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I stalked back over to my stool, but something wasn’t sitting right with all of this. Something in the back of my head kept nagging at me. Asking an impossible question that almost seemed too weird in its own right.
Does Benji know more about this than he’s letting on?
I mean, it didn’t make any sense. The boy was a nuisance. A fly I kept having to swat away because of his persistence. He couldn’t organize his own damn school schedule, much less something like a hit.
No, Benji would’ve never done something like that.
That doesn’t mean he has no information, though.
As I went back to buffing my bike, the question kept swirling around. I couldn’t shake the idea that, somehow, Benji was wrapped up in all this. I mean, he got very defensive when I accused him of seeing what happened and being too chickenshit to intervene. I’d never seen him get irritated over anything the way he got over that. Benji knew better than to try and take me on.
So why did he get so bent out of shape over that assumption?
More questions, and still no answers.
Fucking story of my life.
11
Dani
I ran my fingers through my hair as I caught glimpses of Hannah in the mirror. I was excited about my date with Max tonight. But my roommate was still ignoring me. She wouldn’t look at me if she didn’t have to. She didn’t acknowledge me, except to say ‘excuse me’ or ‘need this?’ It was awful. I hated it. But I wouldn’t cave in. I wouldn't let her guilt me into admitting that I had somehow done something wrong.
Because I hadn’t.
“Where are you going tonight?” I asked.
I tried pinning my hair back as I watched Hannah flip a page of her textbook.
“Getting into anything fun?”
She licked her lips and flipped another page. Much too fast to actually be reading. I rolled my eyes. I couldn’t stand people who were passive aggressive. And I wouldn't live my second semester like this, either. I’d put in for a change in accommodations if things kept on like this.
“Can I borrow your purple lipstick? It’ll go well with my blouse.”
I just knew that’d get her to pipe up. She hated it when I called her favorite lipstick purple. “It’s aubergine,” she’d correct me before handing it over.
But all she did was flip another page of her book.
Fine. Suit yourself.
I slid my hands down my purple blouse. Another purchase by my mother snuck into my things. And while I usually complained about such nonsense, I wasn’t tonight. I had on a pair of my tight black jeans with my chucks instead of heels. Especially since heels weren’t very comfortable on the back of Max’s bike. So to take things up a notch, I’d decided on this blouse. It cut a bit deep against my chest and had a flowing texture to it. One that drew the eye down my body.
And pairing it with my leather jacket made me feel strong.
“So is it all right if I…?”
I pointed toward Hannah’s makeup bag, but she didn’t say anything. So I walked over and rummaged around until I found the lipstick. Then I swiped a couple of coats against my lips. I felt her eyes on me as I did so, glaring at me. I rolled the lipstick down and tossed it back to her bag. I missed the opening and it clattered to the floor.
I caught her eye in the mirror. “Whoops. Sorry.”
Her nostrils flared and I saw her hands white-knuckling her textbook. If she really wanted to work that hard not to talk to me, then it spoke to the pettiness of her character. And it wasn’t something I’d give in to. I’d make her talk to me. There were two of us living in this dorm room and I didn’t want to feel weird or isolated or smoked out every time she was around.
“Well, I’m off. You need anything before I go?” I asked.
I spun around and faced her, not shocked that she didn’t respond.
“All right, then. Have a good time tonight. Don’t wait up.”
