Chapter 2

Alexandria

After a hectic morning of classes, I finally headed back to our apartment around 1 PM. As I pushed open the door, I immediately noticed something new a fresh burst of personality had taken over one of the single rooms. I followed the soft strains of music and a few scattered laughs down the hall until I found her: my new roommate, Gabi.

She was in the middle of setting up her space, surrounded by half-unpacked boxes, quirky posters, and personal knick-knacks that screamed Gabi in every way.

"Hey, Lex! I'm just getting my room together," she said with a bright smile as she turned to greet me. "Feel free to call me Gabi I like that name a little better."

I grinned. "Gabi it is. Looks like you're already making this place your own."

Before long, Gabi's eyes lit up with an idea. "Hey, Lex, are you up for grabbing lunch with me? I'd love to get to know you better over some good food."

Instantly, I thought of the plan I had already made to meet up with Will. "That sounds awesome, Gabi! Actually, I was thinking about calling Will to see if he's down for the three of us to hang out. Give me a sec."

I pulled out my phone and dialed him.

⸻"Yo, what's up, Lex?" Will answered, his voice easygoing as always.

"Hey, so my new roommate Gabi invited me to lunch, and I thought it'd be cool if the three of us hung out," I said.

There was a short pause before his tone turned playful. "As in, you're making friends and you've got a roommate named Gabi?"

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, Will, I just moved in. And yes, her name is Gabi. Trust me, she's awesome."

"Yeah, yeah, but the real question is—" he paused for dramatic effect. "Is she hot?"

I groaned. "Will! Shut up."

He laughed, completely unbothered. "I'm just asking the important questions, Lex. You know I have to."

"You don't have to, actually."

"Alright, fine, I'll decide for myself," he said, still amused. "Anyway, let's hit up that sushi spot near campus. It's solid, and you guys need to experience it. Plus, I've got practice later, so it works since it's nearby."

"That works for me," I said. "Gabi?"

She gave me a thumbs-up.

"Alright, I'll meet you both there," Will said. "By the way, did you end up getting tickets for the Sharks game next weekend?"

"I did," I said. "Wouldn't miss it."

"Good," he said. "Macklin's been on fire lately—you'll see. You'd probably like him, honestly. He's nice, funny, just a solid guy."

"I laughed. "Are you trying to set me up with your teammate?"

"I'm just saying, you'd get along. Besides, we're always hanging out, so it's bound to happen eventually."

I rolled my eyes again but smiled. Sure, Will. Because I definitely need to be thinking about some insanely talented, objectively attractive hockey player right now.

Not that I hadn't already seen pictures of Macklin Celebrini. It was hard not to when he was basically all over the Sharks' social media. He was talented, no doubt about that. And fine.. maybe he was a little attractive, too. But who was I kidding? I wasn't about to formally meet him beyond seeing him play at games. I needed to focus on school anyway. Besides, after everything that happened with my ex, the last thing I wanted was to open up to someone like that again. Trust wasn't exactly my strong suit these days for anything romance related.

"Anyway," Will continued, snapping me out of my thoughts, "see you in a bit. And Lex—try not to roast me too hard in front of your new roomie, yeah?"

"No promises," I shot back before hanging up.

⸻

Not long after the call, Gabi and I arrived at a cozy sushi spot near campus. The place had a relaxed, modern vibe with soft lighting, communal tables, and an open kitchen where we could watch the chefs work their magic.

Will walked in not long after us, that familiar grin on his face. "Alright, let's see if this place still holds up," he said as he slid into the seat across from me.

I smirked. "If it doesn't, I'm blaming you."

He pointed at me. "Fair." Then he turned to Gabi. "Hey, nice to finally meet you. Lex has been hyping you up."

Gabi laughed. "Good things, I hope?"

"No, terrible things," I deadpanned. "Awful, even."

Will chuckled. "Nah, all good. So, you're from LA, right?"

"Yep," Gabi nodded. "Born and raised. It's weird being somewhere that actually has seasons."

"Wait, what seasons?" Will snorted. "This is San Jose. The most you'll get is, like, 'slightly colder than yesterday.'"

