Read the Entire Trilogy Here!

When Joey left for college, he expected the “party atmosphere,” but this was something else entirely. Movies or tv shows glorified the worst parts about a party. Sure, there’s drinking, he thought, but it’s more about spending time with people you care about and relaxing. 

With a sigh of relief for every college student, Friday had finally arrived, and people geared up for a long night out. A few of Joey’s buddies invited him to a game night complete with pizza and a few cheap beers. The stress of finishing midterms passed, and Joey planned out when to finish homework and study for the weekend. But Friday… Friday was for the boys.

A few rounds of poker later in the night, Nick slammed the six pack of beers–one for each guy–on the table. “Who’s ready to lose our minds?!” This crazed smile spread over his face, and Joey couldn’t help but laugh.

One last roll of the dice, and an unfortunate land on Boardwalk, Joey lost the game of Monopoly. “HA! It was only a matter of time before your empire crumbled next to mine,” Adam laughed. “You might have got me this time, Adam, but this is only only battle in this long war,” Joey snarled, trying to contain his uncontrollable smile. “I hate to break you two lovebirds up,” Noah–the owner of the apartment–said, “but my girlfriend’s coming over. So you’re gonna have to leave.”

Next thing Joey knew, he was standing outside of the apartment, games piled on top of one another. Adam and Mason were gone the second Noah told them to get lost, but Joey and Nick stuck around. “Hey dude, there’s a party I wanna go to, but not alone. Would you come with?” Nick said with his puppy dog eyes. “Uh…” Joey wouldn’t know anyone else there. “Come on, it won’t be late. I need a guy to turn to.” Joey couldn’t say no now.

Joey stood looking up at a gigantic frat house, bright neon lights flashing out of almost every window. “Uh, Nick? You sure you were invited?” Nick scoffed. “Just be cool, dude. I know some guys here.”

Inside, Nick practically skipped over to the  drink area. Joey almost followed but stopped. If Nick’s going hard, I’ll just take the night easy. Someone’s gonna need to walk him home…

The house was typically messy with scantily-clad college girls and the official party snapback boys in every room. Coming into the living room, Joey found the dance floor complete with wobbly dancers and hoarse voices screaming the words to Journey’s Don’t Stop Believin’.

Even without alcohol, Joey decided a dance or two would be kinda fun. An hour later, he was covered in sweat and having the time of his life. “Don’t wanna be an American idiot,” he sang/yelled while doing a horrible air guitar. The crowd dispersed. Apparently this crowd wasn’t as much of a fan, but one girl parked herself in front of Joey and mimicked his air guitar. They sang their voices out, and at the end of song, they laughed until they couldn’t laugh anymore. The dance floor cleared out as an unknown song came on.

The girl was sufficiently trashed. Joey thought she didn’t look too good. “Hey, you alright?” She laughed, putting her hand on his shoulder. “No, my name’s Hazel! I think I need some air…” Hazel started to slump, and Joey slid her hand so she was leaning on him. “Ok, yeah, let’s go outside.”

Outside, Joey placed her down on one of the lawn chairs. “Do you have any friends here, Hazel?” Joey asked. Her head hung in sleep. “Hey!” The clock tower stuck–2AM.  She jumped up. “Yes! Let’s go home!”

Hazel leaned on Joey the whole way back to her dorm. “Are you sure you’re alright getting into your room?” he asked, trying to get her eye contact. “Yes, yes, thank you for taking me home… Don’t meet too many nice guys like you.” Joey flinched. “Ok, well goodnight Hazel.”

She held on to Joey’s hand. He looked back, and she was looking right into his eyes–like she wasn’t sick or confused at all. She squeezed his hand. “Really… thank you.” They held eye contact for another second before Joey looked away. “No, no problem.”

That night, back in his own bed, Joey couldn’t stop thinking about Hazel. What was up with that stare? Maybe it just the alcohol. Yeah, the alcohol and nothing more…

 

After any party–like every other college student– Joey slept in until 1 PM. He woke up with a quick flutter of his eyes. That dream… what was it? In a second, the memory vanished, and a feeling of sadness washed over him.

“Rough night, huh, buddy?” Joey’s roommate Tyler joked, playing a game on his computer. Joey shifted to sitting upright, racking his brain for any memory of that dream. “Hope you don’t got any work to do tonight, practically half-way through the day now,” Tyler smirked.

“As if,” Joey smiled, grabbing a water out of the fridge. “The day’s still young.”

“And will tonight begin early as well?”

“Nah… no, I’m taking tonight off. Recovery, ya know?”

Tyler laughed. “You know you’re in too deep when partying becomes a job. Good luck, man.” Joey threw his pillow at Tyler before leaving to take a shower. Joey always thought better in the shower; it’s a good reflection time. Hazel… that was her name. I didn’t even tell her mine. I suppose it’s too much to ask that I’d ever run into her again.

Next stop: the library. Work in college never really ends, you just choose when is the best time to finish the right things. He placed his headphones gently and started up Spotify for a good studying marathon. Chemistry, done. Calculus, done. That groove of seemlessness that comes from a good study session and that feeling of accomplishment finally came about five hours later. Joey stretched, released all the locked joints from their hunched, concentrated positions.

