“Define weird,” Austin asks as Noah crosses his arms across his chest.
“Well, she was all touchy and shit, and then I moved away from her or I got up to get water, and when I sat down, I purposely moved away from her a bit. And then she was asking me if I wanted to study with her one on one.”
“Hmm,” Noah says. “Maybe she wants your junk.” Austin nods. “Maybe she heard your penis is big and shit and wants to make sure it’s true. Whatever you do, don’t send a dick picture.” We both laugh at him. “That shit is not cool.”
“Anyway, it was just weird, and then when we left, she texted me that it was good catching up.” I squint my eyes. “Good catching up? I barely said five words to her while I was dating Dani, let alone had a full-blown conversation.” I get up, putting the peas back into the freezer as I limp back.
“Maybe it’s a trick,” Noah says and then continues. “Like maybe she is showing Dani that you want her and that you’re a no good-for-nothing piece of shit.” I’m about to huff out, but he puts his hand up. “I know you’re not, dude, but maybe she’s trying to get you in a compromising situation and then tell Dani all about how you’re a douche.”
“I wouldn’t touch her with a ten-foot pole.” I point at him, and add, “Or with your dick.”
“I think we should leave my dick out of this. My dick has nothing to do with this situation,” Noah says, getting up to go to the fridge for a beer, then twisting off the top and throwing the cap in the trash. “There is that big Monster Mash on Saturday. I say we go and see if she shows up.”
“I don’t want to go to these stupid parties. I just want to chill out at home with my girl. Order fucking Chinese food and just fucking chill,” I say, frustrated. “Rent a movie, make out, and then just stay home.”
“You”—Noah points at me—“have to remember that you aren’t fucking forty and married. Now Austin and I are dressing up like Sonny & Rico from Miami Vice.” He takes a pull of his beer. “What are you going as?” he asks, and I shrug. “I have my costume of Poncho from Chips from last year. You’d need your own sunglasses, though, because I broke the last pair.”
I throw my hands in the air. “Fine, okay, I’ll go, but if I see she isn’t there, I’m leaving.” I push away from the table and limp my way to my room. Lying on my bed, I pick up the framed picture of the two of us on our backs taken one night while we laid with each other. It took five different tries. Each one came out blurry because we kept laughing. I put the picture back and finally close my eyes to go to sleep.
The next day, I make my way over to the coffee shop where I know she frequents. I might look desperate, but I don’t care anymore. I’m about to walk to the door when it opens, and I see her walking out with two other friends. I quickly hide around the corner, peeking my head out to make sure she doesn’t see me. I watch her walking, so I wait a couple of more steps before I come out of my hiding place. But instead of going inside the coffee shop and calling it a day, I hear Noah’s voice in my head. “Follow her.” So I keep a safe distance from the trio as they walk across campus, and I follow them. When I see them walking up the steps to the library, I duck behind a tree as I see them get to the door. Peeking around the tree, I see the two girls walk in, but Dani stops when she gets to the door. Instead, she turns around, and it’s as if she can feel me watching her. When I see her eyes roaming the grounds in my direction, I put my back against the tree and try to not breathe. I wait a couple of minutes, then look back and see she’s gone inside. I let out a huge breath I was holding while I bend over and put my hands on my knees.
“Hey,” someone says next to me, and I look up to see Arya. “Fancy meeting you here,” she says with a smile as she approaches. The way she smiles makes me shiver and not in a good way.
“Yeah, I was just on my way to the rink to meet Austin and Noah,” I tell her. I try to walk around her, but she blocks me. Her hands go to my chest as she stops me from walking around her.
“John, I know that you and Dani recently broke up.” She starts talking, and I back up so her hands are not on me. “I was thinking that now that you’re single, we could maybe go out and get a coffee?”
“Arya, I’m still in love with Dani,” I say. “Even if I wasn’t, I would never date her friend, let alone her roommate.” I now walk to the right of her and try to walk away, but her next words make me stop in my tracks.
