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There’s a knock on their door at 11 at night and Amy and Cam turn slowly in unison to face the entrance, like the beginning of a horror film.
“Are you expecting anyone?” Cam asks as she slowly picks up the metal bat they keep by the entrance. Amy gestures helplessly at the three different physics textbooks she’s got sprawled out in front of her and Cam sighs. “Right.”
The psychopath at the door knocks again, harder this time, and Cam squints at the wood like she can develop x-ray vision if she tries hard enough.
“Amy?” Bibi calls from outside. “I know you’re in there, your phone location says you’re here!”
Amy blinks, her vision swimming with mathematical equations.
“I thought I told Bibi I was studying for my final tonight,” she says. Cam swears as the lock starts turning.
“I had those replaced last week!” Cam yells. “But thankfully, I also installed this baby.” She slaps the deadbolt over the latch. Even as the handle turns, the door just rattles in its frame.
“That deadbolt won’t hold me, Cam,” Bibi sing-songs because their walls are made of paper. “But if you want to lose your security deposit then by all means, keep it bolted.”
Amy watches Cam pale two shades because she blew her whole paycheck at the bar last weekend.
“I’ll tank the fees if you want, Amy,” she says but she’s sweating.
“It’s fine.” Amy waves her hand. “Let her in.”
Cam undoes the deadbolt and immediately gets flattened against the opposite wall when Bibi opens the door.
“Cam?” she asks, turning her head left and right. “Cam, where are you?” The door swings shut and Cam unpeels herself from the wall just in time for Bibi to shove a muffin into her mouth. “Try my new recipe!”
Cam chews angrily, half-wrenching the muffin out of her mouth so it doesn’t fall on the floor.
“Don’t just shove food into peoples’ mouths,” she snaps. “And damn, this is actually pretty good.”
“Of course it is,” Bibi says, smiling and brandishing her overflowing basket. “I made it.”
“I’m going to Linda’s for the night.” Cam unhooks her jacket from the coat rack and shrugs it on. “Call me if you need anything.”
“Will do!” Bibi hollers and Cam glares.
“That was not for you!” She glowers at the wall for a few moments before snatching two more muffins from Bibi’s basket and stomping out of the room. When the door swings shut behind her, Amy shifts her gaze to Bibi.
“What are you doing here?” she asks, still half-delirious. All the equations feel like they’ve turned her brain to mush.
“You weren’t answering my messages,” Bibi says, pointing. Amy swipes open her phone to find that she does indeed have… 212 unread messages from Bibi.
“Oh,” she says, scrolling through them. The majority are emojis that progressively get more violent as time passes. “I had my phone on Do Not Disturb so I must have missed it.”
“Do Not Disturb is fine for plebians,” Bibi says, sitting. Amy has to scoot to the edge of the chair, half-falling off, in order to make room. “But not for me.”
“Okay,” Amy says. “Sorry.”
“That’s okay.” Bibi pats her cheek once. “You can make it up to me by coming with me to the rooftop.”
“Bibi,” Amy trails off and gestures helplessly at the spread in front of her. “This final is worth half my grade. I really need to study.”
“What you need is to try one of my new muffins and come up with me to the rooftop. Here, open.” Amy does instinctively and Bibi places one of the muffins in her mouth. She bites down, chewing.
It’s good. Everything Bibi makes is good. The batter is fluffy and the chocolate chips are the perfect kind of gooey, practically melting in her mouth. Amy feels a bit of life return to her body. When’s the last time she ate? There was a cup ramen at 3 and then… was there anything before that?
“Better, right?” Bibi asks and Amy nods. “Now rooftop time.” She stands up, grabbing Amy’s wrist in the process.”
“10 minutes,” Amy says, flipping the lid of her textbook closed.
“Twenty,” Bibi counters and Amy nods. She lets go of the books and lets Bibi lead her outside her dorm.
Bibi picks the lock of the fire exit and they burst out onto the rooftop, light from the hallway spilling out into the dark. The pollution from the city still makes the sky murky but you can pick out more stars from up here and it offers a good view of the buildings beyond. They go to the edge of the railing, Bibi leaning far past the edge and dangling her fingers into the abyss, watching them twist in the air.
“I don’t know if I can do this,” Amy confides, blowing on her hands. The wind whips past them in a gust as Amy stares.
“Do what?” Bibi asks.
“This,” Amy says, sweeping her arm out in front of her. “Physics. Finals. School.”
“Then become my trophy wife,” Bibi says simply and Amy blinks at her. “Oh, but you have to wash the dishes, I hate washing the dishes.”
Amy smiles because she always takes care of the mile-high pile of dishes Bibi leaves in the sink when she visits. She digs her fingers into the meat of her arm and tries to find a better way to phrase it.
“I guess it’s more like I’m not sure where I’m going. It’s like I’m climbing up a mountain but I’m not sure where to put my hands and feet.”
“Keep your eyes on me then,” Bibi says, tipping her head like Amy’s said something silly. The confidence with which she speaks is breathtaking and Amy thinks that even with all the stars, she’s the brightest thing in the night sky. “Just go where I go.”
Amy blinks at the simplicity of all and lets loose a laugh, the weight falling off her chest like she’s let go of a boulder.
“Okay,” she says, smiling. Amy leans into Bibi’s warmth, resting her head on her shoulder. “You were right. What I needed was a break.”
“I’m always right,” Bibi says and leans her head on top of Amy’s in response.