“Not what you meant? How strange because it’s what you fucking said. So …” I spread my hands slightly in faux curiosity. “I’m genuinely dying to know who you agreed to this whole thing here with.”
With open hands, I gesticulated between him and me, drawing circles in the air.
“Just drop it, Sierra. This was a mistake. I shouldn’t have come.”
I laughed sardonically. “Wow. Look at that. You’re actually right — for the first time ever. But as you and I both know, I’m not one for sweeping things like that under the rug. I wonder what the administration would think if they knew you guys continued hazing. You don’t honestly think I didn’t notice that you guys were forcing the freshmen to get completely hammered at that one party, do you?”
David raised his hands defensively. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. And even if I did,” he shook his head slowly, “I’d take the disciplinary action for that. Maybe you should get your own house in order before you come at me. Trust me, Sierra, you don’t want to fuck with us because we’ve got enough shit on you too.”
What the fuck was he talking about?
He put a hand on the handle of the door, mockingly offering me a two-finger salute. “I’m outta here. This isn’t worth it.”
The cogs in my head were working in overdrive as I gave him a contemptuous finger wave, along with a flippant “Bye-bye.”
An uneasy feeling spread through the pit of my stomach. Something was up — I just had to find out what.
Nine
Sierra
“Why is it that every single dude at this school sucks?” Ella plopped down in an empty chair across from me and blew the baby hairs off her forehead. “I’m serious, please explain. Use simple words. Maybe I’ll understand.”
With a raised eyebrow, I peered over the edge of my laptop screen at her. “And I care about that because…?”
“Because deep down you love me, you just don’t know it yet,” she said, her tone matter-of-fact.
You have got to be shitting me.
“You’ve got me figured out,” I drawled. “Can we get on with the project now?”
Ella fished her laptop out of her bag, her long ponytail swinging over her shoulder as she continued to mumble to herself. I feared this topic wasn’t over yet.
It wasn’t that I didn’t like her, but rather an old habit of mine to not let people get close to me.
Loose pieces of paper, a lip gloss, several hair ties, and many other odds and ends spilled out of her bag. I looked at her in horror and slight disgust. “How can you live like this?”
“What are you talking about?” Surprise showed on her face as she stuffed everything messily back into her bag.
Exasperated, I pointed at the clutter in her bag. “This right here! Ever heard oforganization? How do you even find anything in that thing?”
Ella chuckled. “Life’s too short for organization.”
I repeat, you have got to be shitting me.“Heathen,” I mumbled, causing her to giggle.
For a while, we concentrated on our assignment, only exchanging comments here and there. When someone noisily dragged a chair out from under the table two seats away, we both looked up.
One of David’s fraternity brothers caught my gaze, only to pull an awkward grimace and look around for a different seat in the library. Wuss.
Ella threw her arms in the air. “See? This is how it always goes. They see me and run off,” she said, bewildered. “I didn’t even know that dude! That’s a new low. It usually happens later on.”
The corner of my mouth twitched. “It wasn’t because of you. That guy ran away because of me. He’s in the same fraternity as my ex, and apparently I’m persona non grata there.”
Figures. Why would it be the man who had cheated who was shunned?Thatwould make too much sense.
“Embarrassing,” Ella said, her tone bored.
My head snapped in her direction, and I fixed her with a piercing stare. “Excuse me?”
