"How exactly did you do this, again?" the nurse asked.
Brenna glanced over at me.
"Snowball fight," we said simultaneously.
"Tilt your head back," the nurse instructed. "The doctor will be right in."
As soon as the door closed, Brenna's arm shot out and slapped me in the chest.
"OW!" I cried.
"I can't believe you broke my nose while we were having sex," Brenna said nasally. She clung to a huge towel that was smattered with blood.
"I'm sorry!" I said. "I saw the flashlight and I panicked!"
I sank down into a hard plastic chair, leaned sideways towards the counter, and covered my face with the crook of my arm.
"It was fantastic until that happened," Brenna said. I peeked over at her. She gave me a little smile.
"Really?"
"Really. I--"
"Brenna Richardson?"
Brenna raised her hand. The doctor came through the door, turned around, and held out his hand to her.
That was when I knew I was in huge trouble.
The doctor (if that's what he really was) couldn't have been much older than we were. He was blonde, buff, and I could tell by the look in Brenna's eyes that she thought he was absolutely hot.
"I'm Dr. Stepaniak," he said cheerfully. Brenna wiped her bloody hand on her jeans and held it out. He laughed and shook it. "It looks like you did a number to that pretty little nose of yours."
Brenna blushed. I scowled. "Snowball fight," she said through another nose full of blood.
Dr. Satan looked at me and winked. "Your brother's got an arm, huh?"
My mouth fell open. "I'm not--"
"He's not--"
"We're not related," we said in unison.
"Ah, sorry, my mistake. Boyfriend?"
I opened my mouth to say a hurried 'yes,' just as Bren shook her head. "No, just friends," she said breathlessly.
"Well, with friends like that who needs enemies, right?" the doctor continued. He started to laugh. "Just kidding!"
Brenna laughed right along with Dr. Doolittle. I was frozen in place.
Just friends? Really? After two months of having sex in various places that was all it was?
I swallowed hard around the lump in my throat. I cursed my genetically inherited disposition to cry.
"Well, let's take an X-ray. We'll see if it's broken. If it is, we'll get you straightened out. Okay?"
Brenna nodded like a puppy. Dr. Frankstein squeezed her shoulder, gave me another wink, and headed out of the room. Brenna slid down onto her back and stared up at the ceiling.
"I feel better," she said.
"I bet you do," I said with a scowl.
She turned and looked at me. "What's that mean?"
I shook my head. "Nothing. Nothing at all."
Four agonizingly long hours later, we took a cab back to campus. Brenna's nose had a tiny little white tape stretched across the bridge. She had pain meds...
And Dr. Nightmare's number.
"Isn't it funny how fate works?" Brenna asked. I was slumped down in the cab, my long legs cramping up from the tight space.
"Funny," I said.
The cab slowed to a stop near Burke Hall. We climbed out and I paid the cabby. Our feet crunched through the freshly fallen snow.
"You're not mad, are you?" Brenna asked as we neared the front door.
"Mad?" I said lightly. "Why would I be mad?"
She stopped and turned to me. I hated how much I loved her eyes.
"About Isaiah giving me his number?"
Isaiah. They were already on a first name basis. I shook my head and tried to put on the best act possible.
"Why would I? You said yourself we were just--"
"Friends," she said. "with benefits. Temporary benefits."
"Right," I said tonelessly. "Temporary benefits."
Brenna wrapped her arms around me and hugged me tightly.
"I never want to do anything to lose you as a friend," she said. I closed my eyes and nuzzled into the soft curly hair. My heart was breaking and I couldn't let her know.
Life sucked.
"Never," I said. "I'll always be your friend."
She pulled away and smiled. She winced and tapped the bandage. "Thanks, Lan."
"I'm sorry about your nose," I said. She laughed.
"It'll make for a funny story one day."
I cracked a small smile. "Yeah, it will."
" Her mittened hand fell from my side. She took a step back and pressed against the dorm door.
"Good night."
"Night, Bren."
I waited until she walked in. Then I waited some more. I stood outside and stared up at the sky.
The night had started with so much promise.
I took my time heading back to my own dorm. Thoughts of self-exile returned. I pulled out my key and walked into the room.
All the lights were out. There were so many candles lit that at first I thought someone was having a seance.
I could have only been so lucky.
"Bray like a donkey!" Steve moaned.
Oh crap. I had totally forgotten about him and ugly girl. I shielded my eyes and quickly backed out to the nauseous sounds of 'hee-haw! hee-haw!' filling the air.
"Fuck," I muttered. I pressed my hands to the wall, closed my eyes, and lowered my head to my chest. I didn't seem to belong anywhere. Brenna didn't want me. I was self-banning myself from my own room.
After another minute, the desire to get far away from 'Animal Farm,' became too much. I had no other choice but to shuffle towards the common room. It was empty except for one guy studying by lamplight. He looked up as I entered. I briefly wondered if his roommate had kicked him out too. We did the traditional 'guy nod' to acknowledge one another. I headed over to the couch. Using my gigantic coat as a pillow, I curled up and shut my eyes.
A big part of me hoped that the whole day was just a dream.
The little drops of blood on the sleeve of my puff jacket told me otherwise.
