“Don’t even.”
All I needed was to be a headline in the school newspaper next week after they ran out of anything interesting to report on.
Campus witch causes collapse of Barnett football star in after-hours library squatting.
Ryan shook his head, still smiling. “It’s nice to know you have my best interests at heart.”
“Only your bodily ones.”
He cocked his head to the side, the picture of delight.
“You’re bodily well-being—just stop.” Best to put myself out of my misery. I shook my head, turning away from him toward the front double library doors.
“Whatever you say, Luella. I’m already starting to have the feeling that you don’t hate me as much as we both thought you did,” said Ryan.
“Think again.”
Ryan continued to hold the same smug expression.
He could look however he wanted as long as he listened closely.
“Now, we cannot let the door close or else we will be locked out for the rest of the night. Got it?” I asked, waiting for some sort of nod.
“Got it. If I shut this door while you are going to get the pizza, you’ll be locked out.”
Very amusing. “And I’ll sit by the door and eat two whole pizzas while you watch.”
“Cruel.”
I threw the door open a little wider before it was grasped back in Ryan’s hands. “Hold the door. And make sure no one sees you.”
“Why do you say that?”
“I’m not saying that this is against the rules or anything …”
“Only it is, isn’t it?”
“We just don’t want to give campus security any more fun on a Friday night.”
He waved me off. “Hurry then.”
The south end of campus was surprisingly vacant, save for the loud voices echoing through the trees toward University Row. Leaning against the door, Ryan shouted at me quietly the farther I got away down the straight pathway where the pizza boy was looking between the two of us with both intrigue and humor.
“Go! Go! GO,” called Ryan.
Unable to help myself at the immediate tone of voice, all fun, I grinned as I raced out the darkly lit doors of the library, looking back to make sure that he hadn’t accidentally locked us both out.
As I fished in my back pocket, the young delivery boy shook his head the moment I got close enough.
He extended the pizzas out to me with a smile. “Already paid for.”
“Oh?” I narrowed my eyes, taking the two pizza boxes from his hands.
He waved over my shoulder, going up on his toes. “Hey, Ryan!”
“Hey, Lucas!” he called back in his whisper-yell. “How’s it going?”
The boy shrugged as he fell back on flat feet. I’d never seen him before. At least, I didn’t think I had. Not apparently like Ryan had.
