3 Sides to a Circle (3 page)

“Libby,” Honor gasps. “Jesus.”

Libby turns back to us and grins. “What? He likes it. Don’t you, Senny?”

Senny
smiles at us and shrugs. “She’s cute. She’s like a puppy. She can lick me wherever she wants.”

Libby busts out laughing and hers is nothing like Honor’s. It’s loud and obnoxious and sounds sort of like she’s drunk, but at the same time, it’s perfect for her. “You wish
,” she says and she’s holding her stomach like her laugh actually gave her cramps. “I’m saving myself.”

Senny
chuckles. “Oh yeah? For who?”

She twirls around and grabs the creamer canister from the counter. “I don’t know yet. But I’ll tell you when I find them.”

“Well, I hope he didn’t see you licking my tatt. Some guys can get a little pissed when their girl is all up on other guys.”

Libby winks. “Who said it would be a guy?”

She flits away from the counter, and Honor and I follow her like she’s the fricking Pied Piper. I can’t even wrap my head around this girl, and I feel like Honor is equally stunned.

“She’s always like this?” I whisper to Honor.

“Yep. From day one.”

Libby seats herself o
n the red velvet couch and waves us to the beanbag chairs opposite. I can’t get over how hard college tries for comfort and homey-ness when really it’d be way better just to have normal tables. I tried studying the first week in the beanbag chairs and it sucked hard. Balancing a laptop on my lap nearly gave my thighs burn marks after an hour.

Libby takes a big gulp of coffee and mewls like a kitten. She takes a second and then a third and the large cup is almost gone.

“So Toby. What’s your story?” she finally says.

“What do you mean, what’s my story?”

“Well, what were you doing in our dorm?”

Crap. I should’ve figured this was the first thing she was going to ask. I’m about to look like an asshole. Unless I lie…

“Well, there’s a single open on your floor. I guess someone dropped out at the last second, so I was going to check it out to see if maybe I could room there.”

I actually already have the key for it
. But before I moved in, I wanted to check out who was living on the floor with me.

“I heard that someone was moving in there already,” Libby says.

Yeah, me.

“Student
Housing said it was available.” I shrug and give her a blank face.

But
Libby pounces on me right away. “Where are you living right now?”

“I’m in a double. In James Hall.”
I shift in the beanbag chair and push my glasses up my nose again.

Honor talks this time. “You don’t like your roommate?” She’s eyeing Libby
, and I’m wondering if she’s thinking about going to Student Housing and asking them for a switch too. I’m not about to tell her that I’m scoring the only available single on campus. If things go as planned, I’ll be moved in by the end of the day.

“It’s complicated.”

“Ooh.” Libby leans back and her Little Miss Sunshine shirt stretches across her chest. “I love complicated. Is he bringing too many girls in at night? Guys? Are you?”

I shake my head. “No.
Nothing like that. It’s just…I…well…”

God
. I’m stammering and can’t gather my thoughts. If I can’t even spit it out to these girls, how am I going to say anything to Tomas? I mean I guess I could just pack up my stuff and move, but it’s a small campus and he’s bound to see me and ask what happened.

“My roommate doesn’t bathe.”

Honor’s mouth draws into a tight little frown. “Really? Like he doesn’t shower every day?”

I shake my head. “No. I wouldn’t care about that. But he hasn’t bathed since school started.
Three weeks now. And our dorm room stinks to holy hell.”

There. I’ve said it. I’m a d-bag, but I’m leaving my roommate because he
reeks something fierce, and I don’t want to be his shower monitor.

Libby rolls onto her back and howls
in laughter. “Classic,” she says, wiping tears from her eyes. “That’s so awesome. So are you gonna tell him why you’re leaving or are you just gonna sneak out in the middle of the night?”

I run my hands over my head and sigh. “I guess I have to tell him.”

Honor looks horrified. She’s touching her braid again and fidgeting, and I feel this protective rush. Though, if she can handle herself around Libby, I probably shouldn’t worry. “Aren’t you nervous about how awkward that conversation is going to be?”

“Yeah.”

“I’m coming with you,” Libby announces and stands up. She holds her hand out to me. “I’m really good about this kind of thing. I mean yeah, I’m honest, but I’m super diplomatic and non-judgmental. I won’t be bothered at all by the smell, and I can help you lay that shit bare for him. Really. Trust me. He will be so appreciative. I’m gonna like double his chances of having sex. Because really, a non-bather is not gonna score, even with beer goggles.”

I shake my head. “I’m not sure th
at’s the best idea.”

She grabs my hand and pulls me up. “Yes. It is.” She starts to yank me toward th
e door but then looks back. “Honor. Come on. We need you.”

Honor raises her eyebrows. “Why do you need me?”

I don’t
need
her, but three of us would definitely make it easier.

Libby rolls her eyes. “Because, silly, you have to be there to distract the roommate with your beauty while we pack Toby up.”

H
onor

“No,” I stammer, as my brain starts to catch up to Libby. “I’m not beau—”

“You
’re really pretty,” Toby blurts and then looks away.

“Ha!” Libby sticks her fingers into Toby’s dimples. “You have a little crush. This is going to be so much fun!”

I redden again, but what they both don’t know is that “pretty” is an incredibly hollow compliment that means almost nothing to me. I spend so much time competing with gorgeous girls for jobs that I know I’m just one face among many.

At least Toby seems like an easy person to be around—especially for a guy. He looks as stunned by my roommate as I am, which I guess gives us some common
ground. Though, he’s not stuck with us the way I’m stuck with Libby, so I’m not sure that we need common ground.

