I take a packet from Audric as he hands me a stack and then pass them along. I open the folder and flip through the papers inside. There’s a contacts list with all the names of people who I might need to speak with: my academic advisor, Nolan’s number, financial aid. The last sheet of paper is a list of the local delivery places. Pizza and Chinese restaurants flood the page.
I grin at Audric, who mouths, Score! And then turns to show the sheet to Cheyanne. She’s less enthused than I am, but he doesn’t seem to mind. Roman doesn’t really show any interest in his packet, or me, at the moment. He’s whispering something to Miranda. I suck in my anger, determined not to let him know I’m jealous. I put my hand on Audric’s arm to get his attention.
“What’s up, Princess?”
“Princess, really?” I whisper to him with a smile.
“Yep. I have a sense about these things with people,” he boasts.
“Whatever. What’s going on tonight? Any parties? I don’t have any classes tomorrow,” I explain, not caring one bit that I just invited myself.
“Rome and I were thinking of hitting up the Boulevard,” he says with a smirk.
“The Boulevard…?”
“Ocean Boulevard. There are shops and a small amusement park right near the beach. The waterpark closes at five, but the amusement part stays open until midnight. It’s not big, but it might be fun,” he says. “You and Cheyanne should come.”
Cheyanne. Ugh. I don’t want her tagging along, but I know Audric will invite her anyway. “Yeah, sure. You ask her and I’ll talk to everyone.”
I lean away from him and interrupt Roman’s chat with Miranda. “We’re going to the amusement park on the beach tonight. You in?” I ask Miranda. She’s not gorgeous like Cheyanne, but I still worry she might take Roman from me.
“Sounds good. All of us?” she asks.
“Yeah, spread the word,” I tell her. I look at Roman. “It’s okay that I invited people, right?”
“Of course. I can’t wait to get you on the Ferris Wheel. I hope we get stuck at the top,” he says seductively and any thought I had that he wasn’t into me fades away.
I sigh and turn my attention back to the speaker as she drones on. After she finishes announcements, she wishes us a great year and dismisses us. The auditorium erupts in applause, although I’m not sure why we’re clapping. When people quiet their hands and stand up, our group waits for the crowd to dissipate before we get up.
“So, do we want to do the waterpark, too?” Audric asks us when the room is almost empty.
“Sounds good to me,” Roman replies.
We all agree and Audric organizes rides for everyone. He and Roman each have a vehicle and Cheyanne agrees to drive as well. She doesn’t really need to, but I can tell she doesn’t want to be caught in Rome’s car. Audric lets us all know to meet him in the parking lot across from the Wood’s Residence Halls in an hour. And then he and Roman take off for their dorm.
Destiny approaches me. “Hey, we didn’t really get a chance to chat last night. I’m Destiny. I live in the Cypress Hall.”
“It’s great to meet you. I’m in Maple,” I say as we walk together out of the auditorium. We chit chat until we reach her building and say our goodbyes.
“We’ll chat more at the park,” she promises, and I’m not sure how to respond. I mean, she’s nice enough, but she seems too goody-goody for me. We’ll see.
Six
I end up riding in Roman’s car with Destiny and Nolan. It’s a short ride, but I can’t help point out the obvious.
“Destiny, I thought you and Andre were a thing?”
She laughs from the backseat. “Not even close. He and I went to high school together and he thinks he’s got to protect me or something. I told him this morning to chill out.”
“Gotcha. I can’t wait to hit the water,” I say.
“Me too!” Destiny exclaims.
“I haven’t been to the waterpark since last summer,” Nolan pipes up from the back of Roman’s sleek newer-model Dodge.
“I don’t think I’ve been in more than three years,” Roman adds. It’s sad how much having a child has altered his life.
We pull into the parking lot and it’s nearly empty. “Are they even open?”
“Yeah, things die off as soon as the universities open,” Nolan explains to me. “That just means we won’t have crazy lines.”
