I must be the queen of awkward. I remember when I was little and my mother told me that I was the most awkward OCD klutz she’d ever met. She’s right about it too; if there were a country named after me it’d be called AwkwardTopia, in my honor. And I would rule it and sit on a pristine golden chair with a golden scepter and make all my ex-boyfriends do my bidding. Okay, I don’t have that many ex-boyfriends, but I have a few.
Basically, this is what I’m getting at. I’m awkward, and I have a boyfriend whom I made an awkward mistake with.
The next day I call Jamie, to let him know that I arrived and I’m safe and no bears had yet torn apart my limbs. He picks up on the third ring and all my stress leaves as I hear his “Hello?”.
“Jamie,” I smile, “hey sweetie!”
“Oh hey Echo,” was it just me or did he sound distant and distracted? “I was just thinking about you. What’s up baby?”
“I was just calling in to let you know I’m still in one piece. No bears have eaten me yet.”
“Oh. That’s good.” Another distracted reply.
I hear a girl’s giggle in the background and my eyebrow automatically arches, “So, what’s up?”
“Just hangin’ with some friends from the football team.” I can hear him rustling around and then a muted, “Shut up, Tricia. I’m on the phone with Echo.”
I narrow my eyes even though I know he can’t see my glare, “Tricia?” I ask, anger seeping into my voice.
Jamie doesn’t answer and instead in the background I hear, “Ew, why do you even go out with her, James? You need a more…gifted girl,” her voice purrs and I want to kill her just by the sound of it. And did she just call him ‘James’?
“Echo, baby, maybe this isn’t a good time to call. Besides, go hang out with your new friends.” Jamie speaks again.
“I only know Lacey. Well, except Nate.” I respond.
“Nate?” Jamie’s full attention is on me now, “Who’s Nate?”
“Some dude who…” I’m about to add ‘who saw me changing in my room’ but settle for, “I met during class yesterday.”
“Yeah. Well.” His words are clipped now; I can tell he’s getting annoyed. He sounds like he wants to speak again but Tricia pipes up in the background.
“She’s cheating on you. Just like…” her voice trails off here, muffled so I can’t hear what she says. When I can hear her again she’s saying, “…You two were meant for each other. In Hell.”
“Echo. Really, I should go.” Jamie says; I can almost see him running his hand through his dark brown mop of hair.
“Okay. Bye Jamie.” I’m frustrated now. Really, why is he hanging out with Tricia?
“Bye baby, I’ll see you during Thanksgiving break. I can’t wait. Call me soon though, we’ll set up final plans.”
And the line clicks.
Tricia. Of all girls? He’s hanging out with Tricia. I’m not one of those clingy girlfriends who won’t let their boyfriends talk with any other girl, but I happen to hate Tricia.
I walk back to my dorm room – I had been in the common room – and find Lacey reading a textbook on the bed, a pencil poised between her fingers.
“Can you believe I have homework on the second day?” She gripes and jots something down on a piece of paper. Lacey glances up at my flushed face, “How’d your talk with Jamie go?”
“He’s hanging out with Tricia. I’ve been gone for four days and Tricia has already moved in on him. You’re lucky you don’t have a boyfriend Lacey.”
“Ew, Tricia’s a slut. I don’t see the appeal that she has at all. Tell Jamie you don’t feel comfortable with him hangin’ with Tricia.”
“Oh Lacey,” I trail off and walk to my bed, snapping my phone shut and placing it on my desk, next to my laptop.
I pull out a journal that was required of us to bring for Robins’ lit class. I open the cherry red cover and turn to Lacey, “What was our homework for Robins?”
“Write your life, from a few days ago to the rest of beyond or something.” Lacey’s chewing on the end of her pencil. She realizes this and pulls the nub out of her mouth, jotting down math equations.
“My life is boring,” I mutter, “I have nothing to write about. And why can’t we do this on the computers?” I grab my pink sparkly pen and write at the top of the journal page ‘Chapter One’.
Lacey pauses in her work for a moment, her gaze shifting to me, “Boring? You honestly think your life is boring? Your mother is a drunk, she ran away from home, you have a super hot boyfriend, your father passed away, you have Xavier as practically your dad, and oh yeah, you have a super gorgeous and totally sweet BFF,” she licks her finger as she turns a page in her textbook, “plus you’re completely stinkin’ rich.”
I don’t want to sound like a complete retard, but I debate on this for a moment before saying, “So what do I write then? That I have a sexy boyfriend, a gorgeous BFF, my dad is dead and my mother is a drunk? That’s not really a story.”
Lacey’s frustrated now. She shuts her textbook with a soft slam and widens her eyes, “Echo! It’s your life, not mine. I already started on my story. Just start it from a few days ago, like at the airport. When you were clutching Xavier and me trying to pry you away.”
