The Lonely Girl Read Free

with him being away at school. As we approach their door, I see their sign, and it says Potts and Key’s Room. Potts is our last name. Key, hmmm, I wonder where he got that nickname? There is also a slew of names and phone numbers with call me. Seriously? Alec and Keegan see me looking at all the writing.
    Keegan says, “This will be you next year, we’ll have to be batting the guys off your door.” I laugh.
    My brother goes still. “No way is that happening, not with me here. No.” I see my brother getting flustered so I decide to make him sweat.
    “Well then I’ll just put my number on their doors, or I’ll go to another school where you can’t spy on me , big brother.” I peer up at him. If looks could kill, there’d be a tag on my toe right now.
    Keegan just busts out laughing at our interaction. He puts his arm around me and leads me into the room. “Go easy on him, Becca you’re going to give him a stroke and you haven’t even gotten your own dorm yet.”
    Their room is small with two of everything and off-white walls that look like they’ve had twenty coats of paint. Each of the boys has a single bed, desk, drawers and one sink for both of them. At the very back of the room is a futon which looks to be crammed in there. I look over to their beds and think how do they even fit in those? The walls have posters on them.  Keegan clearly likes rock and alternative music. My brother has some pictures and posters up. I see a picture of Michael, Alec and me from last summer. He sees me looking at it, grabs it and tucks it in his dresser.  I turn away from him. I don’t want him to see that this has affected my mood.
    “I’ll go get the guys and we can head down to the cafe, how does that sounds , Becca?” I turn to Alec again.
    “Sounds great I’m hungry anyway.” I try to put a smile on but fail miserably.
    Alec turns to Keegan. “Will you stay here, I’ll go track down the guys.”
    Keegan smiles. “Sure thing, bro.”
    With that my brother is out the door. I walk over to the futon and sit down. I look up, and Keegan is staring at me. Oh God, what’s he going to say? So I speak first. As I do he tries to say something.
    “Sorry.” I laugh. “What were you trying to say?” I smile at him.
    He just grins at me. “No you go first.”
    I pause. I wasn’t going to say anything special, but I repeat it. “So why Key?”
    He looks like he’s going to be sick. “Oh, ah it’s just short for Keegan. Everyone just calls me Key.”
    I don’t believe him, for some reason, but who am I to say that he’s lying. I only know what my brother says about him.
    “So do you want me to call you Key then?” He goes chalk white and shakes his head.
    Oh, maybe he just lets his friends call him that. I just sit there silently. I’m embarrassed.
    He turns to me and tries to place a grin on his face. “I like it that you call me Keegan.”
    I swear he’s blushing a little. Now I’m blushing, just lovely.
    “Alright Keegan it is.”
    I get up and wander around my brother’s side of the room. There are also pictures of him and me at Christmas. I know Keegan is staring at me still. I open my brother’s dresser and put the picture of us back.
    “You know he worries about you? When I met him all he talked about was his amazing sister and how he wanted her to come here when she graduated.” He goes really quiet.
    “I know he worries. I do want to come here I just don’t know if I can. I don’t know what he told you but the plan was for me to come with Michael. It feels so odd being here without him.”
    I sigh. This is a deep conversation I really don’t want to have. So I change the subject. “You roomed together last year as well right?” I asked even though I know the answer.
    “Yes, we are getting an apartment for the next two years though, no more dorms for us.”
    This I didn’t know, I guess I just assumed he’d stay in the dorm. Alec always said he’d only get a place with Michael, maybe he