Riley Green as Himself

+++

"I wanna talk to you 'bout somethin'." Jo says, sitting on Riley's bed as he's sitting at his desk. "This is serious, too."

"What's up, JoJo?"

She gives him a dirty look then crosses her long legs. "My boyfriend is comin' to visit for the weekend and you- he don't know that we're roommates."

"You haven't told him?"

"No. He'd flip shit if he knew." She picks at her fingernails. "Could you crash with someone else? It's just for the weekend."

"I dunno, JoJo."

"Please? I'll owe you." She gives him a look with puppy dog eyes and he sighs heavily. "Please?"

"Fine. I'll figure somethin' out."

"Thank you!" She wraps him in a hug that's short lived and she pulls away quickly. "He's gonna be here on Friday and he'll leave Sunday."

"Okay." He turns back to his laptop.

Is she scared of Sean?

Is he overprotective?

Is he just an insecure asshole?

He glances over at her still sitting on his bed and sighs quietly. She's wearing an oversized pullover sweatshirt and maybe shorts, the sweater is real baggy so it hangs down mid thigh- and slouchy socks.

He's into it.

Since the beginning of school, they've gotten more comfortable with each other as comfortable as two strangers can be forcefully living together. They still don't know that much about each other but that's hopefully going to change.

+++

"Nice place." Sean says in that smooth southern voice of his.

He sits on her bed and kicks his muddy boots off. She squeals and straddles his lap, kissing him hotly. He grasps her hips and kisses her back.

They haven't seen each other since August, it's October now. They missed each other.

He knows about Riley- well, the name. She's been pretty vague about the situation. The lie is that her roommate is always busy so she hasn't gotten a change to meet 'her' yet.

He doesn't really care about what she's doing so he doesn't pay attention.

He's been busy doing who the fuck knows back in Southern Indiana so what's going on in his girlfriend's life is the least of his worries.

Asshole.

She doesn't know how he feels.

He's lowkey fallen out of love with her but keeps her around so he doesn't feel lonely.

Or so he can get his dick wet.

She has that bond with him since she lost her virginity to him and they've been dating since sophomore year of high school but he's lost interest.

And she can't tell.

After their reunion, Jo watches Sean get dressed. "You hungry?" She asks, still tucked under her Roll Tide blanket.

"Sure."

She sits up and pulls her clothes back on, things are starting to feel a little weird between them.

Jo is starting to feel it.

+++

Jo glares at him.

She's never glared at him.

"The hell is your problem?" She asks in a quiet voice. "I can't just drop out, Sean. You know I can't just go back to Indiana."

"Why not? College ain't for you and you know it." Sean responds. "You can just leave. It's not like college is doin' anythin' for ya."

"College is my ticket out of Newburgh!"

"You can just move to Nashville with me."

"Sean-"

"You're gonna drop out anyways." She looks down at her bare feet with tears forming in her chest. "'Cause let's face it, darlin', y'ain't smart enough for it."

This is his last day in Jacksonville and this is how he's spending it.

She stands in silence, scared that if she makes a sound that she'll cry.

"Whatever." He scoffs. "I gotta get goin'." He picks up his keys and wallet then heads out without saying goodbye or giving her a kiss.

Jo watches Sean hop into his Chevy from her window, her tears matching the rain puttering against the glass, crying along with the sky.

The door opens behind her.

"Am I clear to come back?" Riley asks.

She nods, still not turning around as she wipes her cheeks. She sniffles quietly as Sean chugs off into the streets of the city.

"You, uh, okay?"

She nods and turns around. He catches a glimpse of her tear stained cheeks. He quickly looks away as he pulls his shirt off, his sneakers following.

Jo silently picks up a towel and her shower caddy, heading to the bathroom to take a shower.

Riley sits against the wall on his bed, looking at her side of the room. Something is wrong but Riley isn't going to pry.

Maybe Sean's right.

Fucking Sean.

