Re: Freshmen Dorms

[Guest]

Jake threw his hands up, "Maybe I don't know."

[Tiger-Lily]

Seth snorted and resumed his "studying".

[Guest]

Several moments had passed since Evelyn left. Jake had sat anxiously tapping his fingers on the single seater, wondering. Wondering and replaying the conversation with Evelyn on Sunday.

He hadn't said anything out of the ordinary. Jacob was making himself paranoid for no reason.

Lola noticed his anxious behavior and raised an eyebrow at him, "You okay Jake?"

"Was it something I said?" Jake blurted out.

"Jake what are you--"

"I mean I'm probably being crazy right? Cause I feel like maybe it was something I said to her to Evelyn, that made her act so cold." Jake's thoughts were racing, he didn't understand why he was being like this. It was probably nothing, but something just gnawed at him in the back of his mind.

[Tiger-Lily]

"Who the fuck cares, Jake?" Seth said, after sending Jake a disgusted glance. He tipped his headphones onto his neck. "Do you HEAR yourself? You sound like...a wuss! The girl's made you her whimpering slave!"

[Guest]

Jake felt the stinging of Seth's words and glanced away from him, "Seth quit it."

[Tiger-Lily]

Seth disregarded Lola's scowl (he didn't even have to look at her to guess she was probably glaring), as he continued. "Dude, this nice guy act might be why she walked." He didn't see anything wrong in pointing out the obvious truth.

That, and he still distrusted Evelyn. She had a lot of history with James and it was evident every time she was around him.

[Guest]

Before Jake could even say anything Lola had stood up glaring daggers at Seth.

"How can you even say that?! How dare you even say that! Jacob is your best friend! Actually no, he's mine. Just because you met Jake after he became some jerk doesn't mean he wasn't ever nice!" Lola yelled at Seth.

Jake let out a long sigh, "Lo just let it--"

"No Jake! I won't let it go!" Lola shot a look at Jake then focused her eyes back at Seth.

"I've known Jake my whole life and before he got screwed up he was nice and he actually acted like every other human! What makes you think Evelyn wouldn't want a nice guy? Just because you treat women like dispensbal items doesn't mean Jacob has to! If you were his friend you'd help him instead of tear him down!" Lola yelled furiously. She could never understand how Jake could be friends with such a total dick!

[Tiger-Lily]

"The girl's fickle, is why I'm not helping him," Seth stated, unfazed as ever as he typed away on his laptop. He glanced at Jake, apology in his eyes. "Sorry, bro, you know it's my job to blurt out the ugly truth. There's a pink elephant in here and you have to wonder why she suddenly turned cold. It's probably because now you're being all nice guy. That's what girls do."

He hesitated, not wanting to say this but unlike Lola, he couldn't stand seeing Jake fret and worry like a girl over Evelyn. "That's what Rachel did."

[Guest]

Jake's face fell at the mention of Rachel, he could see Lola scowling out of the corner of his eye. He loved Lola for defending him, but now questions were rising in his head again.

But he knew Evelyn wasn't like Rachel, that wasn't even the case. Or was it? Was Evelyn getting bored with him?

"Just because Rachel was a whore doesn't mean every girl is gonna do the same thing to Jake because he's not a dick to her." Lola's stern voice broke through Jake's thoughts.

Jake sighed not sure what to do or think anymore. He hated this.

[Tiger-Lily]

"Well how else do you explain it?" Seth asked Lola irritably. Geez, did this girl think she was all-knowing? She barely spoke to Evelyn! "Evelyn is definitely losing interest! Maybe that or she - " he froze, forcing back what he'd been about to say and looked back at his laptop instead.

***

"Hey, Lucas," Evelyn said happily, opening the front door. Luke cracked his usual genuinely warm smile and Evelyn let him give hr one of his consoling bear hugs. Luke was sensitive that way. No wonder so many girls went for that.

Some boys can't pick up blunt hints at all, she thought irritably, hugging Luke back, and don't get that you're even slightly upset over something they just said. Until you make it bluntly obvious!

"What's wrong?" Luke asked, ruffling her hair. Evelyn pulled a face and tugged her hair into a ponytail, closing the door and leading him over to the couch.

