Being Invisible Read online

  “Are you kidding, Lu? Before we made the cleaning rule, our living room was starting to look like a tornado flew through our house and dropped e-Bay directly on it.”

  Colin laughed out loud at that, then must have decided it would be fun to poke the bear. “So when you win, are you going to make her put things into piles to keep, sell or trash?”

  “Oh heck yeah!”

  I could see the wheels in Liz’s head turning.

  I gave Colin my best ‘what have you done?’ look, but he just smiled.

  "So why were you so mad when we walked in?” I asked Liz, hoping to change the subject.

  “Oh, just some tool…wait can I say tool?” Liz turned to me for confirmation.

  I just shrugged, since Annie kept the actual list of what she wasn’t allowed to say. Yes. There was an actual list.

  “Then, I’m gonna call that one good. Anyway, this huge tool from my graphic design class was assigned to do a group project with me. But he keeps giving stupid excuses not to participate.”

  “Group projects suck.” Colin said.

  “No kidding,” Liz nodded in agreement. I could tell by the way Liz was talking to Colin that she approved of him. Knowing that gave me a small sense of pride-like I was showing him off or something.

  “Is that the time?” Colin suddenly asked noticing the clock hanging over the non-working fireplace.

  “9:30? Yep. Why? Are you late for something?” I asked.

  “Not yet. But I just remembered that I need to stop by my econ prof’s office hours to check about an independent study. His hours go to 10:00, so I’ll be good for another five minutes or so.”

  “Oh. Okay.”

  What do I say to him now? Should I mention getting coffee again? He mentioned coffee before, so it’s not like it’s a big deal. And why am I overthinking this?

  “Well, it was good to meet you. Thanks for walking me home. I’m looking forward to that coffee.”

  That was smooth. I sounded totally laid back.

  “Oh yeah. That’s right. I won’t forget.” He smiled, then turned to head to the front door. “Good to meet you too.”

  Liz followed him out to grab something from the kitchen.

  For a second I felt relieved that he wanted to get coffee again too. But then I remembered that I never gave him my number… or got his. So then, of course, I had to wonder if he forgot to get it from me, or that was his way of blowing me off.

  My frustration was interrupted by Colin’s voice.

  “Hey, Lucy. I promised you pain relief before I left. Liz showed me where you keep it.” He handed me the pills along with a drink of water. “Make sure you rest. It’s probably going to hurt more in a couple hours. That’s when you really have to decide if you forgive me.”

  I laughed then swallowed my medicine.

  “Okay. Feel better.” he added before walking out.

  He seemed to genuinely be concerned about me. And the way he hung back to make sure I was okay made me think that maybe he wanted to spend more time with me.

  So why, when I had the chance, did I not give him my phone number… again, or get his… again?

  “Hey, Colin.” I heard Liz yell to him from the kitchen window.

  “Yeah?” He asked.

  “Lucy, Annie and I are having a party tomorrow night. You should stop by.”

  What?

  “Sounds good. Can I bring my friend?” His voice sounded closer, so I assumed he walked back to our house so that he could hear.

  “A guy?”

  “Yeah. Lucy met him. He’s cool.”

  “Sure then.”

  “Great. See you then.”

  What just happened?

  As if reading my thoughts, Liz walked back into the living room and sat down beside me on the couch, her feet tucked up underneath her. “You kinda had your head up your a- I mean your, oh you know what I mean.”

  “You think I had my head up my ass?”

  “Obviously. You clearly needed my help.”

  “It’s not like I like him or anything. He just helped me out.”

  “Okay. You want me to tell him not to come?”

  “No.” Shoot I answered that too quickly.

  I like him don’t I?

  “That’s what I thought. Now start from the beginning. And tell me how you picked up a stray boy while on a run at 5:00 in the morning. There has to be a story there.”

  “Yea. It is kind of a funny story.”

  “Great. I want to hear all about it. While you talk, I’ll start sending out texts. Apparently, we are having a party.”

  I shook my head at her. Wasn’t the first time we had to plan something a day.