While in line to pay for our tickets, the rest of our group joins us. Once inside, we find an empty area near the main pool and lay out all our stuff. The guys brought coolers with sodas and waters for everyone. I made sure to bring my spray-on sunscreen so I don’t look like a fool rubbing it in. I suppose I could have asked Roman to rub it in for me, but when I turn around from setting my towel down on a chair, all the guys are gone, already in line for one of the tube rides.
I spray myself quickly down, careful to rub some onto my face, and then I take off after them, leaving the girls behind. I’ve always fit in better with guys than girls, anyway. I catch up to them and wrap my arms around Roman’s abs from behind.
“Hey,” he says and turns around, planting a kiss on my nose. “Want to ride down together?” The ride is a single or double and I am totally down for sharing a tube with him.
“Sure,” I say with a smile.
He hooks an arm around my waist as we wait.
“Where are the rest of the girls?” Andre asks, looking past me toward the pool area.
When I follow his gaze, I see that the area we all dropped our stuff at is empty. “I’m not sure.”
“They’re probably at the lazy river, man. Chill out. Destiny is a big girl,” Nolan says to Andre, his words calming.
Andre crosses his arms over his chest. “Her dad asked me to watch out for her. I’m just doing as I was asked.” His voice is almost pouting.
“Will you get a grip?” Roman pushes Andre’s shoulder playfully. “We’re here to have fun and I’m sure she didn’t go off on her own. Try to relax and enjoy yourself.”
Andre sighs dramatically but doesn’t reply. We make the climb up the stairs much faster than I anticipate; suddenly we’re at the top and my fear of heights kicks in. I clutch Roman’s arm with terror.
“You okay?”
“I’m a little scared of heights,” I admit in a whisper.
To my dismay, Roman laughs. What he says is more endearing. “I’ll protect you.”
I smile, already head over heels for him.
When it’s our turn for the water slide, Roman grabs a double tube off the ramp and gets in the back of the tube in the water. He holds his hand out for me and I take a deep breath, getting into the water and sitting down. I lean back and Roman’s arms close around my shoulders.
“I’ve got you,” he whispers, sending chills down my spine. I close my eyes and the guy who works for the park pushes our tube down the slide. We twist and turn, nearly flipping over several times. When we go into the darkened tunnel, I scream and open my eyes. I can’t see anything, but when we go up over a curve, we actually do flip over.
I’m thrown onto my stomach, my face soaked from the running water. I hold my breath, truly afraid. I hear Roman laugh from somewhere below me. How did he get in front of me? I barely manage to roll onto my back and do a half sit-up so that I can at least see what’s coming. We must be close to the bottom. When I see a light at the end of the tunnel, I’m relieved. There’s a waterfall at the opening, but I’m already drenched, so it doesn’t matter. I fly out of the tunnel and into the small pool at the bottom, sinking to the bottom before jumping up and sputtering.
I push my bangs out of my eyes and find Roman trying not to laugh at me from the edge of the pool. He’s already up the steps and offers me no help as I make my way to the stairs. I glare at him but his smile softens me almost immediately. And when he pulls me into his arms once I’m completely out of the pool? I’m lost.
“I don’t know what happened. I’m sorry, Hazel,” he says, pulling me close. “I hope you weren’t
scared.”
I melt into him, drawing strength from his warmth. I forget about his laughter in the tunnel and just let him hug me. I don’t want to cause an argument between us, especially this early in our…relationship, if that’s what this is.
“Come on, you two! We’re going to the lazy river!” Nolan yells at us and then he, Audric, and Andre take off.
“You want to do the lazy river?” Roman asks me, pulling away to look in my eyes. He’s so sweet, so concerned.
“I can handle the lazy river,” I say. It’s a much safer bet for me.
Roman takes my hand and we walk to the lazy river. He wades in first and grabs a tube for me, holding it still while I jump on. He gives me a little push and then jumps onto his own tube stomach first. He spins me around so I’m floating backwards and he holds on to one of the handles on my tube to keep us together.
I try to look around and find everyone else in our group, but it’s hard to turn around in the tube without flipping over. “Do you see anyone?”
“Nope,” he says, just seconds before I’m flipped over.
