by Nora Cobb
I slip his phone into my hands. “You look great. Maybe you’ll bring back tights.”
“Funny. You look fantastic.
“Better than I do today,” I reply, tugging at the ends of my hair.
He smiles gently. “You look good. You always look good.” He shakes his head when I try to hand back his phone. “Put your number in it.”
My hand pauses and I stand there like a mannequin, holding it in the air. My mind races. And I try to think if Dom even has my number. Chase notices my hesitation and reaches for his phone. I close my fingers around it.
“I don’t always remember it,” I explain lamely. “It takes me a second to remember.”
He gives me an uneven smile as I tap in my number. Chase slips the phone out of my hand and taps send. My phone immediately chimes in my purse, and I pull it out to silence it.
“Good,” he says. “Just in case you want to make some sorry-ass guy jealous again, you can call me.”
I shake my head, thinking about Marcy, but I don’t go there. I don’t need to. My mocking glance says enough. We walk alongside each other and attract some random looks. It’s Monday, so the student paper won’t be out until Wednesday.
“So, if I wanted to see the ball online today, where would I look?” I ask.
“Instagram has the best photos.”
Does Chase not know what I mean? Is he messing with me? Does he want me to come right out and say it? I sigh. Might as well.
“I mean the gossip. Where do I find the dirty laundry you like to put out there?”
“I don’t do that kind of stuff,” he replies. His voice is so cold it feels like the sun just went behind a cloud.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean you personally.”
“You meant Silas.” Chase stops walking. We’re standing in front of the humanities building, and he glances across campus at Crenshaw Hall. “You may not want to see that stuff, but if you must know…” He pauses. “Read the comments if you want to see what the professional haters are saying. You’ll learn their names fast enough.”
“Professional?” I ask.
“Vicki, somedays I wonder if you’re putting me on.” Chase backs away slowly. “Where are you having lunch?”
I shrug my shoulders.
“Good,” he replies. “I’ll meet you in the parking lot and you can drive us to the Bait Shop.” He frowns for a moment then adds, “We have to discuss your plan B.”
I narrow my eyes, but he takes off running to his class. I can’t focus on English and stare at the board as my thoughts jostle each other for attention in my head. My plan B? What the fuck does that even mean? Why do I have to have a plan B? And why is Chase helping me?
The English teacher doesn’t really care if we’re learning or not. She spends most of the class lecturing us on our inability to express emotion without resorting to cursing. Her eyes rest on me a few times, and I wonder what my expression looks like as she frowns and quickly looks away.
I pull my phone out and carefully place it on my lap.
I have to see what people are saying. The top comments are good, and there’s even a shot of me singing while Chase plays guitar. But the further I scroll down, the nastier the comments get, and a few have even been deleted. Nothing too terrible about me, but they reference the fight later that night.
Vicki: How’s Theo?
Luna: Don’t look at the boards.
Vicki: That bad?
Luna: Worse.
I wait for class to end, and when it’s over, I don’t bother leaving my seat. I scroll through the comments on my laptop, and most of them are offensive. The name-calling is trashy and hidden behind throwaway accounts, but the uppity, helpful comments are the worse.
Do we all need to see drama on the school’s special night? Keep it on the stage, please.
A boy scorned is worse than a woman. That’s why I’m gender-neutral.
The sex must have been so good. I hope they used protection.
I’m not going to meet Chase. I have to see Theo. I hurry to his dorm room, and he’s not there. I look for him at Talia’s, and then I try the visual communications building. The place is a maze. He could be walking out as I’m racing around the corridors like a lab rat. I run over to the student center and my heart is beating until I’m gasping. At least I’m not wheezing from cigarettes. I hope Theo hasn’t done something really stupid. He said he was okay yesterday, but that was yesterday. I should’ve checked on him again. No sooner do I think about yesterday than dream slips back into my brain. God, what if he had the same night I had?
“Finally!” I practically shout when I see Theo walking into the student center. “Where have you been?”
Theo smiles, and my heart stops racing like it wants out of my chest. The black and blue around his eye looks a little better. At least he can open his eyes.
“I went down the Yellow Brick Road to Jagan’s office,” he replies.
“Did you report it?” I ask.
“Girl, are you crazy?” he scowls. “My presence was requested. The school will do anything to avoid legal action. I thought about asking for a suite, too, but Jagan wasn’t in a mood to deal.”
“Then what happened?” I asked.
“I was told that Silas would not press charges, and I was also told that underage drinking is forbidden on campus. Fighting isn’t the way to solve a dispute. Jagan suggested the next time I come to him and discuss my problems.”
We wander over to an alcove. I drop my bag on the couch and sit beside it. “What did you say?”
