Here and Now

by T. Renee Fike

  “Also, food,” she says as she points to a small refrigerator in the corner, “I brought a refrigerator, feel free to use it, just be mindful and don’t eat all my food,” she says with a look.

  “I think I can manage that,” I assure her. I’m not sure I would eat the same things as she does anyway, considering I see all the veggie snacks on her desk.

  “Then I think we are going to get along just fine,” she says with a huge smile.

  “Me too,” I say truthfully.

  We spend the next hour going over our schedules; I unpack, and talk about where things are located on campus. It’s a great help, considering Dani’s from here. She has friends that attend WV already and knows her way around. I feel a sense of ease with this information.

  Around ten-thirty my phone starts ringing and I notice its Owen.

  “Hey,” I say, knowing he would call me.

  “Hey, how’s it going so far?” he asks.

  “Great,” I state truthfully, “I’m all moved in and unpacked, and ready to go for Monday.”

  “Good, how’s your roommate?” he questions.

  “Really nice actually,” I say, not wanting to give too much away considering she’s sitting across the room from me and can hear everything I’m saying.

  “I’m glad, just remember if you need anything, you can call Evan, he will help you out,” he reminds me.

  “Thanks, but I think I’ll be good to go,” I state truthfully.

  “If you have any issues, just call him,” he says again.

  “I will.”

  We continue to talk for another twenty minutes about life, college, and what to expect come Monday morning, before hanging up for the night.

  It’s crazy, Owen is only a year older than me, but we were really close growing up and some things never change. Yes, he has his own best friends, but he’s included me in so many things, which is rare, I know. I love my brother though and would do absolutely anything for him.

  He attends college in Maryland, so we aren’t as close to one another anymore, but thankfully with technology, text messages and phone calls are regular things between the two of us.

  “You and your brother tight?” Dani asks, once I hang up my phone.

  “Yeah,” is all I say.

  “That’s cool. Does he attend here?” she asks.

  “No, but his best friend does and just wanted to remind me I could always reach out to him, but I’m sure I’ll be fine,” I state.

  “You’ll be just fine,” she agrees.

  The weekend is spent hanging out with Lily and Dani, checking out campus, so when Monday comes, we all know exactly where we need to go.

  I don’t have any courses with Lily or Dani, not surprised though, the campus is pretty big.

  Monday comes fast and classes are boring, but that’s because it’s getting books and learning what each professor is looking for in their courses. Again, I say boring.

  “Hey girlie,” Lily says as she approaches me.

  “Hey, are you all done for the day?” I ask, being thankful I am.

  “Yes, thank God, today sucked,” she huffs.

  “You got that right, but it will get better,” I say, sounding hopeful.

  “So this weekend, do you have any plans?” she asks eagerly.

  “No, I mean, I’ll probably have homework,” I say; already knowing she wants to go and look for parties.

  “Good, so we can check out the parties,” she says excitedly.

  “That’s fine,” I say, giving in.

  We head to my dorm room instead of Lily’s.

  “Will your roommate care that I’m here?” Lily asks, as she plops on my bed.

  “She won’t be here for another hour, so you’re good,” I smile, as I set my bag on my desk before sitting down on my bed.

  “Okay, good. I can’t stand my roommate,” she huffs.

  “I figured something happened, why not?” I ask curiously.

  “She’s just weird.”

  “Weird how?” I ask, wanting to know more.

  “We have absolutely nothing in common,” she says as she grabs a pillow and holds it over her chest, “All she does is talk about school and her classes. The girl has zero personality,” she snaps.

  I can’t help but laugh, “I’m sure she has some personality, but school is important and maybe it’s just more important than parties and dating right now,” I say, trying to make sense to her. She sits up so fast; I’m not prepared for the pillow when it smacks me in the face. “Ouch, what was that for?”

  “Do not sound like her. College is about partying, meeting guys, living life to the fullest. Why on Earth would anyone want to miss that?” she asks with a straight face.