  After lying down on the couch and propping pillows behind me, I turned toward Liz to tell her about my morning. “Well for starters I changed the name of my running playlist again. It’s now called ‘Music That Sweeps Me Off My Feet.”

  Chapter Five

  What Awesome Feels Like

  I woke up on the couch feeling slightly stiff, moderately in pain, and desperately in need of peeing. After slowly bringing myself off the couch, I ran on my tiptoes to avoid the cold wood floor and went straight to the bathroom. Then I grabbed Advil on my way out. My eyes focused on the time, and I finally started to lose the fuzziness in my brain from my long nap. It was Saturday, close to 6:30 in the evening.

  After waking up earlier that morning, and realizing that Colin was right about how much more my body would hurt, I decided to forgo my morning run and substitute some yoga to stretch my aching muscles.

  While Annie joined me, Liz was on a rampage. Surprisingly, Liz was normally my super laid-back roommate. She was incredibly open, and ridiculously fun. Very few things seemed to phase her. But, of those that did, keeping the house clean was high on her list. And since we were suddenly the hosts of an unplanned party, she decided that it would be the perfect excuse to pull out the vacuum attachments. Seriously. All of them. Nothing went without being vacuumed.

  After yoga and breakfast, Annie and I decided that for Liz’s sanity, and ours, we would help get the place ready. By noon, the place looked as perfect as an off-campus house can look.

  Annie’s boyfriend James dropped off a keg, and promised to bring his soccer buddies later in the evening.

  While Annie and Liz made a list of food to buy at the store, I put together a playlist of music and called it “The Last Minute Mix.”

  My roommates agreed to go to the store so that I could rest for a few before the party. After I told Liz, and later Annie, about how I met Colin, Liz checked out the area where I fell, and said I had a pretty nasty bruise. They both made me take breaks throughout the day to put ice on it, and made sure I kept up with pain relief medication.

  Once they left, I laid down on the couch, with the idea that I would rest for about ten minutes. Three hours later, I woke up.

  The kitchen window was open, and I could hear voices streaming in from outside. Opening the kitchen door, I was greeted by a group of about fifteen people mingling and laughing, while my mix played in the background.

  “Hey! There’s our girl!” Annie yelled, the alcohol making her slightly more excited to see me than I would normally expect. Anna loved to work out as much as I did, with the exception of running, which she called ‘long distance torture.’

  She also knew how to show off her strong legs and thin frame. So, of course, she looked amazing in her mini skirt and wedge heels. She wore her long brown hair in soft curls, which framed her face

  “Lucy!” everyone yelled at once. While half of the group seemed legitimately happy to see me, the other half just seemed relieved that they could talk in normal tones and turn the music up to party level.

  I found Liz laughing and talking to one of our neighbors. Her hair, light brown with a few blue streaks, was placed in a loose bun, showing off her multiple ear piercings. She had on a bohemian skirt with a tank top.

  The general hotness of my roommates reminded me that I was still we
aring yoga pants and a Salty Dog t-shirt. I don’t even want to look at my hair, I thought, suddenly mortified by my appearance. Just as I was about to bolt to the shower, I heard Liz’s voice beside me.

  “Lu, you’re up. It’s about time!”

  “You could have woken me up you know. I’d kind of like to participate in the party occurring at my own house.”

  “You think I didn’t try? You know how you are. ‘Five more minutes, Liz.’ You said ‘five more minutes’ every five minutes for an hour. I had shi-stuff to do.”

  “Sorry. I don’t even remember waking up.”

  “Well you’re here now. The next step would be making yourself presentable for the party. Unless eighth grade sleepover was the look you were going for?”

  “I’m going. I’m going. Any sign of Colin yet?”

  “No. But it’s really early for anyone other than our party-crazed friends.”

  “True. I would just feel bad if they do come, and I’m not even here to show them around. They don’t know anyone else.”

  “Then I’ll show them where the keg is and throw some chips their way. That’s about the extent of what they will be expecting. Well, that and for you not to smell like day old yoga.”

