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“I know someone who might know,” I said, pulling out my phone to search for Tara’s contact.“His name’s Kenny. From my first impression of him, he’s a total hipster. Smokes like grass is his air. But maybe he’s a bit more hardcore.”
I scrolled through my contacts to text Tara, but paused before sending the message. I didn’t have time to wait for a reply. Instead, I called her up, and pressed the phone to my ear, waiting as her ringer went off.
“Hey,” she said. I could tell she was trying to make her voice sound less groggy than I knew it was. “You’re …up?”
“Yeah, sorry,” I said, chuckling more to myself than to her. Amidst all the chaos, my sense of time had become sort of irrelevant. “Didn’t mean to wake you.”
“No,it’sfine,” she yawned. “What’s up?”
“Do you have Kenny’s number? I need to ask him something.”
There was silence on the other end of the line, and I was worried something might’ve happened between the two of them after I’d left that night until she said, “Yeah, of course. Can I ask why?”
For a moment, I was hesitant to tell her exactly why I needed his contact info. I mean, what was I supposed to say—I need to see if he can give me some drugs so that I can hide it in my roommate’s hellhole of a closet?
Maybe that wasn’t enough.
Maybe we needed to gather more info before making the first move. That’s what Elliot had suggested—find out something about Vivian that’s true, that would really get her into trouble without risking our own somewhat bruised reputations from worsening.
“Here’s the thing,” I said, lowering my voice. “Vivian’s put me in a tough position. I can’t tell you everything right now, but … would you want to help?”
There was another long pause, and then, “I’ve got nothing better to do.”
I smiled.“Great. Can I meet you at your door in a half an hour, or so?”
“Sure.” I could hear her smiling from the other end of the line, too. “This better be juicy.”
I hung up the phone feeling good. If I knew anything about Tara at all from the last couple of days I’d gotten to feel her out, it was that she hated Vivian’s guts just as much, if not, more than I did. Even better, she knew Vivian well. If there was anyone who knew what it’d take to push her buttons, it’d be her.
“Whoa, wait,” Leo said. “Nowwhat’re we doing?”
“My friend said she’ll help out,” I replied, stepping toward the door. “Long story short, she’s got some good beef with Vivian, and probably an even better idea of what to do about her.” I nodded to his flip-flops. “I suggest you guys put on some better clothes.”
“Why?” He grinned back at me. “These won’t cut it at Freeman?”
I glanced down at them. “The fact that they’re designer-brand might.”
“That’s what I like to hear,” Leo said, that puppy-dog grin still strung tight across his lips as he bounded over to the door to hold it open for me. “Milady.”
“Shut up,” Elliot said, pushing past him through the door before I could even take a step. Even if I hated his guts, he could’ve at least appreciated the fact that I’d gone all the way with him at least once. That was more than Leo could say.
He was as stubborn in his jealousy as he was jealous. I wasn’t used to this—guys drooling all over me, or rather, huffing and puffing.
It was hot.
“I’ll drive,” Felix said, stepping out after me. “I don’t think Ell’s in the mindset for keeping us safe tonight.”
“The sun is up,” Leo sang, shuffling out the door last, once again not bothering to close it behind us.
“Whatever,” Felix yawned, tossing and catching his car keys again. “If I’m tired, it’s nighttime.”
It took us a few minutes to get back into the parking garage, as the elevator stopped more frequently as students entered and left at every other floor. Finally, we’d made it to the lobby, and back into Felix’s low BMW. The ride to Freeman was silent. I couldn’t speak for them, but I was lost in my thoughts—of Pierre, of the last few years of high school, marveling at how I’d managed to get myself into a situation where I was packed into a car with three of the hottest boys of high school when only a few months ago they’d barely give me a second look.
The past few days had to be a dream, or at times,a nightmare.
“Just pull up here,” I told Felix as he drove into the circular driveway. There was a group of students hanging out around the steps to the entrance of the dorm building, and their eyes followed us as we parked the car. “There’s a parking lot around the side of the building. Just drop us off here.”
“Gotcha,” Felix said. “Meet me inside?”
