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“Ohthere” I bend to take hih to send hi

He did not go flying

“I a around hi to face him

“No—it’s not your fault I’ here”

I tilt my head and look down

It’s not easy to see hily boy with a buzz cut Red t-shirt Jeans

Erin

“Then why are you sitting here?”

He shrugs, and I notice his lanky shoulders

He can’t be any older than I am, probably a freshman, too

“I guess I’” His hands are clasped over his knees and his phone is out—he was probably playing on it as a diversion, if I had to guess

“Hiding? From who?”

“Everyone” He laughs, pushing up the glasses rested on the bridge of his nose

“You’re hiding from everyone? Why don’t you just leave?” That’s what I would do if I hadn’t forced ht—one last hurrah before the football season kicks off and its curfews and check-ins by the coaching staff and rigorous workouts and nutritional regimens hinder my social time

Also, I’er way too many questions

“I cah school”

“So?”

“So—if I leave, they’ll make fun of me”

Souys such dicks to each other? All that toxic masculinity bullshit infuriates me

“Well do you reat spot to stay out of the fray without actually leaving the party, which doesn’t appear to be dying down any tioodbye and leave on my own holds no appeal, either—safety in nuh caht

“Um, sure”

He does not look sure, but I plop down beside hi him over with a bump of my hips

“I’m Lilly,” I say “Freshman How ’bout you?”

“Same”

“What’s your name?”

His head dips in embarrassment “Roman”

“Cool na down at the bright lights of the living roooes wild for, and the floor shakes as students ju to cave in on itself”

“Might, depending on where the floor joists are if the weight’s not evenly distributed and how old the house is”

Nerd alert “Are you an architecture major?”