Freshmen Dorms

Evelyn almost laughed. "I am. I don't think other people are. 505 Freshmen Building."

***

Seth moved over to make room. His eyes narrowed, for once serious. "Tell me," he demanded. "I just had Alexis cry into my shirt for like a half hour straight because Brett attacked her at the quad and now I see her crying again. What the fuck?"

"It was so weird, I mean it started off with me going there to get the dog, and she was upset or whatever when I went and I asked her if she was alright, and she said her and Alexis had gotten into a fight or something I forget." Jacob stopped for a moment to gather his thoughts.

"Anyway we talked about this all being fake and crap and we talked about relationships like for a serious minute. Then we started fighting cause she gave my dog a prissy name.Oh then I mentioned something about her meeting my folks but that was before the dog thing. Then we argued about the dog's name and she started crying."Jacob heard himself repeating this story and it sounded just as ridculous as when it was really happening.

"She started crying and I felt like crap so I hugged her or whatever to make her feel better, than Lo and Alexis came in and literally all hell broke loose. I mean Alexis called Evelyn a bitch, and was all "How could you be so low, and blah blah." Then Evelyn told her that she doesn't know why Luke or whoever he is likes someone judgemental like her, and that she was so quick to judge her and crap. Then I think she also said that Alexis wasn't like I guess another friend of her's. So she basically told Evelyn fuck you."

Jake took a breath, "All while Lola argued with me until I told her it was fake and whatever. Then it was so weird cause after Lo and Alexis left she got all stoic and what not, just like nothing even happened at all.So I left cause seriously I think she was going to kill me."Jake finished his really long story.

***

Ashlee arched an eyebrow, "Okay I'll see you then. She said hanging up her phone she looked at the guys.

"I've gotta go, something came up." She told them while she slung her bag over her shoulder and headed to the dorms.

Seth stared, mouth agape, at Jake. He didn't even notice Lucifer climb onto his lap adn dig his claws into Seth's wrist for attention.

"Wow, I guess it might have looked kinda compromising, you in some girl's room at ten or whatever," he managed to say. His head was whirling. No wonder Alexis looked so miserable. Her roommate basically kicked her out.

He looked back at Jake. "She was all stoic? That's just bizarre. So now what? Are you and her still on for Saturday? I mean, unless you have a convincing, respectable reason for your mom that explains how you broke up with her within the four days her neighbour saw you kissing her, you'll have to take her."

***

Luke put down his coffee mug, watching Ashlee walk off - no, she was half-running. "What the...should we go after her?" he asked James, worriedly. Who did Ashlee know here that they didn't?

"Dude that's like the last thing on my mind right now." Jake admitted.

***

James watched as Ashlee took off, "Yeah come on let's go."

He said getting up and heading out the door after her.

Ashlee crossed campus heading to the dorms, she walked quickly because she didn't want some creep to approach her in the middle of the night since she was alone.

Seth snorted. "Well, whatever. Steer clear of her, I guess." He flipped channels to some game show.

***

Luke watched Ashlee enter the Freshmen building. "Shit," he muttered to James, "Maybe it was Alexis who called."

James shrugged, "Maybe we won't know unless we follow her."

Ashlee walked into the building heading to the elevator she pressed the button and waited for it.

Seth flipped channels again. "By the way," he said by way of a subject change, "any ideas for how to bust into the zoo Friday?"

He lifted a hand to touch the bruise forming on his jaw. It had gone down now, he'd had an ice pack attached all his trip to 7-Eleven.

***

Luke caught up with Ashlee as she entered the elevator.

"Coming through," he said, shooting her a dimpled grin as he and James shoved onto the tiny platform with her.

"Yeah leave me in the tiger cage." Jake suggested, as he watched Nova trot around their dorm.

***

James walked in after Luke smiling at her and Ashlee's mouth fell open, "What the hell? You idiots followed me?"

