[Travis's POV]
The commuter lounge at Salem State buzzes with the usual mid-afternoon chaos, students sprawled across worn couches, the harsh fluorescent lighting making everyone look slightly ill, and the persistent hum of vending machines providing the soundtrack to my boredom. I check my phone again: 2:29 PM. Kayla won't be done with her lab for another hour and a half.
I sigh, slumping deeper into the faded armchair. Since the whole "officially dating my sister" thing happened, waiting for her has become both better and worse. Better because I know what's coming later, her hands, her lips, her body pressed against mine. Worse because time crawls when you're anticipating something that good.
I'm mindlessly scrolling through my phone when movement at the edge of my vision catches my attention. A girl with mousy brown hair approaches, clutching a leather satchel to her chest like it's a shield. Her oversized sweater practically swallows her small frame, and her eyes dart nervously around the room before settling on me.
She stops directly in front of my chair, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. I have absolutely no idea who this person is.
"Hey, Travis," she says, her voice barely audible above the general noise of the lounge.
I look up at her suspiciously, trying to place her face. Nothing. Not a single memory registers. Is she in one of my classes? Someone Kayla knows?
"Hello," I reply cautiously, my tone making it clear I don't recognize her.
The girl's cheeks flush pink, and she clutches her satchel tighter. "I'm Gina," she offers as if that explains everything. "Gina Nathans? From Melrose High?"
I continue staring blankly. The name means nothing to me despite going to the same high school.
"We had AP Chemistry together," she continues, her voice growing smaller with each word. "And English Lit senior year."
"Sorry," I shrug, not bothering to hide my confusion. "I don't remember you."
Her face falls slightly, though she tries to mask it with a quick smile. "That's okay. I kind of expected that. I wasn't exactly... noticeable in high school."
An uncomfortable silence stretches between us. I glance at my phone again, still an eternity until Kayla's done.
"Did you need something?" I finally ask when it becomes clear she isn't leaving.
Gina's eyes widen suddenly, a flash of recognition lighting up her face. "Oh! The other day, you helped me out with Autumn. Remember? In that side hallway near the science wing?"
I shake my head, genuinely confused. "I did what now?"
"With Autumn Summers? And her friends?" Gina continues, her voice growing smaller with each word. "They were... they took my manga, and you stepped in?"
I stare at her blankly. The truth is, most of life passes in a blur when Kayla's not around. I exist in a kind of half-aware state, going through motions until my sister returns to make the world vibrant again. This girl could make up an entire fictional encounter, and I wouldn't know the difference.
"I honestly have no idea what you're talking about," I admit, running a hand through my hair. "Sorry."
Gina's shoulders slump slightly, but she rallies, forcing a small smile. "Well, it happened. And it meant a lot to me. You really saved me back there."
"Nice," I mutter, glancing at my phone again. Still an hour and twenty-eight minutes until Kayla's free.
Gina shifts her weight nervously, her knuckles white where they clutch her satchel. She takes a deep breath as if steeling herself for something monumental.
"I was wondering," she begins, her voice trembling slightly, "if you'd want to go on a date with me sometime?"
The question hangs in the air between us, so unexpected that for a moment, I'm not sure I heard her correctly. This girl is asking me out?
Ugh
"A date?" I repeat, my eyebrows shooting up in surprise.
Gina nods, her cheeks flushing an even deeper shade of pink. "Nothing fancy. Maybe coffee? Or the campus café?"
I study her more carefully now. She's not unattractive, just... plain. The kind of girl who disappears in a crowd. Completely unremarkable in every way. And yet there's something in her eyes, a quiet determination beneath the nervousness that catches me off guard.
"I'm sorry, I can't," I say, the words coming out more gently than I expected. "I'm already seeing someone."
Gina's expression falls, disappointment washing over her features before she quickly tries to mask it with a polite smile. "Oh! I didn't realize. My mistake."
"It's okay. You couldn't have known," I add, feeling an unexpected twinge of sympathy for her. "My girlfriend and I are pretty serious about our relationship."
It feels strange and exhilarating to say those words out loud, my girlfriend, even if I can't reveal who that girlfriend actually is. The truth pulses beneath my skin, Kayla is my girlfriend. My sister is my girlfriend. The thought sends a pleasant shiver down my spine.
"Your girlfriend," Gina repeats, her voice small. "Is she... is she here at Salem State too?"
I nod, unable to suppress the smile that spreads across my face. "Yeah, she is."
"That's nice," she says, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. "She must be really special."
"She is," I reply, my voice softening involuntarily. "She's everything to me."
Gina's eyes widen slightly at the intensity in my tone. She clutches her satchel tighter, knuckles whitening. "Well, I should probably get going. Sorry for bothering you."
Gina pauses, her eyes downcast. When she looks up again, there's a flicker of something, hope, maybe, or just desperation, in her expression.
