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She’s been messaging me since she was ushered out of our Comm class this morning, making sure I’m alright. I give her a smile. “I’m starving,” I tell her. “And I’m going to need to grab a nap before I attempt to tackle any assignments tonight.”
“Ugh, just come to my room tonight. I have enough sugar to keep us going all night.”
I nod. Although I’ve got some work that requires textbooks in the library, I can get away without tackling that until tomorrow. Tonight, I want an easy night.
Penny links her arm through mine and leads us into the dining hall, telling me again that my hair color is amazing, and she’s seen the jealous looks people have given it.
As I look around the dining hall, it’s not jealousy that I’m sensing. Much as I want to tell myself I’m imagining things, after the last twenty-four hours, nothing is going to make me relax.
Thankfully, the dining hall isn’t as busy as it was yesterday, and Penny and I are able to grab a table in the corner. Automatically, I look over to Syn’s table. Empty.
Although I don’t relax completely, I’m able to let out a breath, and I feel some of my stress ease. We order our food and manage to eat the whole meal without any drama.
“I’m going to grab a nap, and then I’ll swing by your room later,” I tell Penny as we walk to the door. “I think I’ll—”
Out of nowhere, some guy the size of a mountain walks straight into me, sending me flying into the wall, and cracking my elbow on a fire extinguisher.
“Are you fucking blind?” Penny yells, so loudly, everyone is looking at her.
Everyone except the guy who just keeps on walking.
Rubbing my elbow, I join Penny’s side. “I’m invisible,” I say, dryly.
“This is fucking pathetic.” Penny rolls her eyes.
“You have something to say about it?”
The two of us turn around and see a girl with long sandy hair pulled back into a messy bun. Her arm is clinging onto a guy with the kind of scruffy hair he’s clearly put hours of work into making it look that way. Both of them are purposely looking at Penny.
“Yeah, because I’m not a sheep, Dawn,” Penny responds to the girl who asked the question.
“So you’re siding with the murderer?” The guy arches an eyebrow.
“Tori didn’t kill anyone.” Penny turns, angling herself so she’s facing the audience of diners. “Which, considering you are all supposed to be some of the smartest people in the country, I find unbelievable that not one of you can figure that out.”
Not a single person has ever stood up for me. Friends who I’d known since I was a toddler, who I grew up with, had turned on me. Some went silent, ghosting me rather than saying anything, but most were quick to say hurtful things—and that wasbeforemy brother had even gone on trial.
I was staying quiet, not because I was scared, but because I was angry. All this petty behavior made me feel like shit, but high school had taught me that things die down from most people if you didn’t react. They get bored quicker.
It sure as hell didn’t make it disappear, though. My reprieve hadn’t come until I moved states, enrolled in a new school, changed my number, and deleted all my social media.
Right now, if I react, I’ll do or say something that would get me kicked out of this university, and I didn’t go to all the trouble just to get leave without answers. But I sure as hell wasn’t going to just stand here and do nothing if it meant Penny felt she had to say something.
I step in front of Penny. “Your issue is with me, which as Penny pointed out, makes no sense, but if you’ve got something to say, you say it to me.”
Somehow, I’m not surprised when neither Dawn, the guy next to her—or anyone in the dining hall—says anything.
“Fucking pathetic,” Penny mutters. She grabs my hand and pulls me towards the door.
“You want to be careful,” Dawn calls after us. “Associating with her is no different than associating with a criminal.”
Penny pulls me away from the dining hall before she finally lets go of my hand and slows her pace. “Smartest minds in the country, my ass.”
“Thank you,” I tell her.
She stops and looks up at me, wrinkling her nose. “For what?”
“Saying something. You shouldn’t have, but thank you.”
