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Tara went still, squinting at me just as she was about to reach into her closet. “Vivian, right,” she said. “I know her.”
“You guys went to school together, right?” I asked.
“Yeah.” The word was sharp, as if the wordschoolhad unearthed some searing memories. I knew the feeling. She must’ve realized how she’d said it, because she glanced back at me with a nervous grin. “Sorry. We weren’t close or anything, is all.”
“Let me guess,” I began, tapping my fingers against my chin in an exaggerated gesture, “this period prank thing isn’t totally out of her comfort zone.”
Tara shook her head and moved to her bed to lay out a few pairs of shorts and jeans. “She’s done worse, believe me.”
I felt a pit form in my gut as I watched her fold the clothes into a neat stack and gather them into her arms. Even though I’d spoken to her just once before, she was kind enough to lend me her own clothes, almost no questions asked. It was obvious that she had a bitter past with Vivian. It made me angry to think that anyone as sweet as her could be a victim of high school drama.
“Here,” she said, handing me the bundle. “Keep them as long as you need.”
I smiled. Even though her eyes were dark, there was light her gaze.
“I can’t thank you enough, Tara,” I replied, turning toward the door. “Seriously.”
“No problem,” she replied, shrugging.
“Would you want to get dinner tonight?” I asked, just as I was about to open the door. “I mean, if you’re not busy,” I added, surprised at my sudden willingness to take our acquaintanceship to the next level. Tara’s eyes brightened even more.
“Sure,” she said. “Actually, I was going to invite a friend over for board games if you want to join after.”
I nodded, smiling. “Sounds good.”
“What’s your number?” Tara asked, pulling her phone out of her back pocket.
The plan was to meet up at seven to head down to the dining hall, which I’d been avoiding since yesterday out of fear of being seen nibbling alone in some dingy corner of the packed place. We exchanged info, and I let myself out of her room with a silly smile on my lips and good vibes in my gut.
I’d made a real friend.
Before turning to walk back to my room, just out of curiosity, I peeked into the lounge to find a kid flipping pancakes on the stove as he chatted to girl sprawled out on the couch. They seemed chill, my kind of people.
Maybe I could build a life here.
Leaving them in peace, I continued down the hall, and paused in front of my door as I heard footsteps behind me.
“Hey,” said a familiar voice.
Eric.
I turned to see him coming down the hall, and he slowed his stride as he approached, sticking his hands in his front pockets. He tried smiling at me, but when I didn’t reciprocate, he lowered his gaze to the floor. He stopped in front of me.
“You want me to let you in, or something?” I almost hissed at him, trying to mask my voice in sarcasm. “I’m not Vivian’s butler. You can knock.”
He ran a hand through his floppy brown hair.
“Look, Kat,” he said, “I’m sorry about yesterday.”
I waited for him to explain. As far as I knew, he hadn’t realized that I glimpsed his little rally with Vivian the night before. That wasn’t my business. If he was apologizing for ignoring me, then that was another thing.
He’d invitedmeto that party. Not the other way around. The least he could’ve done was greet me in the car. Follow me out to the porch, make sure I wasn’t getting raped on my way home alone. That is, if Elliot hadn’t become a godsend by offering me a ride back.
Elliot.
I shook the thoughts away. Last night was a one-time thing—my attempt to prove my own self-worth by going after what I wanted, by getting the last laugh. That was all. I could never forget the things he’d done to me.
“I didn’t come here to see Vivian,” he said, stepping closer to me. “There’s something I need to tell you.”
