The atmosphere feels lighter with her beside me, and I appreciate the company as we chat about everything and nothing while we fold, both of us avoiding the topic of all the things in my life I wish weren’t happening right now. Itturns into a surprisingly enjoyable moment, just as every other moment I spend with my best friend.
I should probably not tell her that Jack also claims me as his best friend now too. She’d probably want to kick his ass.
Then again, maybe I would like to see her try that.
Ezra is supposed to drive the moving truck over and help us load it up once we are finished. I’m super curious to see how she reacts to meeting him.
A half an hour later the room is more of a mess than anything, with half-packed boxes and scattered clothes covering nearly every surface. Kruz is folding a pile of shirts, and I am actively trying to ignore the eerie feeling that always seems to hang in the air. It has obviously never bothered me before, but somehow feels more pronounced now that there’s an actual threat behind it.
"Are you sure you don’t wanna just move in with me?" Kruz asks for the millionth time since I called her and filled her in earlier today. She glances at me while she works. "I mean, moving in with your boss and all. It might be a lot." She gives me a loaded look.
My answer has been the same every time she’s asked. Moving into another dorm room mid-semester would be such a hassle, especially with all the paperwork and approvals involved. Kruz had a roommate, but they left after a few weeks, so there’s a vacancy, but it’s never as simple as just shifting into a new space.
She knows all that’s gone on between me and Jack, thanks to our constant stream of texts and nightly phone calls. I tell her everything, even though I knew she’d be smug as fuck with her I-told-you-so attitude.
She’s lucky she’s cute.
I pause, a stack of books in my arms. "I don't really have a choice," I admit, my voice tinged with anxiety. I try to suppress itfor her sake, but at the same time I do want her to know exactly how I am feeling about this.
Besties endure their anxieties together, and I can’t protect her from life anymore than I can protect myself from it. It would be unfair for me to not be real with her about this.
"With everything that's been happening... I just can't stay here anymore.” I drop the books into a half-filled box. “In the dorms at all, I mean,” I add. “It doesn’t feel safe, and I especially don’t want to drag you into that. Besides, it’ll be easier with Sienna and Kronk if I’m there all the time. And the lack of commuting will be nice."
Kruz nods suspiciously, seemingly understanding the words I don’t say aloud; that I want to be with Jack too. “This is honestly a nightmare,” she groans. The sound is a great representation of how I feel about it. "Maybe the change in scenery will be good for you."
"Yeah," I reply, forcing a smile. "Plus, no more ghosties." I wiggle my fingers.
Kruz snorts. "You know I won't miss that. This place is creepy as hell."
She will probably find Jack’s house just as creepy, if not creepier.
I suppress the urge to humThe Addams Familytheme song out loud and settle for just humming it in my head.
We work in companionable silence for a while, the room slowly emptying as we pack away my lame life. I can’t shake the feeling of being watched, but I push it aside, focusing on finishing and getting the hell out of here.
"Remember that time you forced me to try and have a séance in here with you?" Kruz asks, eyeing me with a small amount of contempt. "I’ve never been so scared in my fucking life."
I laugh at the memory and my mood lightens a smidge because it’s one of my favorites. "How could I forget? You nearly jumped out of your skin when the candle flickered."
"That wasn't just a flicker. It was definitely something from the other side," she protests, not seeing the same amusement in the memory as I do.
"Sure, sure," I tease, nodding my head.
"You should be glad I’m even here right now," she says, flipping me off.
I’m more glad than she’ll ever know.
“Maybe living in a haunted dorm finally caught up to me.” She gives me a flat look, but I smile. It’s a genuine, relieved smile. "Here's to new beginnings," I say, raising an imaginary glass.
"A new beginning with a hot dad," she echoes, and honestly she’s not wrong.
As we pack the last of the boxes, I can’t help but be a little giddy despite everything.
Jack
The sun has already set when the moving truck pulls up the driveway. Ezra offered to help them pack it up and drive it over, which made my life much easier because I didn’t have to wake Sienna from her early bedtime once the girls finished packing up.
I’m surprised when he steps down out of the truck and Stu doesn’t pop out the other side. He’s probably working late. No doubt he’d have been downright giddy to hang around Quinn without me there for an hour or so, if only just to annoy me.