I stand up, sputtering as I search for whoever flipped me over. I see Audric frantically swimming away. When he reaches the spot where the rest of our group is stopped, holding onto the cement sides of the river, he turns to look at me and busts out laughing.
“You want to get them back?” Roman asks me.
“Damn right I do.”
“Let’s go this way,” he says, pulling me toward a different path in the river. “We’ll catch up to them.”
I let him pull me. When we’re on the shortcut part of the river, I realize we’re alone. I pop up through the middle of my tube and pull him close. Just when he’s about to say something, I kiss him, thoroughly enjoying his surprise. He quickly takes over the kiss, his passion all but overwhelming me.
When I hear raucous laughter ahead, I realize we aren’t as alone as I thought. In front of us are a couple of young teenagers. We smile at them when we pull apart and then we walk in the water to go past them. Up ahead, I see our group, floating along and laughing.
“You ready?” Roman asks.
I nod evilly, ready to give them a piece of their own medicine. “Audric is mine.”
We duck down in our tubes so we can’t be seen and our tubes float mysteriously toward the group. I aim for Audric and they are all so caught up in their conversation, they don’t notice us.
Audric and Cheyanne are floating together, I get as close as I can to them and then sink under the water to get underneath their tubes. With all my strength, I push their tubes over and quickly move on to Destiny’s tube. She tries to get away, having seen me coming, but I get to her before she can go too far. I flip her over and glance over at Roman, who has successfully flipped Andre and Nolan. He’s stalking Miranda now, who squeals and then flips herself over to save him the trouble.
When everyone finally catches their breath, we’re all laughing at each other and having a great time. The rest of our time in the river is spent trying to flip each other over, and I have to admit, I get dumped upside down several times.
Seven
“I need to go back to the dorm,” Cheyanne says once the waterpark closes. She’s a mess, as I’m sure we all are, with frizzy hair and no makeup.
“Me too,” I say, looking at Roman.
“Cheyanne, why don’t you take the girls back and we’ll meet you here in an hour?” Nolan suggests.
An hour is barely enough time for me to get beatified, but Cheyanne agrees. I approach Roman to say goodbye.
“I’ll see you in an hour.”
He leans down and kisses me, a promising kiss. I sigh when he pulls away and Destiny has to pull me toward the car.
“You guys are pretty hot and heavy, huh?” Miranda asks once we’re all in Cheyanne’s older-model car.
“I guess so. It’s weird that we’re this close when we just met, right?”
“Not really. I’ve seen relationships happen that quickly before. Plus, you and Roman are like perfect for each other.” Destiny winks at me.
In the front seat, Cheyanne keeps quiet, but I can tell from Miranda’s expression that neither is happy about my relationship with Roman. Oh, well. Cheyanne had her chance and now it’s my turn. I won’t be as stupid as she was to get pregnant, though.
Destiny and Miranda agree to meet Cheyanne and me at the car in fifty minutes once we get back to the college. As soon as Cheyanne and I enter our dorm room, she whirls around to me.
“What the hell are you doing?”
“Umm, changing…?” I say, pulling my tank top off and tossing it into the hamper. I’ll have to do laundry soon, I don’t want those clothes to stay wet too long.
“No, I mean with Roman. You guys aren’t even dating yet and you’re already all over him!” she accuses.
“So?”
She glares at me. “So, you should slow down. He’s a player, Hazel. I don’t want to see you hurt, okay? He does this a lot. We went to high school together, so I know what I’m talking about.”
“Look, whatever jealousy issues you have about me being with Roman, they need to stop.” I walk over to her and she actually shrinks back a little. “I’m not going to stop wanting Roman, and as long as he wants me, we’ll be together. So get over it.”
My anger is boiling, but I manage not to say any more. She shakes her head sadly and then picks up her shower stuff, leaving me alone in our room. I know I’ll have to follow her because the chlorine in my hair is already making it untamable. With a deep breath, I pull my shower bag over my shoulder and sling two fresh towels over my shoulder.
Luckily, we’re the only ones in the bathroom. I keep to the shower stall farthest away from hers and we don’t speak. As pissed as I am, I know she’s probably got to be worried that she’s going to lose Roman forever. And I hope she does. I can’t wait to meet her son and get him used to me. Even though Roman and I just got together, I see us being with each other for a long time. My mind drifts to the thought of being Deacon’s step-mother.
