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“Yeah, right.” Jason laughs. When I don’t say anything to deny it, his eyes widen. “Holy shit. Is it Bree?”
Caleb snorts. “Do you really think he would look this down if he had feelings for someone who’s crazy about him? Use your brain.”
I throw my head back and groan loudly. “Okay, okay. You’re right. It’s a girl, and no, it’s not Bree.”
“Who is it?” They ask at the same time.
Can I tell them? No. They’d end up tracking her down and the poor girl already hates me enough. She doesn’t need tweedle dee and tweedle dumb harassing her. Besides, the last thing I want is for Bree to find out I have a thing for her roommate.
“I don’t know her name.” I lie. “I ran into her at the dorms after dropping off Bree.”
“And she didn’t tell you her name?” Jason sounds confused.
“No. We didn’t really talk much. Though, the little we did talk went horribly.”
His jaw drops. “You mean there is a girl out there who can resist the Rivers charm?!”
Caleb grabs an apple from the bowl and tosses it at Jason. “Easy Jay. People may start thinking you like Holden.”
He snickers. “Tell that to the chick I banged last night. Now, back to the topic at hand.” He turns to face me again. “What happened?”
This is not a conversation I want to have right now, but I kno
w they won’t leave me alone about it until I tell them. “I just made an ass of myself and now she basically hates me.”
“Ah, a bad first impression.” He nods. “Well, if you want we can stake out the place – find her and get her to give you another shot.”
“No.” I answer way too quickly. “That’s really not necessary.”
His eyebrows furrow. “Dude, whoever this dorm chick is, she’s clearly got your attention. That’s basically impossible. I think it’s definitely necessary.”
“Just… let me handle it.” I practically beg. “If I need your help, I’ll let you know.”
Thankfully, they accept that answer and let it lie. A part of me is relieved, but I still can’t stop wracking my mind about Kayleigh. How she blew me off like I’m the scum of the earth, and the way she thinks of me – I’ve never cared about what people think of me, but she’s different. Her opinion matters more than my own and I don’t know how to fix that.
THE NEXT MONTH FLIES by rather quickly. I find myself looking forward to class on Tuesday mornings, because I get a straight hour of being in the same room as her. When that’s no longer enough, I start going inside to get Bree, rather than just letting her know when I’m outside. It’s not much, but it gives me a small opportunity to talk to her. Although, it never goes well. As I drive to their dorm, past conversations with Kayleigh play in my head.
I knock on the door, expecting Bree to answer. However, it’s Kayleigh that stands on the other side. I’m temporarily stunned by her ability to look so good in just shorts and a t-shirt, but I snap out of it when she makes a sound of disgust.
“Bree, your boyfriend’s here.” She shouts toward the bathroom. I step in and close the door behind me. “She’ll be right out.”
“Okay, thanks.” I say quietly as she returns to her computer and hits play. “What are you watching?”
“Pretty Little Liars.” Her tone is cold.
I nod. “My sister used to watch that show. She flipped when she found out Cece is A.”
Her head whips towards me and she glares. I realize quickly that I just completely ruined the ending for her. In an attempt to make it better, I smile shyly. She groans and shakes her head, shutting her computer and leaving the room.
I beat myself up over that one for a good few days – even tried to apologize. She didn’t want to hear it. The next time I figuratively put my foot in my mouth was a week later.
I’m standing outside the building of my English Lit class, leaning against the wall. I have Jason on one side of me, and Caleb on the other. We’re currently watching some of the pledges complete their daily task – swimming in the fountain. People are all gathered around, laughing at their speedos and ducky tubes. It’s your typical public humiliation. It’s actually one of the easier parts of their hazing. I take the quarters from my pocket and start throwing them into the water.
“Make a wish.” I shout, smiling until something catches my eye.
Kayleigh is watching me with a look on her face that has me questioning every single one of my actions. She shakes her head and turns around to walk away, clearly disappointed by my behavior. In an instantaneous decision, I hand Jason the quarters.
“I’ll be right back.” I tell him, and push my way through the crowd. I find Kayleigh only a short distance away. “Hey, wait up.”
