The Original Crowd (A Whole New Crowd 0.50)

I finished dressing and saw in surprise that Tray had already slipped on a shirt without me knowing.

“Where are you going?” I asked, startled.

“Breakfast. With you,” he stated, grabbing a pair of pants.

“Oh.” I stood uncertainly as I waited for him to finish. I led the way outside, sighing when I saw a few people sleeping off their drunk on the patio loungers. Inside, they were spread out in the hallways and I caught a glimpse of more in one of the living rooms. The kitchen was already being invaded.

Mandy, Amber, Bryce, and Grant were finishing off a box of doughnuts. Honey was awake, sitting at the table. Alone.

Mandy giggled, trying to hide her doughnut behind her hand.

Amber giggled at that and then they both dissolved into laughter.

Honey and Bit had been right.

“Hey, dude,” Grant called out, shoving the box our way. “Carter went for treats.”

Tray leaned forward to inspect what was left and I bypassed them to sit down beside Honey.

“Hey,” I greeted easily, biting back a yawn.

“Hi,” she said gratefully.

“Where’d you sleep last night?”

She shrugged, looking away. But I caught the brief glance she’d sent over my shoulder. Following it, I saw that it landed on Bryce, who was currently devouring his second doughnut, grinning at Tray’s curse that they’d taken all the good ones.

Hmmm.

Bit liked Bryce.

I wasn’t stupid. She had a guilt-ridden, one-night-stand look. It seems like Honey had hooked up with Bryce after I’d left.

“Where’s…Lori? Bit.”

Honey flushed, crossing her arms over her chest. “She went home last night.”

“Right,” I said dryly.

“She did.”

Whatever. I was going to push straight through. I leaned forward and asked directly, “She know about you and Bryce?”

Honey paled at my words, seemingly shrin

king back into her chair. I guess that would be a no.

“You should come clean. Tell her why you did what you did,” I said shortly. “Because next time you’re at a party, Bryce is gonna remember that you were the girl he hooked up with once. He’ll come sniffing around again and he’s not going to care who’s around or who’s going to hear him. Bit’s gonna care and you’ll be down one friend.”

“What are you…why…?” she faltered, taken aback.

“Look, I’m just trying to save you from a lot of extra drama. If you come clean, Bit will understand. Unlike Mandy, I don’t have a case of selective amnesia with whoever’s higher in the popularity status…you guys were both there for my sister. That means something to me and I’d hate to have you guys get sucked up in this kind of drama. You guys seem solid as friends. That’s a good thing. You need friends—good friends.”

“Hey, Taryn,” Bryce greeted, plopping down in the chair next to mine, throwing an arm around my shoulder. “Where oh where did you disappear to last night?”

“You’re an asshole,” I said simply, shrugging his arm off.

“What?” he sputtered, more startled than insulted.