Chapter 2 MAYBE HE'S RIGHT

"Wait." He tells me while giving me a strange look and pulling out his phone. "I have the perfect answer to both of our problems."

"What do you want to say?" I ask because I'm afraid Carlo's mind has come up with something stupid. I was the more reasonable of the two of us, and I was the one who often asked him to explain what he was doing.

"My friends, those with whom I live?" When he talks, I agree. "Well, I can't stay where I am, so I'm leaving this year."

"Okay?'

"Everyone renewed our lease, but I didn't."

"Don't all of those guys go to your school?" I'm confused, so I ask. "Didn't they finish high school with you?"

"No, I was not a freshman. I met them when I was in my second year of living in the dorms. We also all played basketball against each other in the gym." When he talks, I raise my eyebrows.

"Are they in their fourth year like I am?" I say "yes," and he nods.

"Yeah, and they can't find anyone to move into the fourth room," he says, and my mind immediately goes to the best part. 15 minutes on foot from campus. "Since I told them I was taking that job in Jersey, they've been looking for weeks."

"There must be someone who wants to move in with them." I won't give up, and I don't know why it's come to this. To Carlo selling his apartment to a friend he doesn't see all that often.

"They don't want a dumb first-year student or a kid who wants to party with the fourth-year students." He tells me. "On top of that, they want someone like you, who isn't messy or loud."

"But I've met those guys, and they're loud and messy." I tell him, and he laughs.

"Last year, Mark was drunk in the living room and tried to do a handstand. In the process, he kicked a hole in the wall." He tells me, and my mouth drops. "Our landlord almost kicked us out because they're in trouble and want someone to blame."

"S-so-"

"You should move into the room I used to have." He says quickly and opens his phone right away, moving his thumbs quickly across the screen. "They need someone to fill the room, and you would be so close to campus."

Is he for real? My mind is going a mile a minute. I could do so much more, go out more than twice a year, and sleep a lot more than I do now.

I ask, "Who lives there?" and he smiles.

"You've met Mark and Kyle before, right?"

"I believe so." I mumble as I try to remember where they are. "Perhaps once?"

"Cool, but there's also Kent."

I ask, "Kent?" and he nods. "I've never met him."

"No, I don't think so. You've never seen him before.' He tells me what's going on, and my mind starts to catch up. It's not all fun and short walks to campus.

"You want me to live with three guys I don't know?" He sighs, but he seems to understand where I'm coming from. "That's a lot, Carlo. I have no idea how to live on my own, and I don't think-"

He begs, "Please do it." "We can't find anyone else, so until they find someone else, the three of them are paying the rent." He keeps on, and I give up. "You know me, Juls, and you know I wouldn't tell you to do something bad."

"You would, right?" He rolls his eyes when I insist.

"Maybe if it was something like stealing traffic cones or doing drugs, but not if it would mess up your life." He tells me, and I agree, that Carlo was a softy who would never want me to be hurt or sad. "I know these guys, and they're good people who will like you."

"What if they don't like me?"

"That won't happen." He assures me. "You'd be doing me a huge favor if you helped me. I feel like I'm getting out of helping these people."

"All right, what do they think?" I ask, and he gives me a shrug.

"I could send you a text? We could go over there and look around right now.' He keeps on, and I give up.

"What's up?" I ask, and his answer makes my stomach turn.

I was too shy around new people to be able to meet them.

"Yeah, I just sent them a message saying that a friend of mine wanted to look at the house." He explains, and as he turns his phone around to face me, I swallow the lump in my throat.

I hadn't seen Carlo in months, and I wasn't sure how well I knew him. Now I was going to live with his friends? That didn't make any sense.

But the campus was so close. Close to work, school, and my other activities. This was a great chance for me because I wouldn't have been able to find new roommates before the semester started.

"Um..." I mumble, and then I come to my senses. You have nothing to lose by going to look. "Sure, let's go.'

He smiles and sends a message back to his friends. I go back to my coffee and try to finish it before we have to get up.

"They want you to meet them." When he tells me, I smile and feel relieved. I could do this and take care of it. Carlo would never live with bad people, he's too nice. "Let me just get a to-go cup for the rest of my coffee, and I'll bring you over."

As soon as I finish my drink, he quickly gets up from the table. I then sit back and run my fingers through my hair. Relax Juls, just be normal. It will be fine, and if you do well, you won't have to live with your parents for long.

"Ready?" Carlo stands over me at the table and asks, "What's up?" I stand up and grab my bag.

"Sure." I take a weak breath and smile as I get my dish and number.

"You don't have to do that, someone comes around and clears the tables." I roll my eyes when he tells me.

"I just want to help. If nothing else, I can get them to the front." I tell him yes, and the angry woman behind the counter seems at least a little glad that I helped. I smile at her and walk back to Carlo, who is waiting patiently by the door.

"Juls, you will love this place. I'm aware of it." He tells me not to worry, puts his arm around my shoulder, and leads me out the door.

I really want him to be right.