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“Hey, Brock,” getting distracted, Kennedy gives me the slip. “Are you going to be in the gym later?”
“Yeah, man, need to keep all this in shape, you know?” Brock, the cocky bastard he is, motions toward his whole body as he speaks.
Walking back to the table, the guys are patiently waiting for me. Thankfully, the girls are gone. Not giving me a chase to sit, Gareth starts on the questions.
“What did she say?”
Releasing a long sigh, I consider my words carefully.
“Not much. She said that she can handle Danica, that she’s used to it. There is more to the story, but she isn’t willing to tell it.”
Rodney has been silent throughout our entire exchange, his face solemn.
This girl is starting to get to all of us. Lost in thought, Gareth, rising to his feet, snaps me out of my head.
“I need to get to class,” Gareth says. “The Pussy Patrol will be after Kennedy.”
Gareth leaves, the rest of us slow to follow.
CHAPTERNINETEEN
Managing to finish the day without further issues, I finally make it to my door to get a clean shirt.
Pulling the more urgent assignments aside and getting them organized, then stuff them back into my backpack, I head to the library. On my way, I stop for a fresh cup of coffee, needing the extra caffeine.
Walking through the study nooks, it takes me a while to find one that’s empty. Immediately once I get to work, my eyes begin to droop.
Picking up my now empty coffee cup, expecting it to magically refill, I heave a sigh. A soft giggle has me raising my head, smiling at the source.
“Sorry,” the petite redhead in front of me clears her throat. “Do you mind if I join you? The library is pretty full.”
“Not at all, please have a seat.” Her shoulders sag in relief at my answer.
“Thank you, it’s hectic in here tonight.” Reaching out to shake my hand, the girl with dark green eyes and a button nose introduces herself. “I’m Kassidy; it’s nice to meet you.”
“It’s nice to meet you too; I’m Kennedy.” My response is genuine, shaking her hand to return the gesture.
Tilting her head to the side, she starts to pull assignments from her backpack.
“Kennedy, that is an odd name.” Kassidy immediately blushes at her wording, backpedaling to avoid offending me. “Oh, not that there is anything wrong with it! Sorry, I tend to babble when I get nervous.”
Waving away her concern, “You are fine, and it’s nothing that hasn’t already been said, both to me and behind my back. My father has had political aspirations all my life, it seems. Mom had a mild obsession with Jackie O. I am named after the family.”
With just as much bad luck, I think to myself.
“That’s cool to have a story like that for your name,” Kassidy shyly continues. “How have we not run into each other before?”
“I just arrived on campus Sunday. The college canceled online classes, so it was come in person or lose all the work put in. Now, I am trying to catch up on my missing assignments.”
Just speaking the words out loud has me cringing at the somewhat daunting task. Not only do the professors expect me to stay current, but they require the backlog to be submitted in two weeks.
“Yikes. Not sure if I can be of any help at all but let me know.”
“Thanks.” Feeling a bit relieved at having at least one ally on campus lifts a weight off my shoulders. “Do you want to exchange numbers? We can hand out of study together.” My tone is hesitant, and my fear of being rejected is strong.
Kassidy’s smile takes over her face. We quickly exchange phone numbers and fall into an easy silence, each working on our assignments. Unsure how much time has passed, a nasal voice that is becoming all too familiar breaks the silence. Looking up, Danica, along with Thing One, Thing Two, and the mystery girl, stand there glaring at us. Ireallyneed to learn their names.
Glancing quickly across the table, Kassidy has shrunk in on herself, trying to melt into the furniture. The light in her eyes dim, pissng me off.