I never really wanted to have kids, so being a step-mom would be the perfect thing for me. I get to keep my amazing body and throw it in Cheyanne’s face that I get Roman, too. What an amazing thing that would be.
I grin to myself, finishing up my shower before Cheyanne and walking back to our room in just a towel. I don’t care that I cross paths with a group of guys who ogle me a bit; if anything, it only spurs on my intention to keep Roman forever.
I dress quickly in a pair of khaki shorts, a T-shirt with the sleeves rolled up to mimic a tank top, and my favorite pair of flip-flops. I blow-dry my long hair and then rub some anti-frizz serum into the strands. I don’t even have to straighten it, it’s already pin-straight. My bangs are another story. I have to maneuver them into place with my flat iron. Once my hair is how I want it, I apply some dark eye-makeup and a clear lip gloss to my lips. Just as I finish, Cheyanne comes back into the room.
Her hair is thrown into a messy bun, still wet, and she’s only got a light layer of eyeliner on. She looks haggard. She drops her stuff on her bed and turns to me.
“You ready to go?”
I’m shocked that she’s actually going to go out in public looking like that, but I recover quickly and smile. “Yep.”
We walk out to her car and Destiny and Miranda are waiting for us. We pile in to Cheyanne’s junker and the ride is silent. Apparently Miranda and Destiny have picked up on the tension because neither of them speaks.
The guys meet us in the parking lot when we pull in and Roman takes my hand. I grab Destiny’s arm and pull her with us to the park. I want to tell her about Cheyanne, but I need to get rid of Roman for a few minutes.
“Roman? I forgot my wallet in Cheyanne’s car. Would you grab it for me?” I flutter my eyelashes at him and he agrees, taking off for the car. I turn to Destiny. “I hate that stupid bitch.”
“Cheyanne? What the hell happened?”
“She’s jealous that I’m with Ro
me now and so she told me he’s a player and that he’s not worth my time.”
“Whoa. Talk about catty. I think you and Roman are so freaking cute together,” she gushes.
“Me too. But oh well. I’ll find a way to get her back, eventually.” I don’t mention that I already know her big secret, the one that could ruin her.
“I’ll keep my ears open for gossip on her,” Destiny promises, endearing herself as my only true friend.
Eight
By the time Roman catches up with us, Destiny and I are in line for the Hurricane. The sun is still high in the sky, but the lights on all the rides are on, making the place glow.
“Are we riding together?” Roman asks.
“Can the three of us go together?” Destiny replies, and I can tell she feels a little like the third wheel.
“I’m pretty sure. You two are so thin, it shouldn’t be a problem,” Roman explains. He puts an arm around each of us, pulling us close to him. We laugh.
Nolan manages to cut the line forming behind us and scoots next to Destiny. “I thought I’d lost you. Roman, get your hand off my girl.” He’s joking, of course, but Roman removes his arm from Destiny’s shoulder, relieving me.
I want to be the only one Roman’s arms are around. “You going to ride with Destiny, Nolan?”
“Yeah, if she’ll have me.” He winks at her and a blush creeps up her cheeks. Adorable! Destiny nods instead of answering and Nolan puts his arm around her.
When our turn comes, Roman and I take the carriage car behind them, hoping to get a little bit of privacy. The bar locks in place and the ride starts, sending us on our way. This is my favorite ride: it’s like a huge carousel with cars instead of horses, and instead of moving up and down on a pole, they actually follow a wavy track that takes us up and down, around and around. It turns my stomach a little, but we haven’t eaten yet, so I know I’ll be okay.
In front of us, Nolan and Destiny are cuddled close together and whispering. I can’t hear them, but I bet they’re planning on slipping away at some point. I don’t blame them. I want to get Roman alone, too. He smiles at me, throwing his hands up as we go around. He screams like a girl on purpose, eliciting a laugh out of me. I join him and put my hands up, letting my scream fill the air.
Best Friends Forever Page 3