Once again, I woke up at eleven and went straight for the shower. My social battery was bugging me for a day at home. I agreed with it. If I didn't leave the apartment, I wouldn't run into Ethan. I could only bother dealing with one guy for so long. Didn't he understand that I couldn't handle being humiliated only so many times? Not only did I run into him once but twice. Why couldn't he just leave me alone after I apologized? No, he had to ask me out and then tried to talk to me at Walmart. I didn't want to be a part of whatever fate is playing.

After having a quick breakdown during my shower, I threw on some sweatpants and my favorite hoodie. I was going to be as comfy as possible today because I was going to leave. Once I finished my routine, I saw Alice making lunch, and Ronnie was getting ready for something. It was unusual to see Ronnie awake this early on the weekends.

"You're up early," I said to Ronnie as I threw my dirty laundry into my hamper. I was going to have to do that today.

"Yeah, I have a sorority Christmas thing," She said. She was finishing her makeup and trying to find an outfit that worked for what she was required to wear. "And, of course, I'm running late."

I laughed, "Have fun." She made sure she had everything before running out the door. I joined Alice in the kitchen for lunch. I made myself pizza rolls before sitting down next to her.

"What are your plans for today?" Alice asked.

"Homework, laundry, and probably cleaning my room. I don't plan on leaving the apartment," I said. Alice wasn't surprised. I never really went anywhere. I didn't have a reason to. "What about you?"

"I'm going to the library to study for a little bit. Then I have to meal prep since this week is going to have a lot of long nights," She said.

Dead week was the worst part of the school year. It was the week before finals, where all clubs, sports, and activities were done for the rest of the semester so students could get ready for finals. However, professors didn't get the memo. They liked to give any last-minute assignments, quizzes, and exams that week while we were trying to relearn a semester's worth of knowledge. They say it's called dead week because the campus is dead after classes are over, but it's because all of the students were dead on the inside.

"We are so close, yet so far," I whined. This was the worst part of the year. Winter break was so close, but it was still so far away. I just wanted to go home and see my mom. Was that too much to ask?

"Two weeks, and then we are done," Alice agreed. These two stressful weeks caused a lot of breakdowns and crying. I hated it because we had to handle it in different ways. Alice stayed up until late at the library studying. Ronnie went off to study somewhere else, so she didn't get distracted. Layla sometimes stayed; otherwise, she went to a study room somewhere. I stayed at the apartment, so I didn't have to carry everything with me and break my back. It was hard to see one another because we all had different ways to study.

Soon Layla came out of her room. She must have just woken up, or she never went to sleep. I couldn't tell from her face. She was exhausted, which is all I could tell.

"You look like you're dead," I said to Layla as she made her way over to the Keruig. She was making herself coffee so she could somewhat function.

"I feel it," She replied.

"Do you need to do laundry today? I was going to do mine, but I can wait if need be."

"No, I'm going to try and make it to break."

"A procrastinator at their finest. A true queen," I chuckled.

Alice rolled her eyes before saying, "I worry about you two."

"No one asked you to," I said, a little more aggressive than I meant to.

"Well damn," Layla said as she grabbed her coffee.

"I don't like you," Alice said, sticking her tongue out at me. I stuck my tongue out in reply. She knew that I was going even though it sounded meaner than I intended. She understood that I had had a rough time since Friday. Alice knew when I mean things, and when I didn't.

"I have to go if I want to get any studying done," Alice said as she placed her plate in the sink. She went to her room for a few minutes before coming back out with a full backpack. "See you losers later." She was out of the door.

As soon as Alice was gone, Layla asked, "Are you okay?"

"What do you mean?" I asked, confused. I didn't understand why she was asking this. I tried to act normal around my roomies as much as I could.

"Something has been off since Friday. Actually, you have been distracted since Tuesday. It just got worse Friday and even worse yesterday."

"It has nothing to do with you guys if that is what you are asking."

"Then what is it?"

"I guess Ethan has been distracting me. I don't even know the guy, and he keeps popping out of nowhere. Tuesday was fine because it was just an accident. Friday, he had the audacity to ask me out in front of another girl he was with. Yesterday at Walmart, he grabbed me and tried to talk to me like he didn't do anything wrong."

"He asked you out in front of another girl?" She asked, confused. It took another second for what happened yesterday to register in her head. "He grabbed you?"

"Not enough for it to be assault or harassment or whatever it was called. It was just enough to stop me from walking away from him," I explained.

"Still, that isn't okay."

"I know," I whispered. Next thing I know, I was crying. I had no idea why. I wasn't hurt, and something told me that Ethan wouldn't hurt me. However, that was what abuse victims thought all the time. "I just want him to leave me alone."

"It's okay. You just have to get through this week, and then you won't have to worry about seeing him ever again," Layla said.

I cried, "You don't understand. I did want to see Ethan again, but I can't risk getting hurt. I want to be happy, and the universe thinks he is the thing that will make me happy."

"Why do you say that?"

"You can only keep running into one another at different locations accidentally before you figure out that it is the universe. It is telling me to open my fucking eyes." I finally managed to stop crying, so I wiped away my tears.

"You think a guy is going to make you happy?"

"No."

"Why not?" She asked.

I smiled and said, "Who would I be if my only happiness came from a guy?"