“Don’t let us hold you up.” Oz plasters a fake ass smile on his lips as he waves his hand to the ladies in the front of the group and steps back from the counter so they can go ahead of him. I follow his lead.
I don’t know if everyone can feel the tension in the air, but I can. I’ve also known Oz and Memphis for a long time and know when shit is about to go down. The guy tries to usher Waylynn in front of him, but she’s slipped even farther back, so she’s the last of the group, and it looks like he would have to push her to get her moving, which would get him in trouble with more than just Oz.
“Waylynn.” Oswald steps right into her space, and she lifts only her eyes to peer up at him when he says her name. “I told you we have you covered for math, anything you need.” His voice is soft, cajoling.
“I know, but you guys are busy. I don’t want to use up all your time.” If I hadn’t moved closer, I wouldn’t have been able to hear her.
“We want you to,” he tells her, and she gives a soft little “Okay” that I’m not even sure is audible.
“Are you done here? Come eat with us,” he tells her before she can even answer his first question.
Her eyes dart over to me, and she looks frightened, like a little mouse. I want to ask her if she’s okay, but I don’t know her well enough yet.
“You remember Bates, right?” Oz steps to the side a little.
“Yes.” She tugs her backpack straps closer together, squeezing her tits so the fabric of her shirt gets pinched in her cleavage and tightens over her chest. Damn, I shouldn’t be noticing shit like that.
“Sorry I was a dick,” I blurt.
“It’s okay,” she says swiftly. “Mist…Gr…explained it was a misunderstanding.”
“Let’s get food.” Oz wraps his arm around her shoulders and starts to haul her along to a different kitchen with his tray from the pasta station still in hand.
“Hit it and quit it.” One of the girl’s cackles as they walk past. Oz pretends not to hear them, but I see the way Waylynn’s spine snaps straight under the weight of his arm. It’s a reminder of why I never did the college thing. I hate this kind of shit.
I catch up to Waylynn. Oz is standing on her other side. I don’t know if it’s Memphis’ words influencing me or not, but she does seem too soft and sweet to be left alone.
Memphis
The chair makes a squelchingsound as Makayla tries to scoot even closer to me. I thought my disinterest would be enough to get her to leave me alone, but it’s clear that’s not going to work when she’s still talking to me five minutes after Oz and Bates left to get food.
“Did you do anything over the summer?”
“Worked.” I don’t go into details, and she doesn’t ask for any.
“I miss hanging out with you,” she tells me just as I see Oz, Waylynn, and Bates walking toward the table. She looks exactly like she did this afternoon, wearing fitted jeans and a T-shirt that slides off her shoulder every once in a while, exposing her pink bra strap. Her fingers are curled tightly around a dining tray.
I forget all about who’s next to me until I see her eyes drift to the left. I get to my feet as Oswald places his heaping tray on the table. “Look who I found.” He takes Waylynn’s tray from her hands and places it next to his.
Bates grabs the top of a chair from another table and spins it around so it’s sitting at the end, near Waylynn. The table only seats four, so there’s barely any room for his tray, but he makes it work.
The moment Waylynn lowers herself into the chair Oz pulled out for her, Makayla does a weird finger wave. “Hey, I’m Makayla.”
“I’m going to get something to eat,” I announce before Waylynn can respond. Everyone at the table looks at me like I’m a dick, or maybe I just feel like one, besides Waylynn, who keeps her eyes on the table.
The urge to tell her to look at me is strong, but I clench my jaw. “Hurry up so we’re not done before you even get your food,” Oz tells me.
Makayla pushes up from the table, but instead of walking away like I hoped she would, she follows me.
“Your brother has a girlfriend?” She lingers near the salad counter.
“Does it matter?”
“I didn’t know the Gravlin men committed, and she’s not what I expected.” Her reply is flippant.
“Expected how?” I turn to face her. It might be the first time I’ve actually looked at her today.
“I don’t know.” She lifts a shoulder. “Have they been together long? You never mentioned her.”