"Nothing, just kind of down with exams and stuff. So how've you been?"

"Tired. My fingers are almost always bleeding with how much guitar practice I'm getting these days. Our suite's almost quiet these days. It's shocking."

Evelyn tried to imagine chatty Joel, quirky Taylor, obnoxious James and musician Luke being quiet and failed.

"You could ask how James is," Luke said abruptly, "out of fake courtesy." He flashed her a brief grin.

Evelyn tried not to flinch and her stomach gave that same jar it always did when she thought of or heard of James. "Right," she murmured weakly, looking away.

[Guest]

Lola stopped talking and Jake's eyes had widened, then darkened he stood up now along side Lola.

"Or what, come on Seth. Your job to tell me the truth so tell me. You've managed to do everything but spare my feelings, but I've come to accept that being your friend so just say whatever you were gonna say." Jake's said coldly.

[Tiger-Lily]

Seth bit the inside of his cheek and finally glanced up from his laptop, a hint of regret in his eyes. "She might be...seeing someone else." Also another thing Rachel had done, he remembered too late. "Or just interested in someone else," he added helpfully.

[Guest]

Jake didn't want to hear that because it was all too familiar to him, but she hadn't said anything to him. Unless she wasn't telling him to protect his feelings.

Jake sighed, "Whatever. I'm taking Nova for a walk, venir boy." Jake called Nova over to him and he waddled over to him. Jake grabbed the dogs leash and shoved it in his pocket and picked up Nova with some diffculty.

"Damn boy you're getting fat, come on." Jake said leaving. Ignoring both Seth and Lola.

Lola waited a moment to let Jake leave before slinging her purse over her shoulder and walking out of the boys suite.

Lola was gonna avoid him but she wasn't exactly sure how Jake was feeling.

"Jake are you gonna be alright?" Lola asked him catching up beside him.

Jake sighed shrugging, as they reached the elevator he hit the button on the control panel, "I don't know Lo. This whole situation its just so screwed up and you know you've hardly been around so you really have no idea..."

"I haven't been around because you've been ignoring me! I'm always there for you and you know that." Lola snapped. How dare Jake question her loyalty.

"Lo you know what I mean. Don't do this I'm not in the mood." Jake said impatiently.

Lola folded her arms across her chest, "Jacob, I wanna be there for you. If you like this girl and she likes you than be with her. But if you're the only one invested in it and if that idiot roommate of yours says she's fickle and using you then stay away." Lola told him.

"I know Lola! God damn it!" Jake snapped at her.

"No Jacob! Its obvious you don't! Cause if you did everyone wouldn't always have to tell you!" Lola yelled.

The elevator doors opened up and they both stomped inside together.

Jake slammed his hand on the button for the lobby and the doors closed to the elevator. The both of them standing there in silence.

Jake sighed running a hand through his hair he glanced at Lola who was staring straight ahead.

"Listen Jake, I just don't want you getting hurt again. I'm your best friend and I want you to just not push me away. You scare me when I don't hear from you or you ignore me."Lola said worriedly. She knew Jake had a tendency to get a bit rough when things didn't go his way and she didn't want him doing something he'd regret.

"I'm sorry." Jake aplogized quietly going to Lola and giving her a big hug.

Lola returned the hug, "I'm sorry too Jake."

Nova let out a panicked yip from being squished by the embrace. Lola laughed pulling away from Jake, he snickered reaching in his hoodie.

"Sorry boy." He grinned. As they rode the elevator down.

[Tiger-Lily]

Evelyn was complaining to Luke about the upcoming formal.

"If worse comes to worse," she said irritably, "Ashlee suggests I just drag you."

"Oh, damn, you shoulda told me this yesterday," Luke said with laughter in his eyes as he sprawled out on the couch. "I already asked some girl in class."

"You what?" Evelyn yelped, panicked now. She'd kind of been relying on just taking the easy way out and having Luke take her!

Great, now she'd have to play that siren and get another date. Alexis wasn't going, Carrie had a date and Ashlee was probably going with Connor. So she couldn't just go stag as a group!

