When she still said nothing, I asked, “Having trouble with your classes?”
Kelsey pursed her lips. “No.”
“Your roommate?”
“No, she’s fine.”
“Then what is it?” I tilted my head, letting my blonde and pink hair fall in my face. “Don’t tell me you’re having boy troubles. You never have boy troubles—you’re always the one giving the boys trouble.” Seriously, it’s what Kelsey was good at. Guys flocked to her like she was a lone French fry and they were a horde of hungry seagulls. She’d grown used to it and used their attention to her advantage. And I…
Well, I got the runoff, which didn’t bother me, not until I got Ray. And even then, I never really had Ray. You can’t have a serial killer, can you?
Kelsey scoffed. “Boy troubles. You sound like my mom. But…yeah. I’m having boy troubles. One boy, specifically.” Now finished with her burger, she set an elbow on the table, resting her chin on top of her fist. The McDonald’s around us was mostly empty. Since it was Friday night, most of the people our age were out partying. The world had grown dark outside, a reminder of the harsh reality waiting for me.
Even when Kelsey left, even after I was alone here again, I’d never truly be alone. Ray would always be there, watching, sitting in the back of my mind like the stalker he was. He knew Kelsey was my friend, and I hoped he would steer clear, knowing that if he tried something, attempted to hurt her, I’d never forgive him.
If he wanted to punish me, let him punish me. Me, not anyone else.
“Although I think anyone would argue he’s more of a man…” Kelsey bit her lower lip, looking quite coy. The expression didn’t work for me, because Kelsey was the least coy person I’d ever met. She was the one going out of her way to talk to guys at parties. She was the one who knew how to laugh and flirt and do all that shit. Me? I was the tagalong. The one hanging out beside her during those parties.
“Okay,” I corrected myself, “so you’re having man troubles.” Hah, kind of sounded like what I was going through, except until recently all of my troubles involved multiple guys. Now? Most of them stemmed from one man.
If I could go back in time and change one thing, it’d be what I did in that basement. What I didn’t do, actually.
I was weak then, and my actions in the past week had only reaffirmed the fact that I still wasn’t as strong as I wished I was. It was easy to play pretend, but when the chips were down and it counted…
“I like a guy, I think, but he’s kind of a dick,” Kelsey went on. “He’s so sexy, though. Like damn, the sexiest man I’ve ever laid eyes on. So hot you could lick chocolate off him and not worry about how disgusting and unsanitary it is.” She heaved a sigh, and I watched my friend shove her hands into her hoodie’s pocket.
“You think you like him?”
“Yeah, either that, or I hate him. At this point, I don’t know which one.”
I wanted to laugh, because that sounded so much like my situation with the guys, especially Sawyer, but I didn’t. “So you needed some time away.”
“And I needed to visit an old friend.” Kelsey gave me a smile. “I really do miss you. It’s not the same without you. Things have definitely changed since high school.” She quieted for a few minutes, and for a while neither of us said anything. “How is it going with you? I don’t mean the thing with those guys, but…everything else?”
If she heard the news about Ray getting off, if this was her way of edging toward the subject, she’d be disappointed. If I wasn’t going to talk about Ray to the guys, I definitely wasn’t going to bring it up to her.
“Everything’s fine,” I lied.
“Great, then we can go out and party like the old days,” Kelsey grinned, though I could tell her grin was halfhearted, at best. The girl across from me might’ve looked like Kelsey, but she wasn’t quite acting like she should. Whatever was going on at her school, I knew it was worse than she let on. She didn’t want me to know the truth, which I suppose I understood, because I was in the same boat.
We cleaned up and headed to the rust bucket. Old Faithful, able to make the trek out here. I hoped it would be able to get Kelsey back to her dorm, too.
As we got in, I said, “So you’re here to get your mind off your guy and chase some ass?” Somehow, when it came to Kelsey, that didn’t surprise me. I buckled my seatbelt, even though if we ever got into a crash in this baby, I was pretty sure we’d both die immediately. The airbags probably didn’t even work anymore.