  “I get that and I plan to have my fair share of fun, but for some people, college is a way to change their lives and get them out of a current bad situation, maybe that’s how your roommate feels,” I state softly.

  “Ugh,” she huffs, “I hate when you’re right.”

  “Give her a chance,” I smile.

  “Fine. I’ll see if she wants to come out with us this weekend, that way you can meet her for yourself and tell me what you think about her,” she says in a mocking tone.

  “Sounds good to me,” I say, being positive.

  We spend the next hour talking about any and every thing, before Dani walks into the room, looking beyond pissed.

  “Everything alright?” I ask hesitantly, I don’t know the girl that well yet.

  “I fucking hate people sometimes,” she bitches.

  “What happened?” Lily asks.

  “Sometimes I wish I would have gone out of state, where no one knows you, but no, I had to come here because it was close. Just dealing with stupid people I knew from high school,” she complains, as she throws her bag before sitting on her bed.

  “Anything we can help you with?” Lily asks before I get the chance to.

  “Not unless you want to knock a bitch’s head off,” she sneers.

  “Sign me up,” Lily jokes, causing us all to laugh.

  “She’s serious, she would probably punch someone for you,” I admit, looking directly at Dani.

  “I’ll keep that in mind,” Dani says, looking a little less pissed.

  “Things will get better,” I say, trying to sound positive once again.

  “I hope so,” she mumbles.

  “It will,” Lily says excitedly, “We’re going to hit some parties up this weekend, if you want to come along.”

  “Yes, I’d love to,” she beams.

  “Good, it’s settled, the three of us and I’ll ask Anna if she wants to come too,” Lily says as she hops up from my bed.

  “Anna?” Dani asks with a curious look.

  “Her roommate,” I answer, making Dani shake her head.

  “I’m gonna head to my room and talk to her and see how it goes,” Lily says, as she grabs her bag and heads out of the room before we have a chance to say anything.

  “She’s spunky,” Dani says once the door closes.

  “She’s something,” I laugh.

  “I take it she came to school to party?” she asks, looking like she already knows the answer.

  “She definitely did, and for the boys,” I quip.

  “Of course for the boys, who doesn’t come to look at them?” she says sarcastically, causing me to laugh.

  “Yeah, but she has one boy in mind from back home,” I say, filling her in.

  “Then why is she here if she wants a guy from back home,” Dani asks, looking confused.

  “He goes to school here too. We both had a huge crush on him, well most of the school did,” I admit.

  “Had or have?” she asks curiously.

  “Have,” I say looking anywhere but at her.

  She starts busting out laughing, a full out belly laugh, “You mean to tell me you and your so called best friend want the same man?”

  “You could say that,” I mumble.

  “How the hell do you think that’s g
oing to work out?” she says, now all serious.

  “I’m not going for him, if she wants him good for her then,” I state matter of fact.

  “Why would you not go for him?” she asks as she crosses her legs, Indian style.

  “It’s complicated.”

  “Life’s complicated, fill me in,” she says, looking interested.

  “His name’s Evan and my brother’s best friend,” I say, making her shake her head in realization, “But he’s also really good friends with Lily too.”

  She starts to shake her head, “So let me get this straight, Evan is best friends with Lily, yet they’ve never dated?” she asks.

  “No, and they aren’t really talking to one another right now, because she tried to hit on him when she was drunk and it didn’t go over very well.”

  “So then what’s your problem, obviously he doesn’t want to date her or he would have already,” she points out.

  “He doesn’t exactly look at me as dating material,” I admit bashfully.

  “So make him notice you,” she states proudly.

  “Maybe,” I say. “I figure I’ll do my own thing this year, this is my first year at college, and I want to enjoy it. If Evan and Lily date, then whatever, I’m not going to wait around or waste my life chasing a man who doesn’t even look in my direction.”

