8. Haven

Grateful that my old roommate and Topher were both nowhere around when Dad and I arrived at Dandridge Hall, we packed my belongings into his and Mom’s van, then into my car, for over an hour until I had all my college possessions completely cleared from Annabeth’s apartment, only to return to my new place and realize the sheets wouldn’t fit the ones I’d had for the single-sized bed I’d used in my dorm apartment.

Wick offered to lend me a second set he had on hand, but stubborn, I-want-to-be-independent me resisted. Thankfully, the nearest twenty-four-hour mart was only a few blocks away, so after I shooed my parents out the door and on their way home to keep them from being on the road any later than necessary, I ran out and found myself some queen-sized sheets, trying to look at things on the bright side: I was getting a bigger bed!

When I returned, Wick walked me down to the building’s basement to show me where the laundry room was kept so I wouldn’t have to sleep in itchy, new she