Josephine rolls her tearful eyes as she dries off. That conversation was so out of character for him. He's usually somewhat supportive so why the sudden change? Is she actually not smart enough for college? Is he trying to keep her from making a huge mistake like wasting thousands of dollars and years of her life on schooling?

She returns to the dorm, quietly shutting the door behind her when she sees that Riley shaped lump under bedsheets facing his wall. She drops her towel and pulls a pair of boy short panties and a big Merle shirt on.

Jo doesn't get under her sheets.

She sits against the headboard with Sean's words echoing through her head.

+++

Riley's alarm blares and he quickly shuts it off. Jo had gone off on him for setting his alarm for three in the fucking morning so he tries to turn it off as fast as he can.

He works out before his classes, getting into shape for football season.

He turns his phone's flashlight on and glances over at her, hoping she's still asleep and not giving him her killer dirty look.

She's still sleeping.

He sighs at the sight of his roommate curled in a tight ball on top of her sheets. He grabs his plaid throw blanket and lays it over her, brushing some of her hair out of her face before leaving her by herself.

Jo stirs a few hours later, pulling the blanket on top of her further up her shoulders, loving the way it smells-

Wait.

She slowly opens her eyes. Jo can't help the small smile on her face as she sits up. Riley likes her, or is at least starting to, and she's starting to like him but she won't admit it.

Not like him like him but tolerate him.

+++

"You skipped classes again?" Riley asks when he comes back to the dorm room. "What's goin' on with you?"

"Mind your damn business." Jo mumbles back, turning away from him in her bed.

"Joey, you-"

"Don't call me that." She spits back.

That conversation she had with Sean before he left is still swirling in her head.

He's right.

He's so right.

She's just been ditching her classes to save herself the embarrassment of failing. She's just waiting for midterms to leave.

"C'mon, you got that huge test tomorrow in your business class."

"How the hell do you know that?"

"Your calendar." He knocks his knuckle against her whiteboard. "C'mon, I'll help you study."

"You'd be wastin' your time."

Riley sits behind her on her bed and turns her on her other side. "What's up with you? You've been quiet since Sean left."

"Mind your business." She murmurs again, getting up.

He bites his lip at the sight of her wearing a baggy Jacksonville State shirt and panties, her long legs on display.

"Did he say somethin' to you?"

"Back off."

"Jo-"

"Just drop it!" She snaps. Her eyes drop as she sits down on his bed, twisting her fingers together anxiously. "I don't want you shovin' your nose in my business, Riley Green."

"But if he hurt you-"

She scoffs loudly, effectively cutting him off as she stands. "I'm so glad I'm leaving next month."

"What?"

"Figured if I'm gonna flunk out, I might as well not even try. I'm leaving when midterms roll around."

"Flunk out?"

"He's right, I'm not smart enough." She mutters, looking out the window.

Those words make his blood boil. "Sean told you you ain't smart?" He says through gritted teeth.

So what they aren't really friends? You should never tell your significant other that they aren't enough for something they obviously worked their ass off for or something they love.

"He's right."

"Don't say that." He stands behind her. "You know he's wrong. I know how hard you's been workin' in your classes."

"He's my boyfriend. He's supposed to tell me when I'm doin' somethin' wrong, right?"

"He's supposed to support you. Jo," He takes her hand and turns her to face him. "Your boyfriend should be someone who supports you. Not someone who shits on you."

She looks down when tears form in her eyes. "I don't wanna talk 'bout this no more."

"Hey." He nudges her to look up at him. Surprisingly, his heart aches for her at the sight of her bloodshot eyes. "You're here because you wanna be. No one forced you to go to college. The only person keeping you where you are is you. If you wanna listen to Sean's wrong fuckin' opinion then go home or you can prove that asshole wrong and graduate."

His blue eyes go from hers to her lips, she does the same thing.

Riley starts to lean in but pulls back. "If you wanna shove how wrong he is down his throat, let's go study. If you wanna show him he's right, just leave now."