  “I can’t hear you, I’m leaving now.” I didn’t want to give her a chance to respond, so I jogged up the stairs, leaving her to the growing crowd.

  When I stepped into the kitchen forty-five minutes later, I felt much more party-ready. My hair was still damp, so I threw it into two braids to make it less noticeable.

  Because I wanted Colin to have a chance to see me outside of my get-straight-out-of bed-and-go-running look, I took a little more time to pick out an outfit. I decided on my favorite pair of jeans and a cream colored sweater over a black cami. I finished my look with mascara and lipstick.

  The house was already becoming more crowded, with music and voices filling every room of the first floor. I took a brief tour of the house, looking for signs of my roommates...or maybe Colin and Drew. Ok, so mostly I was looking for Colin. At that point, I had decided to give myself a break and admit to myself that I was kind of excited about seeing him.

  After a quick loop around the house I was feeling disappointed. Annie was busy playing quarters with her boyfriend and his soccer buddies, while Liz was playing pool with a few of our neighbors. I had just given up my search and decided to hang back and watch Liz hustle our friends when I felt an arm around my waist. I turned to see Colin smiling at me. “Hey. Great party.”

  His hand fell away as quickly as it landed, but he continued to stay close. I looked over his shoulder and saw Drew behind him.

  “Hey, guys. Glad you could make it.” I totally pulled off sounding casual, although seeing Colin outside of his sweaty workout look was kind of really hot. A plaid button down shirt and jeans replaced his track pants and t-shirt. His clean scent was mixed with the faint smell of alcohol.

  “Yeah, our boy Colin here started the party a little early.” Drew laughed while patting Colin on the shoulder.

  “It’s okay, we’re celebrating.” Colin whispered as if sharing a secret, but his ‘whisper’ was loud enough for anyone within a five-foot radius to hear.

  “So what are we celebrating?” I asked, raising my eyebrows in question.

  “She’s gone.” He put his fist towards me for a bump, as if I should know what he was talking about.

  I didn’t want to leave him hanging, so I bumped his fist, then looked to Drew to fill in the rest.

  “Mia and I broke up.”

  “Oh. I’m...sorry?” I wanted to sound genuine, but Colin’s happiness was contagious, and I just couldn’t bring myself to feel bad for him.

  “Yeah, I can tell. It’s too bad too. I think the two of you could have been great friends.” Drew joked.

  “Dude, she had to take a quiz to figure out if she was cheating on you too much. I think Lucy’s ‘sorry’ is about as sorry as anyone’s gonna get.”

  “I’m not gonna lie. He’s not wrong.” I added.

  “Yeah. You’re right. I think my dad said something along the lines of ‘it’s about damn time.’”

  “And his dad is a minister. Forgiveness is in his job description. Even he didn’t like her.”

  “Even who didn’t like whom?” Liz had just finished her pool game, and decided to join our conversation.

  "Oh hey, Liz. You remember Colin. This is his friend Drew. Drew, this is Liz. Drew just broke up with the spawn of Satan, and Colin is nursing his sadness."

  Colin laughed, but I don’t think Drew even knew I said anything, since he suddenly seemed to think that Liz was the only one in the room.

  “Hi.” Liz laughed, noticing Drew’s blatant staring.

  “Hi. Drew recovered himself and returned to his previous aloof state. “You really seemed to know what you were doing with those balls over there.”

  “Oh yeah. I’m a pro. Why, you looking to get hustled?” Liz teased.

  “I saw how good you are. Too late to hustle me. I guess the question to ask would be how good my partner and I are.” Drew motioned to Colin, who glanced in my direction and winked.

  “Well if the two of you are going to play me in pool, I need a partner.” Liz looked around the room trying to find someone she could work with.

  “Um… roommate right here?” Colin stood behind me and put his hands on my shoulders.

  “Oh no, count me out.” I raised my hands in protest “I like to play for fun, but when people start getting competitive, I have to fold. Pool is not my sport.”

