I was never really good at relaxing, so only having a few tasks to juggle was about as chill as it got for me. The holidays were always stressful, but putting everything at school behind me for a month was all I needed to feel like an actual journalist again. Yes, I messed up before break by writing about Corey, but with a new semester at the University of Wisconsin, that story was long gone and forgotten in the minds of the student body.

When break was finally over, I went back to my dormitory on campus, where it was just as cold and snowy as it was before we all left for the holidays. I was used to it, though. Some others were not.

"Every single time I see a snowflake fall, I question all of my life's decisions up until this point," Ryan said from beside me from our usual seats in the Badger Times room.

It certainly was a curiosity how an Arizona boy like him could end up in one of the coldest places in America, but we all had our reasons for choosing to be a Badger.

Maybe it was the investigator in me, but what were his reasons, then? He seemed close with his family, since he did go home to Sedona to be with them for Christmas, so I didn't think it was drama that brought him halfway across the country, so maybe it was the academics.

But before I could ask, Isabel's office door swung open. Her mascara was flaked all around her eye, and she had a stack of papers that she was accidentally scrunching in her hand.

Break was officially over, then.

There wasn't anyone in the room besides Ryan and me, so her stare settled on us. "One day. All I ask is for one day without any bullshit."

"Is it something we did?" Ryan asked.

She shook her head. "You two are about the only people I can trust to do anything right now. I mean, look around. You're the only people here."

"Well, everyone does have classes—" I began softly, mostly to myself, but Isabel continued over me.

"I don't suppose you guys are working on an earth-shattering story right now," she said.

Neither Ryan nor I had been in attendance when the football team lost badly to Georgia during the semifinals on New Year's Eve, so there wasn't a story for us there. That game's summary and analysis was someone else's problem, and I was hoping that wasn't the cause of Isabel's problem right now.

We both shook our heads. I had done my part to keep us above water, after all.

"Because I still don't have a single article about the football team in my inbox, and I cannot get a response from Josh for the life of me," she said. "I swear to God, I will kill him when he sets foot in this room."

I hoped she was joking, because I wasn't trying to be an accomplice, even if a murder mystery on campus would be a goldmine of a story.

Ryan glanced over at me, and if he was thinking what I thought he was thinking, we were going to have an issue. I shook my head as slightly as I could, hoping he would get the message.

I was not about to volunteer to do anything involving the football team. I didn't have anything to say to any of them anymore, and they certainly didn't have anything to say to me. I had betrayed one of the boys, and that was in the past.

An awkward silence lingered in the air for a moment too long before Isabel went back into her office and shut the door.

I let out a breath. Thank God she didn't dare to ask anything more of us.

"Do you have any idea how close I was to—"

I interrupted Ryan. "Oh, I know. That might be the first time you've ever managed to keep your mouth shut for me, so thank you."

He hesitated for a second, and for a brief moment, it felt like I had gotten his intention all wrong. Maybe he wasn't about to volunteer us to come up with an article based on a game that only he watched.

"Well, you're welcome, because I think I'm going to get diarrhea from holding that in," he said.

I let myself smile at that. That was definitely too much information, so the only words I could manage were, "You're so stupid."

He shrugged and nodded like he nonchalantly agreed with that, but he had to know that I didn't mean it in a mean way.

"So how was your break?" I asked to change the subject back to my original curiosity.

"It was really good. I missed home. The weather here is such bullshit," he replied with a laugh.

I nodded, but it was all I had ever known really. I didn't have the chance to pick a completely new place to spend a few years of my education just for the experience.

Maybe that was the answer.

He continued. "I got a new PlayStation for Christmas, so that's the coolest thing ever."

"That's awesome," I said, but I wasn't exactly the video game type. I didn't even know a new PlayStation had come out relatively recently.

"And I did have something for you as a thank you for letting me stay with you for a little bit," he said.

I raised an eyebrow. "You didn't have to do anything for me—"

Instead of listening, he reached for his backpack and pulled out a brown paper bag.

"Sorry it looks bad. I can't wrap presents for shit," he said with a slight laugh.

I smiled anyway. "I think I forgot your gift in my dorm. I can give it to you tomorrow, and then we can open them together."

I hoped it wasn't obvious that I would be heading to the store once we finished catching up and deciding where to go with our next project, but I hadn't exactly realized we were doing gifts. Neither one of us had time or money.

"Just open it now," Ryan said.

I didn't put up a polite argument any longer, and I gently undid the tape that kept the bag sealed shut. Inside was a pretty ink pen with my name written on the side and a notebook with "things I was right about" printed in an elegant script on the cover.

I smiled. "Well, you certainly know me, don't you?"

He nodded. "You need a new set of materials for a new semester."

I needed it a hell of a lot more than he realized. "Thank you. It's perfect."

"I'm glad you like it." He checked his phone. "I really should get going. It'd be super embarrassing to be late on the first day of class."

I nodded. "Have fun."

"Oh, and Layla?"

I looked up from the new pen. I bet it was smooth as hell. It was going to be a dream to write with. My heart fluttered in my chest as he gave me one last smile.

"Drive safe on your way to the store to get my gift," Ryan said.

I laughed. He most certainly knew me. "You're lucky I'm getting you anything at all."

He laughed too. "You really don't have to. You putting up with me is enough."

I watched him as he left to go to his class, and before I could turn back to my blank page, Isabel took the seat Ryan left behind.

"Now that he's gone, you want to hear something really messed up?" she asked.

She was going to tell me either way I answered, so I nodded. "What's that?"

"We have one less sister in Alpha Chi Omega. Courtney's not coming back this semester," she said.

I cringed at the misuse of the word less instead of fewer, but even worse at the aftermath of Courtney's situation. It was messed up, and I couldn't blame her either.

"She left school?" I asked.

Isabel nodded. "I know you were trying to keep that from happening, but she didn't feel safe anymore."

I wasn't trying to prevent her from doing anything, but it was a sad conclusion to the story I never got to write.

"I'm sorry to hear that. She seemed like such a smart, fun person," I said.

"She definitely is. But do you know what this means?"

I blinked. If she finished that thought the way I thought she was going to finish it—

"She's not here to get triggered by anything you write about her story," Isabel said.

I took in a breath and bit my tongue. That was exactly what I thought she was going to say, and it was just as terrible to hear it as I thought it would be.

--------------------------------------------------

Hello, and thank you so much for reading! I really appreciate your support.

So for today's question, what do you think Isabel, Ryan, and Layla are going to get into this semester?