response and try to sleep too, but when I shut my eyes, I only see Juliet. Restless, I grab my shower stuff and open the door to the noisy hallway.
“Chase?” Ben calls after me.
I turn. “Thanks for taking care of Juliet today. I hope she wasn’t too dramatic. I appreciate the favor.”
When something crashes behind me, I cringe. I know she’s there before I see her.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see her step over a pile of books that she must have just dropped.
“What was that?” Ben asks.
I lift my eyebrows as Juliet pushes past me into our room and marches toward him. “You asked him to babysit me?” If looks could kill, Ben would be a goner.
Ben’s eyes pop. “Jules! I knew you were upset last night, and you were alone today.”
Juliet pokes him in his chest. “I don’t need your charity, Ben Riley. Who do you think you are?”
It’s nice to see Juliet hold her own, but I can’t let Ben take the heat. I step behind her and touch her shoulder. “Easy, Juliet. I didn’t hang out with you today because of Ben. I wanted to.”
She yanks her shoulder away and glares at me. “Don’t you dare.” Her eyes burn into mine, but I’m not scared. Weirdly, I’m kind of happy she cares. She looks from Ben to me like she doesn’t know who to kill first.
“Juliet, you’re being dramatic.” I cross my arms over my chest and look to Ben, who nods.
She mimics my pose and squints, tilting her chin as she studies us. “Dramatic?” Her voice deepens as she draws out the word.
Neither of us are dumb enough to respond. She spins and grabs the doorknob. “Well, how’s this for dramatic? I hate you both!” She slams the door so hard behind her that the books lined up on the windowsill over Ben’s bed fly off, just barely missing his head.
Ben and I stare at the closed door. A moment later, he points to it and looks at me. “That was pretty dramatic,” he says. “Damn.”
“You’ll fix her?” I ask. I don’t want her mad at me. Not after our awesome field trip earlier.
He nods. “That’s what I do.”
Juliet
Wednesday morning, I dress for class in jeans and a tight tee shirt, trying to look hot enough for the boys’ attention but dull enough for the girls’. If I look too good, the girls will ignore me. If I look too dull, the boys will. If there’s one thing I need today, it’s attention that I get on my own, not because Ben charmed his roommate into playing with me for the day. Jerks . I anticipate spending the day ignoring their calls and texts, which start bright and early.
Through the little half-window near the ceiling of my basement dorm room, I watch the bottom halves of Chase and Tina walk away. Gross. Chase texted me this morning and left me a voicemail too. I ignored both but admit that no matter his motivation, our day yesterday was amazing, and what he said was true—I need to dance.
I pull out the schedule from Miss Stephanie’s, open my laptop, then email her for details. Next, I search for the campus map and find where I need to be for my first class—History 101, Harper Building. As I pack my bag, which has nothing in it but my phone, my laptop, and a pen since I haven’t yet been to the bookstore, I hear a ruckus in the hallway. Keys jingle, and my doorknob turns.
What the hell? My heart beats fast and my palms start to sweat. Someone’s breaking in! I don’t know what to do. I grab my pen and hold it over my head. If someone tries anything, I’ll stab his eye out. But why would he use a key?
The door flies open, and a guy of Indian descent walks in carrying a suitcase. Two other Indian guys follow Suitcase Man, dragging crates and bins. They march in like they own the place and start setting up the other side.
Who do these people think they are? Do they not see me here? “Excuse me! Can I help you?”
The ruckus in the hall grows as the men move in and out. Thankfully, Rocco’s giant frame appears in my doorway, blocking them. “What’s going
“Chase?” Ben calls after me.
I turn. “Thanks for taking care of Juliet today. I hope she wasn’t too dramatic. I appreciate the favor.”
When something crashes behind me, I cringe. I know she’s there before I see her.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see her step over a pile of books that she must have just dropped.
“What was that?” Ben asks.
I lift my eyebrows as Juliet pushes past me into our room and marches toward him. “You asked him to babysit me?” If looks could kill, Ben would be a goner.
Ben’s eyes pop. “Jules! I knew you were upset last night, and you were alone today.”
Juliet pokes him in his chest. “I don’t need your charity, Ben Riley. Who do you think you are?”
It’s nice to see Juliet hold her own, but I can’t let Ben take the heat. I step behind her and touch her shoulder. “Easy, Juliet. I didn’t hang out with you today because of Ben. I wanted to.”
She yanks her shoulder away and glares at me. “Don’t you dare.” Her eyes burn into mine, but I’m not scared. Weirdly, I’m kind of happy she cares. She looks from Ben to me like she doesn’t know who to kill first.
“Juliet, you’re being dramatic.” I cross my arms over my chest and look to Ben, who nods.
She mimics my pose and squints, tilting her chin as she studies us. “Dramatic?” Her voice deepens as she draws out the word.
Neither of us are dumb enough to respond. She spins and grabs the doorknob. “Well, how’s this for dramatic? I hate you both!” She slams the door so hard behind her that the books lined up on the windowsill over Ben’s bed fly off, just barely missing his head.
Ben and I stare at the closed door. A moment later, he points to it and looks at me. “That was pretty dramatic,” he says. “Damn.”
“You’ll fix her?” I ask. I don’t want her mad at me. Not after our awesome field trip earlier.
He nods. “That’s what I do.”
Juliet
Wednesday morning, I dress for class in jeans and a tight tee shirt, trying to look hot enough for the boys’ attention but dull enough for the girls’. If I look too good, the girls will ignore me. If I look too dull, the boys will. If there’s one thing I need today, it’s attention that I get on my own, not because Ben charmed his roommate into playing with me for the day. Jerks . I anticipate spending the day ignoring their calls and texts, which start bright and early.
Through the little half-window near the ceiling of my basement dorm room, I watch the bottom halves of Chase and Tina walk away. Gross. Chase texted me this morning and left me a voicemail too. I ignored both but admit that no matter his motivation, our day yesterday was amazing, and what he said was true—I need to dance.
I pull out the schedule from Miss Stephanie’s, open my laptop, then email her for details. Next, I search for the campus map and find where I need to be for my first class—History 101, Harper Building. As I pack my bag, which has nothing in it but my phone, my laptop, and a pen since I haven’t yet been to the bookstore, I hear a ruckus in the hallway. Keys jingle, and my doorknob turns.
What the hell? My heart beats fast and my palms start to sweat. Someone’s breaking in! I don’t know what to do. I grab my pen and hold it over my head. If someone tries anything, I’ll stab his eye out. But why would he use a key?
The door flies open, and a guy of Indian descent walks in carrying a suitcase. Two other Indian guys follow Suitcase Man, dragging crates and bins. They march in like they own the place and start setting up the other side.
Who do these people think they are? Do they not see me here? “Excuse me! Can I help you?”
The ruckus in the hall grows as the men move in and out. Thankfully, Rocco’s giant frame appears in my doorway, blocking them. “What’s going
Similar Books