"Maybe we could just be friends then?" she suggests, voice barely audible above the lounge chatter. "Hang out sometime? I don't really know many people here, and it'd be nice to have someone familiar to talk to."
I feel a pang of sympathy, but it's quickly overshadowed by the reality of my situation. There's simply no chance. Every free moment I have belongs to Kayla now, every thought, every breath. The idea of splitting my attention is unacceptable and impossible.
"I'm sorry, Gina," I say, trying to sound gentle but firm. "All my free time goes to my girlfriend. Between classes and her, I don't have room for new friendships right now."
The words land like a physical blow. Her entire body seems to deflate, shoulders slumping and eyes dulling. She nods mechanically, clutching her satchel so tightly her knuckles turn white.
"Right. Of course," she murmurs. "I understand."
Gina nods once more, her eyes never quite meeting mine. "Well, I'll see you around, I guess." Her voice is barely a whisper as she turns to leave, each step carrying her further away, her shoulders hunched like she's trying to make herself even smaller.
I don't watch her go. My phone vibrates in my hand, and I glance down to see Kayla's name lighting up my screen.
"Hey, my lab is running late. Mom's gonna pick you up in a few minutes."
My heart sinks, a physical ache spreading through my chest. I send back a single frowny face emoji, staring at the screen as if I could somehow will her to appear through sheer desperation.
Fuck.
I was counting on those precious hours with Kayla before dinner. Just us, alone, her body against mine, her scent filling my lungs. Now I'll be stuck with Mom, probably hearing more about Robert and the wedding plans and that perfect fucking house with its Olympic-sized pool.
I slump deeper into the armchair, a hollow feeling spreading through me. The commuter lounge suddenly seems too loud, too bright, too everything. Without the promise of Kayla at the end of it, the rest of the day stretches before me like an endless desert.
My phone buzzes again.
"I'll make it up to you tonight. Promise. Mom will be asleep by 11."
The message helps, but only a little. It's like being told you can have water in six hours when you're dying of thirst now. I need her warmth, her touch, the way she makes the world snap into focus when everything else is just background noise.
I type back: "I miss you already."
Three dots appear as she types her response, then: "Needy little brother. I miss you too. Just wait until tonight."
The promise in those words sends a shiver down my spine despite my disappointment.
My phone buzzes again, but this time it's not Kayla. Mom's name flashes across the screen, and I answer.
"Hey, Mom."
"Travis?" Her voice sounds harried, the background noise suggesting she's already in her car.
"Oh, are you here already?" I ask, perking up slightly. At least I won't have to wait in this depressing lounge any longer.
"No, honey, that's why I'm calling." She sounds genuinely apologetic. "I just realized I have to go back to the office."
I slump back in my chair. "Oh. Should I call an Uber then?"
"Absolutely not," Mom says immediately, her voice sharp with maternal concern. "I don't like the idea of you being alone in an Uber. Megan said she'd pick you up and drive you home."
My stomach drops. "Megan? Isn't she in Boston?"
"She commutes from Wakefield, so she's only a town over from you," Mom explains, her voice brightening at the mention of my future stepsister. "She offered as soon as I mentioned my predicament."
"Uhhh, I don't know..." I trail off, panic rising in my chest. What would Kayla think about this?
"Look, Travis," Mom says, her voice softening into that reasonable tone she uses when she's trying to convince me of something. "She's going to be your sister soon. It might be nice to get to know her."
I close my eyes, weighing my limited options. I realize I can't just tell her I'm dating Kayla and that I don't want to be near another woman.
"Alright," I sigh, defeated.
"Great! I'll send you her number. She said she'll be there soon."
Mom hangs up before I can change my mind. I immediately text Kayla:
"Megan's picking me up from campus. Mom's orders. I didn't have a choice."
I stare at my phone, waiting for those three little dots to appear, for Kayla's response. Nothing. The screen remains stubbornly blank.
Shit.
I keep checking every few seconds, refreshing the conversation like it might magically make her reply appear. Still nothing.
She's probably elbow-deep in whatever experiment they're doing in lab, phone tucked away in her backpack where she can't hear it. Part of me was hoping she'd immediately freak out, tell me to wait right where I am, that she'd skip the rest of lab and come get me herself.
But that's selfish as hell. Kayla takes her grades seriously.
Probably so we can live a dope life later on. Don't worry Kayla I'll work too if you'll let me.
I sigh, pocketing my phone. She'll definitely lose her mind when she sees the message later, but it's not like I was going to hide this from her. We promised no more walls between us, and that means no secrets, even uncomfortable ones like being alone in a car with our creepy new stepsister.
My phone buzzes with a text from an unknown number: "I'm in the north parking lot. Black Audi."
I forgot Megan was rich.