The Original Crowd (A Whole New Crowd 0.50)

“Hey.” She looked up, standing up from kneeling. “She’s been in there for a while now. She won’t talk to anyone.”

“Where’s Carter?”

Honey shrugged, her wheat blonde hair falling off her shoulders. “I have no idea. Bit came and got me before. She went to see if Evans has any pizza. It’s worth a try, right?”

I grinned at their names. They’d kept using them.

I was struck by the sincerity in her voice. She was really nice. Like, actual nice. Not fake nice. Or trying to gain something nice.

“Mandy likes Canadian bacon and pineapple. If he doesn’t have any, you could just order. I’ll pay you back,” I offered.

“It’s worth a try.” Honey grinned shyly.

“What?” I asked, dumbly.

“I just thought it was hilarious. Jasmine’s about to go off on you and you just step in, cool. She backs off. It was priceless. I know it made my night.” She giggled softly.

So others felt the same way I did about Jasmine and her previous reign at Rawley.

“Mandy,” I knocked, “let me in.”

We heard sniffling a second later—Mandy must’ve gotten closer to the door—because she murmured, “Go back and have fun, Taryn. I’m just crying right now. I need some time alone.”

Okay, I was much more comfortable verbally sparring with someone than comforting someone. Being soothing? Nurturing? So not my forte. But I knew this is what Mandy needed and it was a skill that I eventually need to develop, sometime in my life.

“Mandy,” I said softly, “Grant came and got me so that means he was worried. I’m betting there’s a lot of people who are concerned. So let me in so I can do my sisterly-duty.”

“Taryn, seriously. Just go away.” She sniffed. Honey and I shared a look. Mandy wasn’t fooling us. Mandy needed attention and comfort twenty-four/seven.

Mandy was not a loner. No way in hell.

“Mandy, either let me in or I’ll break in. Your choice,” I said sweetly, rocking back on my heels.

Honey’s eyes went wide at my words, and even wider when the door opened a second later—revealing Mandy, swamped in a terry-cloth robe, her eyes swollen and puffy.

She took one look at me and I saw the break down. I moved in and wrapped my arms around her.

“Hey, hey,” I murmured softly, “it’s okay.”

“No it’s not,” she sobbed, clinging to me. “It’s not okay. It’s over. Me and Dev…we’re over.”

Oh. Understanding finally dawned on me. Mandy got through this past week because she thought she’d get back together with Devon at some point. She was allowed a little revenge fun and then…her and Devon would be okay again.

Okay. I could do this…I think.

I turned to Honey and gestured for her to shut the door. Which she did, with her on the inside, with us.

I was not the girl for this.

Honey must’ve seen my discomfort because she shifted to sit on the bed with us. She placed a hand to Mandy’s shoulder and murmured, “He was yours.”

Was that really helping?

Mandy sobbed harder.

Honey continued softly, “But that chapter has to close.”

Mandy kept crying.