Seven days pass. They are uneventful, though not boring. I rarely have boring days, unless absolutely none of my friends are around.

Rose came over after my birthday to give me my present, which was this really pretty, modern-looking turquoise and gold watch. It's very good timing on her part because I dropped mine in my soup last week at lunch and it doesn't work anymore.

I spend most of my free time on my laptop, watching Netflix while eating cereal. 

I'm pretty sure 97 percent of my body weight is cereal.

Sometimes I move myself to Annabelle's apartment and do the exact same thing, only in a different place.

She agreed to join me in my quest to watch all the episodes of Sherlock made in one day, then fell asleep. To that, I said sleep is for the weak.

But now I'm sitting with Jacob and his roommate Alex helping Jacob study. (I would be back in my own bed but Jacob offered me poundcake so I couldn't refuse. He makes a mean poundcake.)

I'm lying on Jacob's bed with my back to the covers and my legs vertical against the wall. I gave up on quizzing him long ago; I'm legitimately hopeless at making up questions. Alex is doing fine on his own, as is Jacob. I drum my fingers on my thigh and hum Ode To Sleep and fiddle with my new watch and tap my toes.

Jacob prefers to study without music playing (something I never have and never will understand), which means I must create my own entertainment.

I'm already having withdrawals from the internet, but I'm here for Jacob. To ... offer moral support for studying? I don't really know why I'm here. I'm just too lazy to move.

I mean, Jacob and Alex aren't boring. Their small talk is fun to listen to, even if it means I may have to join in.

"Haze?" Jacob says loudly, interrupting my thoughts. He snaps his fingers about two centimeters away from my nose and I look up, startled.

"You've been asked a question." The statement comes with a ridiculous formality.

"Mmm, is that so? I didn't hear the question."

"You didn't hear, or you didn't comprehend?"

"Both. Come on, Bean, you've known me for years. I never truly comprehend."

"Alex just asked what kind of music you listen to."

"Well," I laugh, "if you wanted honesty then that's all you had to say."

I can't see Jacob, but I know he just rolled his eyes. I turn my head at an uncomfortable angle to look at Alex. He doesn't get it. I sigh. I don't like explaining references.

I cast a pleading look at Jacob, who gives me a reassuring look that says he's got this.

He pulls out my phone and scrolls through something. Probably my music library. It'll take him a while.

At last, I see him look at Alex, whose green eyes are narrowed in confusion. He ruffles his blond hair, looking intrigued.

"It's a line from this song," Jacob explains to Alex, who promptly nods. Jacob plays the song.

I watch Alex carefully, judging his reaction.

I think he likes it. (I mean, how could you not?)

And when the beat dies away, he flashes a freckled smile. "That was good. Who's it by?" He poises a pen near the planner lying open, and writes down the name.

The first beats of Message Man come on, and I see his eyes physically light up.

Okay. This guy knows what's up.

I cheer happily. "Yes, you like twenty one pilots! They're my favorite band!"

"Mmhmm, yeah," Alex replies.

After that, we chat about their songs. Apparently he's been to two of their concerts. He says they're amazing.

I've wanted to go to a twenty one pilots concert for four years now. I'm thinking that maybe Annabelle and I could go together next tour.

I mention this, and he perks up.

"Who's Annabelle?"

"She's my girlfriend," I answer. And just like that, I'm gushing on and on about her. 

Alex is a good listener.

Jacob leaves to go get something from the kitchen, and we carry on talking. 

Although Alex was a bit shy and reserved at first, the topics of music and love opened him right up.

Jacob hip-checks the door back open, and Jenna's here now. She walks right over to Jacob's bed and lays across me.

"What're we talking about?" she asks.

"Music, then she hit a rock and went off on a tangent about Annabelle," Alex says amusedly.

Jenna laughs. "She never misses an opportunity to talk about Annabelle. Trust me. I share a room with her."

"Hey!"

"C'mon, Haze, I never said it was bad. It's endearing!" she defends herself, voice muffled by the fact that her face is pressed into my leg.

Alex just laughs. I guess it is a pretty odd sight.

"Hey, Jacob?" Jenna calls.

"Yeah?"

"Can I have some poundcake?"

"Here's what I meant." It's directed at Alex. "I'm fairly certain that the fact that I can bake is the only reason I have friends."

I roll off the bed, bringing Jenna down with me. I stand up and stumble over to him, throwing my arms around him from behind.

"Aw, no, Bean," I mumble into his back. "We love you for you. The cake is just an added bonus."

He twists his arm around to pat me on the head. "Thanks, Haze."

Some time later, I wake up in my own bed. My mouth tastes terrible and my eyes feel ... stiff?

I'm not sure how to describe it, but I really dislike the disorienting feeling of falling asleep in the light and waking up in the dark. Even if I don't remember falling asleep, it must've happened at some point, right?

Jenna's reading a book in her bed beside me, and after a couple moments I recognize that there's music playing.

It's Vices and Virtues.

Memories is playing, one of my favorite songs on the album.

Jenna glances over at me, and smiles when she sees I'm awake. "Hey." I nod back at her. "You just fell asleep. Like, super suddenly. We had no idea what happened. So I just brought you back here. Put on Panic!, figured that would help you sleep."

"Thank you, J," I say, touched. How sweet Jenna really is never ceases to amaze me.

And she just shakes her head like it was nothing.

People like Jenna, who don't even realize how much their small gestures mean to others, are people you wanna keep around for life.

I brush a finger on my tattoo. Touching the skin there relaxes me, because it's a part of me that Jenna's made a permanent mark on.

I like things that are permanent. That's why I don't fool around with friendships and relationships. I get really attached to people.

Sometimes it's annoying and sometimes I think I'm being annoying, but I know for a fact these friendships are permanent.

And so I got something to materialize that feeling.

Jenna and I talk for a long time. It's around two when we finally go to bed, but aren't those the best conversations? Where the participants are kind of sleep-deprived and kind of existential? I know for a fact, when I'm not fully awake I have no filter: I say the truth without really realizing it.

I may never sleep tonight

Trade Mistakes is playing. I love this song.

It probably does make very good philosophical conversation material.

And that's the last thought I have before I fall asleep.

a/n: i'm trying something new this week: i'm gonna try and post a new chapter every night this week until friday in honor of Rose420421  (key word here is try, i am pretty busy so it might not happen, but i'll try my best)