“Uh, sure. Who doesn’t?”
“Then come on.” He hops up and shoos me after Leo and Avery.
Somehow, the four of us squeeze comfortably in the narrow galley kitchen. It’s windowless, but it’s a quaint little space. Everything is half-sized, including the stove, fridge, and dishwasher. I want to ask Avery how she affords this place, because I know the rent has to be steep. My guess? She comes from money, but she doesn’t want anybody to acknowledge it.
As I study her in the better light, I notice how pretty she is. She has a heart-shaped face and hazel eyes. She also has a pin-up girl figure. Next to her, I look like an underfed, pre-teen boy.
Leo presents me with an open snack bag. Blindly, I reach in, and to my shock, pull out a dark pink blob. With sprinkles. I must be giving Leo a what-the-heck-is-this face because he chuckles and shows me the label.
“Iced animal crackers,” he says, grinning like a little boy. “You’ve never had them?”
I shake my head and Avery laughs.
“Leo’s addicted to them. Watch him. He’ll eat the entire bag.”
Aaron grabs a blob and tosses it into his mouth. “They’re good.”
I follow suit, figuring they have to be better than the stale pizza crust I could be snacking on right now. As I bite through the silky frosting, it occurs to me that this is the first time since I got here that I’ve thought about O-Chi and Zander. Guilt and fear do a little dance in my belly. I reassure myself that I’m not doing anything wrong—well, other than lying about not feeling well. But as I look around at the three people I’ve chosen to spend the evening with, I get the sudden feeling I’ve gone out to sea on a boat with no sails and no rudder. I might land in a tropical paradise, or I might end up dashed to pieces on the rocks.
Mindlessly, I munch on crackers while we talk. I learn Avery is a junior majoring in art history and Aaron is a senior double-majoring in music and computer science. Avery surprises me by showing me some drawings in her sketchbook. I guess she’s decided I’m a potential friend.
“This is what I really want to do,” she tells meas she flips through pages and pages of beautiful drawings—beautiful in a startling, macabre sort of way. “But my parents wouldn’t foot the bill for a studio art degree.”
Aaron peers over my shoulder at her sketches. “I keep telling her she needs to illustrate album covers. Her drawings are so Metal.”
“And you are so not.” She sticks her tongue out at him, 80s hair-band style, and makes devil horns with her fingers. There’s a silver stud right through the middle of her tongue that looks kinda awesome. But god, if I did that, my parents would flip.
“Do you have any tattoos?” I ask her.
She looks impressed and pleased. “Two. But I can’t show you with these two losers around.”
“We know where they are,” Aaron admits.
Leo looks up from the dying plant he’s talking to. “And what they are.”
Avery winks at me. “I’ll show you some other time.”
Some other time. Like she expects to see me again. I’ve gotten past her initiation, it seems, and seeing as neither of the guys object, I’ve gotten past theirs too. I’m surprised at the relief and pleasure this gives me. KPT welcomed me with open arms, yet all I wanted was to get away from them. But Aaron, Avery, and Leo? I’m actually enjoying my time with them.
We take our snacks and drinks back into the living room and spend the rest of the evening playing poker, of all things.
“We don’t play for money,” Aaron reassures me.
Avery laughs, “Because Leo’s always broke.”
“Not always,” he protests. “Just most of the time.”
Aaron leans in to tell me, “He blew all his money at Oxford last year.”
“Oxford?” I blurt. “As in England, Oxford?”
Leo nods. I want to ask him a zillion questions, but Aaron has dealt the cards and everyone else is already assessing their hand. I set aside my curiosity and trade in my two of clubs and seven of diamonds.
Thanks to all the practice I’ve gotten at O-Chi, I’m a decent poker player. The others, not so much. Aaron is too cautious and Avery too reckless. Leo has a great poker face, but tonight the luck of the deal isn’t on his side. By the end of the evening, the biggest stack of animal crackers is at my elbow.
“Here.” I slide half the pile over to Leo. “I’ll share with you.”
“Thank you.” As he smiles, he lazily blinks, giving me plenty of time to admire those thick, black lashes.