  “This man better be a hot piece of ass,” she says, causing me to laugh.

  “He definitely is,” I say, shaking my head crazily.

  “Are you going to point him out to me this weekend?” she asks, with a look.

  “Yeah, if we run into him,” I state.

  “You better.”

  “He’s off limits,” I half joke.

  “I wouldn’t dream of going after a man that both you and Lily want; that’s just insane, she’d probably punch me,” she laughs.

  “Probably, which is why I’m not going for him either; I figure I’ll let her have her chance and maybe down the line, I’ll try if it doesn’t work out for them.”

  “Do you seriously think she would be okay with that?” she asks with a look of concern.

  “Yeah,” I say shaking my head, “She already told me she wouldn’t care if he dated me.”

  “And you believe her?” she says, looking shocked.

  “Yes, why wouldn’t I?”

  “No offense Baylee, but you’re so called best friend seems like a selfish person; she will never be alright with you dating a guy she’s interested in.”

  “Sure she would, especially if they decided to stay friends,” I say, sounding positive on the situation.

  Dani continues to shake her head, “I hate to burst your perfect little bubble, but that’s never going to happen. That girl is so wrapped up and wanting to be the center of attention, she would never allow you to date him, even if he wanted to date you.”

  “You’re wrong, we already talked about it,” I defend.

  “I’d say I’d bet you, because there is no way in hell that girl would ever give you her blessing. She’s nice and all and I get she’s your best friend, but she’s also one that thinks the world revolves around her,” she points out something I already know. Maybe Dani is right.

  “O-well, I’m not worrying about it right now. I’m just going to enjoy college and not worry about dating or worry about Evan right now,” I say, wanting to change the subject.

  “That sounds like an excellent plan, plus we can have all the fun making out and dating the wrong guys this year,” she jokes.

  We spend the next few hours laughing and talking before going to grab a bite to eat, then coming back to the dorm to call it a night.

  Chapter Three

  The weekend comes and before I know it, me, Lily, Dani, and Anna are dressed up and ready for a fun night out. With parties to attend and hopefully hot boys to meet, the night is looking good.

  “Where do you want to go first?” Dani asks.

  I just shrug, because I don’t have a clue as to where anything is, other than the buildings I have classes in and the cafeteria, I’m pretty lost. Anna is also pretty quiet and doesn’t say a word.

  “How about the sorority houses, that way I can get an idea as to which one I want to pledge in,” Lily says proudly.

  “I should have figured that,” Dani says, while rolling her eyes.

  “Figured what?” Lily asks confused.

  “That you want to join a sorority, you definitely seem like the type¸” she points out. I can’t help how big my eyes get, realizing that Dani speaks her mind and doesn’t care what people think. It’s a good quality, but it’s definitely not something that Lily is used to.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” Lily asks, with an attitude.

  Dani looks directly at her, “You just seem like you would be into the whole sorority thing, that’s all, relax,” she says.

  “And what exactly does that mean?” she asks, still looking angry.

  “Fine, you want me to be honest,” Dani says, looking annoyed herself.

  “Yes,” Lily snaps.

  “You have the wavy blonde hair, the killer body, and the bright blue eyes that guys love. You also have the flirty personality along with the ditziness, you are what sorority girls look for when they recruit,” Dani states bluntly.

  “I’m not ditzy,” she argues.

  “You have your moments,” Dani points out.

  “So you’re saying that Bay couldn’t get into a sorority because she’s not a blonde?” Lily asks, pulling me into this argument.

  “Oh no, Baylee could definitely get into a sorority, she looks like a freaking model with those freaking legs that go on for miles, then you have her hair which always looks perfect; she would have no problem getting in, but she doesn’t want to join a sorority.”

  I can’t help but stand there, and just watch as these two go back and forth, before I finally speak up. “Okay guys, can we just stop and enjoy our night?” I ask, hoping these two will drop it.