“I asked him why not now?” Theo beams as he sits on the opposite couch. “He looked a little uncomfortable when I described my fascination with Rhys’s strong arms. The man is such a phony. His whole life is a performance.”
I squirm a little. It took me a month to figure Jagan out, and it seems I was late to the party.
Theo’s face tenses up, and I turn to look at who’s standing behind us. Chase is staring at me like he overheard everything.
Chase scowls. “Vicki, come on.”
I look at Theo, but Theo is looking at his phone. “You better go, Vicki. I have to meet up with Talia.”
“Are you sure it’s okay?”
Theo levels his gaze at me. “I think it’s the smart thing to do.” Theo nods at Chase, and Chase smirks back at him.
I grab my bag and start walking. I don’t bother to wait for Chase, but I can feel him behind me. I hurry out the door, barely holding it for him. We don’t speak until we’re past the dorms and heading across the green.
I break the silence. “Hard to believe we had a party here over the weekend.”
“Hard to believe we went together,” he replies.
I slow down my pace. “Theo’s my friend.”
“Silas is mine.”
I laugh shortly. “He’s not a friend. Did you see Theo’s eye?”
“Did you see Silas’s hand?”
I try to hide it, but damn, I start to laugh. “You’re a jerk.” I smile as we approach the path to the town houses.
“That’s a shame because I think you’re pretty.”
I roll my eyes. “Get into the car.”
I drive us to the Bait Shop, and there are a few cars there at lunch hour. Chase gets stares as we walk to the picnic tables in the back.
“People think we’re dating. Does that bother you?” He leans in. “You’re smiling, so I guess you like it.”
“Behave.” I tug at the sleeves of my shirt.
“I like your hair that color.”
I played with violet tint over the weekend. “You like the long hair better?”
“I like it when you smile at me,” he replies. “I’m not trying to make you feel awkward.”
I take a sip of my water. “I don’t feel awkward.”
“But you do. Have I done anything to make you think I’m not a friend?” he asks.
I almost choke on my water. “Your best friend is an asshole.”
“If you were my frien
d, I wouldn’t have to hang with bad people like that?” he replies smoothly. “Still trying to make Dom jealous?”
I frown at him and take my time answering. “I’m not here with Dom.”
Chase smiles and nods his head. “You’re learning. But it’s painfully slow to watch.”
I take a bite of my sandwich and avoid his hard stare. “Why are you so guarded?”
“Should I trust you?”
He shakes his head. “This was before you met me. I can tell that you’ve had a lot of practice keeping secrets.” He pauses. “And I know why.”
“Don’t tease,” I reply. “You wouldn’t get it.”
“Try me.”
I stare at my sandwich, but I’ve lost my appetite. Chase isn’t like the other two, but that doesn’t mean he’s not playing his own game. I shift my gaze back to him and I know it’s a bad idea to tell him about rehab. He may already know, but I’ll keep the details to myself.
“I’ll tell you when it’s the right time to tell,” I say to him.
He raises his eyebrow but doesn’t push. He takes a bite of his sandwich and changes the topic to music. He plays some lo-fi on his phone while we eat. The Bait Shop suddenly has atmosphere and becomes a hip hangout while we just act like friends and nothing else.
It would have been a good time, but of course, it’s spoiled when we notice Marcy’s car in the parking lot as we leave.
On Thursday, there’s nothing in the misery column. Or rather, there are nothing no hidden messages suggesting who next to attack. A silly question about school, and another about visiting home over winter break. It’s hard to believe that I have been here for over two months.
I toss myself backward on the mattress. I feel like I’ve been here since freshman year. My hand rests on my notebook. I need a better idea by tomorrow for the film club project. Last week, we mutually agreed that all our projects sucked. Everyone was focused on the ball to put all their effort into coming up with something good.
I can’t really focus on it either as my fingers idly turn the pages of the newspaper. I stop when I see a picture of myself from the ball in a montage of pictures. It’s a nice shot of the album-cover pose. They even got the wooden balls in the shot. I smile when I see all the other pictures, including Theo and Talia in their costume. Theo is damn attractive as Cher. No snarky comments or innuendos, just pictures from the show.
“I had to grab an extra copy.” Luna leans against the doorway. “People are snatching them up for the pictures. Which class do you have today?”
I sigh and poke out my lip. “Film History with Silas.”
“Are you going to dress up as Victoria?” she asks.
“I suppose I should. But I’m not feeling like it today.”
Luna bounces onto the bed. “Then what do you feel like? Staying in bed?”
“I haven’t been sleeping well lately,” I reply.
“I thought I heard you up last night.”
