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hurt me.”
    “But not intentionally.”
    “Just spit it out, Tessa.”
    Taking a deep breath, she squares her shoulders and looks me in the eye.
    “Xavier asked me to move in with him, and I said yes.”
    “Tessa, that’s amazing! But why would . . .” my voice trails off as I realize how this news, as wonderful as it may be, could unintentionally hurt me. “Ah, the apartment. You want me to move out?”
    Tessa’s eyes grow wide. “No, of course not! His parents just bought the apartment building on Pike Street. The fancy one. You know, the place with the private terraces and fitness center?”
    “You mean the one we call Paradise on Pike?”
    “That’s it! Xavier’s allowed to live there rent-free as long as he stays in school, and his mom and dad love me, so they’re all for it.”
    Tessa and Xavier have been dating since sophomore year, so moving in together isn’t a complete shock. What’s a little upsetting is the fact that they chose now to do it. It’s just a few weeks into the semester—the first few weeks of their last semester—and they decide to make this kind of commitment now? After Tessa and I just made a commitment to our landlord in the form of a six-month lease?
    “Steph, I know what you’re thinking. I had every intention of staying through the summer. No one was more surprised than me when he asked me to move in with him.” Tessa’s eyes suddenly fill with tears. “I know it’s selfish. You don’t hate me, do you?”
    With a sigh, I reach for my best friend and give her a tight hug. “It’s not selfish and of course I don’t hate you. I’m so happy for you. I’ll just have to see if our landlord will let us out of our lease.”
    “You don’t want to stay?”
    “I can’t afford the rent on my own.”
    Tessa frowns. “I know. I was thinking maybe you could find a new roommate. It would just be for a few months. I’ll even help you look. It would help relieve my guilt.”
    “Don’t feel guilty. I’ll post an online ad or something and see what happens. Either way, it’ll be fine.”
    “Promise?”
    It will be fine or I will be homeless. No worries.
    I force a smile. I’m not about to let the ball of anxiety that has just formed in the pit of my stomach ruin my best friend’s excitement.
    “I promise.”
    A sudden knock causes Tessa to beam brightly. I don’t even have to wonder who is on the other side of the door.
    “Come in,” we yell in unison.
    Xavier walks in slowly, cautiously, as if he’s afraid a wild animal is on the loose. His eyes widen when he sees Tessa’s tears.
    “Do you hate us?” he asks.
    I force another smile. I have a feeling I’ll be doing that a lot over the next few days.
    “How could I hate my two best friends?”
    Xavier sighs with relief and plops down on the sofa.
    We spend the rest of the evening with take-out pizza, peanut butter cookies, and some basketball game that I couldn’t care less about. Deep down, I felt a little guilty. They’re in love, and it’s not surprising that they want to be together all the time. I’m happy for them, but at the same time, all I can think about is the fact that I will soon be sharing the sofa with a complete stranger.
    Or you’ll be homeless.
    I wait until halftime before faking a headache and dragging my depressed ass to bed.

    The next morning is cloudy and gloomy, which is ironic considering those two words perfectly describe my mood.
    To say this is the worst day for a first date is the understatement of the year.
    Throughout the morning, I seriously consider texting Brandon and faking the flu, but something stops me. The fact is that I like him. A lot. Which is weird because it usually takes me much longer to feel comfortable around someone. Tessa found the perfect guy in Xavier, but I’ve never been lucky when it comes to dating. Most college guys are jerks. Or liars. Or both.
    Brandon is different. Instinctively, I know this, and that’s what stops me from breaking our