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ChapterNine
Raina peeked around her dorm room, pretending to be engrossed in the scene ofRomeo and Julietshe had to read before class that day. In reality, she was studying her roommates and Nicole, who were rushing around the dorm getting ready for the day. Raina hadn’t slept much that night, and as a result, had been dressed since 5 a.m. Classes started in half an hour, and for some reason, nearly everyone was running behind schedule.
Juliet cleared her throat, and Raina looked up in time to see her lean against the wall and open a magazine to a random page. She was the only roommate besides Raina who was dressed, the others all in varying pajamas. “Okay, quiz time. What do you do if your boyfriend is too tall for you to kiss him?”
“Elbow him in the stomach,” Zara answered, looking up from where she was sitting on her bed, legs drawn up against her chest as Gracie braided her hair. Her cheetah-print shorts and tank top were a direct contrast to Gracie’s oversizedASHCROFThoodie. “Then, when he doubles over in pain, kiss him.”
“Dump him,” Nicole suggested, ducking her head out of the bathroom, various hair products in her hands. She sat down behind Gracie, picking up strands of the brunette’s hair. “If he’s that tall, you shouldn’t be dating him anyway.”
“Punch him,” Zara added from her position at the front of the hair train. “Ooh, tickle him.”
“Just ask him to lean down,” Raina said quietly, but everyone stopped speaking, so her words echoed through the room.
Juliet whistled. “Looks like Raina is the only ‘perfect girlfriend’ here. Next question. If your boyfriend and your best friend were drowning, who would you save?”
Nicole snorted. “What idiots can’t even swim?”
“It’s a hypothetical question, Nicole. Who would you save?”
“Um, my time? My effort?” Nicole said in a bored tone, returning her attention to Gracie’s hair.
Annalisse coughed, coming out of the closet in her uniform. She walked over to Juliet, glancing over her best friend’s shoulder at the magazine. “Why don’t we move on? If you were dating your best friend’s brother, and you found out something big, who would you tell first? Your boyfriend or your best friend?” Her voice trailed off at the end as everyone in the room turned to look at Gracie, Raina included.
Gracie laughed uncomfortably. “Hey, look at the time!” she exclaimed, jumping off the bed. She yanked off her hoodie to reveal a button-down underneath, and quickly exchanged her sweatpants for a pleated skirt. “I’m meeting Dean for breakfast, bye!”
Annalisse grabbed a jacket from the closet. “I should go too. I’ve got to meet someone.”
“Ooh, is it a date?” Juliet squealed, clapping her hands together.
“Nope.”
Zara hurried into the bathroom, leaving Nicole and Raina alone in the dorm. Raina watched her…frenemy warily, deciding to toss out an olive branch.
“My mom’s a pretty good cook.” Raina shut the book she’d been pretending to read. “So that won’t be much of a hardship. Compliment her food and she’ll love you. Be prepared for snide comments and questions about school, your college ambitions, and if you’ve started studying for the SATs yet.”
“No one in their right mind has started studying for the SATs yet.”
“Gracie has.”
“Gracie Adams is a unique example of the human species.”
Raina’s phone buzzed with a text from her mom, wanting to know if Nicole or Jesse had food allergies.
“No allergies,” Raina muttered as she typed back, but as soon as the message sent, her phone rang with an incoming call. “Oh, no.”
Nicole glanced up. “I know that tone. Is that your mom?”
Raina nodded grimly. “Hi Ema,” she sang, adopting a cheerful tone. “Nice to talk to you.”
“Raina, are you sure Nicole likes potato kugel?” her mother’s worried voice asked. She didn’t bother with pleasantries, continuing, “And what about Jesse, does she like potato kugel? I don’t want to make anything your friends don’t like.”
Raina glanced up, her gaze meeting Nicole’s briefly. She tapped the button to put the phone on speaker. “Nicole’s here with me now, if you want to ask her anything.”
“Nicole! So nice to meet you, we’re very excited to have you come for dinner. Do you like potato kugel?”
“I…like potatoes,” Nicole replied. “And food. I especially like food. I hear you’re a great cook.”
Raina could practically hear the preening in her mother’s voice. “Oh yes. And is Jesse here as well? Is she also your roommate?”
