“No, it’s okay. Tate will be here soon. Tell her I said ‘Hi.’”
She nods and settles back on the checkered blanket she brought with her.
“See you in the union for lunch tomorrow?” she asks, and I nod.
I set off for the library a few blocks away. My plan is to find the most remote corner, push all thoughts of the party and fire out of my mind, and hunker down with my mountain of homework.
I don’t let myself scan the faces of the students I pass along the way, determined not to feed into the paranoia that has a grip on me anymore.
What happened at the party isn’t that big a deal. No one knows what you did. You’re safe.
But even though I repeat the words over and over, I know deep inside that they’re not true.
In the back of my mind I’m vaguely aware of a voice speaking, but I’m too locked in on my calculus homework to fully register it. It’s not until a hand lands on my shoulder that I realize someone’s been standing right behind me.
With a half-scream, I almost fall out of my chair as I scramble to my feet. The guy trying to get my attention stumbles back a couple steps, a hand over his chest like he almost had a heart attack.
Yeah, you and me both, buddy.
We blink back at each other, both recovering from our shock, before he says, “The library is closed. We’re clearing everyone still here out for the night.”
I stare at his brown eyes, made larger by the thick glasses perched on his nose, as his words sink in.
Closed? The library can’t be closed. It’s only?—
I gasp when I catch a glimpse of the clock on the wall behind him. Ten o’clock. My parents prefer me to be home before sunset, and that was hours ago. I was so focused on my work, I didn’t notice the time rolling by.
Grabbing my phone, my gut sinks. Just as I expected, my parents are freaking out. I have even more missed calls and texts than the night of the frat party. I pull up my mom’s contact to quickly call her.
“I’m sorry, but you need to collect?—”
“Give me a minute,” I snap at the guy, who jolts at my sharp tone. I immediately feel bad and try to soften my words when I say, “I’ll pack up. I just need to let my parents know I’m okay.”
He gives me a look that makes me feel like he’s judging me for having to check in with my parents and my guilt fades.
Jerk.
Turning my back on him, I hit “call” on my phone.
“You’ll have to leave out the back entrance because we closed the front one,” he says, and then I hear him leave.
The phone doesn’t even make it through the first full ring before my mom picks up. “Are you okay?” The worry and panic in her voice is clear as day, making me feel like the worst daughter alive.
“I’m fine. I’m just at the library doing homework,” I say quickly, trying to reassure her. “I had my phone on vibrate and lost track of time.”
Her sigh is audible on the other end of the line. “Haven, you know it’s safer for you to be back before dark.”
Irritation shoots through me. Of course I know that. They won’t let me forget it.
“Yeah, Mom, I know,” I say, trying to keep the annoyance out of my voice and heart. She loves me. She’s just worried about me because she doesn’t want me to end up like my sister. I tuck my phone between my ear and shoulder and start packing my bag. “I’m leaving now. I’ll be home in fifteen.”
“Do you want your father to come get you?”
“No. By the time it would take him to get here, I’d already be almost home.”
“Getting a ride would be safer,” she says, pushing the point.
“They’re kicking me out because the library closed, so if Dad comes to get me I’d have to wait outside on the street anyway.”
