Total pages in book: 115
Estimated words: 112449 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 562(@200wpm)___ 450(@250wpm)___ 375(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 112449 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 562(@200wpm)___ 450(@250wpm)___ 375(@300wpm)
“Got it,” we chorused.
“Okay.” She passed to the guy next to her. “You first.”
My blanket mate tapped me. “Hey, mind if we share? I forgot to pack a lunch.”
“Didn’t you read the information packet?”
She shrugged. “Lost it.”
I gaped like she said she lost her kid in a shopping mall and couldn’t be bothered to go back and get them.
“Uh, yeah.” I slid over half my sandwich. “Hope you like caprese sandwiches.”
She took a bite and moaned. “I do now.”
I passed over the kettle chips and my spare water bottle too. It was ingrained a long time ago to make more food than I’d eat. Older sisters were forever stealing food off your plate.
“Your turn,” chirped Zoey.
It took me a second to realize she was looking at me.
“Oh, sorry. Mine is Rainey Day Afternoon.”
“Rainey?” A guy in glasses and suspenders slurped a beer I assumed he was old enough to drink. “Is Rainey your name?”
“Yep, Rainey’s my name, so what’s the movie?”
“Ooh, ooh,” cried a girl across from me. “I got it. It’s dog. Dog Day Afternoon!”
“Got it in one.”
Suspenders Guy laughed. “Is that really your favorite movie, or could you just not resist the symmetry of Rainey Day Afternoon?”
“Both.”
We shared a smile, and I was forced to notice how cute he was when he smiled.
I ducked my head, cheeks warming. First day of university after years of home and virtual school. The last thing I should be doing is flirting with a cute guy who dressed like characters from my favorite old movies.
None of this is why I’m here.
I drew my backpack closer, hand falling over the zipped pocket on the side. There would never be time for cute boys with cuter smiles.
Never again.
“Next.”
I glanced up at my blanket mate and found her staring at me. I flung my hand off the pocket, stiffening as her eyes narrowed. Did she know what I had been thinking? She was certainly boring into me, like she wanted to peer inside my head.
“Rainey?” she asked. “As in... Rainey de Souza?”
“Yes. How did you know that?”
“It’s me! Paris,” she cried. “Paris Keller.”
She turned to the group. “We got our associate’s degrees from Bedlam Community College’s online classes. We were all a bunch of names and pictures on the screen, but I remember you,” she said, whirling on me. “I thought your name was so pretty.”
“Awesome,” Zoey said. “You made your first friend here before you even met.”
Zoey and the others clapped for us like we performed a magic trick.
“Cool to meet you in person, Paris. Now that I think of it, I remember your name popping up too.”
“My turn,” she said. “Paris Park.”
The game continued on around me as I shifted my bag behind my back. Paris didn’t know. No one knew. No one could help.
Eventually, we wrapped up our lunchtime detour and resumed orientation.
Paris stuck close to me, chattering away in my ear about how cool it was to go to an actual college, and that she couldn’t wait for the parties, late-night sessions, and the guys guaranteed as part of the package. It seemed I had made a new friend despite my resolution to avoid anything with friend in the title for the foreseeable future.
“—though my brother goes here.” Paris dropped her voice as we went into the library. “He’s been at Bedlam since freshman year. A senior, though. You’ll meet him tonight.”
“I will?”
“Yeah. He and his friends are throwing a party. I’m going, so you’re going.”
“Thanks,” I said simply. I’d make an excuse to get out of it later. “Sounds fun.”
“So, don’t be shy. Tell me about yourself.”
Her beaming smile drew it out of me. “There isn’t much to tell, really. I’m a major geek. I’m into all things sci-fi, love anime, and my idea of a fun night is playing Catan while passing around a bucket of fried chicken—and yes, that’s how I spend most of my Saturday nights.”
She flapped a hand. “Be still my heart, you’ve found your soul mate.”
“You’re kidding.”
“You’re looking at the girl who has every single Catan expansion pack, and watched Ouran High School Host Club four times.”
“Are you single? Because...?”
Paris smacked my arm, cracking up.
“The only cool thing about me, according to Ivy, is that I’m into archery. Been doing it since I was six.”
“That is cool. You have to teach me.”
I smiled in place of answering.
The tour continued with Paris keeping up the conversation and Suspenders Guy, whose name was Alfie, tossing me one-sided smiles over his shoulder. It was almost a relief when my group was separated to choose our classes, and those two ended up walking down a different hall.
Paris was nice, but she was distracting me. I couldn’t afford to be distracted. This time, I would see everything. Hear everything. Notice everyone. This time would be different.
Zoey waved us into a small computer lab. I chose a seat at the back, opened my pack, and fished out my notebook. I chose my classes two weeks ago, though they didn’t let new students register without going through the song and dance of orientation. Even if those students were transfers who already did two years of this.