you all :)