“You should take a nap,” Clark suggests.
“I’m trying to.”
“I mean, when you get home,” he states. “Hey, you want to come with me to my parents’ house this weekend? We are renovating it while they are away.”
“You mean, there’s no Moore Saturday party this weekend?” I ask, opening an eye to look at him.
“Nope, well, sort of no. Kent’s hosting it this Saturday, then Lanie, and then Di.”
“I guess so. But not till later. I’m going to spend all morning with Brynn at the library. I have some major catching up to do in at least two classes.”
“Fine. I’ll pick you up at two,” he says as he pulls off the interstate and heads toward the sorority house.
“It’s a date,” I answer before questioning my words. A date. Are we dating? Shit. Now I’m back to this train of thought.
When Clark pulls up to the house, I turn to him. “What are we?” I ask.
Clark puts the car in park and turns to me. “What do you mean?”
“I mean…are we fuck buddies? Are we dating? What is this?” I ask, motioning between us.
“Uh, do we have to label it? Aren’t we just…together?” he asks as though the answer is such a simple one.
“I mean. I guess so.”
“Do you want to be with anyone else?” he inquires with a frown.
I laugh. “No. Just you.”
He smiles. “And I just want to be with you, so I guess that means we are dating.”
“Dating,” I state, letting the word roll around my mouth.
“Is that OK?”
I grin back at him. “I think it is.”
“Labels are an important thing to you, huh?”
Shrugging, I nod. “I just…don’t like unanswered questions.”
He shakes his head and leans over the car’s console. “I’ll call you later,” he states as he presses his lips to mine. Damn, this semester might be the death of me because I’m going to end up devoting as much time to Clark as I do to studying. I’ve never been one who obsesses over things, but I do believe I have my first real obsession…Clark Moore.
Clark
Me: Uh…I have something I need to tell you all.
Kent: I swear to God if you got some girl pregnant.
Lanie: Shut it, KJ. What’s up, C-Dog?
Kylie: How much bail money should I bring?
Di: If you aren’t coming to help this weekend, so help me.
Me: Jesus. You all are dark. I’m dating someone and she’s coming with me this weekend.
Kent: So…not pregnant?
Me: (middle-finger emoji)
Lanie: That’s great. I can’t wait to meet her.
Me: So…you sort of, maybe, already know her. (sheepish-grin emoji)
Di: NO. FUCKING. WAY.
Kylie: Oh, way. I called it! Pay up, beotch!
Me: I haven’t even told you yet.
Kylie: Megan. It’s Megan.
Me: Uh, yeah.
Di: Fuck! Why did I second-guess that?
Kylie: Make it rain, sister!!
Lanie: Please tell me that you aren’t betting on Clark’s love life?
Kent: They aren’t betting on Clark’s love life. Oh, and I had five-to-one on that, so…
Lanie: (eye-rolling emoji) I can’t even with you people.
Me: Anyhow, back to this weekend. Megan is coming to help. We’ll see you around two thirty.
Kent: Dinner will be over at our house afterward. You should bring her.
Me: Sort of was planning on that…(confused emoji)
Lanie: I like this. I like Megan. You two were so cute together as kids.
Me: Don’t say things like that. It’s weird.
Di: Our little Clarkie-warkie is all grown up! Le sigh.
Me: I thought maybe you figured that out when you walked in on me last year.
Kylie: Ewww. No. I don’t want to talk about Clark’s love life anymore.
Di: I’m still seeking therapy about that.
Lanie: Yeah. I can’t un-hear any of your penis names. I’m still traumatized.
Me: Ben Franklin sends his regards. (winking emoji)
I toss my phone down and grin. I can’t wait for this weekend.
My phone buzzes again. It’s a text from Megan.
Megan: Are you studying for Swill’s midterm? Or do you just “wing” those?
I grin.
Me: Define “study.”
Megan: (eye-rolling emoji) Never mind.
Me: Are you asking me to study with you?
Megan: I was.
Me: All-nighter?
Megan: Sigh. Yeah.
Me: I have the perfect spot. Bring a pillow, a blanket, snacks, caffeinated beverages, and whatever you need to study. And meet me in front of the library in thirty minutes. Old library.
Megan: OK…why does this make me nervous?
Me: Because you are giving up control. Relax. I got this.
Megan: Famous last words.
Me: Just meet me there.
I grab my things and head over to the library. I love this spot. When I have to study and need to completely detach from everything, this is where I go. I admit I’m not sure I really want to share it, but fuck it, it’s my last semester and I’ll probably only use it one or two more times.
It’s a warm fall night that feels more like late summer rather than the beginning of October. It’s dark out. Only the lights surrounding the paths along the quad illuminate the area as I walk up to the side of the old library building. There’s a newer library that opened last year, but I prefer this one.
I find Megan wearing a backpack and holding two cups of coffee. She hands me one.
“I’m hoping you still like chocolate because I got you a mocha latte,” she states.
“Perfect. Come on,” I say as I lead us around the back of the library.
She gives me a suspicious look but follows. I find the side door unlocked as usual, and once inside, I start climbing the stairs. We walk up five flights and then I prop open a door and look around.
“Follow me,” I whisper as we creep through the periodical section. It’s quiet up here but I have an even better place. I turn down the row of periodicals starting with the letter “r” and punch a code into a door lock. It opens and we begin climbing more stairs. Three more flights and I open the last door.
There’s a cool breeze up here and I’m glad to have a blanket in my backpack.
“The bell tower?” she says as she looks around at the open space. She sets her bag down and walks around the platform. There is a ledge surrounding us and a space in the middle where the bell hangs. It no longer works, but it looks cool. The backside of the tower is more protected with two outlets and a higher wall near the door. Two plastic chairs still sit here where I left them last semester.
She turns back to me. “How?”
I grin and shrug. “I have my ways.”
She places her hands on her hips. “Clark, come on. How did you find out about this place?”
I smirk. “I mean, you can see it from everywhere on the quad. It’s not a state secret.”
Now she’s giving me one of those patented Megan looks and I can’t help laughing. I hold up my hands. “OK, OK. When I was pledging, we used to study down in one of the group study rooms. Some of my pledge class were being super annoying one night and I actually needed to study. It was for my Chinese class and I sucked at Chinese. Anyhow, I went to go find a quiet corner and this janitor walked by and dropped his toolbox and tools went everywhere. I offered to help him, and we started chatting. His name is Ron and he’s been working as a maintenance guy here for like thirty years. Anyhow, I followed him up here because he was fixing one of those exterior lights over there”—I point to the lights surrounding the tower—“and I helped him. We became friends. He gave me the code to come up here.”