“Hell yeah,” Kelsey said. “Look in the back. I even brought our costumes. Since we’re both poor and all, I told my mom to bring stuff home from work, and she delivered.”
While she spoke, I reached behind us, going into the back seat as I grabbed her backpack full of clothes. I gave her a strange look as she pulled the rust bucket onto the main road. I honestly didn’t see how any costume, let alone two, could fit inside her backpack with her normal clothes and her toothbrush and all that.
And for her mom to have brought it home…
As long as we weren’t dressing up as some lame office supplies, I was down for it. I guess. It wasn’t like I could tell Kelsey no and forbid her from going out. She’d go out regardless, so I best go with her to make sure she was safe and didn’t make any stupid decisions, hooking up the only stupid decision I’d let her make.
“Kelsey,” I started, but she hushed me by telling me where to look.
“Front pocket,” she said, keeping her eyes on the road. I’d have to tell her which parking lot to park the rust bucket in, but that would come after.
What I pulled out made me question my friend’s sanity, and also mine. Because what. The. Hell?
I took out two rectangular stickers. Two inches by four, lined in red. On the top, they stated boldly, Hello, My Name Is… and had a big white area where you were supposed to write your name.
“These are our costumes?” I asked, wanting to both laugh and cry at the state of my life. I loved Kelsey, I did, but this was a bit on the ridiculous side. “Stickers. We’re going to wear stickers? You know any party around here is going to have tons of rich kids in costumes that cost more to insure than this car?”
“Oh, yeah, I’m betting on it. I’m hoping to find someone with at least a decent sense of humor. A man has to make me laugh before taking me to pound-town.” Kelsey flashed me her pearly whites, and I nearly died laughing.
God, it was good to have her back. To see her, to be in her presence. I missed her so much, I didn’t even realize it until now. Kelsey was my sanity, my slightly slutty and silly sanity, and I adored her for it.
“I’m all for getting us equal dick, but I think you should be my wingwoman first—”
Well, at least we were getting this conversation out of the way before we got back to the dorm. I did not need Declan hearing any of this. This was strictly between us two girls, and it would remain that way until we died.
“I’ll be your wingwoman, but I…” I bit the inside of my cheek, not knowing what to say. “Let’s just make it about you, okay? I don’t need any.” In fact, I probably had more dicks available to me than I could juggle, so any more dick was currently off the table. I’d make do, as long as I lived through Ray.
Hard to say, at this point, because the bastard himself hadn’t shown his face since the night of the accident.
I directed Kelsey where to park, and soon we were heading up the elevator, back in the dorm. Declan was already home, his father having dropped him off sometime while we were at dinner. He must’ve just showered, as his hair was wet…but at least he was clothed. With how desperate Kelsey was to forget what was going on back at her school, I knew that if she saw any cute boy shirtless, let alone pant-less, she just might lose it.
Kelsey pushed her way inside the room first, offering her hand to Declan in a greeting he would not be able to run from. “I’m Kelsey,” she said, shifting the backpack on her shoulders as she waited for him to shake her hand. “You must be the cute r
oommate, Declan.”
Cute? Oh, shit. I needed to have a talk with her, ASAP. She could not go around calling Declan cute all weekend. It would only give him the wrong idea—namely, that I’d called him cute. Which I had, but I didn’t need him to know that.
“Uh, yeah,” Declan started, glancing at me with his dark stare. My insides did a few somersaults, and I mentally scolded myself: now is not the time to remember what we did earlier. In fact, forget all about it. No more Declan dick.
“Good to meet you,” Kelsey went on. Once they were done shaking hands, she turned to me with a stupid smile on her face. “He’s so cute, Ash. I can totally see why you’re keeping him to yourself.”
My face flushed at her insinuation that I was purposefully keeping Declan to myself by not sending her a picture of him. She just didn’t know when to quit, did she? Then again, that was one of the reasons why I loved her so much.
She heaved a sigh as she set her bag down on my bed. “I have to pee,” she said, shooting me a look, then Declan. Declan was shocked at her forwardness, his mouth hanging slightly agape. “Just thought you guys should know,” she added with a shrug as she went to the bathroom. The moment she closed the door, she spoke loudly, “Hey, this is actually pretty clean. I’m surprised.”
