“Yes, miss.” He hands me a key from a gilded table. “Your room is 426. And remember that Mr. Odell will be welcoming all the students in the Long Gallery in about an hour.” He tips his hat. “Good luck.”
He steps out the door and I’m alone. That irrepressible smile from the car spreads across my face again. I look behind me to make sure no one’s watching, drop my bags, and break out into a dance like I’m one of the kids from the Charlie Brown Christmas special.
I’m here. I’mactuallyhere!
When I’m out of breath from dancing, I inspect my room key. It’s as long as my hand and as heavy as a hardbound book. Room 426. Wait... does that mean I’m staying on thefourthfloor? One look at the staircase tells me I shouldn’t have done those high kicks just now.
I search around for the elevator, but it turns out to be as small as a broom closet and actually sways when I step inside. No thank you. Next I try pulling all three bags up the stairs at once to speed up the process, but they might as well be boulders. Soon my legs are shaking and I’m sweating and I haven’t even reached the second floor yet.
“Excuseme.”
I turn to find a guy on the step below me, disorientingly close and clearly annoyed. I’ve seen him a few times around the halls at Waterford. Light brown skin, thick brows, dark hair and eyes. Dev... I think? We weren’t in any classes together last year.
“Ellie?” he says, his irritated tone fading when he sees my face. “I didn’t know you were on this trip.”
I try to hide my surprise that he knows me. Oh, please, let him know me from something other than the video. Or the memes. Or the GIFs.
“I’m the last-minute addition,” I mumble.
“You’rereplacing Crystal?” He gives a half laugh. “Huh. I was wondering who it would be.”
I cringe at her name, grab the handles of two of my bags, and start pulling. I’m abandoning the third one until I have caffeine and a hell of a lot more sleep.
“Jesus, what do you have in here?” Dev makes a big show of heaving the third bag up one stair, like it’s filled with concrete instead of sweaters. “You know they give us the textbooks, right?”
I roll my eyes. “Don’t feel obligated to help.”
“And leave you to block the entire staircase?”
“I didn’t bringthatmuch stuff. We are living here for four months, you know.”
“That doesn’t mean you needed to pack the entire mall.” He jerks the bag up more steps, and I flinch as the wheels bang on the wooden stairs. “Good luck fitting this into your dresser upstairs.”
I shoot him a glare. I call tell he’s amused by this whole luggage ordeal, but I’m too exhausted to see any humor.
“For what it’s worth,” he continues, “I think you got the better end of the deal on this one. Only an idiot would give up a semester abroad just to make out with her boyfriend.”
The memory of the party hits me again. Crystal’s beaming smile as she stared at Andy. His hands pushing me away. Everyone’s laughter filling my ears so loudly that my eardrums might pop.
I freeze on the top step and Dev slams into my back.
“Oof!”
He knocks me off balance and I fall forward onto the second-floor landing. He collapses in a heap beside me. We both sit up just as one of my bags tips over and tumbles down the stairs, the racket shattering the quiet space. The bag pops open and half my stuff falls out, including Pinky, the unicorn Pillow Pet I’ve slept with since I was in elementary school.
My cheeks flame at Dev’s muffled chuckles and I race down the stairs. “Shut up!”
“I didn’t say anything.”
“Your laughter is worse.” I glare over my shoulder.
“So Ishouldsay something?”
I shove everything back into the bag and whip around. “Unless the words are‘Can I help you carry that?’I think silence would be preferable.”
He nods and grins so wide he looks like the freaking Grinch.
I jerk the bag up another stair.
