P.J.

What Jamie asked about Lori made me really start paying attention to what she was doing. It was interesting because she seemed to constantly pick at Kayla in a flirtatious way, like she liked her more than she wanted to let on. But, at the same time, the flirting between her and Jayden had turned more serious. Jayden was coming around a lot more with Brandi and I had seen the two of them walking together on campus. Of course, they were both jocks and they were both involved in a lot of sports events. Now that they had become friends, that would explain them hanging out with each other. But, it wasn't like Lori to not have some chick hanging on her arm at least once during the course of a week and I haven't seen her with a girl hanging on her in the two weeks since she started hanging out with Jayden.

We are having our weekly pizza session tonight. Brandi and Kayla are coming over. Hopefully Jayden is not, since it's supposed to be study session as well as a pizza party. Jamie and I both liked this night of the week because it didn't involve cooking.

Afterwork, I picked up Jamie and Lori from campus and headed to the apartment. Lori was being quieter than usual. Jamie was telling me about an English paper we were all going to be required to do. She and I tried to get similar paper assignments because it really helped me for us to work on our papers together.

Kayla was waiting for us when we got to the apartment. She got out of her car and walked with us. She noticed that Lori was being very quiet and began poking her in the side. "What's up with you, Jock? No girls groveling at your feet this week?"

"No," Lori said glumly. "I wasn't in the mood this week."

Kayla raised an eyebrow. "Oh, that time of the month?"

"Maybe," Lori said.

Kayla looked at me and Jamie with a questioning look. This was not our usual Lori. Lori almost always was cheerful and playful. But I had noticed that she had become more and more withdraw over the last week.

When we got up stairs, I corned Lori in the kitchen. "Are you okay?"

She shrugged. "I miss my sister. I miss my room. I miss my dad. I don't miss Mom much. I guess it's just really hitting me that she really threw me out."

I pulled her into a hug. "It sucks, Man. But, you know your sister and Dad are welcome to come see you here anytime."

"I know," she said sadly. "It's just not the same."

I nodded. I couldn't imagine being thrown out of my parents house in the middle of college. If she had a girlfriend, maybe she wouldn't be so unhappy about not being at home. "Why don't you hook up with someone and bring them by this weekend. Maybe you're just in need of a good lay," I said with a wink.

That actually brought out a grin. "Maybe," she said. "We'll see."