have to share a bathroom." She glares in the direction of our leader. "And Prince Damon gets his own throne to sit on."
"This isn't a luxury hotel," Lenny informs Trish. "Anyway, what's wrong with the bathroom? It looked fine to me.
Trish gets in Lenny's face. "So you're the culprit. You were in the bathroom."
Lenny shrugs. "So what if I was?"
"Haven't you ever heard the phrase, If you sprinkle when you tinkle please be neat and wipe the seat? That goes for stray pubes, as well."
"Haven't you ever heard the phrase, Shut the fuck up, bitch?" Lenny fires back.
"I think it's time we have our meeting," Damon says. "Right now."
I avoid eye contact with Caleb as I pick a seat on one of the couches. Trish and Erin sit on either side of me. The guys sit on the opposite couch from the girls.
Damon pulls over a chair from the kitchen table. He takes a deep breath and claps his hands. "Okay, kids, here's the deal. Some rules have to be set, 'cause you guys are drivin' me nuts. First of all, let's try to eliminate the profanity flying out of your mouths. Second, there's to be no consumption of drugs or alcohol. We're on a college cam pus and I've no doubt they're easy to find. Third, I'm tired of the bickering. It's giving me a headache."
"But-" Trish starts to say, but Damon holds a hand up and stops her from talking.
"About the bathroom situation. You all have to share the one bathroom. Deal with it. There's another bathroom at the end of the hall right next to the elevators if you need it. Guys, put the seat down after you do your thing. Girls, make sure there are no feminine products lying around. Are all we all cool about that?"
We all nod.
"Where are the air-conditioning controls?" Lenny asks. "I'm sweating my butt off in this sauna."
"There is no air conditioning, Lenny. Like you pointed out, this isn't a luxury hotel. Any more questions?"
When nobody answers, Damon says, "Great." He sighs as if a weight has been lifted off him. "Now that that's settled, I've got one more thing. We had some drama this morning thanks to Caleb, and I want to talk about it."
"How 'bout we don't talk about it," Caleb mumbles. "Hell, I'd rather talk about Lenny's pubes."
I'd rather talk about Lenny's pubic hair loss issues, too. It's better than having Caleb and me actually talk about our past ... or talk to one another. I'm not going to do it. Not now, when his insults are so raw.
A wave of numbness washes over me. I stand. "I'm sorry, Damon. I just can't. I don't mean to disrespect this group, or this process. I just ... need time."
I intentionally look away from Caleb and I'm all too aware of my limp and his nearness as I head to my room and close the door. I don't lock it, though, since I'm sharing it with two other girls.
When I hear a knock as I sit on my bed, I flinch.
"It's Matt. Can I come in?"
"Sure."
Matt opens the door. "Wanna talk?"
"Not really. Is Damon mad?"
"No. He wanted to see if you were okay, but I volunteered to come instead."
"Thanks," I mumble. "I feel bad I just left in the middle of the meeting."
"Don't feel bad," he tells me. "I think everyone understands. Well, except Caleb."
"Why? What did he say?"
Matt comes in the room and stands beside my bed. "He didn't say anything. He just got up and walked out."
NINE
Caleb
wish Damon hadn't followed me out of the suite. I hear his thundering footsteps behind me before he grabs my shoulder and pulls me around to face him.
"Leave me alone," I tell him, my fists tight and ready to lash out.
"You can't just leave every time the going gets tough, Caleb."
"Watch me," I say roughly as a couple of college guys pass us.
"You want out of the program? You want to go to jail?"
"Is that a threat?"
"Don't test me, Caleb. And give me a damn break. I've got to deal with Trish and Lenny. That alone could give a guy a coronary.
I let out a breath and look away from him. "Give me a damn break, man. I just want to be alone."
"Being alone isn't good."
"It is for
"This isn't a luxury hotel," Lenny informs Trish. "Anyway, what's wrong with the bathroom? It looked fine to me.
Trish gets in Lenny's face. "So you're the culprit. You were in the bathroom."
Lenny shrugs. "So what if I was?"
"Haven't you ever heard the phrase, If you sprinkle when you tinkle please be neat and wipe the seat? That goes for stray pubes, as well."
"Haven't you ever heard the phrase, Shut the fuck up, bitch?" Lenny fires back.
"I think it's time we have our meeting," Damon says. "Right now."
I avoid eye contact with Caleb as I pick a seat on one of the couches. Trish and Erin sit on either side of me. The guys sit on the opposite couch from the girls.
Damon pulls over a chair from the kitchen table. He takes a deep breath and claps his hands. "Okay, kids, here's the deal. Some rules have to be set, 'cause you guys are drivin' me nuts. First of all, let's try to eliminate the profanity flying out of your mouths. Second, there's to be no consumption of drugs or alcohol. We're on a college cam pus and I've no doubt they're easy to find. Third, I'm tired of the bickering. It's giving me a headache."
"But-" Trish starts to say, but Damon holds a hand up and stops her from talking.
"About the bathroom situation. You all have to share the one bathroom. Deal with it. There's another bathroom at the end of the hall right next to the elevators if you need it. Guys, put the seat down after you do your thing. Girls, make sure there are no feminine products lying around. Are all we all cool about that?"
We all nod.
"Where are the air-conditioning controls?" Lenny asks. "I'm sweating my butt off in this sauna."
"There is no air conditioning, Lenny. Like you pointed out, this isn't a luxury hotel. Any more questions?"
When nobody answers, Damon says, "Great." He sighs as if a weight has been lifted off him. "Now that that's settled, I've got one more thing. We had some drama this morning thanks to Caleb, and I want to talk about it."
"How 'bout we don't talk about it," Caleb mumbles. "Hell, I'd rather talk about Lenny's pubes."
I'd rather talk about Lenny's pubic hair loss issues, too. It's better than having Caleb and me actually talk about our past ... or talk to one another. I'm not going to do it. Not now, when his insults are so raw.
A wave of numbness washes over me. I stand. "I'm sorry, Damon. I just can't. I don't mean to disrespect this group, or this process. I just ... need time."
I intentionally look away from Caleb and I'm all too aware of my limp and his nearness as I head to my room and close the door. I don't lock it, though, since I'm sharing it with two other girls.
When I hear a knock as I sit on my bed, I flinch.
"It's Matt. Can I come in?"
"Sure."
Matt opens the door. "Wanna talk?"
"Not really. Is Damon mad?"
"No. He wanted to see if you were okay, but I volunteered to come instead."
"Thanks," I mumble. "I feel bad I just left in the middle of the meeting."
"Don't feel bad," he tells me. "I think everyone understands. Well, except Caleb."
"Why? What did he say?"
Matt comes in the room and stands beside my bed. "He didn't say anything. He just got up and walked out."
NINE
Caleb
wish Damon hadn't followed me out of the suite. I hear his thundering footsteps behind me before he grabs my shoulder and pulls me around to face him.
"Leave me alone," I tell him, my fists tight and ready to lash out.
"You can't just leave every time the going gets tough, Caleb."
"Watch me," I say roughly as a couple of college guys pass us.
"You want out of the program? You want to go to jail?"
"Is that a threat?"
"Don't test me, Caleb. And give me a damn break. I've got to deal with Trish and Lenny. That alone could give a guy a coronary.
I let out a breath and look away from him. "Give me a damn break, man. I just want to be alone."
"Being alone isn't good."
"It is for
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