Gravity | ONC 2023

Chapter 1

Eloise

"Katie, I said no."

"But Eloise -"

"You've asked me every morning this week. And the answer has been no every time. What makes you think today is going to be any different?" The smell of coffee finally fills our tiny kitchen, and I drowsily grab a mug.

Katie is already showered and dressed, and she has her hair curled and makeup done. It's only seven thirty. I'm still in my pajamas, my brown hair shoved into something resembling a bun. When we first moved in together sophomore year, it drove me insane that she was a morning person, mostly because she tried to convert me into a morning person. It didn't work. The only reason I'm up this early today is that I have a class soon.

Katie lets out a long, dramatic sigh and slumps against the stove. "But he's so cute. And so nice."

"Katie, I swore off dating until graduation. I still have two months left," I remind her.

"It's been seven months. That's long enough, right?"

"Nope. Graduation. That was the pact."

"You can't keep calling it a pact. A pact is between two people. You made this...decision yourself."

I pour myself a cup of coffee. "I made a pact with myself to not date until graduation. Two parties. It works."

"Whatever," she says, swooping in to get coffee, too. "You proved that you can go without dating. You've made it through eighty percent of your last year of college -"

"More like seventy five percent."

Katie stops mid-pour to glare at me. "Stop changing the subject. James is a cool guy. I think you'd really like hanging out with him."

I just rolled out of bed five minutes ago, and, of course, she started in on her ongoing effort to get me to go on a blind date with a guy she met at a party a couple weeks ago. We've known each other for four years and lived together for three. And in all that time, she's never been quite this insistent about a person she wants me to date. I don't have enough brain space for this, and she knows it. She's probably hoping that she's going to catch me on a particularly sleep-deprived morning, and I'm just going to give up. Today might be that day. Focus, Eloise. Resist.

I sink into a chair at the breakfast bar that doubles as our dining table - and sometimes my desk - and rest my head in my hands. My resistance is waning. I, like many other twenty-somethings trying to find love, have had a long line of failed first dates and disastrous dating app experiences. I swore off dating in August after I went home to visit my dad, matched with a girl in my hometown, went to a party with her, and ended up calling my dad to pick me up. I felt like I was in high school again. So, I said no more and deleted Tinder.

Katie thought it was hilarious and gave me a week before I downloaded it again - or at least said yes to someone asking me out. She knows there's nothing I want more than to be in a relationship. A sweet, loving, perfect relationship. Like the one my parents had. They never fought. They never disagreed. They were gooney and sappy and mushy all the time - sometimes too much. Maybe relationships like that just don't happen anymore. Or at least, they don't happen to me.

But jokes on her. I've made it this far. I can make it two more months. I take a long pull of coffee to boost my resistance back up.

"I'm sure I would," I lie. "He sounds great. But I'm not dating right now. I'm focusing on classes and exams and lining up job interviews and everything. It's a busy time. Too busy to date."

Katie joins me at the table, brushing her strawberry blonde hair behind her ear. She's giving me the look she always gives me when she's about to be blunt with me. Great.

"Eloise." The tone, too. The "I'm being cautious so you don't get mad at me" tone. "I feel like you've become kind of a...loner this year."

"I have not. I hang out with you all the time."

"But no one else." She shifts in her chair. "You used to come to parties or at least do homework at coffee shops and the library. Now you hardly leave the apartment except for class and work."

"I'm -"

"Busy. I know." She rolls her eyes. "But I'm worried about you."

I fumble for a second and attempt to cover it by taking another sip of coffee. Sure, I've become a little isolated, but that's a good thing sometimes, right? I'm learning to be by myself. What's the saying? You have to learn to be with yourself before you can be with someone else? And this year is important. Dating really wouldn't have fit in anywhere.

"I'm fine, Katie."

But she doesn't give up. For the next five days, our conversation over morning coffee goes about the same way.

"Please, Eloise."

"No."

"Just one date."

"No."

"Just coffee?"

"No."

And then the universe organizes the longest day of my life. Two lectures, a long work shift, a late night study group, and a paper submitted just before the midnight deadline have me waking up a zombie the next morning. My resistance is non-existent.

And when Katie opens her mouth as I'm pouring myself coffee, I hold my hand up and say, "Fine. I'll go out with James. Give me his number."

She squeals so loud I tell her she's lost her talking privileges until I've had sufficient caffeine.

When I finally do get sufficient caffeine, the reality of what I agreed to lands somewhere right below my sternum and swirls uncomfortably. I haven't been on a date in seven months. I haven't been on a blind date in years. Actually, I think Katie set me up on my last blind date, too. But it's too late now. I agreed. And there's no way Katie will let me back out - even on a plea of insanity due to lack of sleep.

So, I give up. I get James' number. I text him. He texts back. We go through several date, time, and location changes. And then we finally find a Saturday that we're both free. And I await my fate.