We enter the dorm moments later. For once, students aren’t crowding around Matt since he’s a walking swamp. Some stop and ask if he needs clean clothes or a place to freshen up to which he gives a very harsh no. The cold tone used with others is almost foreign to me at this point, so much so that I’m staring oddly at him in the elevator. The attention is caught.

“What?” he asks with another wipe of a hand over his face. “Is there mud?”

“No, I was only thinking.”

He tilts his head in silent questioning.

“You’re pretty standoffish with others and I almost forgot what that looked like,” I admit with a shrug. “Since I don’t see that side of you anymore.”

“Standoffish?” he asks with a rapidly blinking gaze.

“Like kind of blunt or even a little mean.”

He brings his hand up to his chin, mulling it over enough to tell me that he doesn’t see it as that. I want to laugh at how oblivious Matt is to his own nature. At the same time, it’s kind of adorable that he merely reacts. In some situations that could be really bad, in others it’s exactly what a person needs. He’s so blunt and honest that everything he does or says is as true to himself as it could be and that’s a rarity. I begin to wonder if he’s like that because it’s what he wishes from others; honesty.

“Was I ever mean to you?” he asks when the elevator doors open. We step out together, slowly moving our way through the hall.

I shake my head. “I’d argue you were too nice.”

He wrinkles the bridge of his nose. “Go on.”

“Like when I ruined your clothes.”

“Shit happens.”

“You lied to everyone that I paid you back.”

“They would have bothered you otherwise.”

“You protected me from that drunk dude.”

Matt scowls at the memory. We’re at my dorm room, which swings open when he grumbles, “He started it.”

“The list goes on,” I add, thinking over the numerous instances that I could bring up. Since we’re at the dorm though, I’d rather let him clean up. “Long story short, no, you’ve always been nice to me.”

“Good.” He gestures to the bathroom. “Is it ok if I take a shower?”

I give a nod then make sure he has a towel as well as bring over some of Tori’s clothes. Once the bathroom door shuts, I’m left alone sitting on my bed watching TV. When the water runs, I up the volume. The sound of the shower is thunderous, more so than the TV even after raising the volume. Has the shower always been that loud? Has my heart always been this loud?

Jitters set in. I get up to pace the room. Not sure how pacing will stop the hammering of my heart, but it’s worth a try!

This is a crazy situation; an actor is taking a shower in my dorm. That isn’t a thought one has everyday or possibly in their entire life. But as I think that, I begin to feel disgusted. Calling Matt merely an actor is a bit rude, isn’t it? Matt is Matt and Matt happens to be an actor. His job is one aspect of him, an aspect that most choose to see over everything else. I don’t want to be like that.

Shaking my head, I slip back onto my bed to attempt concentrating on the TV. That doesn’t work in the very least, all the way up to Matt finishing up his shower. He exits the bathroom in Tori’s clothes. The shirt is a little tight at the shoulders and the basketball shorts have to be tied to stay on his hips, but other than that they work fine. The colors are bright, contrasting against his usual attire. The question of what color doesn’t suit him has been answered; all colors suit him. Period.

“Thanks,” he says, watching me scurry to get a bag that will hold his damp clothes. There are some grocery bags that we keep to put in the small trash cans we have at the dorm so I grab one of those. Matt stashes his clothes inside, ruffling his damp hair afterwards when glancing about the room. Luckily, it’s not a complete mess, but it’s practically nothing compared to his apartment.

“Guess there’s no point in going to class,” he adds when checking his phone.

“Guess not.” I retake my spot on the bed. We’ve missed about twenty minutes of class and, like I said before, wasn’t like we were missing much. So...now what?

“Uh, do you wanna watch TV or something?” I gesture towards said TV that’s playing some show that was meant to distract me while Matt was showering. Clearly that didn’t work.

Matt nods. “Sure.”

Shit. Did I want him to say sure or did I want him to go? Why can’t I make up my mind? I’m a wreck!

Matt moves further into the room. He surveys the area, more so my side than Tori’s. We don’t have guests so our room isn’t set up for more than us. There are chairs at our desk, but they’re pieces of crap given to us by the school. They aren’t the least bit comfortable so when Matt goes to sit in one, I quickly call out, “Ah, you c-can sit on the bed.”

