Leahand I walk through the cafeteria doors, where we agreed to meet the boys for dinner, since we had an eventful enough weekend and were too tired to go anywhere else. Leah is droning on about how she would have loved to have been there to put Lana in her place and how she still doesn’t know why Kash bothers with her at all. I try to tune her out. I can’t seem to sort through my emotions when it comes to being near that woman.
The guys are already seated, waiting for us to get our food together. It’s silent, awkward, and I don’t really feel like talking to anyone right now. It’s not like any of them have done anything wrong. I’m just angry. Can I just be angry? Austin wraps his arm around my waist.
“Everything okay?” he asks, and I give him a small forced smile.
“Yes,” I nod, “just hungry.” We all walk over to the foodbuffet and start loading our trays with various foods. Once we are seated, Leah begins the conversation, making things even more awkward than they already were.
“So are we going to address the elephant in the room, or are we going to just sit here and not talk to each other?” she says, shoving a forkful of mashed potatoes and gravy in her mouth.
“I don’t get what everyone is so worked up over,” Kash starts. “Who I spend time with outside of being glued to you three is my business.”
“Sure is,” I say and take a bite of my meatloaf, not looking up from my plate.
“Do you have something you want to get off your chest, Gremlin?” Kash asks, sitting back with his arms folded, as if waiting for me to come at him guns blazing.
“Nope, who you spend time with is none of my business, like you said,” I respond, ice in my voice.
“Great, glad we’re on the same page,” he says, but I continue.
“When she directly insults me, eggs me on, or makes comments about my relationship, on the other hand, is most definitely my business, and I’m not about to sit pretty while she keeps throwing punches just because she’s the one riding your cock this week.” I finish, and Austin places his hand on my knee beneath the table, silently trying to reel me back in.
“Jealous?” he asks with a cocky grin tugging at the corner of his mouth.
“Ha!” I shout dramatically. “Of potentially getting a venereal disease? Not in the least.” I can see the anger and hurt flash across Kash’s face.
“Can we take a breather here? Reset?” Austin asks, trying to mediate this argument.
“It’s not easy being around you two all the time and notwanting someone to spend my time with,” Kash says, and the fire within me begins to simmer. “Lana isn’t the ideal person to hook up with, I know, but it’s not like there’s just another you walking around out there.” Kash gestures to me, and I can physically feel Austin still beside me. His body is stiff, and I immediately feel a sense of discomfort.
“Notyou.I didn’t mean you exactly. I just mean someone I actually want to get to know and spend my time with.” He tries to recover.
“Huh,” Leah says, obviously enjoying her brother’s discomfort.
“Maybe getting away from Lana would be the first step in finding someone worth getting to know,” I tell him, trying to move past his previous comment.
“I know, trust me, I know. It’s just easier. She always comes, you know?” he says and smirks, and we all groan, rolling our eyes. I pick up a spoonful of corn and fling it across the table at him.
“Hey, what the fuck!” He jumps, and I laugh.
“You kind of deserved that one,” I tell him.
“Fair. But you seriously gotta cool it with throwing food at me. It’s wasteful,” he says and steals a brownie off my tray.
“Just in case you felt like using this as ammunition, I think I’ll take care of it for you.” He snickers while taking a giant bite.
TWENTY-ONE
VIX - PRESENT
The snow has melted,and the temperature is no longer unbearably cold. There’s a meteor shower tonight, and what better way to watch it than to sneak onto the HHU roof?
“Sleeping bags? Check. Flashlights? Check. Food and booze? Double check.” Kash runs through the list, announcing his checks out loud to the rest of us. “Oh, and I can’t forget this,” he says while waving a bag of bud in the air.
“Fuck yeah!” Austin shouts. I give him a look as if I don’t even know who he is right now, and he laughs.
“It’s been forever since I’ve smoked a joint. You know you want to, too,” he teases.
“Are you sure we won’t get caught?” Leah asks, worry etched in her eyes.
