“The Panthers have won with a score of 3-2!” the announcer called.

I watched from my spot on the sideline as the team cheered and grouped together on the field. It was the first game of the season, and the first gig I was doing as a part of the Event Staff. As part of the Event Staff, I was selected between a pool of others at random to attend certain sports and certain games throughout the entire year. The pay was decent for a works study job, but I still had my other job at a restaurant as my main source of income.

As the team left the field, I made sure there wasn’t anything leftover around and under the benches for both teams.

“You’re free to go, newbie,” one of the other two Event Staff members said. “We just have to bring these back to the equipment room and then we’re done. Go ice that wrist of yours.”

“Are you sure you don’t need help?” I asked, but they had already turned on their heels and walked away.

My phone buzzed in my pocket and I saw ‘Jack Calaway’ on the caller ID.

“Hey,” I said, answering the phone.

“I’m here to pick you up,” he said. “Are you done?”

“Yeah,” I responded, walking towards one of the parking lots adjacent to the soccer field. “I’m heading to Parking Lot C.”

“Ok, I’ll see you in a second.”

Jack hung up, and I slipped my phone back into my pocket. My wrist ached from when Alexander White used me as a landing pad right before the game ended. I hoped it would go away after a good night’s sleep. I didn’t have a shift at Atlas, but it was Monday. I had a shift every day until Sunday. Next Monday was Labor Day, and Tuesday was the start of the semester. I needed every penny I could get.

“Look who finally decided to show up!”

Jack said when I opened the door to the back seat. Jack’s sleek dirty blond hair was still wet from his shower after work, his cold blue eyes full of mischief. He wore a pair of light jeans, a creamy shirt and a matching flannel, a fit that I would recognize in my sleep. Jack had been my best friend since elementary school and the one guy who knew everything about me, even the things I didn’t tell him.

“Are you picking up the tab tonight?” Michael Schiller jokingly asked from the passenger seat. As a classical pianist, nothing was more important to Michael than his hands. As the eldest of five, he learned very early to take care of himself and others. His humbled upbringing was probably because his parents were a German pianist and violinist combination. They were never home, and he was the ‘parent’ of the house. He was the most self sufficient roommate, or rather, the jack-of-all-trades. He cooked, cleaned, and always had a toolbox ready. 

“Shut up, rich boy,” I responded sarcastically.

A whistle came from next to me as I looked over at my last and final roommate, Ian Rodrigues. “Pauls’ got attitude tonight.”

Ian was an internationally known figure skater, wining medals overseas and making a name for himself early on. He retired after a fractured ankle injury, turning his focus on a career in sports psychology.

The four of us became roommates during our freshman year at Marble Hill. Michael and Ian were quiet at first, especially since Jack and I were already friends. After we hung out a few times as a group, we clicked really well. Our four-person suite was on the seventh floor of one of the dorm buildings on campus, all of us getting our own tiny room. Our shared kitchen, living room and dining room was no more than 20 square feet, and we all pitched in to scour FaceBook Marketplace for furniture and decorum.

“You look mopey,” Jack said, glancing at me through the rearview mirror at a stoplight.

“I’m not mopey,” I responded, turning my head away to look out the window.

“You’re very mopey right now,” Michael said.

“I am not mopy,” I responded again.

“You’ve barely spoken since you got in the car,” Ian said. “Is something wrong?”

“My wrist hurts a little,” I said. “Nothing too major.”

“Oh, I saw that,” Michael said, pulling out his phone. “Everyone’s posting about it on their story.”

“Posting what?” Jack asked.

“A clip of Alexander White crashing into you,” Michael responded, showing Ian his phone. Sure enough, it was the angle from the crowd as Alex dove for the ball, crashing into me after.

“Number 9, Alexander White,” Jack said without even looking at Michael’s phone. “He went to boarding school for high school and played for their team. He scored 43 career goals with 4 assists.”

“Always can count on you for digging up information,” Michael said.

