Page 40 of Talk to Me

So, when I didn’t see Theo at breakfast or Midway Roasters, it wasn’t a big deal. However, when I didn’t see him in passing on campus between classes, I grew concerned. As class in Economics of Information began, and I still hadn’t seen him saunter into class, my concern became panic. Since the class was twice a week, it was possible Theo felt he didn’t need to attend Thursday lecture, but that seemed unlikely. That was when I began to take notice of everyone else for once in the day.

Sporadically throughout the lecture, I’d catch someone turning their head to glance up at me, sitting at the top of the hall. Then they’d jerk their head around once I saw them. Some of them would lean over to whisper to a friend. That friend, in turn, would glance back at me, only to whip their head back around once they realized I was watching. No one was giggling or pointing or calling me names like they did with Theo, but something was up.

By the end of class, I was growing paranoid. I’d showered, shaved, and spruced myself up for the day, so it wasn’t my appearance or body odor. Theo wasn’t with me, so they weren’t looking and whispering for their usual reasons.

The worse was when I caught sight of Collin. He had been sitting away from me in the class for the last few weeks. When I saw him, he was turned around, looking at me in my seat further up in the lecture hall. I frowned at him, my brow furrowing. He smirked, seemed to scoff, then turned around in his seat once again.

Shrinking in my seat, I began to wonder what it was that I’d done to attract the attention of the students at Midway. I hadn’t done anything unusual in the last few days. Without Theo by my side, as he’d been for a few weeks of classes, I couldn’t pass off their looks as interest in him. I found it difficult to take notes and pay attention to the lecture, even when the whispers and looks died off and everyone kept their attention on our professor.

By the time the end of class came, I was practically a blob in my seat, doing everything I could to go unnoticed. As the lights came up, I was struck with the realization of how Theo must have been feeling for weeks—or even longer. I didn’t even know why people were looking at and whispering about me, and I was a wreck. Expecting him to be strong through all of it had been a joke.

As people rushed out of class, I lingered, keeping my head down, hoping that I would avoid any more whispers and looks. While some students had enough tact to not kick a dying horse, some people are simply jerks. The person I thought was my best friend was one of the latter.

“Where’s your new best friend?” Collin hissed.

I looked up to find him standing inside the aisle I was seated in, his hands on his hips.

“What?” I croaked.

Students were climbing the stairs out of the lecture hall behind him, fortunately not paying attention to us.

“He wasn’t brave enough to show his face today?” Collin snorted. “I’m not surprised.”

“What are you even talking about?”

He rolled his eyes. “Okay, Josh. Whatever.”

He started to turn.

“What the fuck is your actual problem?” I barked.

Unfortunately, I was a little louder than I intended, drawing the curious gaze of a few passing students. Collin whipped back around to glare at me.

“Don’t act like you don’t know what’s going on, Josh. We all know why Theo isn’t attached to your hip today.”

“Attached to my hip?” I frowned. “What are you even talking about?”

Collin scoffed. “Like he has been for the last couple of weeks!”

The level of Collin’s screech was that of a Howler Monkey. Fortunately, almost everyone was out of class and our professor had stepped out of the room.

“You’ve been playing besties and treating me like shit!” Collin continued, his hands on his hips. “He’s been playing innocent and sweet and like he’s your best buddy. And now he doesn’t even have the balls to come to class today.”

“I haven’t treated you like anything,” I said, standing calmly. “I’ve been ignoring your immaturity until you apologize.”

Collin’s sputtered as heat rose in his cheeks.

“And for someone who wants to talk about a guy lacking balls,” I said, walking down the aisle and pushing past him, “let’s talk about how you won’t even show your face in our room.”

“Because he’s there all the time now!”

I turned on the stairs.

“He’s not,” I said. “And even if he was, he hasn’t done anything to you. So…go fuck yourself.”

With that, I turned and climbed the stairs towards the doors.

“He’s a snake, Josh!” Collin screeched after me. “You’re the only one who doesn’t seem to get that!”