Page 3 of Almost Ours

"You okay if I walk you there?"

"If you want. I don't know where it is and I don't want to be late. I don't want her to think I'm flaky."

"Rubes, you are a flake." He teases, knowing full well I have time anxiety. I lift one shoe and throw it at him, not hard, but enough to make my point. He dodges easily and bends down, picking it up off the carpet, and hands it back to me. "Don't bully the people who are trying to help you."

"I'll bully whoever I want."

"Yeah, that sounds about right."

I slip my Uggs on quickly. He picks up the Oreo packet from the bedside table and tucks it back into his bag. "I'm taking these before you inhale the lot."

"I wouldn't inhale the lot."

"Yes, you would. You eat like a pig in mating season."

"And you eat like you're fighting the plate."

"Whatever. Think of this as me doing you a favour. Besides, I'll bring you more." He slides both our bags over each shoulder. "But only if you text me later."

I know what he's getting at, he needs me to tell him intermittently that I'm okay. "I will."

"You better."

I follow him to the door. He opens it and pauses in the doorway, glancing back at me the way he does before he leaves any room I'm in now—just to double-check. "I'm proud of you, Rubes."

Touched by his openness, annoyed by his need to say it, and overwhelmed by how kind he's being, I hiss out, "Jesus Christ, O! Will you give it a rest? I'm fine. You're fine. Everything is fine. I am a normal student, this is my first proper day, and you will stop being so insane!"

"It's not me who ended up in a madhouse, to be fair."

I narrow my eyes at him. "Don't you go there."

"I'm only saying."

"You're only saying what?"

"That you're the loony out of the two of us."

"Oh, yeah?" I cross my arms to my chest. "How's your panic attacks going for you?"

Oscar isn't offended, he throws back his head and laughs. "Touché, sister of mine. To-fucking-ché."

But truthfully, there’s a lot of anxiety growing in my stomach.

Chapter Two

Wednesday

October 7th 2015

Joshua:

"I'm telling you," I hear my best friend Ewan’s voice. "It won't work."

"You don't think it's weird that he's so against getting to know girls?" His girlfriend, Brooke, replies. "That he's so closed off? Do you even know if he's slept with someone?"

Ewan laughs. "Josh has no issue sleeping with girls. It's the speaking to them where he draws the line."

They're right outside my bedroom; not using their inside voices, might I add. I step closer to the door, even when I know I’m going to hate whatever is said.