Existence 03 - Ceaseless

couldn’t remember their name. I knew Miranda loved them. I just tuned her out most of the time when she started going on and on about something.
    “Cold Soul, Pagan! He is the lead singer of Cold - freaking - Soul. How could you not know this?” Miranda informed me as she stepped over her brushes and hair dryer to get closer to Dank Walker.
    “I am your biggest fan.” She informed him but I had a feeling he’d figured that much out already.
    “It’s nice to meet you,” he replied politely , but only glanced at her before he turned his attention back to me. The amused grin on his face made me feel like he knew something I didn’t. That annoyed me.
    “I can take the box. Thanks for your offer to help but I ’ve got it,” I said reaching out to take the box he was holding. He arched one eyebrow and shifted the box out of my reach.
    “I’m sure you can handle it all by yourself, Pagan. But I want to carry it to your room. Please.” I couldn’t be rude. He had said please.
    “She wants to carry it herself , Dank. Give her the damn box and let’s go. We got stuff to do.” The Emo girl who was now sitting on his mot orcycle called out.
    Something that I was pretty sure was anger flashed in his eyes . H e didn’t even glance bac k in her direction. “Ignore her , ” h e told me as he nodded his head toward the doors of the dorm. “Lead the way.”
    I didn’t want the wild , slightly - scary girl who lived in my dorm to hate me , but Miranda was nudging my arm like an idiot . She w ant ed me to let Dank Walker carry my box of shoes and he was obvious ly determin ed to help me .
    “Okay fine, I’ll just go get another box. Miranda, you show him where the room is.” Miranda beamed at me and nodded her appreciation .
    The amused look vanished and Dank Walker seemed annoyed. Fine. Good. He shouldn’t be hitting on another girl while he has one on the back of his bike. I wasn’t stupid. I knew guys in rock bands were players. That was not my thing.
    Miranda began bubbling over with words and more words as she started walking toward the dorm trying very hard to hold Dank’s attention. She could handle him. I had no doubt. Heading back to the Land Rover, I tried to block out their voices and focus on the boxes I needed to unload.

Chapter Two
    Dank
    Three days ago I’d held her in my arms as she fell asleep telling me about all the things she’d packed. I had teased her about packing too much and not being able to fit it all in her dorm room. She had promised me she would wear those pick high heels on our first official college date. Everything had been perfect. Pagan had loved me.
    Now, she didn’t even know me.
    “Here it is,” Miranda announced as she opened the dorm room that I knew connected to Gee’s room. I’d made sure of that. I also knew this room was the biggest one available. I wanted Pagan to have the best. I wanted every experience she had to be perfect. She’d been through so much with me already. This was supposed to be the beginning of our happily-ever- after.
    “Oh wow. It’s huge! I wonder if this is the right one? We’re just freshman.” The excitement in Miranda’s voice as she spun around and took in her surroundings reminded me that Miranda had forgotte n it all too. My existence in the human world over the past year had been altered. Pagan wouldn’t remember. Th ey’d taken that from her. Every memory— gone.
    “You can put that box down over there on that side of the room. Pagan will want to be further from the bathroom. It takes me longer to get ready and she can sleep later in the mornings.” Miranda was right. Pagan wouldn’t spend much time getting ready in the mornings. I t also reminded me that I wouldn’t be here to hold her and kiss the sleepy look on her face. I placed the box beside her closet. Agony at the separation was slicing through me. Then there was the fear. What if Pagan didn’t choose me? What if I never held her again? What if she never looked at me again with love in her eyes? Could I exist without that?
    No. I couldn’t.
    “We’re gonna be late,” Gee grumbled from the doorway. It was past time we headed out to collect souls. It was just so hard to leave her now that I had her close again. Being unable to touch her or allow her to s ee me was torture.
    “Oh, do you have practice?” Miranda asked batting her eyelashes my way. I’d forgotten she was a Cold Soul fan. I’d been Pagan’s boyfriend to her for a while now. The fact