“You’re the only one not moving on. Dani already has dates lined up for the weekend.” I turn to watch her. “See you at Monster Mash,” she says as she walks away.
I look back at the library and see a shadow in the window. I try to see who it is, but I can’t see anything anymore as the showdown is done. I walk over to the rink, opening the door to go into the locker room. “Dude.” I throw myself on the bench. “Dani’s roommate is out of her mind.”
“Who is that?” Cooper asks as he steps out of his jock strap. Cooper Stone is the biggest name in the hockey world. He plays with Austin and Noah, but after this year, he’s going pro. The only question is which team is going to get him.
“Arya,” Austin answers as takes off his practice jersey.
“She just came up to me as I was following Dani,” I tell them, and they all look up at me.
Cooper stops what he’s doing. “You were following your girlfriend?”
“Ex,” Noah says as he walks into the room, placing his stick against the wall. “She broke up with him last week.”
“No way,” Cooper says as he sits down, grabbing a Gatorade and draining it.
“Way.” I put my ankle on my knee while my leg bounces up and down. “Now she just told me that Dani is already dating.”
Austin shakes his head. “I don’t believe it.” Noah gets up, taking off his shirt.
“Want me to check and see if I can get in there?” Noah asks with a smirk while I glare at him.
“No, I don’t want you to see if you can get in there,” I tell him, and he shrugs.
“Here is a suggestion,” Cooper says. “Why don’t you just ask her? Just call her up and say hey are you dating?”
“He can’t do that,” Noah says. “He’s going to be like a punk ass bitch if he does that. I think all the answers will be given at the Monster Mash. We should make a plan of attack.”
“I’m out,” Cooper says. “The last thing I need is a record before being drafted into the NHL. Sorry, man, but—”
I put my hand up to stop him from talking. “Not an issue.”
I look around the room, seeing that it’s just the four of us. “I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but what do you suggest?” I ask Noah, who sits there with a grin from ear to ear and a twinkle in his eye. I shake my head. Nothing good will come from this.
Chapter 6
Dani
I stand by the window, watching to see if I see anything. The whole time walking to the library, I had the feeling someone was actually watching me, and it was scary as fuck. Thank God, I had Diane and Maggie with me. I opened the door, making them go in front of me, and when I see them inside, I turn to see if I can see anyone, but no one is there.
I walk into the library and stand by the window to check to see if someone is out there, and what I see makes my stomach queasy. Arya is talking to John but not just talking, she’s fucking touching him. “I’m going to break her fucking fingers if she doesn’t move away from him,” I say under my breath. I also see that John stepped back so her hands fall away from him. I see him walk around her and then see him turn back at something she said, but then I see her coming to the library. I get away from the window and run smack into her when she walks in. “Hey.” I smile at her. “What’s up?”
She looks pale as she sees me. “Oh, hey. I was coming to see if I could have some quiet time and work on my next couple of projects.”
“Oh, yeah.” I walk with her to the table. “So are you here alone?” I ask her, and she nods. “Yeah, I just got out of class and came here.” I notice she doesn’t even mention John.
/>
I nod at her as I go to the table with Diane and Maggie, grabbing my bag and making an excuse to leave. While I walk out of the library, I call my sister. “Okay, so I don’t know if my mind is getting the best of me,” I say as soon as she answers, “but I think someone is following me, and I also think that rancid vagina Arya is trying to get John.”
“Holy shit, can we do one thing at a time?” she says. “I mean, I spoke with you yesterday. How could all this happen in less than twenty-four hours? Have you been watching Dateline?”
I scoff at her. “No. So I’ve been getting notes on my car about me,” I say as I walk across campus.
“What kind of notes?” Melissa asks. “Like ransom notes?”
I roll my eyes. “No, just basic ‘you’re beautiful’ notes,” I tell her as I get into my car.
“Do you recognize the writing?” she asks as I start the car.
“No, there isn’t writing. It’s just words glued on a paper.”
“Shut the fuck up!” she shouts. “You’re making this up.”