7 PM: Dinner time. Meet up with friends or pull up Netflix for some nice alone time? One buffet meal and two episodes of The Office, and Joey was satisfied. As he placed his tray in the return area, carefully navigating the circling dinner rush, one girl twisted around–unaware of the added space of her backpack–and slammed into the side of Joey’s tray.

“Oh my gosh! I’m so so sorry!” she exclaimed picking up the odds and ends that she could. Joey leaned down, “No worries, nothing’s bro…ken.”

And there she was, Hazel. “Oh, hi Hazel. How are you feeling?” She looked surprised. “You’re the guy from last night! Joey, right?”

“How’d you know my name?”

“Well, you did tell me last night…”

“Oh, I don’t remember…”

Hazel laughed as they both walked over to the tray return. “Got any more parties planned for tonight?” she asked.

“Nope, just some good ole’ Netflix and chill. …But not that kind of…!” She had this laugh that lit up her whole face– her eyes scrunched up and those tiny dimples… “Actually, would you want to have a chill night with me? Some popcorn and c-rated movies?”

Hazel hesitated. “I have a boyfriend, so I just don’t want you to get the wrong idea. BUT a totally platonic night in a TV room would be really nice.”

Oh. was all Joey could think. But then where was he last night?

Later, the movies were great, chickflicks and action alike. Hazel and Joey walked back to her dorm. “Ok, but then why do you think Jack Ryan blew up the helicopter?! He totally couldn’t escaped the volcano if he wasn’t a complete idiot!” Joey was always one to analyze movies way too far. “Well, here’s my door…” Hazel said, looking rather sad at the door.

“Oh, alright! See you again sometime, then?” Joey said, waving and walking away. Hazel reached out and grabbed Joey’s hand.

“It was really awesome tonight. I can’t remember the last time I had such a good time with only one other person,” she admitted.

“What about your boyfriend?”

“Oh, that. Yes. … Ok, Joey. See ya some other time!” And she disappeared behind that wooden door and Joey wouldn’t see her for three more months. Relationships are scary/hard.

 

December.  Finals crunch time.

Joey flinched awake, greeted by the view of thousands of books. Slowly his head rose; eyes growing closer shut in confusion. He tried to check his phone. Dead.  Great, that meant he had to look for a real clock somewhere. Standing up, leaving all his work and backpack behind, Joey began to wander around the deserted library. Amidst the seemingly millions of stacks, and dazed from awakening, Joey found himself lost by shelf #101-25. And… no clock in sight. He sighed, just go back to your stuff and head back to your dorm.

Joey turned left, looking down all the shelves and hesitated. Then he turned right. Wait, no… maybe it’s straight? Oh no, he thought, I’m lost.

Thus began even more wandering around with no direction for Joey. He passed by the classic Victorian era fiction, then the WWII era fiction, and finally by French literature section, when he noticed a small light by the window. Like a moth to a lamp, Joey crept up, not wanting to scare the person there. A girl, in the same hunched over sleeping position that Joey was once in, had four books scattered open on the desk.

The last thing Joey wanted to do was scare the girl, but if he was there, he would want someone to wake him up. He tapped lightly on her shoulder, but she didn’t budge. Joey sighed and reached to grab her shoulder this time. She woke up jumping out of sleep, and he chair tipped back from the sudden burst. Thankfully Joey sprang behind her and caught the chair before falling all the way to the floor. The girl looked up, and Joey looked down.

“Joey?”

“Hazel?!”

In surprise, Joey lost his grip on the chair and fell the last few inches to the floor. “Hey! I know I didn’t text you but you didn’t have to drop me like that!” Hazel yelled. “I, I didn’t–I mean, that’s not what–” Joey stammered. “And why’d you have to wake me up like that as well?”

Tongue-tied, Joey never expected to ever see Hazel again. In fact, he actively tried not to be where he had seen her in fear of meeting her boyfriend. “What time is it anyway?” Hazel asked, calmed down and now standing. “Geez. It’s 4,” she sneered. “What are even doing here?”

Joey stuttered, eyes wide, “I, uh, fell asleep.”

Hazel’s eyes softened. “I’m sorry. I haven’t been getting the best sleep for a few days. I get it.” Joey didn’t know what to say, and an awkward silence fell between them. “Hey. I’m sorry I never texted back. You were always super nice. I, uh… I was a little afraid that um my boyfriend might get mad. You’re a really nice guy, Joey. The timing just wasn’t right.”

Suddenly pulled out of his daze, Joey bursted out, “And what about now?” Hazel shifted her gaze the ground. “It’s complicated.”

“Oh.”

But then Hazel smiled. “But I do know someone else.” She walked around to the other side of the desk where a girl bundled up in 3 layers of blankets and headphones playing music so loud that the rest of the world drowned out. She was entirely engrossed in her work editing a video. “This is Caroline,” Hazel said, tapping on the girl’s head. She snapped out of her entrancement and pulled of her too-big-for-her-head headphones. “Caroline, I’d like you to meet Joey!” And she smiled so big that her eyes scrunched up. “Hi Joey!”

A tingle went up Joey’s spine. Maybe that’s the thing with relationships. They’re not just about who the people are and if they fit together. It’s timing and circumstances and everything else with someone’s life. It’s about a relationship with another life not just another personality.