Chapter 8: Rebound (Part 2)

It felt like old times: Ryan and Monica curled up on the couch, watching "Ocean's Eleven," one of Ryan's favorites. They were halfway through when Monica said, "Hey, we should Facetime everybody."

"Who's everybody?" Ryan asked.

"You know, Peyton, Alex, Matt, Lance," Monica rattled off a few more names. She pulled out her phone. "Here, I'll just call everyone."

As the ringtone repeated over and over, Monica fluffed her hair and glanced Ryan over, making a small adjustment to his hair. "Like they'll care if my hair's a little messy," Ryan said.

Monica shrugged, then grinned at her phone. "Someone's picking up!"

Matt's face filled the screen, at an angle that made his stubbled chin look even bigger. "Hey Monica," he said.

"Hi!" she waved and swiveled the phone so he could see Ryan, too. "I'm hanging out with Ryan!"

"That's cool," Matt said, finally adjusting his phone so they weren't staring up his nostrils. He was clearly sitting in his dorm room on a futon. "What's up Ry?" Then Matt squinted and said, "You guys aren't back together, are you?"

"No," Ryan and Monica both said, almost in unison. Monica explained, "No, just hanging out. We're both in Boston. You're at Fordham, right?"

"Yeah." Matt lifted a can to his lips and took a swallow.

The screen was too small for Ryan to see, but the can looked like a Budweiser can. And it was only five o'clock, on a Wednesday. "How's college life?" Ryan asked. "Is Fordham a party school?"

"Yeah, there are parties."

"Oh," Monica said, her excited smile dimming a bit as she gave Ryan a significant look. During senior year, Matt had done a lot of drinking. It had become a ritual for one of them to always keep an eye on how much he'd had and make sure he didn't drive home. "Yeah, there are lots of parties at my school too. It's been great to get to know people." When Matt didn't immediately respond, Monica barreled onward. "How's your roommate? Do you get along? I know sooo many people who already hate their roommates. I've been pretty lucky with mine."

"Yeah, my roommate's cool. He has a fake ID." Matt shifted like he was trying to sit up more, and he disappeared from the frame. There was a pop and hiss of another can being opened. "What about you Ry? I bet you got a nice roommate. You're the nice guy."

Ryan thought he had told his friends about his living arrangement. "Yeah, I'm rooming with Pete. My roommate from the group home?"

Matt stared into the phone for a long minute. "Pete? He got into Tufts?"

"No," Ryan said carefully. "I'm living off-campus. We rented an apartment with some—" he didn't want to derail everything by mentioning that he was living with three girls— "other people, and Pete and I are sharing a room."

"Ugh," Matt said, and took another drink. "More than one roommate."

"How are your classes?" Monica asked, changing the subject. "You're majoring in Biophysics, right?"

"My grades are shit. Probably gonna lose my scholarship," Matt said, a definite slur in his voice.

Ryan wanted to tell Matt he should try not drinking during the week. But he also knew Matt's temper. "It's still early in the semester," he started to say.

"Look, I don't need Mr. Perfect telling me how everything's gonna be fine," Matt said, his voice loud. "I'm failing Organic Chemistry already, okay? And if I can't pass that, then how am I gonna pass any of my other classes, huh?"

"Sorry," Ryan said automatically.

Monica turned the phone subtly more towards herself. Matt liked Monica; in fact, the two of them had gone on a few dates after the Winter Formal junior year when Ryan had outed himself to the whole school. "I wish there was something we could do to help," Monica said. "Are you in a study group? I'm sure you're not the only one—"

Monica didn't get a chance to finish, because Matt hung up.

"Well, that wasn't exactly the reunion I had planned," she said.

Ryan rubbed her back as she turned off her phone. "I think he has a drinking problem."

"Me too."

They returned to the movie. "Maybe over Columbus Day weekend we can see how he's doing," Monica said. "I'll have a party but... no alcohol."

"You mean you'll have an intervention."

"No..." Monica said. "No, I swear I won't. But we have to do something, right? We can't just let him throw away his whole college education."

The sounds of voices and stomping rose up in the stairwell, and then Harper, Sam, and Charlie came in, shaking off the rain. "Well isn't this cozy," said Harper, narrowing her kohl-rimmed eyes.

Ryan had already learned that Harper's initial reaction to anything was suspicion, so he ignored her. "Guys, this is Monica, my friend from high school? She goes to Northeastern."

"Hi!" Monica gave an exaggerated wave.

As Ryan introduced Monica to Sam, Harper, and Charlie, Sam fought a smirk; Ryan had told Sam about Monica being his beard for most of high school. "Nice to meet you, Ryan talks about you a lot. Since he doesn't seem to have any other friends."