I shake my head as I say, “No. I swear. It’s crazy, right?”
“You need to go to the police. Jesus, what if the guy is legit insane and wants to kidnap you and then drives across the country with your head as a hat?” Her voice goes higher and higher.
“Okay, who is the one watching too much Dateline now?” I tell her as I put the car in park when I arrive home. “Anyway, I thought someone was following me today, so I walked inside the library, and when I went to look out, there was no one suspicious, but I did see Arya with John. She touched him.”
“That bitch!” Melissa shrieks. “What did you do? Did you tell her you’re onto her? Did you kick her in her nasty vagina? I hate her.”
“No, but she didn’t mention that she saw John when she came into the library, which is weird, right? I mean, if my friend broke up with her boyfriend, I would tell her every single time I saw him.”
“She is a sheep dressed in a wolf outfit.” Melissa agrees with me. “But seriously, I would make sure you are never alone. The letters are a bit creepy.”
“I know, I’m going to make sure that my mace is always with me from now on,” I tell her as I get out of the car. “By the way, I got your costume that you sent me for Monster Mash. Is that the same one Elle Woods wore in Legally Blonde?” I laugh, thinking of the costume with the bunny ears.
“Yes. It cost me almost three hundred bucks, so don’t get vomit on it or sperm.”
“You know I can’t wear that, right?” I tell her as I walk into my dorm room.
“Why not? It’s like a swimsuit. Don’t be a party pooper. Wear the fucking outfit.” She laughs.
“Fine,” I agree. “But if I get butchered and some man is walking around with my intestines around his shoulders and my bunny ears, it’s on you,” I say as I hang up the phone and pick up the box.
“This better be worth it,” I say to myself, tucking it away when I hear the key in the door, and Arya comes in. “Hey,” I say as she walks to her side of the room and grumbles. “Are you all ready for the Monster Mash this weekend?” I ask her as she climbs up on her bed and lies down, kicking her shoes off.
“Yeah, kind of.” She turns to look at me. “Are you going with a date?” she asks. I shake my head. “I think you should,” she tells me. “I mean, you should go with AJ. I know he’s been asking about you lately.” I cross my arms as she continues. “It will be good for you to get back out there.”
“I’m really not interested in dating,” I tell her as I turn back to my computer, waiting for it to boot up. “I think I’m just going to ride solo for now. What about you?” I turn, looking at her. “Is there anyone who you think you’re going to hook up with?”
She shrugs her shoulders and squishes her face as she shakes her head. “Nah, no one has caught my eye lately.” She closes her eyes. “But you never know what the Monster Mash will bring.”
“This is true,” I say as I look back outside and then at her. She still has her eyes closed. “I wonder if John will be there.”
She opens her eyes right away. “You need to forget about him and move on.” She looks right into my eyes when she says the next part. “I heard someone say he’s got a date to Monster Mash.”
My heart stops as my hands get suddenly clammy. “Who said that?” My throat’s getting thick, my tongue feeling as dry as the desert.
“I think I heard it from Melody. Told you he’s a douche.” Arya throws in that last comment almost like it’s an “I told you so” moment.
“I guess you were right,” I say and turn back to my computer to end the conversation. I put my earphones in as I turn my music on. By the time I finish, I get up and stretch my arms as I walk to my window. Looking over, I see Arya is sleeping. I watch the trees blow in the night, and see the wind picking up a little bit. I look down at my car and see a white paper stuck under my wiper. Grabbing my jacket and keys, I walk downstairs, running in the chill. I look around, but the street is deserted. When I get to my car, I grab the note and open it. This one is creepy.
I imagine you in my dreams.
I fold the paper and look around, but I don’t see anything. This time, the wind seeps into my bones, so I rush back inside and shut the door softly as to not wake Arya. I walk over to my bed and take a picture of the note and send it to Melissa. She texts me back right away.
Melissa: You need to go to the police. This is whacked.