"Yeah well you took off like someone murdered your hair dryer, we had to see if everything was okay." James said leaning against the back of the elevator wall.

Ashlee shook her head, "No guys, this is a bad idea, a really bad idea."

"I'm all for that," Seth said in all seriousness. "But I doubt Lola will let me live if I did that to you. We'll have to get in the back way, I guess, through th eanimal caretaker entrances."

***

The elevator moved upwards and Luke shot Ashlee a weird look. "Why's it a bad idea?"

The elevator halted on the fifth floor and Ashlee looked at the boys, "Cause its a girl problem, and boys just stand around looking all awkward and shuffling. Trust me save yourselves the awkwardness." Ashlee replied walking out of the elevator, down the hall.

***

Jake cracked a grin, "This sounds fun as hell, I'm actually looking forward to this. A night with animals that could potentially kill me in one bite, sounds a lot better then girl drama."

Seth snorted. "Hey, it's your fault you got into it with French Red. See, this is why looks don't matter. That girl has a shitload of baggage, including her ex." He ran his fingers across Lucifer's back and the cat made soft crooning noises, golden eyes fixed on Nova, who lay at Jake's feet. "But in case you were worried about said ex beating you up, I wouldn't. He doesn't seem to want anything to do with her."

***

Luke glanced at James, halting in his tracks. "Uhh.....do we take her at her word? If this is some boy trouble or some crap, we could offer to beat somebody up. At least, you could, right?" He wondered again who Ashlee was visiting. Alexis might not mind his and James being there but her roommate...?

"I don't blame him." Jake said, reaching down and picking up Nova, he pat him behind the ears.

***

"Oh yeah sure I'll beat the guy up and put my neck on the line and you can stand there pouting." James said sarcastically.

Ashlee rolled her eyes as she heard them talking, "Lucy, Ethel, if you don't mind I really think you should stay out of this one." She arrived at Evelyn's dorm and knocked on her door.

Seth braced a hand in front of Lucifer in case the cat leaped from his lap to Jake's and started Pet War 3.

"Well, whatever, Friday will be drama-free and fun," he said cheerfully. "I invited a couple people I met, including our next-door neighbour. He's the kid I got into a fight with at 7-Eleven."

***

Evelyn had arranged a blanket over the couch to hide the mess Lucifer had made of it, and was now sitting with her feet up on it, head leaning sideways against the sofa's cushioned back. She glanced up and called out softly, "It's open."

Luke shuffled his feet. "Well, um, who're you seeing anyways?" he asked her, and then stopped when a light female voice answered his question.

Jacob arched an eyebrow at Seth, shaking his head he laughed, "Do I want to know?"

***

Ashlee opened the door and looked back at the two of them, "A friend."

Seth grinned wider. "Let's just say I ate a shitload of Maltesers and marshmallows today."

***

Luke leaned back against the wall of he hallway, shrugging. "Okay, I guess we'll wait here?" Ashlee had already gone in.

***

Evelyn lifted her head up and sent a small smile at Ashlee as she appeared. "Hey, Ash," she muttered. "Thanks for coming so fast."

Jake just chuckled sitting back on the couch with Nova walking across his lap.

***

"No problem, Ev I was around campus anyway." She said dropping her bag by the couch and sitting next to her, "So what's up?"

***

"Pftt, we might as well go we didn't come all this way to stand outside. James Darko waits for no one." James added.

Seth got to his feet, carrying Lucifer over to the cat bed in his room. He returned, saying, "Oy, that mutt needs to be vaccinated. I heard Red called it something this afternoon." He smirked.

***

Luke had to laugh as he followed James inside and down a long hallway where he could hear Ashlee talking. "She's going to freak," he whispered to James, who was walking just two feet in front of him.

Evelyn bit her bottom lip, glad she'd done all the crying she wanted for one day. She felt somewhat bad for Jake's shirt.