Lovely. Evelyn groaned aloud, walking over and sitting down angrily - on Luke's stomach.

He gave a pained squawk and she ignored him, thinking over her options. "Okay, so I'll just seduce a guy from class -"

"You'll what?!" Luke sounded as horrified as if she'd told him she'd just been in a threesome with Ashlee and Connor. Remembering Ashlee saying this made Evelyn grin.

"Evelyn," Luke said agitatedly, "why can't you just go with...?" He paused and muttered a quiet, "never mind." Evelyn looked down at him, eyebrows raised.

"Can you get off my vital internal organs? I need my pancreas," Luke stated, sighing to himself. Whatever the hell was wrong with James these days was disturbing.

It didn't make sense. James couldn't like Alexis. Sure, it might be more plausible for Alexis to like him...but the James Luke knew was still firmly getting over the bronze-haired Irish girl sitting on Luke's liver.

"What's going on with James?" Luke asked absently, and Evelyn stiffened. She got off him and walked back to her seat on the single-seater.

Luke sat up, frowning, a spark of suspicion flaring. "He's not being himself, this whole Alexis thing. Did you say something to him?"

"Yeah, I'd really tell him to go after my roommate, Lucas," Evelyn replied irritably, but she wouldn't meet his eyes.

Evelyn was a horrible liar. Luke pulled out his phone and absently texted James. Where u at?

[Guest]

James had been busy bashing his head into his history book when his phone vibrated across his desk.

He picked it up reading his message from Luke and sent to him.

Beating 200 years of American History into my brain.... where r u? He sent back, returning to bashing his head in as he waited for a response.

[Tiger-Lily]

Luke replied with a glance at Evelyn, who was back to poking at her law textbook. Study break in Alexis' suite. Wanna come?

So he lied. Big deal.

[Guest]

James read Luke's message and practically jumped out of his chair just reading Alexis' name. Alexis was better than reading about Abraham Lincoln! Hell, Alexis was better than most anything!

James got up straightening himself out, and looking himself in the mirror before leaving their suite. Too excited to even wait for the elevator, James opted for the stairs texting Luke, On my way! Will be there shortly!

[Tiger-Lily]

Evelyn glanced up from where she was now seated on the floor, catching a smirk on Luke's lips.

She frowned. What was he up to?

Luke looked pleased with himself. A knot of worry tightened in her stomach.

He got up, her still watching, and walked over to the front door, unlocking it, and then returned to the couch.

Evelyn bit her lower lip and retied her ponytail, bending low over her textbook while Luke hummed to himself.

[Guest]

James had arrived at the girls suite, ignoring that he was slightly out of breath. He tried the door opening it looking for Alexis but to his disappointment only found Evelyn with her nose buried in a book and his roommate.

He closed the door behind him walking in there blue eyes scanning the dorm, "Hey where's Alexis?" He asked, ignoring that Evelyn and Luke were there, hoping that he would see his beautiful soul mate.

[Tiger-Lily]

"FML," was Evelyn's classic answer.

Luke stifled a laugh and glanced up at James. "She'll be out." Evelyn had told him Alexis had escaped to Rose's - again. "Why don't you chill here till she comes out?"

[Guest]

James pulled a face, not really acknowledging Evelyn he sort of pouted. Not really wanting to go back to studying so he figured he could await for the return of Alexis.

"I guess it beats studying." James said sitting on the couch.

[Tiger-Lily]

Evelyn returned James' lack of acknowledgment by keeping her head bent over her notes. Luke closed his eyes and leaned his head back on the couch. "So, James, you got a date to the formal yet?" he asked sleepily.

[Guest]

"Not yet, but I know who I'm asking." James grinned then looked down at Evelyn who looked like she was ready to shove her head into her book, "How about you Ev? Any dates?"

[Tiger-Lily]

Evelyn stiffened and didn't answer, so Luke did.

"She's gonna seduce a guy from class," he said, imitating Evelyn's disgruntled tone.

Evelyn's lips twitched int a small grin before she resumed working nonchalantly.

[Guest]

"Pft good luck with that." James snorted, no ones beauty compared to that of Alexis'

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