I don’t answer her. Instead, I just call her, and she answers right away. “You need to go to the police.”
“This is creepy, right?” I ask her as she yells, “Yes! Not only that, but he probably masturbated on it.”
I look at the paper and then my hands. “The paper is clean, asshole.”
“You seriously need to show this to someone,” she continues as I nod my head.
“I think you’re right. I’ll go tomorrow morning,” I agree, and we hang up soon after. I open my drawer where I kept the other letters and notice that they have been moved. I had thrown a penny in the drawer last night, and it landed on top of the paper, but it was now at the bottom. I look over and see that Arya is still asleep. I take my phone and text Melissa.
Me: I need to also find a new roommate.
Melissa: Amen.
I take the letters out of the drawer, looking over to make sure she isn’t looking, and I see her back is to me. I place the letters inside my bag and put it under my jacket. I finally fall into bed not long after, but my mind never shuts off. I wake with every creak. One eye opens while the night slowly brings daylight. When my alarm finally rings, I shut it off right away since I was awake anyway. I get dressed without saying anything to Arya, who sits at her desk working on something.
“Hey, are we going to go to the Monster Mash together?” she asks as I’m shrugging on my jacket.
“Sure, I guess so,” I answer her, grabbing my purse.
“Perfect. AJ offered to give us a ride, so I’ll let him know that we’ll be going.” She smiles at me as I nod, grabbing my bag and making my way to the police station.
Chapter 7
John
“Let’s go!” I yell up the stairs as I stand here in my costume. I’m dressed as one of the guys from Chips. The pants are so tight my balls feel like they are suffocating. I walk away from the railing, and my boots squeak the whole time. I put my fingers in my belt as I wait for the two guys to come down. The helmet on my head is already making me itch. I take it off and scratch my forehead. I hear a door open and then another, and then the two jog down the stairs. “Hey,” I say as I take in my two roommates. “What the fuck happened to you?” I ask Noah, who is dressed the same as Austin in a white linen suit, except he is wearing the purple shirt and Austin has the pink one. Both have their sleeves rolled up to their elbow.
“I bought this self-bronzer at the mall,” Noah says, but I can’t do anything but stare at him.
“You’re like an orange-yellow-brown color.” I walk to him and
touch his face, then look at my fingers. He places his hands on his hips as he rolls his eyes.
“It isn’t that bad,” he says, and Austin puts his fist to his mouth in order not to burst out laughing.
“Dude, it’s worse than bad,” Austin says as he watches Noah push me out of the way.
“Let’s go so we can get good parking,” Noah says as I pick up my gloves and put them on along with my sunglasses. “Dude, your dick looks like it’s suffocating,” Noah says as he looks back at me. I grab my package and nod my head.
“These pants are so tight. I think they shrunk from the last time,” I say as I crouch down but can’t get too far because of the stretch.
“You might bust those pants if you keep that up,” Austin says. I stop trying to get lower and stand, and my legs almost groan.
I walk out, closing the door behind me and locking it as I get into the back seat of Noah’s sports car. “I can’t feel my fucking toes in this car,” I say as I try to sit, but my knees almost hit my chin. He makes it there, and I literally roll out of the car. “I’d rather walk home,” I say as we walk toward the party.
They have put green and red light bulbs all outside. I see a couple of people from class on the lawn. “Is that Bamm Bamm?’ Noah asks, looking over at a guy wearing a loincloth.
“I think I just saw his nuts,” Austin says as we walk up the stairs. We open the door, and the music pours out. The house has been completely emptied. The DJ in the corner is the only thing in the house, and his lights are the only ones working in the house.
“Shit,” I say as I take my glasses off and put them in the front pocket of my shirt.
“Hey there.” A drunk girl comes to lean on me. “You got any cuffs with that outfit?” she says as she breathes her beer breath in my face. I push her away slightly.
“Nope, but he’s a cop also.” I point at Noah, who is looking at his pants and seeing that his white jacket now has brown from where his hands have touched it.
Tempt The Ex Page 3