  “Well, you’re in luck, because Colin’s not that good either.” Drew said, earning him a punch in the arm from Colin himself.

  “Sounds like we have ourselves a game.” Liz clapped her hands together. “Girls against guys then. And since you guys are guests, feel free to go first.”

  Drew broke and the balls scattered, several of both the solids and stripes going in. “I call stripes.” He continued to land stripes in twice more before he missed. “Your turn.” He nudged Liz with the pool stick.

  Liz walked up and easily sank three solids. I loved to watch her play pool. For such a small girl, she was powerful when she needed to be, and completely focused.

  The way Drew looked at her proved to me that her skills did not go unnoticed.

  Since there was no use in hustling, Liz took her time, sending half the solids down before handing the pool stick to Colin.

  Colin was decent. He lined up his shot like he knew what he was doing, but he only sunk one before missing his next shot.

  He’s wants us to think he’s not very good. He’s trying to hustle us.

  I looked in Liz’s direction to see if she caught it, and from her barely there head shake and eye roll, I gathered that she did.

  I, on the other hand, clapped when two of my balls landed in the holes, even though I scratched. Luckily, they didn’t count it, and we moved on. Colin gave me the ‘good try’ fist bump, which I returned begrudgingly.

  Throughout the game we kept the conversation flowing.

  “What are you guys majoring in?” Liz asked in between turns.

  "You think you can guess?” Drew asked her, clearly enjoying a challenge as much as Liz did.

  “Hmm… well, you’ve got that kind of ‘I don’t care’ slacker thing going on, so...Philosophy?”

  Drew returned an answering smile and added, “I think, therefore I am...not.”

  “Shi-I mean Shoot. I thought I had it.”

  Drew gave Liz a confused look, until Colin explained the bet.

  “Huh, I will have to remember that,” his wide grin showing that he was definitely planning on using it against her.

  “Hm. I get the feeling that you’re just a little bit evil. Are you by chance pre-law?” Liz asked.

  “Nope.”

  “Am I warm?”

  “Nope.”

  After Liz and I fired off about ten different majors, we finally asked for a hint.

  “Um...I know that a p
ositively charged kitten is a cation.”

  “Is that some kind of science thing?” Liz asked, while lining up her shot.

  “It is some kind of science thing,” Drew teased.

  “So you’re a science geek, huh?” The way she said it, Drew could tell she was impressed. She always had a thing for really smart guys.

  “Yep,” Drew answered, obviously proud of his title. He probably didn’t get called that a lot. He totally gave off the vibe that he didn’t put much effort into anything but looking good.

  “Biology?” I asked.

  “No, cations.” Drew answered, completely befuddled by my apparent ineptness.

  “Physics?” It was Liz’s turn to try to guess.

  “Drew just shook his head, making Colin laugh.

  ”Two words.” Colin put up two fingers. “Breaking Bad.”

  “Chemistry!” We said in unison.

  Drew continued to shake his head in disappointment. “I had more Chemistry jokes.”

  “Save ‘em for another day, bro.” Colin teased.

  “See if you can guess what my major is.” Liz said, while checking out her shot.

  “Graphic Design.” Colin didn’t even hesitate to answer.

  “You suck.” Liz lined up the eight ball, while the guys high fived. Of course, she landed it and we won. We both looked at each other with an eye roll, before pretending to get excited, as if they weren’t playing us.

  “How did you know my major?” Liz asked.

  “I know everything.” Colin teased, then added, “Plus, you talked about your graphic design class the first time I met you.

  “Oh. That’s right. Doesn’t matter though, because we won the pool game.” Liz high fived me.

  “Damn. I can’t believe we lost. And since I am a pool legend, it must be that you sucked worse than poor Lucy.” Drew shoved Colin.

  I started to tell him where he could go, but Liz talked over me. “That was not luck. Lucy had a few good shots in there. And if anyone’s a legend, it’s me. “

  “So are you ladies up for round two?”

  At the same time I said “No,” Liz answered with a definite “heck yeah.”