I bit my lip as she tried again and met my eyes with a proud smile. “Very good. Now you try.”
“Resingo,” I repeated and reached for it. The latch flipped up with no effort, and I opened the lip. “I did it!”
“Indeed, you are a very quick learner.”
By the time we finished our lesson, I had several missed calls and texts from Hannah, asking when I wanted to start getting ready for the party. It was all she and the guys could talk about all week, so I sent her a text on my way back to the dorm.
Saige: Party??
Hannah: You’re hilarious
Saige: It’s not even eleven yet
Hannah: Exactly. Time is flying by
Saige: I’m almost back. I’ll come to your room
She was waiting for me in the hall when I stepped off the elevator as if I might try to sneak by and hide in my room. Which was tempting. And now I knew how to lock myself inside without the risk of being disturbed.
“Come on!” She swung her arm, herding me in.
Last week at this time, I was alone with Theo meeting horses. That felt like a lifetime ago. I didn’t even know him then. Just that he was friends with my new friends and had the most amazing smile. Oh, and that he was a hybrid. And that I felt sparks when we touched.
Just little details.
The weekend long study session changed so much. It was like weeks’ worth of hanging out and getting to know all of them condensed into two days. I was already comfortable around them and felt like a real part of their group.
“These are my options. What’s your first impression?” She crossed her arms and stared down at her bed like her outfit choice would change the course of the entire universe.
Back home . . . pre-Drexel . . . PD my friends went to parties, but my overprotective parents rarely allowed me to go. And the PD parties never really appealed to me either. Seeing my classmates get drunk on cheap beer and make poor decisions the entire school would hear about before Monday didn’t scream “fun” to me.
Hannah assured me the parties here weren’t like that. I was not convinced.
“I think you’ll be cold in that.” I pointed to the tiny silver dress.
“I can warm the air around me,” she countered.
I lowered my finger to the stilettos on the floor. “You can’t walk in the forest in those.”
She sighed and put her hands on her hips while I checked out the other options. “Hannah, none of these seem like you.”
Her lips pursed, turning white.
“It’s not that they aren’t cute, but I can’t see you walking around in this all night.” I held up a skin-tight jumpsuit.
Her shoulders slumped, and her whole demeanor changed from defiance to defeat, and she lowered herself to the floor.
“Hey? What’s wrong?” I sat in front of her, tossing the jumpsuit to the other side of the room.
“I know this isn’t me.” She stared up at the skimpy dresses with the saddest eyes. “But beingmeisn’t working. It’s not enough. I thought maybe if I tried something new . . .”
She didn’t finish, but she didn’t have to. This was one problem that faced all teenage girls, regardless of their supernatural status. “You thought Daniel would notice you? As more than his friend?”
She nodded, picking at the white fluffy rug that covered the red carpet. “You don’t need to go over how dumb I am. I know. It’s stupid to change for a boy. If he liked me, I wouldn’tneedto change. I shouldn’t dress in things I’m not comfortable in just to try to get his attention.”
“Would you really want to be with a guy that plan worked on? That means that he’s only interested in your body.”
“I know.” Her voice was so small. I wanted to give her a hug and tell her he was stupid and not worth her time, but we both knew that wasn’t true. Well, not the second half. He was stupid for not realizing what was right in front of him.