Vengeance (Private 14)

A pair of guys from the soccer team walked in through the side door and Josh nearly jumped out of his skin. A moment later Marc Alberro strolled close to Josh’s table and Josh’s head jumped up, as if he were startled. As if he was waiting for someone to attack him.

“Well, I know I’m not winning anything, but I don’t care,” Lorna said, untangling a knot in her beaded necklace. “I’d rather not be sitting there nervous all night, sweating into my new Zac Posen.”

“Ew!” Constance whined.

A couple of freshmen at the table next to Josh’s cracked up laughing and he lit into them so fiercely they both turned pink in the face. Then he slumped even lower in his

chair, yanking his iPod from the pocket of his Easton sweatshirt and jamming the buds into his ears.

“Reed?” Constance asked.

Josh’s knee jerked upward so suddenly he knocked over the salt and pepper shakers on his table—which he didn’t seem to notice.

“Um, Reed? Hello?” Astrid said.

Lorna leaned across the table and pinched my arm.

“Ow!” I complained, rubbing the spot. “What?”

“What world are you in?” Astrid demanded, staring me down over her laptop screen. “Because I’d like to remember never to visit it.”

I sighed, slumping my shoulders forward. “I’m sorry, guys. I’m just really distracted tonight.”

“It’s okay,” Constance said, lifting her coffee to her lips with both hands and blowing across the surface of the liquid. “Everyone’s a little stressed right now. Wanna vent?”

“A good venting always works for me,” Lorna added.

A heavy feeling flooded my chest, something like gratitude mixed with guilt. Here my friends were, trying to be friends, but I had no interest in telling them what was going on. Because I didn’t really understand yet what was going on.

“Thanks, guys, but I think I’m just going to go back to my room and try to get some work done,” I told them, getting up and shoving my books into my bag. “Maybe I’ll feel better if I can get through some of my to-do list.”

“Okay. Well, call us if you need us,” Astrid offered.

“I will.”

I turned around and started across the crowded, noisy room, leaving my iced tea and any chance I had at a helpful study group behind. But I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t sit there anymore and stare at my downward-spiraling boyfriend. And I knew that as hard as my friends might try to help me, that was all I’d be doing.

Then, halfway to the door, I paused. Why didn’t I just ask Josh what was going on? Ask him if he’d gone off his medication? He was my boyfriend. We were in love with each other. He’d understand that I was just concerned, right? I looked at him over my shoulder and bit my lip.

Or he’d tell me I was crazy, to mind my own freaking business, and bite my head off for basically accusing him of acting like a mental patient.

Screw it. I had to talk to him. I had to put all this uncertainty to rest. I’d taken one step toward him when my phone beeped. I paused with a frustrated groan and yanked it out of my bag.

The noise of the room suddenly quieted to a dull hum in my ears and I paused. The text was from MT.

GET 2 THE CONSTRUCTION SITE. NOW.

I whipped around, my phone clutched in my hand, searching the room. Of course, every other person there was typing on their phone. I tried to stay perfectly still—tried to focus. Suddenly the door near the counter marked STAFF ONLY swung shut. Someone slipped out of the solarium by the side door, which was hardly ever used, and let it slam. And then I saw something partially hidden behind the potted trees near the corner. I took a tentative step back to get a better angle, my pulse racing, expecting to catch a glimpse of blond hair, but it was just a mop and bucket left behind by the janitor. I took a deep breath and tried to calm down, scanning the room once more, but no one was watching me. They were all in their own little worlds. Just like I was in mine. Alone with my mystery texter.

I turned around and headed for the door. Out in the hallway I nearly slammed into Noelle and Ivy, who were locked in an argument.

“You have no idea what you’re talking about!” Ivy blurted.

Noelle shoved her hands into her hair. “Oh my God! You weren’t even there!”

“Guys?” I said approaching them.

“I didn’t need to be there to know what you were doing there!” Ivy replied.