I let out a chuckle as I glanced to Declan. He was busy watching me like I was the most interesting thing he’d ever seen.
“Cute, huh?” he asked quietly, a small smile growing on his face.
“Yeah, well, don’t let it go to your head.”
“Never,” he swore, still grinning ear to ear like an idiot. Thanks, Kelsey.
I folded my arms across my chest and gave him an unimpressed look, though that look soon lessened in its severity. I asked, “How’s Will?” I shouldn’t care; I knew I shouldn’t, but I did.
“He’s doing okay. Doctors are going to let him go this weekend. My dad now wants him to go live with him, but he’s refusing.” Declan shook his head, leaning on the wall behind him. “He’s stubborn, and he wants to go back to his apartment.”
“You can’t blame him for that. That’s his place. I’d want to go back to my place too, even if that’s where it happened.” I understood Will’s need for his own place more than he could possibly know.
Declan pursed his lips. “He asked about you again.”
I tried to pretend as if Will asking about me didn’t matter. “He did? Why?”
“He’s worried about you.” Declan took a step toward me, gently setting a hand on my side. “He’s not the only one.”
The moment the bathroom door opened, I moved away from Declan as fast as I could, praying that I was nonchalant about it. Kelsey let out a yawn, oblivious to us as she shuffled to her bag and pulled out her toothbrush.
“Do you guys mind if we get an early night tonight? I plan on rocking Hillcrest tomorrow, but I’m feeling jet-lagged from the trip.” Kelsey tossed us both a questioning glance, and I chuckled.
Declan, meanwhile, asked seriously, “How are you jet-lagged from a drive? Don’t you only get that from long plane rides?”
All Kelsey did was laugh and mock whisper to me, “So cute. Definitely a keeper.” She sauntered to the bathroom, saying, “And it’s obvious someone’s never spent a long time in a car before. It’s tiring, you know!”
I stuck my hands in the back pockets of my shorts, giving Declan an apologetic expression. This was going to be our whole weekend. Kelsey had no off switch.
After Kelsey was done in the bathroom, it was my turn. Declan opted to be the last one, actually wearing a shirt tonight, due to the new company. Kelsey and I were already under the covers in my bed, and as Declan flicked off the light in the kitchenette area, he felt the need to ask yet again if we were sure these would be our sleeping arrangements.
“You sure you two are going to be comfortable? One of you can take my bed, if you want.”
Kelsey was tucked in near the wall, and I sat on the outer part of the bed, so I was able to toss him a come on look. “We’re fine, Declan. Promise.”
“Yes, Mom. We’re fine.” Kelsey waved him off.
Declan’s brows furrowed at the Mom bit, but he said nothing as he meandered to his bed and crawled in.
Kelsey muttered, “I’ll give you five bucks if you go over there and cuddle with him all night.” She wasn’t quiet about it, and I rolled my eyes, biting back my laughter. I would not egg her on. Nope.
With a sigh, Declan spoke into the darkness of our room, “I can hear you.”
Kelsey shrugged beside me. “It’s okay. I blew my last twenty on that McDonald’s, so I don’t have a five to give you, anyway.” I felt her head turn, and I knew she was smiling at me in the darkness.
I pulled the covers over our heads and got out my phone. The screen lit up the area, lighting up both mine and Kelsey’s bodies under the blankets. Kelsey’s phone was in her hand as well, and I texted her: I really have missed you.
Her phone was on silent, and the moment the message popped up on her phone, her fingers worked quickly to type something back. I missed you too. Life isn’t the same without seeing your fugly face every day. A pause, then another message: oops. I meant pretty face.
I resisted my urge to smack her, instead typing out, you jerk. I invite you to my place of living, and this is how you treat me?!
To be fair, she wrote back, I invited myself. You were content to keep all the pretty rich boys away from me. You da jerk, not moi.
Hey, feel free to take whatever rich boy you want.
