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Plus, colleges aren’t
necessarily known for being super safe at night.
    I finally work up the nerve to say
something when we’re sitting around the common room with the twins
one night. They’re having an argument over Ashley’s need to keep
their dorm room neat and organized, while Julie leaves things
laying around, claiming she doesn’t have time to pick up every day.
Hailey looks over at me and smirks, because honestly it is kind of
funny how they’re bickering like an old married couple.
    “Hail?” I ask.
    “Yeah?” She’s still suppressing a
smile.
    “Don’t get mad, okay? But I think that
maybe you’re spending too much time with Drew. You leave to be with
him every afternoon and I’m usually sleeping when you come back to
the dorm late at night, sometimes early into the morning. Doesn’t
Tyler get weirded out that you’re there all the time? And it’s not
really safe late at night either…”
    “Val, he’s my boyfriend. Of course I
want to spend a lot of time with him. But I think I’m still making
time for you too. We have lunch together almost every day. We have
the same classes every other day. I usually don’t even see Drew
until you go to cheerleading practice. And Tyler doesn’t mind.
Besides, a lot of the time we’re not even in the dorm.”
    This surprises me. “Where are you
then?”
    She sighs like she doesn’t want to
tell me. “The library,” she reluctantly tells me.
    “The library?” I ask in disbelief. Why
would that be a secret, I wonder.
    “Yeah, the library. I’m helping Drew
with some research.”
    “For a class?”
    “No. Just some personal
research.”
    I give her a look that shows I’m
skeptical. I don’t know what she’s getting at, but it all sounds a
little fishy to me.
    “Okay, look, I doubt Drew wants anyone
to know about it, so I didn’t want to say anything, but we’ve been
researching his family.”
    “I don’t understand. He reunited with
his mom. I thought he didn’t really have much family around other
than her?”
    “He does on his dad’s side.” She
pauses, noticing my confusion. “His biological dad’s side,” she
clarifies.
    “Oh,” I say, a little stunned. I know
Drew never knew his biological father, but I also know that he
passed away. I never thought about the rest of his family on that
side. “Why now?” I ask.
    “I don’t know. His mom mentioned
something I guess, and he got to thinking that maybe he had
grandparents or aunt and uncles, maybe cousins, in the area. It’s
important to him and it’s a big decision to reach out to anyone he
finds. I’m just trying to be supportive. I love him, Val. And he
needs me right now.”
    “Oh.” I’m not sure what I can say to
that. I get it. It makes sense why she wants to be there for him
right now. “Okay, I understand then. I just get nervous with you
being out so late and I guess I just kind of miss you not being
here at night too. I still don’t know many people here and the
twins are so close that sometimes I feel like a third wheel. Maybe
I just need to find some single girlfriends to keep me
company.”
    “You make it sound like we’ll never
hang out again. I’m still here. I’ll always be here for you. I’ve
just been a little preoccupied. Let’s plan to do something fun this
weekend,” she offers, “Just us girls.”
    “Okay, yeah. That sounds great.” I
smile brightly.
    “Mani-pedis? Dinner?
Movie?”
    “How about mani-pedis, dinner, and a
party?” I ask, knowing it’s a long shot. I doubt Hailey will want
to go to a party without Drew.
    She presses her lips into a thin line.
“What party?” she asks, skeptically.
    “I heard there’s a big party Saturday
night at the Hansore House and I kind of wanted to check it out,
but I didn’t want to go alone.” The Hansore House is a fraternity
house on campus. I’m not even sure if they’ll let us in or if you
need to be specifically invited, but I overheard some people
talking about the party in my