Not a bad idea Lacey, thanks.
I place my pen precariously above the paper, still hesitating. A few people pass by our open door and I chew the inside of my cheek. I look back down at the paper; ready to write when Nate slides into our room.
Lacey screams, her textbook flying from her hands and in the general direction of Nate’s foot. Like that would kill him, thank you Lacey. She blinks a couple times, taking him in. I realize they haven’t been introduced yet and stay seated on my bed, a confused expression plastered there.
“Nate,” I manage.
“Echo,” He greets me with a wave of his left hand. In his other hand he’s holding a carton of OJ.
I gesture to the OJ, “Good to see you’re stocking up on your vitamin C.”
He slides to the floor and sits against our wall, takes a swing of the orange juice and gives me a small smirk, “I don’t want scurvy.”
“Of course not.”
Lacey finally finds her voice, “Who the hell are you?!”
Nate gives a small chuckle, “I’m Nate. You’re…”
“Lacey. What are you doing in our room?”
“Do you want me to leave?” He asks, making look like he’s going to stand and walk out of our room.
Lacey turns to me, mouths a few inaudible words to me which were probably something like “He’s hot” and then smiles broadly back at Nate and shakes her head. Lacey picks at her shirt, batting her eyelashes at Nate, “How’d you meet Echo?”
I clear my throat and glare at Nate, daring him to say something. Apparently, he doesn’t find me deadly enough because he goes ahead and says, “Echo was being stupid and left the door open while she changed. It was an awkward meeting.”
Lacey twists her hair in between her fingers and gives a small tinkling laugh. Gee, thanks Lacey for your sympathetic friendship. I shut my journal and grab my laptop, tuning their flirting catches out of my mind and focus on the lovely Internet where I find one of my old friends – Haley – online on AIM.
I message her a hello and look out our dorm window, watching the trees sway gently in the slight breeze outside. I sniff as I get a small Bing sound.
Hey Echo!! It’s soooo nice to hear from you sweetie!!
I smile, and type back. Now that she’s replied I fully plan on grilling her for information on Tricia and my boyfriend.
It’s nice to talk to you too
Hey, not to be upfront, but have you seen Jamie and Tricia hangin’ lately?Hmm. Hold on let me try and think... oh well I guess I saw them hanging out at Starbucks this afternoon. Just them two, in case you were wondering. But I totally don’t think he’s cheating on you Echo. Jamie is head over heels for you!
Yeah, I didn’t think he was. Just wanted to check though, thank you soo much love
Do me a favor and tell me if anything does happen with them, would you?Surely! I’d love to. Tell Lacey that Brad was practically sobbing when she left. She never did realize how much he liked her
It’s a shame. I’ve got HW to do, sorry babe. G2G!!
I sign off with Haley and tap my fingers against the laptop. Another flirty giggle from Lacey brings my attention to Nate and Lacey. I don’t have a problem with Lacey flirting with Nate, but something irks me all the same.
“Hey Lacey, Haley says to tell you that Brad was crying when you left. It’s a shame you two never did hook up.” I shake my head slowly, pushing my side bangs away from my face.
Her hands are suspended in midair, since she was probably telling Nate some elaborate story about her Chihuahua. She swallows, “Oh…”
“Indeed.” I swing my legs from my bed and grab a light pink sweater from my desk chair. I slip my arms through it, close my laptop and walk past the two, “I need some fresh air for homework.”
I tread silently down the elegant stairs into the common room, giving waves and smiles to a couple of people I pass. I’m about to open the door to the outside, to settle myself on the beach when a guy steps in front of my way and cracks a grin at me. I think his name is Derek or something; he’s in my photography class.
“Hey Echo,” Derek’s grin grows wider.
I take a deep breath and give him a small smile, “Hey Derek. What’s up?” I motion to he standing in front of the door.
Derek shrugs, “I was just wondering if you wanted to grab a slice of pizza with me tomorrow night?”
I lick my lips and bite my bottom lip, “Um, Derek, I’m so sorry. I have a boyfriend back in California.” I stretch my mouth wide to make it look like I’m super sorry. Don’t get me wrong, Derek is nice looking and all that, just so not my type. More like Lacey’s type. Yeah.
Derek runs a hand through his dark brown hair, “Oh. That’s cool.” He stands in my way for another moment or two before shuffling away awkwardly.
I bite the inside of me cheek and call after him, “Derek!” He turns around, “You know my roommate Lacey?”
He thinks for a moment, and then nods.
“Get to know her, I think you guys would be right for each other.” I turn away and push through the front door and let the wind hit my face, automatically turning my cheeks a bright pink. I don’t want to go back up to my room to see Nate and Lacey making googly eyes at each other, so I have no choice but to trudge through the wind to the beach.
