dorm. “I’m stronger than I look and you know it.”
“Sure, sure!”
“You wanna go?”
“No, you might break a nail,” Everett teased.
“True!” She laughed.
Noticing the bag to my head, Everett grew concerned. “What happened? You don’t look too hot.”
I gestured him in. “It’s nothing,” I replied, not knowing how to explain it.
His face hardened upon spotting Hagen. He turned to me, alarmed. “Did he do something to you?” Putting down his bags, he pushed the peas away to inspect my head.
“No,” I said, swatting him away. “It’s just a headache.”
“What are you accusing me of, Sinclair?” Hagen asked, rising to his feet.
I started, noticing Hagen had the hoodie I’d borrowed in his hand. “Where did you get that?”
Hagen glanced at it. “My jacket? You just got it from your room.”
“I did?” Why didn’t I remember? What was going on?
“Didn’t you have a football game to get to?” asked Everett.
“Oh, man, I’m late!” Hagen said, looking panicked. He crossed the room to where I stood beside Everett. “Sophie, you must be special to make a guy forget about sports. No girl has had that effect on me before.” Hagen glanced at Everett, making it clear the comment was more for his benefit than my own. Everett exaggeratingly gagged before heading to my kitchen with the groceries. Ignoring him, Hagen said, “I should go, but you promised to do lunch with me this week, right?”
“Sure,” I replied, again drawing a blank.
“Then it’s a date,” he said louder than necessary. “See you, beautiful.”
I shut the door and Everett groaned. “Please don’t tell me you buy that guy.” He’d been watching from the kitchen. “He’s a living, breathing soap opera. You honestly like him?”
I didn’t know what I thought about Hagen and was too sidetracked figuring out what had just happened to decide. “What are you doing in my kitchen?” I asked, evading the question.
“Stockpiling,” Everett replied, pulling items from one of the paper bags on my counter before stowing them in various drawers and cabinets.
I made my way to the kitchen. “Stock. Piling? And what… exactly… is that?”
“It’s a first day of school tradition. You stock your dorm with a ton of food from Brightman’s kitchen.”
“So you mean stealing.”
He whispered loudly, “It’s technically not stealing when Maddy lets us into the kitchen’s pantry, but don’t tell anyone because it doesn’t sound as cool.”
I smiled, feeling my headache receding. “And you’re stockpiling my dorm because… ?”
“Because I’m not living on campus this semester. My parents live nearby so I’m crashing at home.”
“Last night, you said my closet is bigger than your dorm,” I blurted off hand.
“Hmm.” Everett shrugged.
“Well, what did you get me?” I asked, rummaging through the other bag.
“Random stuff.”
“Oh, mint tea!”
“Since it’s what you asked for at breakfast, I figured you’d like some.”
“Thanks. That was thoughtful of you,” I said, surprised by Everett’s attentiveness. I unloaded more onto the counter, pulling out a box of my favorite cereal, a gallon of skim milk, and a clear plastic container of white, gelatinous liquid with lumps in it. “Ew! What is this?” I asked, half afraid to know. “It looks like a science experiment gone awry.”
Everett grabbed the container and the bag of peas I still held, putting both in the freezer. “It’s Maddy’s baked potato soup that you liked so much. She packaged the leftovers for you.”
“Awww… thanks.”
He laughed to himself. “Who uses the word awry?”
“Someone who spent her summer at a bookstore,” I answered without thinking.
“Why a bookstore? Didn’t you have friends or family — or a boyfriend — to hang out with?”
“That would be a no, no, and an even bigger no,” I replied.
“Why?”
“Because we move too much.” I caught myself. “I mean, Dad and I
“Sure, sure!”
“You wanna go?”
“No, you might break a nail,” Everett teased.
“True!” She laughed.
Noticing the bag to my head, Everett grew concerned. “What happened? You don’t look too hot.”
I gestured him in. “It’s nothing,” I replied, not knowing how to explain it.
His face hardened upon spotting Hagen. He turned to me, alarmed. “Did he do something to you?” Putting down his bags, he pushed the peas away to inspect my head.
“No,” I said, swatting him away. “It’s just a headache.”
“What are you accusing me of, Sinclair?” Hagen asked, rising to his feet.
I started, noticing Hagen had the hoodie I’d borrowed in his hand. “Where did you get that?”
Hagen glanced at it. “My jacket? You just got it from your room.”
“I did?” Why didn’t I remember? What was going on?
“Didn’t you have a football game to get to?” asked Everett.
“Oh, man, I’m late!” Hagen said, looking panicked. He crossed the room to where I stood beside Everett. “Sophie, you must be special to make a guy forget about sports. No girl has had that effect on me before.” Hagen glanced at Everett, making it clear the comment was more for his benefit than my own. Everett exaggeratingly gagged before heading to my kitchen with the groceries. Ignoring him, Hagen said, “I should go, but you promised to do lunch with me this week, right?”
“Sure,” I replied, again drawing a blank.
“Then it’s a date,” he said louder than necessary. “See you, beautiful.”
I shut the door and Everett groaned. “Please don’t tell me you buy that guy.” He’d been watching from the kitchen. “He’s a living, breathing soap opera. You honestly like him?”
I didn’t know what I thought about Hagen and was too sidetracked figuring out what had just happened to decide. “What are you doing in my kitchen?” I asked, evading the question.
“Stockpiling,” Everett replied, pulling items from one of the paper bags on my counter before stowing them in various drawers and cabinets.
I made my way to the kitchen. “Stock. Piling? And what… exactly… is that?”
“It’s a first day of school tradition. You stock your dorm with a ton of food from Brightman’s kitchen.”
“So you mean stealing.”
He whispered loudly, “It’s technically not stealing when Maddy lets us into the kitchen’s pantry, but don’t tell anyone because it doesn’t sound as cool.”
I smiled, feeling my headache receding. “And you’re stockpiling my dorm because… ?”
“Because I’m not living on campus this semester. My parents live nearby so I’m crashing at home.”
“Last night, you said my closet is bigger than your dorm,” I blurted off hand.
“Hmm.” Everett shrugged.
“Well, what did you get me?” I asked, rummaging through the other bag.
“Random stuff.”
“Oh, mint tea!”
“Since it’s what you asked for at breakfast, I figured you’d like some.”
“Thanks. That was thoughtful of you,” I said, surprised by Everett’s attentiveness. I unloaded more onto the counter, pulling out a box of my favorite cereal, a gallon of skim milk, and a clear plastic container of white, gelatinous liquid with lumps in it. “Ew! What is this?” I asked, half afraid to know. “It looks like a science experiment gone awry.”
Everett grabbed the container and the bag of peas I still held, putting both in the freezer. “It’s Maddy’s baked potato soup that you liked so much. She packaged the leftovers for you.”
“Awww… thanks.”
He laughed to himself. “Who uses the word awry?”
“Someone who spent her summer at a bookstore,” I answered without thinking.
“Why a bookstore? Didn’t you have friends or family — or a boyfriend — to hang out with?”
“That would be a no, no, and an even bigger no,” I replied.
“Why?”
“Because we move too much.” I caught myself. “I mean, Dad and I
Similar Books
