about,” Mase said. “I mean, I know
you’ve only been here for a short time, but
you don’t really seem like
juvenile-delinquent material. No offense.”
“None taken. It’s just…complicated.” I
was shocked Renee hadn’t given them
every gory detail.
“Most relationships are. Complicated, I
mean,” Mase said, looking at Darah. “But
the complications can be the best part.
Right, Dare?”
Darah nodded and he kissed the side of
her head.
I texted Hannah and told her I could pick
her up at her dorm and walk down to the
Union with her, and she took me up on my
offer. Taylor and Hunter had gone over
earlier because he had to be with the
group. She also mentioned meeting her
friend Megan, who I had yet to become
acquainted with.
Hunter had been acting really weird that
morning, and everyone had noticed. He
tried to play it off that he was nervous
about the performance, but I was pretty
sure Hunter had never been nervous about
anything like that in his life.
He oozed confidence, so clearly he was
either up to something, or he’d done
something stupid. Or both.
“I’m going to meet a friend,” I said to
Renee as I downed my second cup of
Lemon Zinger. I’d really gotten addicted to
that stuff, and I even had my own corner of
the cabinet now for my stash.
“Who?” I hadn’t really mentioned
Hannah in great detail to Renee since she
had been so pissy the night before. I didn’t
know why. I guess I just didn’t want to get
into it with her.
She’d want to know all about her, and I
didn’t want to share Hannah with other
people. She was my friend.
“Don’t worry. You’ll get to meet her.
She’s coming to Hunter’s thing. I’m just
picking her up on my way.”
She looked suspicious, but seriously,
that was what I was doing.
“Okay. I’ll meet you there, then. Drive
safe.” Wow, that was the first time she’d let
me out of the house without a massive
lecture. I met Paul’s eyes and mouthed,
“thank you.”
He nodded back.
I parked in front of Oxford Hall,
Hannah’s dorm, and sent her a text to say I
was ready. She came down a few minutes
later, her hair loose and all over the place.
“Hey, girl. What’s up?”
“Not a whole lot. You?”
“Nope. Just normal roommate drama,
but I’m over it. I would have invited you up,
but she’s there, and I don’t want to provoke
her any more than I already do by existing
in her space. Plus, she’s a major bitch.” She
clicked her seat belt and gave me a rueful
smile.
I found a spot in the commuter lot right
across from the Union.
“Do you mind if I stop for a little
pick-me-up?” Hannah said.
“Nope.”
Hannah filled up on caffeine from the
Starbucks and I marveled at how empty the
Union was when classes weren’t in session.
It was a ghost town. It wasn’t until we got
out to the walkway that crossed over to the
other side of the Union that we looked
down and saw all the people waiting in
front of the bookstore on the lower level.
The Steiners were easy to spot because
they all had black T-shirts that said Steiners
and were standing in a tight group.
I spotted Hunter mostly because his arm
tattoo was so visible. Dusty was also easy to
spot because of his sagging pants.
I leaned over the railing and squinted.
Huh. He had some ink, too, peeking out
from the edge of his T-shirt sleeve.
His tattoo was impossible to read from
my angle. Not that I was trying, or really
cared that much about it.
“Who are we staring at?” Hannah said in
my ear, making me jump. She sipped on a
giant cup of iced something-or-other and
leaned next to me.
“No one in particular,” I said, standing
back up.
“Uh-huh,” she said in a tone that said
she didn’t believe me one little bit. Yeah, I
didn’t believe me, either. I looked away
from the guys and found Taylor’s blond
ponytail and then I saw the rest of the
household joining her.
“So,” I said, facing Hannah.
you’ve only been here for a short time, but
you don’t really seem like
juvenile-delinquent material. No offense.”
“None taken. It’s just…complicated.” I
was shocked Renee hadn’t given them
every gory detail.
“Most relationships are. Complicated, I
mean,” Mase said, looking at Darah. “But
the complications can be the best part.
Right, Dare?”
Darah nodded and he kissed the side of
her head.
I texted Hannah and told her I could pick
her up at her dorm and walk down to the
Union with her, and she took me up on my
offer. Taylor and Hunter had gone over
earlier because he had to be with the
group. She also mentioned meeting her
friend Megan, who I had yet to become
acquainted with.
Hunter had been acting really weird that
morning, and everyone had noticed. He
tried to play it off that he was nervous
about the performance, but I was pretty
sure Hunter had never been nervous about
anything like that in his life.
He oozed confidence, so clearly he was
either up to something, or he’d done
something stupid. Or both.
“I’m going to meet a friend,” I said to
Renee as I downed my second cup of
Lemon Zinger. I’d really gotten addicted to
that stuff, and I even had my own corner of
the cabinet now for my stash.
“Who?” I hadn’t really mentioned
Hannah in great detail to Renee since she
had been so pissy the night before. I didn’t
know why. I guess I just didn’t want to get
into it with her.
She’d want to know all about her, and I
didn’t want to share Hannah with other
people. She was my friend.
“Don’t worry. You’ll get to meet her.
She’s coming to Hunter’s thing. I’m just
picking her up on my way.”
She looked suspicious, but seriously,
that was what I was doing.
“Okay. I’ll meet you there, then. Drive
safe.” Wow, that was the first time she’d let
me out of the house without a massive
lecture. I met Paul’s eyes and mouthed,
“thank you.”
He nodded back.
I parked in front of Oxford Hall,
Hannah’s dorm, and sent her a text to say I
was ready. She came down a few minutes
later, her hair loose and all over the place.
“Hey, girl. What’s up?”
“Not a whole lot. You?”
“Nope. Just normal roommate drama,
but I’m over it. I would have invited you up,
but she’s there, and I don’t want to provoke
her any more than I already do by existing
in her space. Plus, she’s a major bitch.” She
clicked her seat belt and gave me a rueful
smile.
I found a spot in the commuter lot right
across from the Union.
“Do you mind if I stop for a little
pick-me-up?” Hannah said.
“Nope.”
Hannah filled up on caffeine from the
Starbucks and I marveled at how empty the
Union was when classes weren’t in session.
It was a ghost town. It wasn’t until we got
out to the walkway that crossed over to the
other side of the Union that we looked
down and saw all the people waiting in
front of the bookstore on the lower level.
The Steiners were easy to spot because
they all had black T-shirts that said Steiners
and were standing in a tight group.
I spotted Hunter mostly because his arm
tattoo was so visible. Dusty was also easy to
spot because of his sagging pants.
I leaned over the railing and squinted.
Huh. He had some ink, too, peeking out
from the edge of his T-shirt sleeve.
His tattoo was impossible to read from
my angle. Not that I was trying, or really
cared that much about it.
“Who are we staring at?” Hannah said in
my ear, making me jump. She sipped on a
giant cup of iced something-or-other and
leaned next to me.
“No one in particular,” I said, standing
back up.
“Uh-huh,” she said in a tone that said
she didn’t believe me one little bit. Yeah, I
didn’t believe me, either. I looked away
from the guys and found Taylor’s blond
ponytail and then I saw the rest of the
household joining her.
“So,” I said, facing Hannah.
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