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“Ha!” Casey barks a laugh. “As if. He just transferred this semester and probably already slept with half the campus.”
“Is that jealousy in your voice, Casey?”
She rolls her eyes. “Please.” But there’s a huffiness to her breath that tells me I might be onto something.
Casey and I end up going out for lunch, and then studying together after our last afternoon classes.
Lots of our professors have been kind enough to book major exams right before Thanksgiving break, and we both have a couple big essays due. When I glance at the clock after another round of flashcard pop quizzes with Casey, it’s pushing eleven already. We both have classes early tomorrow.
Casey yawns. “Let’s hit the hay.”
I nod. “Yeah. We got a lot done tonight.”
Nothing feels better than when sleep feels well-earned because you studied your butt off for the whole evening.
Casey heads upstairs first while I brew myself a cup of Sleepytime tea. I’m feeling nice and relaxed after my first sip, leaning against the kitchen counter and just zoning out for a second, but suddenly I’m startled by the doorbell.
It rings three times in fast succession.
When I open it, Hunter’s leaning against the doorjamb, looking very tipsy.
“Hunter?” I ask, bemused. “What are you doing here?”
“Well, me and the guys decided to blow off studying and get some beers. On the way back I saw your house, and decided I need a kiss.”
He dips towards me and presses his lips to mine. It’s a gentle, soft kiss, and it sends a sweet tingling gliding over me.
“What is this?” I giggle. “Some drunk bootycall?”
He flashes me an easy smile. His cheeks are flushed from the alcohol. His eyes are hazy, but they look at me with such affection. “Nope,” he says. “Just a kiss. One more.”
His lips brush mine once again. The kiss is brief, light as a feather, but electric at the same time.
“See you tomorrow,” he says, before pushing off my doorjamb and turning around, sauntering away with his hands slung in his pockets.
I watch him as he walks down the block. Thanks to the fuzzy warmth that spreads from my chest through my whole body, I don’t even feel the chilly November winds.
30
PHOEBE
Hunter
Holy fuck. I just saw you on TikTok.
You have, like, a hundred thousand likes!!
My face twists quizzically as I glance at my phone.
Surprise rattles through me, and I quickly open the app. I literally gasp as I see numbers that boggle my mind.
My most recent skating video, which I uploaded yesterday morning, has seven-hundred-thousand views.
I look at my notifications, filtering just to see how many comments I have. Hundreds. I’m so overwhelmed that I seem numb.
When I check my video views again, they’ve already increased by tens of thousands.
I furtively pinch myself to make sure I’m not dreaming.
