Bender (The Core Four #1)(3)
“S’okay. Nah, I just faked the orgasm of my life so he would get off of me. I wanted him to go home. Any sweetness was shot to shit with his lack of lovemaking skills. How was your night?” She changed the subject.
“Ugh! I have to head off campus to get Sarah from ballet practice and miss another study session. I’m floundering here Macie. I just got out of A&P, and I don’t think I could tell you what way is up or down. I’m so confused, and my mom’s constant need for help is going to prevent me from getting into nursing school.” I was whining again, but I couldn’t help it. If anybody understood my situation at home, it was her.
“I don’t know how you deal with it. I love Sarah just as much as you do, but your mom has got to stop relying on you. Doesn’t she realize that school is important? Have you told her that you’re struggling and need the extra help?”
“Seriously, don’t you think I’ve said something to her by now?”
She held her hands up, palms out. “You’re right, sorry. You know you can always call me and ask me to help too. I don’t know why you think you have to take everything on yourself.”
Sighing I said, “Because you already do too much. I feel like I’m never going to be able to repay you.”
She reached over and grabbed my hand, lacing our fingers. “Keegan, I love you. You’re my best friend, and that means we are there for each other. You do more for me than you realize. I swear if it weren’t for you, I probably would be knocked up already and following in your mom’s footsteps. You keep me grounded. There’s no such thing as repayment or scorecards in friendship. If you need me, tell me, and I’ll be there no matter what.” She squeezed my hand when she said that last sentence.
I looked across the table at her, my eyes feeling glassy from unshed tears. “I love you too.”
She shook her head, her long brown locks falling over her shoulder. “Ack! Enough of this mushy shit, let’s figure out what you’re going to do.”
Macie released my hand and sat back in her chair. “What do you mean ‘figure out what I’m going to do’? What is there to figure out? I’m going to go find my TA after lunch, ask for the study guide, head to work for an hour, and then get Sarah.”
“No, I meant in the long term. I think it’s time you move out of that house and have your own space. Start living your own life.”
I scrunched my nose. “I have my own life.” She gave me a stern ‘cut the shit’ look. “Okay, so I don’t have my own life. But that doesn’t matter, does it? I have a job where I barely make more than what covers my expenses, let alone my mom’s. I couldn’t afford a place right now even if I wanted to.”
Macie sat there clearly trying to think of a way around my predicament, her perfectly manicured French tip nails tapping on the table. I decided to take advantage of the silence and began scarfing down my pizza. The greasy cheese wasn’t going to sit well with me later, but I was hungry and didn’t care. I had just reached for my soda when her hand shot out and grabbed a hold of my wrist, startling me.
“I’ve got it!” she shouted a little too loud.
“Jesus Mace, keep it down.”
“Sorry.” She looked around the still pretty empty space. “I know what’s going to solve your problems,” she said softer.
“Enlighten me, oh wise one,” I said sarcastically.
“You can’t afford a place on your own, and I’d totally be your roommate if I could, but Daddy gives me money, so I’m going to mooch while I can.” The girl’s parents were filthy rich. Her mom worked as a city councilwoman, and her dad was a doctor. I didn’t blame her for drinking from that well while it was still providing.
“Okay, so what do you suggest?”
“Well, if I can’t be your roommate, then let’s find you one.” She said it like it was the most simple explanation ever.
“Like where, Craigslist? I’m not looking for a roommate on Craigslist Mace. So don’t even suggest it.”
I was getting up to go dump my empty pizza box in the trash. “Not from Craigslist. Jesus, I don’t want you killed by an ax murderer. I meant from ads posted around campus.” She grabbed my hand and started pulling me to the Common Center where students went to study or hang out. “I’ve seen flyers pinned up on the bulletin boards. Let’s see if we can find you a roomy.”
When we got inside the building there were a few students milling about chatting and others with their nose stuck in a book. As soon as we opened the door, wind caught some of the papers that were hanging right inside, causing them to blow around. We scoured the boards for about five minutes, plucking off the little cut edges that had a name and phone number on them. Honestly, none of them looked promising. They either lived in a crappy part of town, or they wanted more than I could afford.
“Bingo!” Macie grinned while lifting up some papers covering the one she was reading.
I was shuffling the few that I had in my hand and trying to shove them in my back pocket. “What’d you find?”
Macie read the ad, but I didn’t understand what about it made her say ‘bingo’. “I hate to break it to you, but I’m pretty sure I heard you say they were looking for a male. Last I checked I wasn’t sporting an extra appendage.”