“Then I need to try out some makeup looks on you.”
I sighed hotly. “No.”
“We’re getting you ready for this party and you’re going to look stunning. What you’re not going to do is spend your last few days of freedom doing something you should’ve done over the summer. You didn’t finish? Tough shit. Time to have some fun before our lives get sucked away with school. Got it?”
I watched with tired eyes as she flounced out of the room. How Hannah always walked with grace and poise was beyond me. Her blunt-cut blond hair swished along her shoulders as she disappeared into the hallway, leaving me to my own devices. I got up and retrieved my book from the floor and dusted it off before I sat back down at my desk.
I cracked the book back open to the last few pages. I only had thirty more pages to finish, and then I’d be able to plot my route around campus. I knew Hannah would be gone longer than ten minutes, too. Which meant I had plenty of time to get this done. But as I read, I kept focusing on my jeans. The ones I had fallen asleep in. I kept focusing on my mismatched socks and the long-sleeved shirt I had on.
What’
s wrong with this outfit?
It grew hard to concentrate. I mean, I’d never been a self-conscious person. But was it not enough for me to go to a party like this simply by myself? That didn’t sit right with me. I didn’t like wearing skirts and dresses and makeup and jewelry like Hannah did. Was that not okay? My head spun with all sorts of things she might make me do for this party. So much so that I barely got through the last pages of my required reading for the semester.
And just as I set my book off to the side, my door flew open.
“Hi! Sorry. Hiding from someone.”
I whipped my head over toward the door and saw someone barreling in. A guy dressed in all black, with black boots and a scuffed black leather jacket and…
The guy on the rusty motorcycle?
“Uh, hi,” I said.
He waved before he closed my door. “This okay? Hope it’s okay. Just need a few minutes.”
He walked over and helped himself to Hannah’s desk chair.
“So what’s your name?”
I blinked. “Get out.”
He snickered. “Interesting name. I’m Benji.”
“Hi, Benji. Get out.”
“Just a couple more minutes. I’m sure I’ll be good by then.”
“I give you none of those. Now, out.”
He snickered. “You’re a hard one, aren’t you?”
“What does that mean?”
“Usually, women don’t complain when I barge into their room.”
My voice flattened. “You're not my type.”
He nodded. “Good to know.”
But he still didn’t move.
I studied him as he sat there, listening intently to the hallway. He was tall, with long, lanky legs and arms. In fact, the kid was pretty lanky all over, with messy dark brown hair and imposing eyes.
“Making enemies before the semester even starts?” I asked.
He grinned. “Fuck yeah. It’s better than what you’re doing, sitting in here by yourself.”