"What?" Monica swiveled to give Ryan a wide-eyed look. "You haven't made any new friends yet?"

"I have friends," Ryan said, gesturing to his roommates and Charlie.

"But... but..."

Ryan knew what Monica wanted to say: But you were so popular in high school! Ryan knew that popularity was an equation: one part jock, one part cheerleader girlfriend, one part genetics, and one part having outgoing, popular friends. And maybe one part being nice, although not every popular person was nice.

"I've hung out with some guys on the football team," Ryan said. "But most of them are... um..."

"Dumb jocks?" Sam supplied.

"Brain injured meatheads?" Harper suggested.

"Focused solely on partying and drinking when they aren't playing football?" Charlie added.

Ryan had to wonder exactly what these guys thought of him, a football player. "All of the above," he said with a tight smile.

"You're different than them," Charlie said quickly, letting Ryan know they weren't throwing shade at him. "One day you're gonna be the team doctor."

"Right," Ryan said. "I'm glad to know you all don't think I'm a brain-injured meathead."

"Hey, I went to your last game," Sam said. "And you didn't even play."

"I'm a freshman!" Ryan protested.

"Ooh, is Tufts playing Northeastern?"

"Not this season," Ryan said.

"Okay, enough about football!" Harper stomped into the kitchen and pulled out a bag of cheese curls. "Hey, who ate all my cheese curls? And put the bag back with like three left?"

It had been Pete, who wasn't here to confess. "I think there's another bag up there, behind the chips," Ryan said.

Harper glared at him, then tilted the mostly empty bag back to empty the three curls into her mouth before reaching up for the new bag. Sam picked up her fifteen-pound weights and started lifting behind the couch, while Charlie sat down in the armchair. They watched the TV screen, where the movie was almost over, for barely a minute before saying, "Ocean's Eleven. Not as good as Ocean's Eight."

"I just like Brad Pitt," Monica said.

"Anyone want to go to the MFA tonight?" Harper asked, scrolling through her phone.

"I don't really have a lot of extra money right now," Ryan said.

"It's free!" Monica said, sitting up straight. "At least it is for Northeastern students."

"Yes, it's free for us too," Harper added in her monotone. "Lots of places are free for students."

Monica took that as her cue to rattle off all the different museums that were free. Thankfully, she didn't get too far before her phone's alarm went off. "Oh, that's my cue to leave, I have to meet with my study group."

She threw a hug around Ryan's shoulders, and Ryan stood as she put her shoes and coat on. "You want me to walk you to the T?"

"Nah, I got this. I feel like city life is growing on me. I'll text you when I get to study group so you know I made it, if you're worried." Monica had her flirty smile on.

He didn't want to encourage her, but he decided to walk Monica down the stairs, at least. "It was good to see you," he said, hugging her again.

"Same. I just hope your roommates liked me. Maybe we can go to a museum sometime!"

"Yeah." Ryan waved good-bye and headed back upstairs, where he found everyone staring at him as he came in through the door.

"So that was your ex-girlfriend," Sam said, finally smirking.

"It was." Ryan couldn't help but glance at Charlie when he said that. Charlie had accepted Ryan's friend requests online, and they'd had a few conversations while Charlie was waiting around for Harper, but Ryan couldn't quite get a feel for if Charlie was interested. Then again, Ryan wasn't entirely sure he was ready to date again.

Sam put down the weights and headed to the kitchen, where she started assembling dinner. "Somehow I can totally imagine that relationship. You're like Ken and Barbie."

"Wasn't Ken gay?" Ryan asked.

"Cock ring necklace and all," Harper said, hopping up on the counter to be out of Sam's way.

Ryan's face went hot. "Um, what?"

Harper's evil smile reminded me of the Cheshire Cat.

"So you want to go to the MFA with us?" Charlie asked.

"Yeah," Ryan said. "What time?"

Once they had discussed particulars, Ryan headed to his room to study for a bit before dinner. He'd only just taken out his textbook for Biology when Charlie came to his doorway.

"I hope Harper didn't make you feel too uncomfortable. She likes doing that."

"It's fine." Ryan smiled to prove it. "I haven't had much experience being made fun of, that's all."

"Good." Charlie looked like they were going to say something else, then pushed away from the doorframe.

"Hey," Ryan said, and Charlie turned back. Ryan wiped his hands on his pants. "I've never been to the Boston Aquarium. Maybe you'd like to go with me sometime?"

Charlie's smile was slow and shy. "I'd love to."