Free Envious by Katie Keller-Nieman

you tell me he got drunk?”
    “Well, I,” I began, and thank God she cut off my sentence, because I had no clue what I was going to say.
    “I had to overhear it. I had to overhear. Eric didn’t tell me. You didn’t tell me. Why would he do that? Why would he drink?” She sank down onto her purple bed, seemingly defeated, anger fading.
    I almost visibly sighed in relief. She obviously didn’t know about the kiss, or she would have said something already. “I don’t see what the big deal is,” I told her wanting to somehow rectify the situation. “Everyone thought it was cool.”
    “Even you?” she asked.
    I stared at her, again at a loss for words.
    “Listen, Sandy, I haven’t been completely honest with you about Eric. I didn’t see why I should tell you. But now, I realize I was wrong. Eric…he-”
    As if on cue, Eric burst into the room. He looked like he ran there. “Aurora! I can explain!” He was sweaty and out of breath. He must have run from the school’s gym. He was wearing workout clothes, silky black shorts with red and white stripes down the sides and a dark t-shirt with the sleeves cut off. I tried not to notice how good he looked. They both looked at me. Did they notice me stare? No. I knew what they wanted. I didn’t budge, just raised my eyebrows. If they wanted privacy, they had to ask. I was perfectly comfortable where I was.
    “Sandra, could um…” Eric began. He obviously felt weird asking me to leave my own room.
    “I don’t see why she should leave,” Aurora said, anger beginning to return to her voice. “I mean, she already knows. She was there!” Aurora exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air.
    Aurora wanted to use me to make Eric feel guilty. No way. Grabbing my key and ID from my bedside table, I stood. “Take your time,” I told Eric. I wasn’t going to make him feel uncomfortable, especially not for Aurora. As I shut the door behind me, I realized I had left my book behind. I thought about going back for it, but that’s when the argument erupted. Aurora yelled at Eric for going to the party, Eric yelled at Aurora for trying to control his life. Aurora was mad that he didn’t tell her, and Eric was sorry but still angry about her trying to control him. I walked away. No need to have the entire hall staring at me listening to them. As I reached the stairs, I could swear I heard Aurora bring me into the argument. Convincing myself I was wrong, I headed down the stairs and outside to wait-out their fight.
    I sat down on the wide concrete steps just outside the building. There were a few groups of people talking, but no one bothered me. I doubt they even noticed me. Then I saw someone who did. She was an art major, no doubt. She sat on the grass and fallen yellow leaves, holding a large sketchbook, and she stared at me as she drew. I folded my arms and she erased madly. I felt strangely confident knowing that of all the people there she chose to draw me, and, for that reason, I tried not to move.
    The art majors seemed so interesting. They always had so many things with them. A sketchbook and toolbox seemed to be necessities. Somehow, they always drew attention when it seemed that’s what they tried so hard to avoid. They were the silent observers. A few people walking by stopped to watch her work, nodding their heads in appreciation. I hardly noticed when Aurora ran down the steps past me.
    “Aurora, wait!” I called out to her. She seemed surprised, like she hadn’t noticed me either, and returned to sit beside me. “How did it go?”
    She sighed, an action that seemed to demand each muscle in her body to react. “Not so good.”
    “Where were you going?”
    “I thought I’d go to Rachel’s house tonight.” Rachel, she was a commuter in Aurora’s major. “I just can’t stay here, knowing that Eric’s at that awful party. I’ll see you later. Bye Sandy.” She embraced me quickly before she stood up and walked off.
    Eric’s going to the party? I