“Hey, we spend more time at my house. Have to look after my fuzzy children.”
“Right. Please can you order dinner? I need a minute to clean myself up.”
Her eyes widen, the teasing grin vanishing. She can read me better than anyone else, so she picks up on the subtext that I need a little alone time after a hectic day.
“Got it. Don’t worry your pretty little head about a thing. Your twin has got it covered.”
“Thanks.” I turn back to Cole. “I’ll give you a lift in tomorrow and we can see about Mabel.”
“Great. Thanks again for being there for me.”
“Of course.”
The chatter in the room picks up as I drag my tired legs up the stairs. Maybe I’ll hit my bed for a quick nap and recharge before I head down for dinner. I think I’m going to need any extra juice for my social battery to make it through this week.
Chapter 5
Popcorn & Power Plays
Luna
“What’splayingagain?”Ipurse my lips in the mirror, dabbing on a generous coating of frosty pink lip gloss. It’s hard to believe people used to wear this in real life.
Nineties movie night at Beddington Hall is always a blast. They run a few every semester, and it’s become something of a tradition for the ladies of the Lightning. Our costumes have gotten a little more outrageous every year.
“How dare you forget? Only the best movie of the era.” Maisie is something of a movie buff, and she has a particular fondness for the eighties and nineties. She staged a home showing of the first two Home Alone movies before we all went home for winter break, complete with props. “Starring my number one girl crush, Julia Stiles. Pretty sure Kat Stratford is my fictional soulmate.”
Right,10 Things I Hate About You. “Not all of us spent our childhoods watching movies that were made before we were born.”
“I’m going to pretend you didn’t just insult the greatest era in cinema.”
“Pretty sure nine out of ten film experts would disagree with you on that one,” I tease her.
She pauses in the middle of clipping her dozenth pink butterfly to her blonde bob. “Pretty sure nine out of ten film experts would be egregiously wrong. And for that, I’m going to grill you about how things went with the dreamily handsome captain of the men’s team.”
“I think you’re mistaken. What you meant to say was the privileged asshat captain of the men’s team.”
“Well, yeah, but he’s still hot. How did it go?”
“Even worse than at practice. There was the briefest glimmer where I thought there might actually be a human under that slick haircut and fancy suit, but then he opened his mouth again. I do not know how I’m going to survive this year.”
She nudges a blue plastic cup filled to the brim with some dangerous fruity concoction toward me, picking up her own. “Alcohol and good friends.”
“Why, Maize, are you trying to get me drunk?”
“Who me? Bad influence on our team captain? Never.”
“She’s lying!” Beth steps in wearing camo pants slung so low on her hips you can see her sharp hip bones. They’re paired with a high ponytail and red tank top. The skinny straps are completely inappropriate for the weather. “She got me so drunk the night I got back from vacay I missed an entire day of classes.”
My bestie bursts out laughing at my glare. The ridiculously shiny lips and space buns are probably taking the bite out of my stern look. The one that usually gets them all in line at games.
A mix of cheers and boos fights for airspace as the three of us are heading down the stairs. Beth and Maisie shove each other to get down first. I thought a ski trip would be the thing to land Beth in the ER, but apparently, she doesn’t need the help of a dangerous sport.
“Ladies, cut the shit. I feel like I’ve told you before no playing on the stairs.” Great, now I sound like my mother. Way too soon for that.
“Yes, Mom,” they say in unison, bursting into giggles.
We follow the sound of the cheering to find our other two roommates sacked out on the couch watching a hockey game. I glance at the screen to see Vancouver is playing LA. Shots fired. Jenna’s a Condors fan, and Krista’s hometown is Vancouver. I’m always worried the house is going to get burnt down anytime the teams play one another.
