Throughout the day, I try to contact both my mom and Rob, bt Rob doesn’t answer my calls or texts. My mom does, at least, mostly complaining about how Declan refuses to let her out of his sight.
I swear he’ll go into the bathroom with me if I would allow him!
I couldn’t even laugh at that. My mom didn’t even want my father in the room when she gave birth either time because she wanted the fewest number of people to see her as possible while she was compromised.
Finally, the day is over. I ate dinner with Michaela and the others and a ton of other people too. They all wanted to get to know me, especially the girls Joey harassed before. Thankfully, Michaela is as outgoing and bubbly as Robyn is, so she tells them all over and over again what happened because I’m not in the mood to rehash it a hundred times.
If this is being a legend… I’m not so sure this is what I want after all.
After dinner, I head to the library to get some work done since I’m a little behind, but even there, I can’t catch a break or a moment of peace, and I finally opt to leave.
Even though I call Rob again and send him one last text, there’s still no answer. I hate that I’m going to have to look like an idiot. Why did I even bother to tell Lauren I wouldn’t be coming back tonight? Not that I strictly care what she thinks about me, but I still know she’s going to judge me and laugh at me behind my back and maybe even to my face. Fuck. I’m not in the mood for that, but I’m not cut out for wandering around tonight, not after what happened last night, and so many people have come up to me already as I’ve been heading to my dorm. All I want is to be left alone.
I head to my room. To my surprise, the door is locked. So Lauren’s not in. Good. Maybe I’ll be able to fall asleep before she gets back. Wouldn’t that be nice? Then I won’t have to deal with her bullshit.
But why isn’t Rob answering me? Has he decided to give up on me? Maybe my wanting sex instead of a conversation really rubbed him the wrong way enough that he wants nothing to do with me. Fuck me. I don’t know how or when it happened, but I already can’t help needing him in my life.
I unlock the door and open it and am shocked to realize my room isn’t empty after all. Kora Kincade, the goth girl from next door, stands at Lauren’s dresser, the top drawer open. She’s rifling through Lauren’s stuff!
“What the hell are you doing?” I demand as I shut the door.
Kora whirls around. She has a shirt of Lauren’s in her hand, and she guiltily shoves her hand behind her back. “Ah…”
“It’s been you this entire time?” I ask. “You’re the one who has been touching my stuff? Have you stolen anything of mine? Of Lauren’s?”
“I… ah…”
“Have you?” I ask coolly, stalking toward her.
Kora turns around and drops the shirt into the drawer. “I’ll just be going now…”
“Not until you answer me.” I cross my arms as I slide over to block the bathroom.
Kora makes a face. Her goth makeup is on point tonight, but she somehow looks paler than normal.
“I, ah, have… issues,” Kora says.
“What kind of issues?” I ask haughtily.
Kora grinds her teeth and sighs. “I’ll give it back. All of it. I… I…”
“You’re a klepto, aren’t you?”
She bites her lower lip and slowly nods. “I’m sorry! I didn’t even wear the stuff! I don’t know why… I…”
She dashes around me to the bathroom. I follow her over to her room, and she grabs a bunch of items, including some of my shirts and a ring that I hadn’t realized had gone missing.
“You, ah, aren’t going to tell Lauren, are you?” Kora asks.
“Honestly, Kora, that might be the least of your worries,” I murmur. “You need help. Are you going to get it? Does your roommate know about your tendency to compulsively steal things?”
Kora rubs the back of her neck. “I’ve been trying to do better, but, ah, you might want to lock your side of the bathroom…”
I grimace. Clearly, she doesn’t plan on getting any help, and that infuriates me, but what can I do? Nothing but protect my stuff and Lauren’s.
Without another word, I march back over to my side and lock the bathroom door so she can’t enter our room. Wow, tonight sure hasn’t gone as planned. First Rob’s blown me off and now, Kora’s been stealing my stuff. Why does it feel like there’s another shoe that’s going to drop any second now?
CHAPTER32