In the end, I do dress as Victoria, platinum wig and all. Silas isn’t going to take a break, so why should I? By the time I’m dressed in every logo I own, I’m in the mood. Luna lends me her LV purse, and I match it to a pair of my Choo’s. I step out into the hallway at the same time as Silas steps out of his door.
That dream has rattled my nerves, but I keep my face impassive as I check that the door is locked. Silas watches me as I walk past him and head down the stairs. I grip the handrail. One, because of the Choo’s, and two, because he’s behind me as I walk down. I reach the bottom without having an unfortunate accident. Silas walks a few steps past me then stops when he realizes I haven’t moved.
He turns toward me. “Are you coming to class, Victoria?”
I lift my chin. “Yes, I am, Silas. Walk with me?”
He nods, and I catch up to him. We don’t speak as we walk side by side toward class. A stranger watching would never think we weren’t friends. And they’d never think we had been fighting on the dance floor. The temperature is breezy and the surrounding forest keeps the temperature a bit cool. A breeze plays with my hair. I tense, wondering if my wig will lift off, and Silas feels me shudder.
“The temperature drops down into the sixties in the evenings,” he replies nonchalantly. “You might need to carry a jacket.”
“What’s going on here?” I ask steadily.
He scoffs. “I’m keeping an eye on you.”
“That’s not hard when we live in the same building.”
“I thought you and Chase were a fluke,” he replies. “I thought he was doing it to piss me off. But he keeps doing nice things for you. Why is that?”
“It’s not for sex if that’s what you think.”
He sighs. “No, but you thought it.”
Silas holds the door for me, and the smile on Rosemonde’s face dissolves into a scowl when she sees me walking beside him.
“You’re wanted,” I tilt my head. “Looks like the leash she has on you is shorter than the one you have on me.”
I slip past his fan club and sit by myself in the auditorium.
Chapter Ten
It’s Thursday night, and tomorrow is Friday. Of course, that means I have nothing for cinematography club. No clever scenes or script to wow their asses with. Or even a stupid poem about lust. Nothing to prove that I am talented and have more right to be here at Redwood than any of them. I take in a deep breath. I need to focus on why I am here and stop worrying about these people who don’t waste their time thinking about me.
There’s a knock on the door, and I rush to open it, figuring that Luna couldn’t find her keycard in her purse that doubles as a suitcase. I swing the door open, all ready to be snarky at her. My eyes pop. Chase is standing in front of my open door.
My gaze drops and then rises, taking in his tight jeans and vintage surf tee that shapes his broad muscles. He is so sexy with his slim hips and easy smile that I want to burst into flames. I should take a picture of him and submit it for my project. He smiles at my lack of manners as I leave him standing in the doorway.
“What do you want?” I ask.
“I’d like a ‘hello and come in.’”
Silently, I step aside, and he walks in, checking out the place. We didn’t plan the color scheme carefully, and the inside of our living room looks like a muddy rainbow. The sofa is burgundy, the drapes are rusty orange, and the end tables are sage green. I’m here for film, not painting.
“You’ve never been in here before?” I ask, but I already know.
He puts his hands on his hips. “I wondered how you lived.”
“Why?” I fold my arms over my chest and freeze. My bra is hanging over the back of my chair in my bedroom. He notices my awkwardness and no doubt guesses the reason. His gaze dips, but he doesn’t bother to lift his eyes too quickly.
“Just curious to see how you live,” he replies again.
My cheeks burn. “You have my number. Maybe call next time.”
“Hey, I can leave.” Chase points at the door.
“Hold up.” I dash into my bedroom and grab my robe. He smiles when I walk back out again. “Sorry, I’m not trying to be a jerk. I just wasn’t expecting to see you here.” I keep my arms in front of me. “Not being rude, but what do you want?”
“Access to the recording studio in the lower level of your building. Silas isn’t around to unlock the door. I’d like to go in there and mess around…with my guitar.”
I look to the ceiling. “Shut up.”
He laughs. “Why don’t you get dressed, and we’ll go downstairs and mess around with the equipment?”
I smile. “Okay, maybe we can work on my project.”
“What project is that?”
I bite my lip, and then I speak in a steady tone. “Lust. For the film festival.”
He nods and grins. “I can help you with that.”
I dash back into my bedroom and pull on what I have lying around that matches and is somewhat clean. I spend some time combing my hair and flick on a little gloss. When I
come out, Chase is looking at the pictures on the fridge. I sort of freeze. He’s looking hard at the picture of Natalie with Lucas, Troy, and Jacob. The baby is in her lap, smiling like a madman at the camera. Troy refuses to put pictures of Rory online, and we all agree. Chase checking out the photo makes me feel uneasy.