Jack shrugged. “I went to the same boarding school.” I stiffened as Michael and Ian looked at Jack. “What? He was an ok student but a really great player. Also a pretentious asshole. It’s no wonder he chose Marble Hill since their conference record is pretty constant. He’s only a sophomore and already on the starting lineup, so he’s going to be one of the next captains for sure. Still he’s a pretentious asshole.”

Ian and Michael laughed and I just continued to stare out the window. We stopped at Atlas to pick up our dinner order. Jack knew my order and had put it in for me while I was working. Since the soccer team was holding their mandatory team dinner, we were only able to order takeout. The three of them continued chatting throughout the rest of the ride back to the dorm. Jack parked his car, and the four of us raced to the front door of the dorm building. Michael lost, but he complained it was because he was holding the takeout order.

Our suite was on the seventh floor, along with three other four-bedroom apartment suites. The layout was simple, with two bedrooms on the left side of the suite and two on the right side. There were two bathrooms, one on either side of the suite as well. In the center of the suite was the living room and kitchen. There wasn’t really enough space for a dining room so we usually ate in the living room or our own rooms. Every room had a window, with a double window in the living room. Our room was southern facing so we got plenty of sunlight throughout the day.

After unpacking our takeout on the coffee table in the living room, we put on an episode of ‘Breaking Bad.’ We’d been watching the show as a group since last year whenever we had meals together. It wasn’t my first choice, but it made the others happy so I just went with it.

Once we were done eating, cleaning and did rock-paper-scissors to see who would take the trash down to the basement dumpster chute (Ian lost), we went our separate ways. Michael loved to have some gaming time so between 9 pm and midnight, he was usually in his room with his headset on. The bedroom doors were not very sound proof, so if he got into a heated Battle Royal on Call of Duty, he would start swearing in German.

Jack would usually be the first to wash up and hit the hay, going to the gym at 5 or 6 in the morning. He never played sports, but loved going for runs in the morning and working out. Ian was usually the second one to crash. Like Jack, he got up early. He would sneak off to the local skating rink even through he couldn’t do competitive jumps anymore.

I would usually be done washing up by 11, spending another hour in my room in the dark on my Nintendo Switch playing Animal Crossing.

I had the farthest left room, and Jack had the room next to mine. Ian had the farthest right room, and Michael had the one next to him. Ian and Michael kept their bathroom fairly clean, but we usually kept to our own sides of the apartment suite.

“Hey, Paul,” Jack said from the doorway to the bathroom. He had already taken his shirt off and I still had to look away despite the number of times we bathed together as little kids.

I cleared my throat. “What is it?”

“I’m sorry about talking about Alex. I know…how close you guys were.”

“Don’t worry about it. “He seems to have recovered and is doing well for himself.”

“Hey,” Jack said softly, patting my shoulder. “It’ll be ok. Maybe you guys will reconnect again here. I mean, you did choose Marble Hill above all the other schools because he was here, right?”

I felt the back of my neck get hot. Of course Jack figured it out. Maybe he knew when he suggested to apply to Marble Hill as a safety school. Jack was always thinking three steps ahead, ever since we were kids. I moved to Pennsylvania at the end of middle school and Jack was being sent off to boarding school. After their opening ceremony, Jack called me to report Alex was also a student there. All through high school Jack kept his eye on Alex while I wasn’t there.

“He earned a spot on the varsity team in sophomore year of high school, too,” Jack said. “In his junior year, he was one of the most watched players of the season, getting an offer to play for the U18 team. Every soccer player in the northeast knew about Alexander White before he graduated high school. Pretty popular with everyone in school, too.”

I smiled. “He’s a charming guy.”

“You know,” Jack continued, starting to close the bathroom door. “I don’t think he ever seriously dated anyone in high school. Sure he had a couple girlfriends, but they never lasted long.”

“Not long enough for an Instagram post,” I said under my breath.

“You didn’t hear this from me,” Jack whispered, “but I think Alex is still a virgin.”

“Dude!” I exclaimed. Jack laughed, and I couldn’t help bust smile. “You really need to stop treating people like chess pieces.”

“But where’s the fun in that?” he asked in response, winking and finally closing the bathroom door. I just sighed, walking into my own room and closing the door.