Seeing Shadows (Shadows 1)

"No kidding," Jenny concurred. "I've tried it and I don't recommend it if you value your back."

Janice came back and plunked a glass of s

oda in front of Jenny. "Someone looking for an apartment?" she asked.

"I am," Simon answered. "You know of anything?"

Janice was a valuable source of information since she overheard everything at the East End. She seemed to know more than anyone else about the lives of Maxwell students.

"Sherry Campbell is moving out of her place," Janice informed us. "She's flunking out and her parents are yanking her back home to go to school there. She only came back this year on a trial basis and she's already messin' up so she's gone."

"That's right on our street!" Sarah squealed. "Perfect!"

Sherry Campbell lived down the street from us on Martin Street. She was a nice girl but she partied way too hard. She came from a very affluent family in Boston and it didn't seem as though she took school very seriously. Even though she was only a sophomore, she had lived in an off-campus apartment since her freshman year, somehow circumventing the rule that first year students had to live in campus housing. I'm sure her parents' money had something to do with it. We had gotten to know her since we had started living on Martin Street at the same time, but she was a bit too much of a hardcore party girl for me.

"Do you know when she's moving out?" Simon asked.

"End of the month," Janice replied. "Her parents are looking for someone to sublet for the rest of the school year."

"Have you guys ever been to her apartment?" Simon asked, but looking directly at me.

"Yeah, we've been there for a couple of parties," I replied. "It's really nice. Probably the nicest apartment on our block. It's a two bedroom but she's lived there alone since her roommate transferred last year after the first semester. It has a killer kitchen too."

Simon smiled. "Maybe you can make your garbage cookies for me there."

I coughed mid-sip of my beer. "Uh, let's see if you actually get the apartment first."

"Here, let me give you Sherry's number," Sarah said, scrolling through her cell phone. "I have it saved."

Simon pulled out his cell phone and took the number that Sarah dictated.

"I'll give you my phone number too, in case you need it," Sarah offered. She then smiled mischievously. "Let me give you Caitlin's too. You never know when you'll need her."

I placed my glass loudly on the table. "Since when is my phone number public knowledge?" I asked accusingly.

"Caitlin," Sarah lectured. "We have to make Simon feel welcome. And it's hard adjusting to a new school." She smiled wickedly. "Besides, maybe you'll need to contact him someday. You should take his number too. You can never have enough strong men at your beck and call."

"Oh my God," I muttered. "Whatever. Fine. Just write my number on the bathroom wall and be done with it."

"I wouldn't want that to happen," Simon said smiling, but his blue eyes were looking at me a little too seriously. "You're too special to have your name plastered in the guy's bathroom. And too many guys would be calling you then."

I cleared my throat, not knowing what to say as I felt warmth creeping up my face.

"Okay," Sarah said. "Here it is."

I sat stupidly while Sarah gave Simon all of our numbers, including Jenny's and Sherry Campbell's. I didn't even say a word when Sarah grabbed my phone and programmed Simon's number into it. I felt someone kick my leg and I looked over at Jenny since it seemed to come from her direction. She was wiggling her eyebrows like she was possessed and grinning like a madman.

I rolled my eyes and looked away. I needed to establish the friendship boundary sooner rather than later. It wasn't as if this was something new. When a guy was interested, I would smoothly transition him to friend mode with ease. But no one had affected me like Simon before. He was making me feel nervous and clumsy. My attempts at being funny seemed a little too sharp but he didn't seem to take offense. I convinced myself that I was reacting differently to Simon because he had been in my vision.

"I'll give her a call tomorrow," Simon said. "It would be a pretty lucky break if I was able to snag her apartment."

"Hi guys!" a voice called out brightly. I looked over and saw Samantha Barre walking over to our table and groaned inwardly. Samantha oozed sexuality as she walked over in a tight miniskirt and form-hugging tank top. She seemed oblivious to the fact that it was the middle of October and frigid outside. While Samantha and I got along outwardly, she had always held some resentment towards me since the Jonathan situation.

Jonathan had been a year ahead of us and had taken a dogged interest in me last year that had been hard to divert. Not because I was interested in him but because he was so determined. Samantha and Jonathan had gone out on a couple of dates but nothing came out of it, much to Samantha's disappointment. I think she was convinced that something more would have happened between them if Jonathan hadn't gotten caught up in pursuing me. Fortunately, Jonathan had graduated last year and was no longer at Maxwell.

Jonathan graduating had relieved me of the awkward position of repeatedly turning him down, but I still had Samantha to contend with. She never outright said anything rude to me because she knew that even though I tended to be more reserved, I wasn't someone that would back down from a challenge. But I could tell from the way I caught her looking at me sometimes that she was not happy to be around me.

Samantha wasn't really a part of our group, but she was in the School of Education alongside Marcus. They had a lot of classes together and had struck up a friendship. Probably because Marcus was too nice to everyone. As a result, she was an infrequent member of our group. Jenny and Sarah weren't crazy about her either. They valued female friendships and Samantha was the type of girl who only had guy friends. I think the closest female friends she had was us, which wasn't saying much. But we put up with her because Marcus said she was okay and meant no harm. Men were really clueless sometimes.