Andy

It was unreal to hold Ivy in my arms again. Her jet black hair flowed like silk down her shoulders, tumbling into loose ringlets. Her eyes were a brilliant blue, the blue of the ocean in a storm.

I broke apart from her and turned, taking her hand. Looking up to set back out to my dorm room, I saw a familiar head of brown and blue hair rush into the building.

'Diana!' I called, starting to jog.

'Who's Diana?' Ivy asked, speeding up to keep up with me.

'She's Jessica's friend. You know, the girl I was with -'

'Before I came back? Yeah. Honey, it's okay to go with someone else if you want. I understand that people move on. I was the one who left you.' Ivy was slowing down, beginning to tire. I said nothing in answer, instead dropping her hand and sprinting after Diana.

'Diana!'

'What do you want, Andy?' She snarled, already at the top of the staircase. I slipped as I followed her up, the stairs wet for some reason.

'Hear me out, it isn't what it seems.'

'Isn't what it seems, yeah right. You're cheating on my best friend.'

'No, I'm not.'

We were at the second floor now, and I was sucking in deep lungfuls of air. Diana was skidding at the corner and disappearing down her hallway.

'Diana!' I heard her knocking fiercely on a door, and then it opening.

'Taylor?' She said aloud, confused. 'Where's-'

I met her at the corner in time to see Tay in her pyjamas cut Diana off with an exasperated glance.

'Jess is out, now would you please go away? It's a ridiculous time and I have classes tomorrow.' A slam in the face with a door later and Diana turned back to me. Closer, I could see the reason why the stairs and hallway were wet, as her long hair dripped onto the floor.

'How about we discuss this in your room?' I said, walking in the general direction down the hall and hoping it was the right way.

'Fine.' Poison dripped from the word, but she stalked to her door, which I had just passed. 'But what about your girlfriend?' I sighed.

'She'll be fine.' As soon as those words left my lips, I saw Ivy pass the hallway.

'I'm just going to go to my room, okay?'

'Yeah, I'll see you.' She smiled, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear and continuing in the direction of her hall.

Turning back, I realised Diana had abandoned me in the halls and left the door wide open. Going inside, I looked away as the sight of Diana in her swimsuit caught me straight in the eye.

'Andy, they're bathers. Big deal.' She put on an oversized tee shirt and sat in a desk chair, gesturing to her bed for me to sit on. A body in the other bed rolled over, half sitting up, the mussed up hair casting a shadow in the moonlight.

'You right there?'

'Mmm-hmm. Just go back to sleep, Jen. This'll be over with in a few minutes.'

'Don't fuck.' Jen said before her head hit the pillow and a light snore started up.

'We won't.' Diana crossed her arms and pierced me in the eye, showing her dislike. 'Spill. What's so special about this Ivy chick that made you break it off with Jess? Especially after having sex. Do you know how badly you used her?'

'Have you even spoken to Jess?' I shot back, sitting on the bed. 'We discussed it this morning. Ivy was my old girlfriend last year. She wasn't sure if she was going to come back for year two or not, so she took a plane over to New York to visit family and also just have a breather. We broke up, because she didn't want a long distance relationship, or string me along if she decided she didn't want to come back. The timing was awful, I agree, but I do like Jess - a lot, it's just... Ivy means more to me.'

Diana sat there, stunned. She could conjure up no words to defend her case, or grind it into the dust even more.

'Jess found this acceptable. She had no problems with it.' I stood up and walked to the door, opening it and finding a tear-streaked Jessica, with a hand raised to knock on the door.

'A-Andy.' She stammered, turning and racing down to her room, wiping at her face as she went.

'"Acceptable" was it?' I heard Diana say.

'She could have been here for any reason.'

'Listen, punk, she never cries.' Diana stood up and sidled up next to her door. 'You better run for the hills if I find out you're the one that made her crack.'

'What the fuck is up with all the people in our room? Just go to fucking sleep, Diana!' A pillow thudded into the wall next to us, as I quickly turned and left, listening to Diana's last word of farewell,

'Run.'

Notes

Title credit: The Worst Thing About Me - We Are The In Crowd