"Um...Alexis and i had a blow-out. Like...she's spending the night at Lola's room, is how big it was," she began, rubbing at her raw eyes. She realized she'd yet to wipe her face off after her mini break-down on Jake. "Um...I don't know if you heard, but uh, I kind of uh, met this guy, Jake, he lives in this building too, and um," Evelyn froze up. She hated lying to Ashlee. But she was scared Ashlee would see it the same way Alexis would. She'd already lost one friend over the stupid lie. Soon, she and Jake would end it and no one would have to know it was fake.

"He kind of asked me out. Alexis got mad that I was going to Jake's parents house because his mom wanted to meet me. Apparently she, or someone she knew, saw me with him." She left out where. If she could help it, that moment would never get out.

Evelyn swallowed and her throat felt raw. "Ale - Alexis was all "you've sunk to James' level by trying to hurt him" but i wasn't trying to hurt him at all." If she were honest, this was the most truthful thing she'd said to Ashlee. She lowered her voice instinctively. "Is it so bad of me to...not want to stay stuck on one person from my past for the rest of my life?"

Jake scowled, "I can't believe she named him Nova, ugh!" Nova perked up at the sound of its name and barked. Jake tilted his head back and Nova crawled up his chest and licked his chin.

Jake sighed, "Yeah I called the vet we used to take our old dog to, he said he'd check out... "Jake cringed, "Nova, next Monday to see if he was okay."

***

"No she won't freak, it will be like a surprise." James grinned stopping at the door he thought Ashlee went into.


Ashlee listened to Evelyn, and she remembered hearing about Jake from Luke earlier, and she sighed, "Listen Ev, what you and James went through it was intense, for the both of you, and hell all of us. No I don't think you should be stuck on one person forever, that you should move on and if Jake is going to make you happy then you know what? Go for it, but I feel like you and James both need to time to grieve, or get closure, or whatever it is, before pursuing something new."

Ashlee folded her legs underneath her and continued, " Listen I get you, I mean whenever you go through some hell of a break up or rough patch with a guy, sometimes you guys fight and you want to be the one who comes out on top, and show them "Look I'm better without you, and I don't need you." Listen I was with him and I know he's hurting, and I know you're hurting too, I just feel like this whole thing could have been handled a little better, but if Jake makes you happy like I said, I'm happy for you then." Ashlee gave a small smile, and pat Evelyn on the shoulder.

Seth couldn't stop his laugh in time at the look on Jake's face when he said "Nova".

"Well," Seth said lightly, "At least she didn't name it something stupid like Milky or, I don't know, Dots, right? Why did she name him anyways? Why not just call him "mutt"?"

***

Luke froze, reaching out and grabbing the back of James' shirt to jerk him to a stop. "That's um..." He bit the inside of his cheek, knowing James would be able to catch Evelyn's words. It wasn't entirely clear it was her, btu Luke thoguht James would be able to make out whose voice it was.

***

Evelyn lifted her head, staring at Ashlee thoughtfully. The only time she'd honestly been glad Jake was near her was when he'd held onto her when she'd had that embarrassing breakdown.

"I...we're on the same page, me and Jake," she said truthfully. "Mostly, anyways." Not when it came to naming dogs apparently. "So what are you saying? I should pause it with him until James and I are okay being near each other without verbally tearing each other apart?"

Jacob narrowed his eyes at Seth, "Nova." He cringed. "Is not a mutt, he's a Beagle, I did some research, and Beagles are pure breed's Mr. Upper East Side."

***


James coughed as he came to a stop, "Ugh Luke, you nearly took me out." James was quiet as heard the familiar voice that he heard to be Evelyn's behind the door, along with Ashlee's.