On our way across campus, no less than ten people stop to chat with Libby. She starts to get into seemingly long conversations, but then cuts herself off and tells everyone she’s “on a mission”.

“I think I’ve seen you at the library,” Libby says to Toby, and for a second I gape.
Libby has been to the library?

“Yeah,” he replies. “Maybe.”

“Definitely.” She rubs her chin. “Probably. I don’t know. I’ve seen you though, I think. Do you go there a lot?”

Toby blushes
, and now I’m wondering if he’s one of those really intellectual types. I didn’t have him immediately pegged that way, but when Libby’s around it’s kind of hard to get a read on other people.

“It’s a good library. The collection is pretty amazing. Not just a lot of books, but some first editions and things. Really unusual for a smaller college campus, but they’ve spent a lot of money. Probably someone on the board is a bibliophile.”

Both Libby and I stare at him for a second.

“What?”

Libby shakes her head. “Nothing. It’s cute. You’d make a cute librarian.”

“Oh, I’m not
—” Toby starts, but Libby cuts him off.

“Whatever. It’s not like you have to decide this minute. Right now, we need to focus on getting you into stench-free housing.”

The smell hits me before we reach their door.

“Holy fuck
, that’s terrible!” Libby bangs on the door. “You didn’t even have to tell me the room number. Just follow the nose, it always knows!” she sings.

I stare because I only get about a fifth of her random references, and she expects me to know them all. Maybe by the end of the year… Maybe.

“Oh come
on
! The Trix bunny?? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?” Her gaze is frantic between the two of us.

“I know the
Trix bunny.” Toby shrugs.

“Good man.” She slugs his shoulder
.

I give Toby a little smile
, and his eyes are wide at Libby like
can she be real?

And I chuckle a little, which I can tell by his expression that he takes as a yes.

Libby bangs on the door again, and Toby’s expression suddenly looks panicked.

“No. Wait.” Toby steps between her and the door. “I think maybe later is better
, and you two don’t have to…”

I ache a little for this poor guy. I never saw Libby coming
, and I room with her. He got clobbered with me first and her purple craze second. Neither of us had a chance to order something to drink, and now she’s ready to move him out of his dorm.

“Let us
help, Toby,” I say. I’m not even sure where the words come from, but I’m feeling bad for this guy. His roommate sounds (and smells) like a nightmare, and knowing Libby as well as I’m starting to, I’m sure she can take care of this for him.

“What up
, bro?” Tomas and his head of stringy brown hair cracks the door.

His eyes float from Libby
to Toby to me. “Dude. Which one’s mine?”

Even Libby pauses for a moment to lock eyes with me. Both our eyes are wide, and I know we’re thinking the same thing
—
what the hell is with this guy?

“Dude.” Libby crushes me in a hug. “We totally just had a bonding moment. Did you feel it?”

“I, uh…” I pat her back, a little unsure of what to do. Toby’s silently laughing.

When I break away,
Tomas is staring. Mouth gaping.

“This isn’t a show
, idiot. We’ve come to move Toby out, because you smell like… Body odor just doesn’t cover it.” Libby shakes her head and steps inside. “It’s like body odor mixed with a field of dead rats covered in used condoms and patchouli.”

I hold my nose and my breath
, wondering if I’ll survive the smell and feeling so bad that Toby’s been living in this. How does he
sleep
?

“What?” Tomas is having a hard time keeping up with Libby. I’m not that surprise
d.

“We’re moving Toby out. He’s snagging a single.”
Libby grabs Toby’s cheek in another childish gesture, which makes him blush again.

“
No. Wait. We’re cool.” Tomas uses a scrawny arm to slap Toby on the shoulder. “You don’t need to move, man.”

“No one’s going to room with you unless you start showering.” Libby crosses her arms and stares at Tomas.

His brows pull down, and the closer I look at him and his half-closed eyes, the more I think he’s probably high. It’s just after
breakfast
.

Libby’s arm reaches out from the room and jerks Toby inside, leaving me standing in the hallway
, trying to avoid the stench of the guy who’s leaning against the doorframe in a Pink Floyd T-shirt and boxers.

I wince and look away, not really wanting to see a
gangly guy in his underwear.

Hours go by in the seconds that I’m sure I’ve actually been standing here while this guy openly looks me up and down. I fold my arms more tightly across my chest
, but there’s no good way to disappear when you’re in the middle of a hallway.

Libby pokes her head out. “How’s it going out here?”

I flex my jaw and stare, hoping she catches the hint that I’m not at all happy.

Tomas leans so he can see the inside as well as me in the hallway. “I still don’t see why you have to move.”

“That’s the wrong sense, Tomas. It’s has nothing to do with
seeing
. It’s the
smell
.” Libby pats his shoulder. “If you ever want to get a girl that looks like that.” She points to me. “Or
any
girl. You need to shower. Every day.”

“My skin would dry out.”
He scratches his head.

“It would get used to it.” Libby starts to step back inside.
“And do you want to be the smelly guy who never gets laid? Or the guy who has to lotion up once in a while for the ladies?”

We all
figure out the double meaning at the same time. Tomas grins, I burn up, and Libby laughs her loud, free laugh before rubbing my red cheeks.

“Okay.
A few more minutes. You ponder the state of your virginity.” She pokes Tomas on the arm.

Oh. No.

“Libby,” I hiss. “Don’t leave me—”

“
How did you know I was a virgin?” Tomas asks.