I got a picture of Steven’s face. It looked like he was trying to lick the camera.
Shit, I missed them. I really should ghost them for the sake of my heart.
But I just couldn’t bring myself to do it.
I finished my class and went to meet Leigh, so that we could go over everything for the quiz today.
Today there were food trucks on campus, so we grabbed boba and poke, and found a place to sit on a covered patio where we often liked to study.
As we ate, we went over the flashcards.
“Your shithead ex hasn’t contacted you today has he?” Leigh asked as she popped a piece of salmon in her mouth.
“No.” I’d already told her about the phone call from Drea’s dad.
“I think his meeting was today. Seth’s and Raven’s too,” Leigh added. “Raven’s backon campus.”
I looked around and saw Pika sitting with a couple of guys from the wrestling team, eating lunch.
One of Logan’s classmates walked by, giving me a long look. Leigh flipped them off while taking a drink of boba.
“Can we talk?” Raven came over to us, looking a little sickly.
“I have nothing to say to you,” I answered. Seeing her hurt more than Logan. But then I remembered her calling me the drama. I didn’t need that in my life.
Raven’s shoulders slumped. “I’m sorry I was shitty. I let Drea and Logan get in my head. You know they shit talk you a lot, right? They also talk a lot about their life together when he starts his doctorate program.”
“Which is funny considering he literally has been accepted to a program back home, where he can live with mommy, and get back with his ex,” I replied, wondering where all this was going
Raven’s eyebrows rose. “I thought he was staying here.”
“He also said he loved me and wanted to be with me forever, and we all know that was a lie.” I rolled my eyes.
“While it was Logan who wanted to bring Drea, it was my idea to move everything and to leave you out completely. I realize now that you weren’t nagging, you were simply trying to prevent us from having a bad time,” she confessed.
“I wasn’t trying to be controlling. Nobody was planning anything and there were a number of things we had to get organized. I know you. If we just went with the flow, no one would get to do anything they wanted. Was it your idea to not have anyone pay me?” I asked.
“It was Logan’s. Rowan and Aaron didn’t know about all this. They believed us when we said that we were moving it earlier because it was cheaper, and you would meet us because of class, and that you were paying for it as a graduation gift to us. So don’t blame them. Rowan also broke up with me after everything came out about us intentionally leaving you out and replacing you with Drea. He said that there was no point in being with me if I was going to be like that. He and Aaron actually went off together for a bulk of the trip.” She fidgeted with her rings.
I just stared at her expectantly.
“It was a huge mistake. I regret it. I was jealous of you. And well, I felt like you owed us this vacation even if you weren’t going.” Raven stared back at me.
I wasn’t sure what she wanted from me.
“You smeared her all over the campus forums, you even made an #amithevillain post,” Leigh countered.
Raven sighed. “I thought we were right, until everyone pointed out how wrong we were. I’m sorry for everything I said online. I was upset. I didn’t take into consideration that some of the things I said on the forum were against school policy and could be held against me.”
“So, you’re upset you were caught?” I stared at this person who’d been my friend, the person who I’d told so many things to, who shared my triumphs and listened to me when I had a bad day.
“Yeah.” Her voice went rough. “I didn’t expect that meeting today with Campus Affairs. Seth is not sorry.”
“Seth has always been more Logan’s friend than mine. But you, I thought you were my friend.” My voice grew quiet.
For a moment, Raven said nothing. “They’ll let me graduate. But I might not get to walk.”
“I’m not going to make this go away for you. Thank you for apologizing, but I don’t forgive you. I don’t forgive any of you.” Maybe I’d forgive Aaron and Rowan, if it was actually true that they didn’t know any of this, but we’d see.