***

"I think you and James should at least try and be civil with each other, listen you're my best friend Evelyn, and so is James, and I hate not being able to hang out with the both of you at the same time without worrying about you guys getting your feelings hurt, listen I know it will take you some time to get over him, but I feel like it isn't fair to this Jake guy if you're dating him if you're not really going to be yourself around him, I say you guys just stay friends you know? Get to know each other and stuff, and if you want to be with him and you feel okay around James to where you both don't want to strangle each other." Ashlee advised Evelyn.

Seth rolled his eyes, slumping back onto the couch and nearly dislodging Nova off Jake's lap. "Whatever. He has a sissy name so in my eyes, he's a sissy. French Red really got one over you." He sat up. "Speaking of, what happened to that French girl you were going to call? Did she see you making out with your pseudo-girlfriend and run off?"

***

"Ash is going to kill us, we're eavesdropping," Luke muttered to James, flattening himself against the wall worriedly.

***

Evelyn ran a hand through her hair and sat up, putting her feet down. "So talk to James, then? I don't think he'll be very willing to." Her stomach churned at the thought of facing him again. She already found it difficult to look him in those blue eyes of his.

Blue eyes which he'd probably flashed at about a hundred other girls since she'd last talked to him civilly.

But if that's what it took to get them both past this, then she'd sacrifice some mandatory heartbeats and suffer in his presence for a while. "Okay."

James heard Ashlee's advice to Evelyn, he hadn't really thought about how much their arguing and disagreement caused a strain on their friendships, he looked back at Luke and sighed, maybe Ashlee had been right, him and Evelyn needed to talk and get on some sort of civil level with each other.

He figured he could handle looking at her while they tried to work some sort of peace between them.

James looked to his friend and he entered the living room quietly, and saw Ashlee turn back to look at him, her eyes grew wide,and James' breath hitched in his throat when he saw Evelyn sitting next to her.

"Um, hey. I know I'm probably the last person you want to see but, I overheard Ash and..." James sighed, "She's right."

***

Jake tilted, his head, "Oh yeah I forgot about her, I mean all this stuff happened and it totally flew out of my brain, eh I'll call her tomorrow." He said, he didn't want to seem desperate anyway.

Luke peeked over James' shoulder to see what he'd expected: both girls looked horrified.

This had probably not been James' brightest idea.

Luke glanced at Evelyn to see what she'd say to this intrusion. Surprisingly, she shrugged at James before glancing back at Ashlee. "Now that we're both agreed, what next?"

Luke cleared his throat and said, "Why don't you guys meet up sometime tomorrow and talk this out? Some neutral territory, maybe around campus?"

***

Seth smirked at Jake. "Hey, hey, now that you have a girlfriend, maybe I should call the French chick instead. You'll probably scar her with your Spanish Lover routine. Since clearly it didn't work on Red."

"Um I'll have you know she loved it, its why she wanted to meet with me." Jake smirked.

***

"Yeah I think that would be good, I mean you guys have had a rough couple of days and what not so maybe just give yourself a day or two and then meet and talk it out." Ashlee said calmly.

James rubbed the back of his neck kind of avoiding Evelyn's gaze, "I'll talk, whenever you're ready, I'll be ready too."

Seth snorted. "You have a girlfriend who will meet your 'rents, Jacob, don't be infidel," he taunted and then reached over, snagging Jake's phone out of his jacket pocket. He flipped through the contacts lists with a finger. "Hm...who's Aunt Measles? Uncle Buck-Toothed?"

Nova shifted sleepily on Jake's lap.

***

Evelyn bit her lip. James had had no problem staring her down that afternoon. Well, whatever. If he was too high and mighty to look at her, then it wasn't her problem. She glanced at Ashlee and said, "We can meet tomorrow. I'd rather not postpone this."

"Where's Alexis?" Luke asked abruptly, having been peering through the doorway of Alexis' room. Evelyn felt her insides freeze again.

"She's staying with a friend tonight," she said, fixing her gaze on her hands, clasped in her lap. She suddenly wished Jake hadn't taken Nova with him. The little dog's comfortable weight was reassuring.