thinly-plucked eyebrow at Ari, still in her uniform.
"I'm not hungry," Ari responded without looking up. Brittany dragged out half her closet and tried most of it on, throwing the rest into a heap. Ari turned with a frown, sitting backward on her chair. "That better stay on your side." She watched with horrified interest as the pile grew bigger and bigger.
Brittany just glared at her. "I have to wear just the right thing. I'm sitting with Shane and his friends tonight."
"Good for you. That’s so exciting." Ari rolled her eyes.
"You know, you should care that he takes the time to walk you to your classes. It's not like he likes you or anything, that's just how he is. He takes care of all new students," Brittany said as she pulled on a bright pink fuzzy sweater that fell low on her shoulders and a denim mini-skirt over bright leggings.
"You look like a unicorn threw up on you." Ari crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back against her desk in amusement.
Brittany's green eyes widened in outrage. "I didn't ask for your opinion!" she cried.
"Well, that's a lot of pink." Ari shrugged and turned back to her homework. She could feel Brittany's glare boring a hole in the back of her head, and then she heard her moving around and the soft ruffling of clothes. When she glanced back at her roommate again, it was just in time to see her flounce out the door. At least she had traded the bright pink leggings for black ones. Grateful that her banshee-roommate had finally left, she turned back to history.
****
As Ari and Livi walked out of Calculus several days later, Ari had to force herself to not scan the halls. But she felt those dark blue eyes on her before she looked up and saw him. Shane was leaning against the wall, surrounded by girls, but he was watching her . Her heart took off at a run, leaving her struggling for breath. He met her eyes, a mischievous smile playing around the corners of his mouth, and then he was telling his admirers he'd talk to them later and falling into step beside her.
"Hey, Liv," he said. Ari watched the group of girls, most of whom were glaring at her.
"I think you just made me a bunch of enemies." She sighed.
"What?" He glanced behind him, baffled.
Livi took pity on him and changed the subject. "We're heading to lunch. Wanna join us?"
"Of course," Shane responded with a wink, turning his attention back to them.
"Have you cleared this with the boss yet?" Ari was sarcastic. Just a bit.
"The boss?" Livi asked, her small face wrinkled in confusion as she darted through the crowds of students.
Shane cast Ari an exasperated look.
"Hunter," Ari told Liv.
“Ah,” Livi said with an understanding smile.
"He's not—" Shane started, but Ari interrupted.
"And I'm wondering. Why is it okay for you to be surrounded by those girls?” Ari’s eyes flew back toward the group of girls still watching Shane leave. “Or Livi or Nev? What's he got against me? I'm new. He doesn't even know me."
"They aren't a threat." Shane’s eyes danced.
A threat. Well, this is new. I’m a threat and it has absolutely nothing to do with being a monster. Ari thought, somewhat delighted at the concept.
****
Ari ate her dinner in her dorm room while she attempted to do her calculus homework. Brittany sat next to her, pretending to work but mostly just pointedly ignoring her. So when the shiny red phone started to vibrate it startled both of them.
"Good grief! Do you mind? I'm trying to study here!" Brittany yelped as she nearly fell backward off her chair. Ari choked on a laugh as she snatched up the phone.
Will. Her face split into a grin and she punched the answer button. "Will! Hey!" she said. Aware of Brittany's curious stare and disliking it, she headed outside.
"Hey baby sister. How's the new school?" Will asked, and she could picture him with that easy grin, his black and red hair messy, his big brown eyes sparkling.
"It's… okay, actually. I even made some kind-of friends. At least, I have people
"I'm not hungry," Ari responded without looking up. Brittany dragged out half her closet and tried most of it on, throwing the rest into a heap. Ari turned with a frown, sitting backward on her chair. "That better stay on your side." She watched with horrified interest as the pile grew bigger and bigger.
Brittany just glared at her. "I have to wear just the right thing. I'm sitting with Shane and his friends tonight."
"Good for you. That’s so exciting." Ari rolled her eyes.
"You know, you should care that he takes the time to walk you to your classes. It's not like he likes you or anything, that's just how he is. He takes care of all new students," Brittany said as she pulled on a bright pink fuzzy sweater that fell low on her shoulders and a denim mini-skirt over bright leggings.
"You look like a unicorn threw up on you." Ari crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back against her desk in amusement.
Brittany's green eyes widened in outrage. "I didn't ask for your opinion!" she cried.
"Well, that's a lot of pink." Ari shrugged and turned back to her homework. She could feel Brittany's glare boring a hole in the back of her head, and then she heard her moving around and the soft ruffling of clothes. When she glanced back at her roommate again, it was just in time to see her flounce out the door. At least she had traded the bright pink leggings for black ones. Grateful that her banshee-roommate had finally left, she turned back to history.
****
As Ari and Livi walked out of Calculus several days later, Ari had to force herself to not scan the halls. But she felt those dark blue eyes on her before she looked up and saw him. Shane was leaning against the wall, surrounded by girls, but he was watching her . Her heart took off at a run, leaving her struggling for breath. He met her eyes, a mischievous smile playing around the corners of his mouth, and then he was telling his admirers he'd talk to them later and falling into step beside her.
"Hey, Liv," he said. Ari watched the group of girls, most of whom were glaring at her.
"I think you just made me a bunch of enemies." She sighed.
"What?" He glanced behind him, baffled.
Livi took pity on him and changed the subject. "We're heading to lunch. Wanna join us?"
"Of course," Shane responded with a wink, turning his attention back to them.
"Have you cleared this with the boss yet?" Ari was sarcastic. Just a bit.
"The boss?" Livi asked, her small face wrinkled in confusion as she darted through the crowds of students.
Shane cast Ari an exasperated look.
"Hunter," Ari told Liv.
“Ah,” Livi said with an understanding smile.
"He's not—" Shane started, but Ari interrupted.
"And I'm wondering. Why is it okay for you to be surrounded by those girls?” Ari’s eyes flew back toward the group of girls still watching Shane leave. “Or Livi or Nev? What's he got against me? I'm new. He doesn't even know me."
"They aren't a threat." Shane’s eyes danced.
A threat. Well, this is new. I’m a threat and it has absolutely nothing to do with being a monster. Ari thought, somewhat delighted at the concept.
****
Ari ate her dinner in her dorm room while she attempted to do her calculus homework. Brittany sat next to her, pretending to work but mostly just pointedly ignoring her. So when the shiny red phone started to vibrate it startled both of them.
"Good grief! Do you mind? I'm trying to study here!" Brittany yelped as she nearly fell backward off her chair. Ari choked on a laugh as she snatched up the phone.
Will. Her face split into a grin and she punched the answer button. "Will! Hey!" she said. Aware of Brittany's curious stare and disliking it, she headed outside.
"Hey baby sister. How's the new school?" Will asked, and she could picture him with that easy grin, his black and red hair messy, his big brown eyes sparkling.
"It's… okay, actually. I even made some kind-of friends. At least, I have people
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