The Sophomore (College Years #2) - Monica Murphy Page 0,3
what Eli always calls him.
Eli is Jackson’s best friend, and he’s missed Jackson so much while he’s been on tour. He even went to Portland and hung out with him for a couple of days. Ava went too. I was so jealous, but I had to stay home to work. I’ve worked all summer, trying to save my money for college this fall. I got a few scholarships and community awards, but that won’t cover everything.
Compared to everyone else in our group, I’m a broke ass joke. Well, Diego doesn’t come from money either, but he has Jocelyn and her dad is a lawyer so they do pretty well.
Me? I’m scrambling for everything I’ve got. It was a big deal that I took today off, but this performance is special.
I want to be here, in support of Jackson. After not seeing his face for the last couple of months, I miss it.
Terribly.
“Ellie. Baby.” Caleb wraps me up in his arms and squeezes me, lifting me up so my feet are dangling off the floor before he sets me back down. “You nabbed us the best spot in the entire place.”
“You know it,” I say, my cheeks turning pink at the flirtatious way he talks to me. Looks at me. I’m not interested in Caleb. He’s naughty. There are no other words to describe him. He was a player in high school and he’s remained much the same in college.
I’ve remained much the same so far too. I’m the girl all the guys view as just a friend. The one they can always count on, but never the one they’re interested in.
“Leave her alone,” Ava says, slapping Caleb on the arm. “It feels like I haven’t seen you in forever.”
I’ve been working a lot, that’s why. And okay, I’ve been avoiding her a little bit too, because though I don’t blame her, and I know she has to do what’s right for her, I’m sad.
Because Ava is leaving us. She’s going to San Diego State. Eli is suffering mostly in silence too. We don’t want her to go.
But we understand. This is what she wants. We can’t stand in her way.
“Yeah. My work schedule has been really heavy with my new job. All the training,” I tell her when she pulls away.
Ava frowns. “You’re working too much.”
“I have to. I can’t afford tuition like the rest of you,” I say, immediately hating how…bitter I sound.
“I’m with you on that,” Caleb says, holding out his hand for a high five.
I give it to him, my slap and my smile weak, Ava’s careful gaze tracking my every movement.
“We need to get together,” she tells me, her voice firm. “What’s your schedule like this week?”
“Busy,” I say automatically.
Eli magically appears, wrapping his arms around Ava and pulling her into him. These two have been together for almost two years, and they’re madly in love.
“When is this concert going to start?” Eli asks me, as if he doesn’t know.
Jackson and Eli are roommates. They play on the Bulldogs football team together. They spend almost all of their time together, though Jackson was sneaking around, performing at Strummers secretly, never telling any of us. We only found out thanks to Tony’s girlfriend taking him to a concert here where Jackson opened up for another band.
Despite the secrecy, Eli wasn’t fazed. He loves his bro Jackson with his whole heart, and has missed him this summer almost as much as I have.
“It should start at eight-thirty,” I tell him, glancing at my phone. It’s eight-fifteen now. “We’re getting closer.”
The lights suddenly shut off, and the teenagers start screaming. I suppose I shouldn’t think of them as teenagers like it’s a bad word, considering I’m one too, but I feel so much older than them. Graduating high school changes you. Having to work full-time the summer before you start college changes you too.
I’m tired. And wondering if this is all my life will be for the next four years. Constant school and work? I’ll fry my brain completely by the time I graduate. If I even graduate, considering I have no idea what to do with my life after college…
There’s movement on the stage. I can hear it. And just as quick as the lights went out, they come back on, and there’s a giant wooden throne sitting in the middle of the stage. The girls start cheering, and Caleb whoops it up as he usually does. He even gets everyone to start chanting our star’s name.