my own room and hope Roman doesn’t come looking for me. But going to my room means walking right by Nolan.
“Hey, Hazel. Your room is next,” he says with a nod of his head.
I get the impression he knows I wasn’t in my own room, and he’s giving me the heads up. I smile at him with gratitude and open up my own dorm door. I flip on the light, expecting Cheyanne to grumble. When there’s no response from under the covers, I walk over and tap her shoulder. The blanket falls in. I yank it back and realize she’s not in our room.
A knock on the door jerks me back to reality. I place the covers back over the stack of pillows she’s set up and go to answer the door. Nolan stands there, checklist in hand.
“Good evening, Hazel,” he says. “Room check.”
I put my finger to my lips. “Cheyanne is sleeping.” Why am I covering for her? I know she deserves to get caught not being in her room after lights out, but I hope this will make her hate me less. Maybe she’ll see I’m not all bad.
“Got it. Anyone else in here?” Nolan asks.
“No one.”
“Great.” He checks our room number off his list. “Good night, Hazel.”
“Night.”
Talk about a close call.
Twelve
I didn’t hear Cheyanne come in last night, but I know she’s in our room. That massive flurry of red hair proves it to me. I don’t bother to wake her; instead, I grab my stuff and head for the showers. It’s before seven, so I figure I’m safe.
The showers are completely empty and I take the first stall, sighing. I barely had time last night to process what happened between me and Roman. He didn’t want to rush things, didn’t want to push me, and I ended up jumping him the first chance I got. It’s funny how things work out.
The door to the showers open and Audric walks in, looking tired. “Oh, sorry, Hazel. I’ll wait until you’re done.”
“Please. We’re adults. Just use one of the stalls over there,” I point. He smiles and makes his way to the shower two stalls away. Plenty of space between us.
“How’d your date go last night?” I ask, almost positive he went out with Cheyanne.
He pales. “How do you know about my date?”
“Roman told me. He couldn’t tell me who your date was, though. Although I’m pretty sure I know,” I say as I lather up my long hair.
“You do?” Audric turns on the water in his stall and we both have to speak up over the rush of water.
“Yeah. My roommate, maybe?”
He looks guilty. “Did she tell you that?”
“No, but since we had a room check last night, I had to cover for her, since she wasn’t there. And you weren’t in your room, so I just kind of put two and two together.”
“Oh, the room check. Rome told me he about had a heart attack and answered the door completely naked. What a surprise for Nolan,” Audric laughs. “But he covered for me, too. I guess I owe him one. And you, too.”
“Damn right you do. Why are you going out on secret dates with Cheyanne?” I rinse my hair.
“It’s complicated. We aren’t dating or anything, and last night wasn’t a date, per se.”
“Really? Do tell.” I eye him suspiciously, wondering if he’s just trying to keep it a secret.
“She needed to talk to someone about her son, and you and I are the only people here who know. Since you two aren’t really speaking, she came to me. We just talked about being a teen parent, and how different her life is from everyone else’s.”
I don’t buy it, but pretend I do. “Oh, okay. I get that.” I turn away, finishing my shower and wrapping a towel around myself. “I’ll talk to you later.”
Audric mumbles a reply and I leave the showers. When I get back to my room, Cheyanne is awake and staring at me.
“What?”
“Was there really a room check last night?” she asks.
“Yep.”
“So how much trouble am I in?”
“None. I covered for you.”
“What! Why?” She looks shocked, and I don’t blame her, I still don’t really know why I did
“Hey, Hazel. Your room is next,” he says with a nod of his head.
I get the impression he knows I wasn’t in my own room, and he’s giving me the heads up. I smile at him with gratitude and open up my own dorm door. I flip on the light, expecting Cheyanne to grumble. When there’s no response from under the covers, I walk over and tap her shoulder. The blanket falls in. I yank it back and realize she’s not in our room.
A knock on the door jerks me back to reality. I place the covers back over the stack of pillows she’s set up and go to answer the door. Nolan stands there, checklist in hand.
“Good evening, Hazel,” he says. “Room check.”
I put my finger to my lips. “Cheyanne is sleeping.” Why am I covering for her? I know she deserves to get caught not being in her room after lights out, but I hope this will make her hate me less. Maybe she’ll see I’m not all bad.
“Got it. Anyone else in here?” Nolan asks.
“No one.”
“Great.” He checks our room number off his list. “Good night, Hazel.”
“Night.”
Talk about a close call.
Twelve
I didn’t hear Cheyanne come in last night, but I know she’s in our room. That massive flurry of red hair proves it to me. I don’t bother to wake her; instead, I grab my stuff and head for the showers. It’s before seven, so I figure I’m safe.
The showers are completely empty and I take the first stall, sighing. I barely had time last night to process what happened between me and Roman. He didn’t want to rush things, didn’t want to push me, and I ended up jumping him the first chance I got. It’s funny how things work out.
The door to the showers open and Audric walks in, looking tired. “Oh, sorry, Hazel. I’ll wait until you’re done.”
“Please. We’re adults. Just use one of the stalls over there,” I point. He smiles and makes his way to the shower two stalls away. Plenty of space between us.
“How’d your date go last night?” I ask, almost positive he went out with Cheyanne.
He pales. “How do you know about my date?”
“Roman told me. He couldn’t tell me who your date was, though. Although I’m pretty sure I know,” I say as I lather up my long hair.
“You do?” Audric turns on the water in his stall and we both have to speak up over the rush of water.
“Yeah. My roommate, maybe?”
He looks guilty. “Did she tell you that?”
“No, but since we had a room check last night, I had to cover for her, since she wasn’t there. And you weren’t in your room, so I just kind of put two and two together.”
“Oh, the room check. Rome told me he about had a heart attack and answered the door completely naked. What a surprise for Nolan,” Audric laughs. “But he covered for me, too. I guess I owe him one. And you, too.”
“Damn right you do. Why are you going out on secret dates with Cheyanne?” I rinse my hair.
“It’s complicated. We aren’t dating or anything, and last night wasn’t a date, per se.”
“Really? Do tell.” I eye him suspiciously, wondering if he’s just trying to keep it a secret.
“She needed to talk to someone about her son, and you and I are the only people here who know. Since you two aren’t really speaking, she came to me. We just talked about being a teen parent, and how different her life is from everyone else’s.”
I don’t buy it, but pretend I do. “Oh, okay. I get that.” I turn away, finishing my shower and wrapping a towel around myself. “I’ll talk to you later.”
Audric mumbles a reply and I leave the showers. When I get back to my room, Cheyanne is awake and staring at me.
“What?”
“Was there really a room check last night?” she asks.
“Yep.”
“So how much trouble am I in?”
“None. I covered for you.”
“What! Why?” She looks shocked, and I don’t blame her, I still don’t really know why I did
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