Tanner’s expensive-looking
wristwatch.
“ What time is it?” I felt
my stomach sinking.
He glanced down at his wrist. “Five of
five — why?”
“ Shit,” I said, feeling in
my bag for where my printed paper was still sitting in its manila
folder. I’d forgotten all about it. “I’ve gotta go, I’m
sorry—”
I had four and a half minutes to get
back to the English department, find my professor’s office, and get
the paper in his mailbox.
I took off at a sprint.
“ Next time—” I yelled over
my shoulder.
I was still running when I heard
Tanner’s voice behind me, barely audible over the wind whipping
around my face.
“ I’m holding you to
that...”
Before I could stop
myself, I let out a laugh. Don’t hold your
breath , I thought, still running at full
speed towards the English Department.
Chapter Eleven
I didn’t hear from Blake until after
dinner, and by then I was back in our room, tying to listen while
Darby explained to me the ins and outs of how the weekend would
go.
We’d both gotten in to
Kappa.
I’d almost forgotten about out our
bids until I walked in the door and Darby waved the envelope at me,
grinning like a madwoman.
She was still on the phone with her
mom. I guessed it had been about three hours at this
point.
Tonight there was a low-key party just
for girls, Darby informed me, but tomorrow was the real
fun.
“ I mean, how could it not
be?” She said, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
“ Right,” I said, dropping
my bag on the bed. “And, um… why is that again?”
Darby rolled her eyes at me, pointing
to an overstuffed shopping bag in the corner of the room.
“Halloween? Come on, Casey. You can’t seriously be this
clueless.”
I exhaled, remembering the afternoon
Darby and I had spent shopping for costumes before rush started.
She’d gone with “Sexy Dorothy” from the Wizard of Oz — which was
kind of redundant, because there really weren’t any un-sexy Dorothy
costumes in the store. I’d bought a “Sexy Bride” costume, a pair of
black lace gloves, and a bunch of cheap necklaces, and planned to
crimp my hair and go as Madonna circa 1985. I’d actually been
pretty excited about it.
My phone beeped, saving me from
responding. I flipped it open and read the text.
Back in room. Sorry to be
MIA. Mtgs.
Meetings? Since when did Blake have
meetings?
“ Darby, I’ve gotta go,” I
said, giving her what I hoped was an enthusiastic smile. “I’m so
excited, though — really.”
She shrugged, turning back to her
computer. “Whatever,” she said, still facing the screen.
I hesitated for a second, wondering if
something was wrong. But Darby would be there when I got back — and
there was definitely something going on with Blake. I grabbed my
bag and walked out, trying not to let the door slam behind
me.
Blake’s room was in a little better
shape than it had been earlier in the day, and I felt some of the
tension leave my shoulders when I knocked on the door and he
answered it, giving me a half smile.
“ Hey,” he opened the door
a little wider to let me in.
“ Is everything okay?” I
stepped past him and into the room, relieved that for once, Ethan
was apparently out doing something on a Friday night.
“ Oh, yeah,” he said a
little too quickly, his eyes flickering over me and back to his
computer. “Fine — everything’s fine.”
“ What were the meetings?”
I looked at Blake, and he finally seemed to register my concern.
Taking a step towards me, he put both his arms around me and pulled
me into him.
“ Nothing, Casey. It’s
fine. Don’t worry, really.”
I looked up at his bright blue eyes,
the first thing I noticed about him when we’d met in person. They
always seemed too perfect for real life, like something
photoshopped on a movie poster or a billboard twenty feet
high.
He exhaled deeply, and I felt him run
his fingers through my hair.
“ It’s fine,” he repeated,
half to himself this time, and
wristwatch.
“ What time is it?” I felt
my stomach sinking.
He glanced down at his wrist. “Five of
five — why?”
“ Shit,” I said, feeling in
my bag for where my printed paper was still sitting in its manila
folder. I’d forgotten all about it. “I’ve gotta go, I’m
sorry—”
I had four and a half minutes to get
back to the English department, find my professor’s office, and get
the paper in his mailbox.
I took off at a sprint.
“ Next time—” I yelled over
my shoulder.
I was still running when I heard
Tanner’s voice behind me, barely audible over the wind whipping
around my face.
“ I’m holding you to
that...”
Before I could stop
myself, I let out a laugh. Don’t hold your
breath , I thought, still running at full
speed towards the English Department.
Chapter Eleven
I didn’t hear from Blake until after
dinner, and by then I was back in our room, tying to listen while
Darby explained to me the ins and outs of how the weekend would
go.
We’d both gotten in to
Kappa.
I’d almost forgotten about out our
bids until I walked in the door and Darby waved the envelope at me,
grinning like a madwoman.
She was still on the phone with her
mom. I guessed it had been about three hours at this
point.
Tonight there was a low-key party just
for girls, Darby informed me, but tomorrow was the real
fun.
“ I mean, how could it not
be?” She said, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
“ Right,” I said, dropping
my bag on the bed. “And, um… why is that again?”
Darby rolled her eyes at me, pointing
to an overstuffed shopping bag in the corner of the room.
“Halloween? Come on, Casey. You can’t seriously be this
clueless.”
I exhaled, remembering the afternoon
Darby and I had spent shopping for costumes before rush started.
She’d gone with “Sexy Dorothy” from the Wizard of Oz — which was
kind of redundant, because there really weren’t any un-sexy Dorothy
costumes in the store. I’d bought a “Sexy Bride” costume, a pair of
black lace gloves, and a bunch of cheap necklaces, and planned to
crimp my hair and go as Madonna circa 1985. I’d actually been
pretty excited about it.
My phone beeped, saving me from
responding. I flipped it open and read the text.
Back in room. Sorry to be
MIA. Mtgs.
Meetings? Since when did Blake have
meetings?
“ Darby, I’ve gotta go,” I
said, giving her what I hoped was an enthusiastic smile. “I’m so
excited, though — really.”
She shrugged, turning back to her
computer. “Whatever,” she said, still facing the screen.
I hesitated for a second, wondering if
something was wrong. But Darby would be there when I got back — and
there was definitely something going on with Blake. I grabbed my
bag and walked out, trying not to let the door slam behind
me.
Blake’s room was in a little better
shape than it had been earlier in the day, and I felt some of the
tension leave my shoulders when I knocked on the door and he
answered it, giving me a half smile.
“ Hey,” he opened the door
a little wider to let me in.
“ Is everything okay?” I
stepped past him and into the room, relieved that for once, Ethan
was apparently out doing something on a Friday night.
“ Oh, yeah,” he said a
little too quickly, his eyes flickering over me and back to his
computer. “Fine — everything’s fine.”
“ What were the meetings?”
I looked at Blake, and he finally seemed to register my concern.
Taking a step towards me, he put both his arms around me and pulled
me into him.
“ Nothing, Casey. It’s
fine. Don’t worry, really.”
I looked up at his bright blue eyes,
the first thing I noticed about him when we’d met in person. They
always seemed too perfect for real life, like something
photoshopped on a movie poster or a billboard twenty feet
high.
He exhaled deeply, and I felt him run
his fingers through my hair.
“ It’s fine,” he repeated,
half to himself this time, and
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