Page 79 of Five

“Have you seen Tera?” I ask. Because I’m desperate. I’m really starting to worry about her. I mean, she was so afraid last Saturday and then she just disappears?

“Yeah, about ten minutes ago. She and Brian were having breakfast in the dining hall.”

“Oh, I’m gonna go look for her real fast. You don’t need to walk me to class.”

But he grabs my arm and says, “They left. I saw them.”

Yup. Weird. And his touch isn’t getting any easier to deal with as the days pass. It’s getting creepier.

“So I’m in luck,” Frank says, smiling. “I get you all to myself.”

All my friends are preoccupied with their pairs. Is this how it’s supposed to be? “You’re in luck,” I say. “Were the guys ordered to keep us occupied? To monopolize our time and keep us from talking too much about this weekend? Because none of my friends seem to have time for me this week, Frank.”

Frank lifts that one stupid eyebrow at me. “What are you talking about? No one’s trying to monopolize your time, Aurora.”

I hate that he’s started calling me Aurora. He says Rory is a kid’s name and his wife needs a woman’s name.

My hand almost slapped him out of instinct when he spewed that shit.

“We’re just enamored with our new ladies, that’s all. Come on,” he says, wrapping my arm around his. “I’m responsible for getting you to class on time and you’re going to be late.”

I let him lead me out the door and across the street to campus, but since when do I need a fucking babysitter to get to class?

When we get to my classroom Frank leans in and kisses me on the cheek again. “See you right here afterward, OK? We’ll grab an early lunch since I know you didn’t eat breakfast.”

“No,” I say. It comes out automatically. I’m not the kind of girl who gets worked up like Mia is. I’m calm and rational most of the time. But once I get an idea in my head, I talk before I think.

“No?” Frank says. “What do you mean, no?”

Is that… anger I hear in his voice? “I mean,” I say, “I don’t need you to walk me to every single class, Frank. And I’m not having lunch with you today. I’m going to look for Tera after this. I just told you I haven’t spoken to her in days. I’m worried.”

He draws in a deep breath. People are staring at us, and he doesn’t miss that fact. But he keeps his attitude in check by putting up his hands in surrender. “Hey.” He laughs. But it’s not a real laugh. “I’m just trying to be nice, Princess.”

I glare at him. And I do mean glare. “Don’t. Call me that,” I say. “And you’re not trying to be nice. You’re smothering me. I barely know you, Frank. And I’m not your property, OK?”

He’s very aware that everyone has stopped what they’re doing to watch us argue.

So he backs away, shaking his head, and then turns on his heel and disappears into a crowd.

Good riddance.

Now everyone is staring at me. “What?” I ask the crowd of lookers. “You’ve never seen a girl be a bitch before?”

They avert their eyes and pretend to resume what they were doing.

I go inside the classroom, fuming.

It’s one of those big auditorium classrooms because this is a freshman class I’ve been putting off for ages. Stupid economics. And someone is sitting at my desk. Not that I really have a desk, it’s only the third day of class, but I was sitting there on Monday and Wednesday and now…

“Pssst. Rory!”

I turn to see who’s whisper-yelling my name and almost squeal with delight to see Tera, scrunched down in a seat in the back row. She’s wearing a gray hoodie and the hood is mostly covering her face.

“Tera!” I whisper back, pushing my way through the people still entering the auditorium, and flopping down beside her. “Where the hell have you been?”

“Bitch,” she says, lifting up her hood a little so she can look me in the eyes. “We need to talk.”

But just as she finishes, the professor begins to lecture and some uppity girl turns around in front of us to say, “Shhh.”