I reach the beach and set my laptop on the sand. I bend down and slide onto my stomach, bending my legs into the air behind me. To my luck, the wind actually lets up a little bit though the sky darkens a tad. I pull up a Google web page and begin research for a class when a drop of water lands on my laptop keyboard.
Groaning, I glance at the sky only to let a drop fall onto my cheek and role down. I mumble something unintelligible to myself and continue to clack away on my keyboard. Rain begins to fall heavier after a few moments, the sky a medium shade of gray, clouds blocking the sun. I slam my laptop shut, not wanting it to become ruined by the rain and stand, tucking it under my arm.
The rain pours down and streaks down my hair, face and clothes. There’s no shelter on the beach and for a moment I awkwardly stand there, staring at the lapping ocean.
“Echo!”
I turn my head slowly to the left to see Nate standing about thirty feet away with a large red umbrella.
“Nate.” I call back to him, my mouth set into a hard line.
He walks over to me, slowly because the sand is becoming mushy and spongy feeling. My hair is dripping water when he reaches me, “Want some cover?”
“Yes please,” I duck my head and scuttle under the umbrella. I stand shivering for a moment, my eyes cast downward like my feet are the most interesting thing in the world. I can feel Nate’s eyes watching me as we stand in the pouring rain.
“Let’s head back to Poppy.” He takes my hand, my fingers slipping between his. I look up at him and he glances away. We begin walking back towards our dormitory and I worry more and more about my laptop as we go.
Nate shakes out the umbrella when we stop on the front porch steps of our dorm. He opens the door and straightens his back, putting on a fake British accent as he says, “After you miss.”
I laugh softly and smile broadly, “Why thank you kind sir.”
We walk through the doors. Lacey is situated on the bottom step and she looks up, her lips forming a grin. She stands and walks to me, wrapping her arms around my neck, “Oh Echo, I was so worried!”
I laugh hesitantly and push her slightly away, “Lacey, it’s just rain. It’s not like it’s an earthquake.”
She pouts and pushes back her silky raven hair, her icy blue eyes searching in mine, “Yeah, I know.”
We both glance at Nate, who is setting his umbrella down on the mat by the door to let it dry off. He looks back up at us and meets my gaze. Our eyes connect and all time stops. The television is playing some show with a laugh track, Lacey’s fingers slowly slip from my wrist, and people are talking in the lounge area of the common room. Next to me, Lacey makes a clearing sound with her throat and the spell is broken. Nate looks away to Lacey first but I can’t take my gaze away from him.
“Echo?” Lacey shakes me, pulls my face to her, “Hello? You alive in there? Good God, let’s get to bed already. You keep zoning out on me and Lord knows you need to go get some sleep.”
“Right,” I say, and I know she can detect the distant tone of my voice. I lick my lips, blinking a couple times before saying, “Yeah, yeah. Let’s…let’s get to bed. School tomorrow and all that.”
“Exactly,” Lacey nods, a determined expression settled on her face. She flashes a wide and flirty grin at Nate and wiggles her fingers, “G’night Nate. It was so amazing to meet you. Let’s meet up again in the future.”
He gives Lacey a nod and looks back at me. I lick my lips and hold up a finger to Lacey, “Wait just one minute, okay? You head up.”
She twirls her hair and shrugs, “Sure.” I listen to her clomp up the stairs before I speak.
“Thanks for finding me, seriously.” I smile softly.
“Anything to get away from Lacey,” he pauses suddenly, looks at the stairs and then back at me to check if I was offended.
“You didn’t offend me, I get annoyed by her too sometimes. A person can only take so many stories of a Chihuahua.”
Nate laughs, tilting his head slightly back, “Oddly enough she didn’t mention her Chihuahua. But if she talks to me in the future, I will beware.”
I run a hand through my blond waves, “I guess she discusses different subjects with boys than me. Although if she spent an hour talking with you about her Chihuahua and every possible attractive male on the earth with you, I would be concerned about her mental well being.”
He lets out another happy sounding chuckle, “As would I. I would have escaped two minutes into her chatting if that had happened.”
I roll my eyes and eye him for a moment, my mouth parted as though I’m about to say something. Nate waits, his eyes never leaving my face.
“Lacey’s waiting for me.” I manage out and look away, a blush burning my cheeks, “I should go.” I walk backwards a little, bringing my hand up in a wave goodbye.
He steps forward, grabs my raised hand and pulls me to his chest in a hug. I breathe in his scent of coffee and mints happily and feel like I could live in his strong embrace for eternity. After a moment or two he releases me much to my sudden dislike. I linger in his presence for another minute before I lift my hand again and wave. I twist on my heel and escape up the stairs, fleeing to my dorm room, my breath escalating – and not from the running.
