perfect place for you. You can rent a room from me.”
“What do you mean?”
“I own a house fairly near your school’s campus. My grandson goes to John Rushmore too, and he’s currently living there.”
“And he won’t mind getting a roommate?”
“No, of course not. He’s such an angel. You’ll love him. Besides, the house is big enough that you won’t be in each other’s hair.”
I begin to feel hopeful. I’d rather rent a room from Ophelia than deal with another sleazeball like my previous landlord.
“What’s your grandson’s name? Maybe I know him.”
“Wolfgang, but I call him Wolfie.”
I chuckle. “Love it.”
“How about I give him a call and tell him you’ll be coming by to check out the house? When can you stop by?”
“I guess as soon as I leave here.”
“Sounds good. He should be home later today.”
Something heavy crashes on the floor, earning our attention. The bottom of the box Louis and Jack were trying to move gave out, and now the karaoke machine is in two parts.
“What have you done?” Ophelia strides in their direction, ready to give them a good old tongue-lashing.
I shake my head, trying not to laugh at the scene. There’s never a dull moment when the trio is involved, that’s for sure. I’ll have to remind Ophelia to call her grandson later. I’ve noticed she’s become forgetful, and she’s also been confusing names.
My chest becomes tight. I don’t want to think about losing Ophelia. It was hard enough when Grandpa died. I can’t bear the thought of her leaving me too.
TROY
Karma is a bitch. My stunt in front of Zuko’s Diner earned me Charlie’s prompt retaliation. She published a scathing article about me, but it backfired royally. She was destroyed on social media, #canceled being used everywhere in association with her and the paper. Even the dean got involved and forced the article to be retracted immediately.
I should feel vindicated, but oddly, I don’t. I was an ass to her in the coffee shop. I should have apologized for being so late. I also shouldn’t have splashed her on purpose. Now all I have is an annoying sense of guilt swirling in my chest.
There’s nothing worse nowadays than to become a social pariah. Keyboard warriors and their digital pitchforks are a bunch of fucking bullies. But man, that article… she didn’t hold back. And it was all bullshit. I’m not an entitled rich boy who doesn’t respect their teammates. Yes, I do practice extreme sports, but they aren’t life-threatening. At least not all of them. Besides, I know what I’m doing.
Damn it. I really shouldn’t feel bad about what happened to her. She dug her own grave.
I’ve just gotten out of the shower when I see there’s a missed call from Grandma. She left a voice mail. I listen to it immediately because you never know what kind of shenanigans she’s involved in. Mom thought we wouldn’t have to worry about Grandma when she decided to move in at Golden Oaks. Yeah, right.
There’s a lot of noise in the background, so I can barely understand what she’s saying. It doesn’t help that Thing One and Thing Two—aka her boyfriends—are talking over her. They sound drunk, which means they probably are. What I can make out from their slurred speeches is that Sailor Moon is going to come by the house later to check out a room to rent.
I rub my forehead. Knowing Grandma, I can’t simply discard her message as nonsensical. She’s probably decided to rent a room to some stranger. But she wouldn’t let my friends move in. Typical Ophelia Holland move. I’m not even annoyed. That’s how Grandma rolls. I hope the girl isn’t a fucking groupie. The last thing I want is to room with a football fan.
I doubt the girl’s name is Sailor Moon, but I can’t get hold of Grandma to ask for more details, such as when she’s coming by.
I glance at the clock. I was planning to head to the grocery store now because I’ll be too lazy to go later.
Ah fuck it. I’ll just leave a message at the front door in case “Sailor Moon” decides to stop by before I get back.
5
CHARLIE
I go check out Ophelia’s house straight from Golden Oaks, which unfortunately means I’m still wearing my Sailor Moon costume. I wasn’t planning on stopping by anywhere after the party, but it would be insane to go home and change considering the drive. I hope her grandson doesn’t think I’m a lunatic.