Kelsey waited a moment before responding. So does that mean you’d be okay if I took Declan? Her face turned to look at me, as if waiting for my reaction. JK. I can tell you like him. I’m not blind. I might not be as book smart as you, but I’m not stupid. You like Declan!!!
I do not. He’s just…idk. It’s a long story, okay?
Then tell me.
I thought you wanted to go to sleep after that long car ride? I held back a chuckle when I remembered her saying she was jet-lagged from it.
Yes, but you know I’m always down for gossip. I live on gossip. I breathe gossip. I eat it for all three meals and dessert.
It’s complicated.
We stayed up for a while, texting each other because we couldn’t talk. In a way, it reminded me of what we used to do growing up. Having sleepovers, my mom telling me it was lights out. We’d crawl under the sheets with a flashlight and go through the teen magazines we’d gotten from the school library. We read all the latest celebrity gossip, and we also chose which cute boys we’d date.
God, those were the days. I missed them, I really did. It was such a simpler time, before Hillcrest, before Ray. Before life had grabbed me by the throat and tried to kill me. Yeah…if only time machines were real, right?
But this was nice. This, I realized, just might help make me feel better. I missed Kelsey, I really did. Going to class wasn’t the same without her. This weekend might be exactly what I needed to stay sane in the mess that was currently my life.
This weekend might actually be a good one.
Chapter Twenty – Declan
Kelsey was…an interesting girl. She was nowhere near as pretty as Ash was, in my opinion, but she was beyond bubbly and talkative and quirky in every way. I could see why Ash liked her so much. She complimented Ash’s more reserved personality.
I didn’t know why she had to come this weekend, why Ash couldn’t convince her to come a different weekend, once Will’s attacker was brought to justice—and once the driver of the hit-and-run was found. Were they the same person? At this point, I had no idea. I was at a loss where that was concerned.
We spent most of Saturday walking around campus, showing Kelsey the sights. We introduced her to our student union—which she said was a rich man’s union, because hers was a small one-story building that had a tiny apparel shop, a place where you could buy textbooks, and a few eateries.
Our campus was beautiful compared to hers, apparently.
It was only th
at afternoon that I found out why Kelsey had wanted to come this weekend. Why it had to be this particular weekend and not another: Halloween. Halloween was next Monday, and she wanted to go out and party. The minute I heard her mention partying, I gave Ash a look.
We were back in our dorm, safe from the world’s horrors, and they wanted to go out there and party? Right now was the absolute worst time to drink and party and lose their sense of mind. Ash knew it, too. Why else would she meet my look with a defiant one of her own?
Fierce, unyielding. As if daring me to try to keep her here in the dorm room with me tonight.
I knew I couldn’t, and it broke my heart to think about someone trying to hurt her again. If the hit-and-run wasn’t an accident, if someone had purposely tried to hurt her like they’d done to Will…who would stop them from succeeding this time?
“Maybe I should come,” I said, not really wanting to but willing to do anything to protect the pink-haired girl before me. I leaned on my bed frame. Ash stood near the bathroom, gazing in at Kelsey, who was in front of the mirror, applying makeup.
Ash flipped her head to me, giving me an expression that stopped me cold. “No, you should stay here,” she said.
“Yeah,” Kelsey shouted from the bathroom, “no offense, but I don’t want people thinking I’m with you, you know? You’ll only cramp my style—and believe it or not, I do have some style. Not a lot, but enough.”
Ash muttered something quiet to her friend before moving toward me. As she stood before me, she tilted her face up to meet my eyes. She hadn’t started to get ready yet; her eyes were free of makeup and she still wore her normal, holey clothes. “We’ll be fine, Declan,” she told me, trying to make me believe something I honestly never would.
Not now, not after everything that had happened. I knew better than to assume the same thing an optimist would.
I let out a soft chuckle. “I’ll believe that when you do.”
Ash frowned, a strangely beautiful expression on her pale face. I didn’t want to call her out like that, but it was obvious even she didn’t believe they’d be fine. She’d been weird ever since the accident, and for good reason. If what Travis said was true, then someone was after her. Did she suspect who it was? Did she know?
Skank: A Dark College Bully Romance (Hillcrest University Book 3) Page 16