Gabi laughed. "Okay, fair. But it's still different from LA."

As we looked over the menu, I started pointing out my favorites. "I was thinking we could start with spicy tuna and maybe the dragon roll. What do you both think?"

"I'm all for spicy tuna," Gabi said. "Oh! And I've been dying to try that tempura roll everyone's been raving about."

Will nodded. "Tempura roll, huh? Sure, why not. Lex, you're our sushi guide, aren't you?"

I chuckled, ruffling his hair playfully. "I might know a thing or two about sushi spots on campus, but honestly, today we're all discovering new favorites together."

The conversation flowed effortlessly as we waited for our food. We talked about first impressions of the campus, the quirks of our apartment, and Gabi's love for singing and making music.

"That's so cool," I said. "Do you write your own songs?"

"Sometimes," she nodded. "It's more of a passion thing, but who knows? Maybe one day I'll actually record something."

"You totally should," Will said. "If you need a hype squad, we got you."

Our sushi arrived soon after—beautifully arranged rolls, delicate garnishes, the works.

Will grinned, raising his chopsticks. "To new roommates, sushi adventures, and making the most of every moment."

Gabi clinked her chopsticks with his. "Cheers to that."——

Gabi and I walked into our apartment, still full from the ridiculous amount of sushi we had just eaten. I tossed my bag onto the counter before flopping onto the couch, stretching my legs out as Gabi settled beside me.

"So," I started, leaning back into the cushions, "how was your first full day of classes?"

She let out a deep sigh. "Pretty good overall. Except..." she paused, already grinning. "I felt so bad for this guy in my lecture today."

I turned to her, intrigued. "Oh no. What happened?"

She covered her face dramatically. "Okay, so he was running super late, right? He rushes in all flustered, trying to be quiet, but the moment he sets his skateboard down—" She clapped her hands together for emphasis. "—it just takes off down the huge lecture hall stairs."

I gasped, already laughing. "No way."

"Oh, way. It was so loud, Lex. Like, everyone stopped, turned, and just watched this poor guy do the walk of shame all the way down the stairs to retrieve his skateboard... which, by the way, rolled right up to the professor's feet."

I cackled. "That's straight out of a coming-of-age movie. Did the professor say anything?"

She nodded, eyes twinkling. "They just looked down at the skateboard, looked up at him, and went, 'Glad you could roll in today.'"

I groaned, throwing my head back. "Oh, that's brutal."

Gabi giggled. "I had to physically stop myself from laughing because I felt so bad for him."

We sat there for a moment, still chuckling before I decided to change the subject.

"So," I said, shifting slightly to face her, "what did you think of Will?"

Gabi hesitated, her fingers fidgeting with the edge of her sleeve. "He kind of... took me aback, honestly."

I raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

She let out a nervous laugh. "It's just—okay, this is going to sound ridiculous, but I've been watching college hockey for a while. I've actually been following since his first year at Boston College."

My eyes widened slightly. "Wait, really?"

"Yeah," she nodded shyly. "But when you first mentioned your friend Will, I didn't think anything of it. I mean, Will is such a common name. It never even crossed my mind that your Will was that Will."

I smirked. "So, when you actually met him today?"

She exhaled. "I don't know, I just—he was really nice. And funny. And when the three of us were literally fighting over who would pay, I felt so embarrassed but also really thankful that he just covered it for all of us."

I shot her a knowing look, a slow grin spreading across my face. "You think he's cute."

Gabi's eyes widened in horror. "No!"

I laughed, nudging her playfully. "You totally think he's cute."

She gasped, then abruptly shot up from the couch. "I'm not telling!" she declared before sprinting down the hall toward her room.

"Oh my God," I groaned, laughing as I got up to chase after her. "That's a yes!"

"La-la-la-la-la, I can't hear you!" she sang, disappearing behind her door.

I stood outside, grinning as I crossed my arms. "You so have a tiny little crush."

"No, I don't!"

"Yes, you do!"

"Goodnight, Lex!"

I rolled my eyes but laughed as I headed back to the couch. This is going to be fun.

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