“Totally was. They were probably after your brother or his heathen friends. Like, seriously, how does he think that place is safer for you than our little dorm?”
“No clue.” Due to the fact that he has all the guards there, probably.
“Let’s have Ces talk to him. She obviously isn’t scared of the whole dark lord aura mojo he has going on… Speak of the devil!”
We arrive at the cafeteria we often eat lunch in. We, as in, Ava, Cecily, Glyndon—the girls I stay with—and Remington, Brandon, and…him.
The boy with ocean eyes and an intimidating presence.
Though when we get to the table, Cecily and Remi are bickering over some fries and Bran is trying to mediate. I don’t see Glyndon andhimanywhere.
I try to ignore the knot in my chest but fail.
Ava and I take the vacant seats and I smile at Bran when his eyes meet mine. “Where’s Glyn?”
“I’m surprised you still ask about that traitor, honestly.” Ava huffs. “She’s probably out there getting the D.”
Bran pushes his plate away, his nose scrunched. “Not the image I needed of my little sister.”
Ava throws a French fry in her mouth. “That’s why I said the D and not the dick.”
Remi slides over super smoothly and grins. “Did someone mention a dick?”
“Oh, look at this. Someone recognizes they are one.” Cecily crosses her arms over her shirt, on which there’s a cute cat with a gun shooting the wordsPew, pew, mudafaka.
“One?” Remi’s lips pull up in a Cheshire cat grin, and it still doesn’t take away from his symmetrically handsome face. “Say the word, Ces. D-I-C-K. Don’t be a prude.”
She flips her silver hair back. “Prude? I prefer boundaries.”
“Yawn.” Remi pretends to have fallen asleep. “Wake my lordship up when this nerd starts having a life.”
That’s what Remi calls himself, ‘my lordship,’ because of his noble blood. While everyone else sees it as arrogance, I find it super endearing.
He has the personality of a carefree angel—though Ava and Cecily would argue that he’s a hedonist devil. Remi was one of the first people who warmed up to me instantly and I will never forget that.
“Stop it.” Bran nudges him.
Cecily is ready for round one thousand of bickering but then sees me and backtracks. “Oh, Anni. Are you okay?”
“Totally cool. Physically examined by Ava herself.”
“That’s right.” My friend strokes her cello. “She’s okay from the outside.”
“Do they know who did it?” Cecily asks.
“No idea. You know I don’t get involved in that.” I smile, pulling out my food container.
My OCD can be triggered by tiny, stupid details like how one of my salad containers isn’t at the same level as the others.
My blood pushes against my rib cage and the sounds of the cafeteria start to get drowned out.
I quickly unclasp the containers full of healthy food, organize them in front of me, and only breathe when they’re perfect.
The noise from the outside world slithers back in slowly but surely.
“Who else could it be?” Remi leans back in his chair, sipping from his iced coffee. “Probably the Serpents.”
“Aren’t they from the same uni?” Ava asks. “Our club is more likely to have a beef with them.”