She wouldn’t look at places for kids in families with financial insecurity, because she was too busy pretending things were fine. I didn’t get it when I was younger, which I’m thankful for in many ways, because for a long time I just thought she liked having me and my brother home.
But like everything else, I’ve gotten myself here. I might not be a kid anymore, but I’ll get to see what I was missing all those years and, even better, I’ll get paid for it.
In the distance, a huge log cabin appears and, as I get closer, parked cars and a bus decorated in Honey Acres branding come into view. Pulling into an empty space, I take a deep breath and give myself a minute to adjust. It looks exactly like the brochure, even down to the people wandering around with their bags looking excited.
Grabbing my things from the backseat, I head toward the people lining up to register their arrival. Pulling out my phone, I see a string of messages in the group chat Stassie set up last week.
PRETTY BEST FRIENDS
Stassie: Let us know when you get there safely, Muffin
Stassie: Drinking before a big drive wasn’t the best idea
Kris: He’ll be fine. He had an early night ;）
Mattie: I’m not fine in case anyone cares
Bobby: How early?
Kris: According to the UCMH gossip page he took Aurora Roberts up to his room and they did not reappear
Lola: I can’t believe you read that shit. They posted that I might be pregnant two weeks ago because someone told them I was crying in Kenny’s. I literally had hot sauce in my eye
Mattie: Nobody cares then? Okay cool cool cool
Bobby: Why does Aurora Roberts sound familiar?
Stassie: She’s friends with Ryan
Robbie: You watched her give Russ a lap dance last night genius
Bobby: No I know that but her name sounds familiar
Mattie: “Friends with Ryan” has never worked out well for any guy
Stassie: Nate told me to tell you to fuck off
Kris: That was Aurora Roberts???
Lola: Am I the only woman at this school Ryan Rothwell hasn’t stuck his dick in?
Robbie: Yes and I thank the stars for that daily
Stassie: Nate told me to tell you to fuck off as well
Kris: Her dad owns Fenrir. The F1 team with the wolf
Bobby: Oh shit
Stassie: Nate is excited by that news for some reason
Lola: She was hot. Congrats Muffin
Henry: You guys are annoying
Henry: I thought someone had died
Henry: There’s no need for people who see each other every single day to text this much
Robbie: The only person who’s gonna die is Muffin when he realizes he’s gonna have to pretend to like F1 if he ever wants to get laid again
JJ: At least it isn’t something boring like tennis
Robbie: Who let you in here? This group is supposed to be for the people actually staying in Maple Hills
JJ: I’ll be there in spirit
JJ: And I get FOMO
Kris: It was Stassie, wasn’t it?
Stassie: Excuse you
JJ: Nah, I negotiated with Hen
Bobby: “Negotiated”
Henry: He hid my paintbrushes
JJ: You’ll be glad of my presence when one you ask for advice from a real world adult
Lola: I’ll be sure to never ever do that
Russ: This was a lot
Russ: I’m here but the cell service sucks
I always wondered what it’d be like to be in the “inner circle” when I was on the outside. Now I’m in it, I realize it’s mainly chaos but in a kind of wholesome way. By the time I’m done catching up, I’m at the front of the line, which gives me the perfect opportunity to not dwell on the fact I am once again on some shitty college gossip page, the girl I’m with on there has a super-rich family and that there’s absolutely no way I’m going to be able to fake knowing anything about race cars if I ever see her again.
It doesn’t take long for me to be given my welcome pack, told a meeting starts in an hour and find my cabin. Pushing my way through the stiff door, I immediately spot my new roommate for the summer.
“What’s up, man,” he says coolly, nodding from the bed he’s taken on the other side of the room. “I’m Xander.”
“Russ.” I swear I nearly say Muffin. “Good to meet you.”
“You too.” His eyes drop to my chest, the white Titans logo stands out against the navy-blue material. “You at UCMH?”
Part of me dies a little bit, because I didn’t think when I put this t-shirt on. I hoped there wouldn’t be Maple Hills students here, since it’s so many hours away, but it was silly of me to assume they wouldn’t be attracted to the same things as me. You’d think familiar faces would be a comfort, but as soon as I mention hockey they bring up the rink, which I fucking hate talking about. I reluctantly answer Xander. “Yeah, you?”