When times got tough, Richard let his guitar do the talking -- a habit he picked up in his teen years. He had a lot on his mind to work through, and exams were at the bottom of that list.
"Rich?"
He almost didn't hear her over the wail of his guitar, but a reflex kicked in when Amy Parker called his name.
"Thank god, I think I'm legit going crazy!"
"What's wrong?" he asked.
Amy walked right past him with a dramatic sigh. "Where do I begin," she said.
Come on in, thought Richard. This won't be awkward at all.
He listened to her go on about nearly everything wrong in her life at the moment; starting with exams, then life after university anxiety, her mother's second wedding that she was against, how her brother blew her off about it, and finally ending with how she feels like the last person still mourning her dead father.
Rich replied to her rant with a big puff of air through his lips.
"That's it? That's all you have to say?"
He shrugged.
"No, you're right. I deserve this."
"Amy, come on."
"I'm alone!"
"You're not alone. You have, uh--"
"Exactly."
"You didn't let me finish," he said sitting next to her. "I was going to say, you have Max."
She frowned.
"And me, too, of course," he offered.
"I haven't seen you around much lately. I didn't know you even knew about me and Max."
"Word gets 'round."
"I've been a bad friend. Why on earth did you let me drone on and on about my stupid problems?"
"I like hearing you talk," he shrugged with a half-grin.
"That just makes me feel worse," she muttered.
"Okay, what about this: I'm so sick of studying that I'd rather hear you complain for two days straight then look at another textbook."
"That's better," she chuckled a little.
"I guess I should--" Amy scratched her head and released a sigh, "actually, I don't know what I should do."
"Go for a walk? Clear your head?"
"Maybe."
"You don't have to go, you could stay here." Richard regretted saying that immediately.
"No, I should probably go. I've wasted enough of your precious procrastination time."
"But I wanna hear you complain, remember?"
"Yeah, yeah."
"Hey, are you going to graduation?" she asked.
"Yeah, my dad wants pictures." Richard rolled his eyes.
"You should come with me and Max!"
"I don't know."
"We'll go as a threesome, it'll be fun."
"Threesome?" he raised a brow.
"Just think about it."
"Okay, sure, I'll think about it."