He raises a brow.

“T-The chairs are...uncomfortable.” I said that like sitting with me on a twin sized bed is any less uncomfortable. Still, Matt chooses the bed. If I thought we were close under the umbrella, I don’t know what to call this. Stuck like glue?

Matt isn’t a beanstalk like me. He can barely fit on a twin sized bed on his own, let alone with someone else. There’s the option of Tori’s bed. I’m seriously considering running over to take his side of the room. I doubt he’d care, but Matt’s sudden question breaks the tense silence.

“Have you read all these?” He scans over a row of books on my bedside table along with a few on the shelves on the wall. I didn’t drag my entire reading collection with me, otherwise there may be no room left for Tori. I brought my favorites though that I re-read from time to time.

“Yeah, these are some of my favorites. I’ve read each probably three or four times.”

Matt retrieves The Blade Itself, flipping open to read the summary. My cheeks warm when his gaze returns to me. There’s evident shock in his gaze before he even says, “You don’t seem the type to enjoy a story about barbarians and magic.”

“I like high fantasy.”

“The saying is true, it’s always the quiet ones to look out for.” He slips the book back into place. When he settles, there’s no denying the heat radiating in the room. The bed's too cramped. We’re arm to arm, leg to leg. Matt gently nudges my foot. I question if it’s on purpose until he repeats the action. I return the gesture, wondering what the hell I’m thinking, more so when I look up.

Our eyes meet. His eyes are piercing through me, steely-blue that could make arctic ice jealous. This doesn’t feel real; the two of us sitting here in a quiet stare that has my entire body screaming. For what? I’m not entirely sure. Maybe to run. Maybe to lean in.

I end up doing nothing because the hero, or the villain, arrives with a grand entrance. The door swings up. Tori’s voice falters mid-sentence, “Dana, give me the de--” He literally skids inside, nearly face planting when spotting Matt and I on the bed. “Oh, hey Matt, you’re still here?”

He nods. Somehow it’s much colder after he steps off the bed.

“Guess I should get going,” he says.

“No, it’s fine that you’re here!” Tori quickly exclaims, but it’s too late. The moment is ruined. I’m glaring at my no good roommate until I realize that I am. Pinching the bridge of my nose, I look away, embarrassed.

What moment am I talking about? Even if Tori didn’t come crashing in, nothing would have happened. This is Matt and why would anything happen between us?

“Nah, should probably head home. Thanks for the clothes.” Matt looks at me with a soft smile that has me melting on the spot. “See you tomorrow.”

Tori’s eyes widen at that, but thankfully he says nothing.

“Yeah, tomorrow.” I walk Matt to the door, elbowing Tori on the way. He yelps, mumbling a soft apology while waving goodbye to Matt.

The moment the door is shut, Tori is on me like starving hounds on fresh meat. “First, I must humbly apologize for ruining the moment,” he says with his hands on my shoulders, spinning me to face him. “Second, I want all the details in a moment but, before that, be honest...were you about to make out?”

I choke on his stupidity, slamming my fist against my chest between hacks, “W-What?!”

“You were, like, this close--” he pinches his fingers ever so slightly together. “To kissing. Don’t deny it, I saw it!”

I slap his hands away, rushing around to jump back into bed. “You’re crazy.” But being in bed makes me remember.

We were close.

Really close.

“And you two are hanging out tomorrow, outside of class?” Tori rushes over, acting as if he has learned of the existence of aliens or alternate dimensions.

“Yeah, s-so?”

Tori stands, hands on his hips, in front of my bed. With stern eyes, he states, “He likes you.”

I choke more, which has Tori laughing.

“You’re joking,” I huff, bug-eyed and probably red faced.

“I’m definitely not. You’re joking if you think it’s not true!” He jabs me a few times in the chest with a pointed finger. “You two have something going on, or you will have something go on. I can feel it in my bones!”

“Your bones are lying.”

“The bones never lie!”

I bury myself in the blankets, hoping to hide from Tori, and maybe myself too. This isn’t fair. First there’s Matt and now there’s Tori building up my hope. I don’t want that to happen. I’m scared of the fall.