Ever. It’s you and me for life, Mutt. I’ll always have your back and be your sounding board. I’m your biggest fan and your number one ally. A twenty-minute car ride isn’t going to change anything. You are going to rock this college thing. You’re going to make new friends and impress the hell out of them, as you have with me all these years. You are kind and smart and beautiful. People are drawn to you, Alma. You won’t be alone. Just be yourself, and you’ll be fine. You’re going to love it.”
I let out a sigh. “You’re right. I’ll be fine. You’ll be fine. It’ll be great.”
“There’s the spirit,” Amos says with a sweet smile. “Do you want me to stay longer?”
“No, you should go. I’ll go inside and get to know Quinn a little more. She seems nice. Don’t you think?”
He nods. “Yeah, I think she’s a good person. You lucked out. The verdict is still out on Matt,” he says, referring to his roommate. “You’re good?” he questions.
“I’m good.”
“Call me if you need anything.”
“I will,” I promise.
Leaning in, we bring our fisted hands and locked pinkie fingers up to our mouths, and we each kiss the area of our hand where our thumbs cradle our pointer fingers and then release our grasp. It’s the best-friend greeting that we came up with when we were ten, and it’s stuck.
I turn toward the dorms, and Amos walks toward his car. Before entering the building, I give him a final wave. God, I’m going to miss him.
“Amos is gone?” Quinn asks when I get back in the room.
“Yeah, he had to go back. He told me to tell you good-bye.”
“Aw. Sweet.” She takes a step toward me, her green eyes wider than normal. “Well, while you were out, I spoke to some of our neighbors.”
“Really? Are they cool?”
“They seem like it, but the exciting part is that they told me about this huge frat party happening tonight. Kind of a kick-off-the-year party. And I think we should go!” She claps her hands together with a squeal.
“A frat party? I can’t. No,” I stammer, kicking off my flip-flops. I head toward my bed and fall onto it with a bounce. Draping my forearm over my face, I repeat, “I can’t.”
“Please, Alma. Please,” Quinn begs. “I’ve been going crazy here. I don’t know anyone, and I’ve been so bored. It’s the weekend before school starts. Please? It will be so much fun. We don’t have to stay long. Maybe we’ll meet some new people. Plus, you don’t have homework yet, so there’s no excuse.”
I sit up and lean against the wall.
“The idea of a party makes me really uncomfortable,” I tell her honestly. “My parents are huge partiers and always had people over, drinking and getting high. The idea of being like them makes me sick to my stomach.”
“Okay,” she says reassuringly. “I see your point, and I understand your hesitation, but let me play devil’s advocate, if I may. First, from what I know of you in the five hours since I first met you, I’m guessing that you are nothing like your parents. Just because your parents drink and get high doesn’t mean you have to. I’m not getting high. No way. You can enjoy a college party and not be like them. So, at dinner, you told me that you got a full-ride scholarship here, right?”
I nod.
“Did your parents get full-ride scholarships to college?”
“No. They didn’t go to college.”
She throws her hands up. “That’s my point. You’re nothing like your parents. You’re responsible enough to go out and have fun without ruining your future. It’s just a party, not a jail sentence. I promise. Plus … it’s going to be so much fun,” she whines the last sentence in a desperate plea. “And I don’t want to go alone. I know from enough teen movies that a girl going solo to a frat party isn’t a good idea. We need a buddy system. For me?” She puts her hands up in front of her in a praying stance and waits, eyes wide.
“I’ve known you for five hours. I can’t believe your for me speech is breaking me.” I smile at Quinn.
She gasps, “So, is that a yes?”
“I suppose,” I groan.
She claps. “Yay! I’ll take it.”
I slide across my bed so that my feet are dangling off of the side. “So, what do we wear to these things?”
“Anything really.” Quinn gives me a once-over. “Your jean shorts are cute.