  “Sounds good to me,” Anna says out of nowhere.

  “Fine,” Lily huffs, before she starts walking towards the sorority houses.

  “Maybe I should catch you later,” Dani says suddenly.

  “That sounds like a good idea,” Lily states rudely.

  “Stop,” I snap at them, “We are all going together, now let’s go,” I demand, before we all start to walk towards one of the parties.

  We hit three sorority houses before going to our fourth one. I definitely do not want to join a sorority, it’s not me, and I can’t help but watch as Lily loves every second she spends in each of the sorority houses. When it’s time to rush, I just hope she can figure out which one she wants to pledge at.

  The next sorority house is packed, way beyond any of the other houses. We make our way inside and are greeted by some of the sorority sisters before making our way further inside. There are girls and guys everywhere and I can’t help but watch people as they come and go.

  “Earth to Baylee,” Dani says, snapping her fingers in front of my face.

  I shake my head, “Sorry, what did you say?” I ask, as I look at her.

  “Do you want something to drink?” she asks.

  “Just a water right now,” I say, knowing I had a few drinks at the other houses.

  “I’ll be right back,” she says before walking off. I look for Lily and Anna and I don’t see either one of them. I’m not surprised though, Lily’s been going off on her own at the last three houses, and I don’t know why I think this party would be any different. “Here you go,” Dani says as she hands me my water.

  “Thanks,” I say as I open the top and take a big gulp.

  “Be careful there, you don’t want to get drunk on water,” I hear from behind me. Turning around, I see Evan standing there.

  “And who would you be?” Dani asks boldly.

  “This is Evan, Evan this is my roommate Dani,” I say, introducing the two. The look on Dani’s face is priceless as she takes in everything that is Evan Fields.


  Evan has always been hot, he’s tall, with the dirty blonde hair and bright blue eyes, and he’s built, which is from playing basketball along with working out, I’m sure. I’ve been told he has a few tattoos, but I’ve never been able to see them. Apparently he has one across his back, and one going down his ribs, but weirdly I’ve never seen them. He doesn’t take his shirt off that often, or when he has, I obviously missed that show.

  “It’s nice to meet you,” Evan says to Dani, she nods her head, never saying a word. “What’s up with the water?” he asks me.

  “This is the fourth house we’ve been to, I figured some water would probably be good,” I admit, plus I was tired of drinking the mixed drinks everyone keeps making for me.

  “That’s smart, I looked for you around campus, I wanted to make sure you didn’t have any issues, but I didn’t see you anywhere,” he says kindly.

  “I found everything just fine and Dani’s from this area and knows where everything is, so she’s helped a good bit,” I admit.

  “That’s good, well just know if you need me I’m around,” he says with a sexy smirk. I can’t help but stare at his lips.

  “There you are, I was wondering when we were going to run into you,” Lily says as she saunters-slash-stumbles in our direction. She wraps her arm around Evan’s waist, looking thoroughly happy to see him.

  “You did, here I am,” he says, looking slightly annoyed.

  “Girls, did you meet my best friend Evan, isn’t he sexy?” she says to the three of us standing there. I can’t help but shake my head, feeling bad for my clearly drunken friend.

  “We met,” Dani says sharply, earning a glare from Lily.

  “Have you talked to Owen?” Evan asks me, completely ignoring what’s going on around him.

  “Yeah, I did earlier this week, why?” I ask curiously.

  “Did he tell you he’s planning to come for a weekend probably in about two weeks?” he says, looking directly at me.

  “What? No he’s not,” I say, completely shocked that my brother never mentioned this to me.

  “Yeah, I talked to him today, so he’ll probably tell you next time you guys talk,” he says happily.

  “He better, he can’t keep something like that a secret from me,” I joke, causing Evan to chuckle.

  “Alright, well we are going to see who else is at this party,” Dani says as she links her arm through mine. Lily is still attached to Evan’s waist and Anna just looks lost.