Free Sophomoric by Rebecca Paine Lucas

guys didn’t meet them. Nicky’s boyfriend Scott.”
    “There are going to be boys there?” My mother looked concerned. Erin looked like she was trying hard not to laugh. She could afford to. Her parents didn’t care what she did or whether she spent long weekends with boys. They at least vaguely resembled the “hip and cool” image that those over fifty affect to the amusement of anyone under thirty.
    “Yeah.” Keeping it short and sweet was the only way to get through this. Saying, for example, that this was not the freaking Middle Ages and I was not in a convent probably would not make my case for me. “I mean, I know Alec has nowhere to go either. His dad’s going on a business trip.”
    “Bizza, I’m not sure if this is a good idea.” Instead of concern, my mother was exuding only condescension. As always, she was trying to protect me like it said to in all the $19.99 parent handbooks that she bought any time I did anything. “You know I trust you. I’m just worried about everyone else. You don’t know what they’re going to be doing, and I don’t want you to be in a situation where you feel pressured into doing something you don’t want to do.”
    God forbid I be pressured into doing something like drink alcohol. We wouldn’t want that.
    “Mom, you know me.” Like hell she did. “I won’t do anything I don’t want to do.” That much was absolutely true. It wasn’t my fault what I wanted to do and what she thought I wanted to do were two very different things.
    “We’ll have to think about it.” She gave my father a Significant Parental Look. It didn’t seem like he noticed; he was busy spreading ketchup on his steak.
    “It sounds like so much fun.” At least I had Erin’s support. “Aunt Carrie, you should totally let her go. I’m so jealous.”
    It was moments like this when I hated that there were times when I hated my cousin.
    My mother sighed and changed the subject. My gaze wandered around the restaurant for the rest of the night, settling on wall corners and school memorabilia posted behind the maître d’s stand, complete with pictures of turning leaves, laughing students and knee-length kilts. Pleading weekend homework, which I think they knew was crap, I convinced my parents that I really needed to be back in my dorm by nine. Campus was quiet; most people were in town or at hotels with their parents and some, like Dev, would spend the night. The few people who were around were walking in clumps with their parents or pairs with a friend, slower and quieter than they ever were on normal weekends. At least Josie was gone. Probably wanted to go be with people who actually liked her and her Jesus music. They probably all had separate changing cubicles too.
    Signing onto instant messenger and checking my email the minute I entered a room was becoming an ingrained habit after only a month at Icarian. I guess there were worse things. Fifteen minutes after my parents dropped me off, I was on my way to Nicky and Amie’s room to watch illegally pirated movies online, complete with Chinese subtitles and horrible quality.
    * * *
    I was half asleep on Cleo’s floor when Dev called at one.
    “Hey babe.” That boy had the best phone voice I have ever heard.
    “Mmm, hey.” My voice on the other hand was thick with sleep and stumbling over every word.
    “I miss you.”
    “I miss you too.” I stretched, trying not to wake Cleo up. “Why are you calling so early?”
    “Bored.”
    Yeah right. “’M, sorry. Anything I can do?”
    “Depends.”
    I hated when he did that, flip it all back on me. Stupid boy could make his own freaking decisions. “On what?”
    “On how tired you are.” I could almost hear him smiling. “Wanna tell me what you’re wearing?” I looked at Cleo, sprawled across her twin bed. It took less than a split second of indecision before curiosity won out and I was on my feet. Thank God Josie was out. Hopefully, I wouldn’t embarrass myself too badly.

9.
    My