“Just me and my crew, and I'm sure your friend will be there with Cody.”
I sigh as I think about it, and he draws me in even closer.
“Come on. It'll be fun.”
“I'm not a very fun person.”
I smile when he nuzzles his nose against my neck and then murmurs into my ear.
“Nah, you're way more than fucking fun.”
I remain silent for a moment, still lost in contemplation about being so far away from home and what if I do not like it there, but I attempt to brush the anxiety aside because I can't live my entire life like this. I need to get out there and live.
I finally respond softly while side-eying him.
“Okay sure, why not?”
He gives me a firm kiss on the cheek before responding.
“That's a good girl.”
He releases me, and we both wash before exiting the shower together.
“Go get some shit together, and I'll come pick you up later this afternoon.”
I give a small nod as I wrap a towel around my wet body.
When I walk into our dorm, it is vacant; Lucy has obviously stayed out all night as well.
I glance around as I close the door behind me and take an uncertain step forward because something does not seem right and the stench of burning emanates from the bathroom. My brows furrow, and I gently push the door open with my palm before entering.
My eyes widen as I peer around the door, and I dash ahead, turning on the taps to stop the smoke from filling the bathroom. The water starts to fill the washbasin; the black burnt roses clog the plug hole, and I quickly turn it off.
I fix my attention on the red lettering on the mirror in front of me, which reads:
We shall raise hell for you, Birdy. Do not fucking do this.
I start to feel really fucking angry, panting heavily as I read it over and over in my thoughts. When I hear the dorm door open, I rush to the bathroom door and hurriedly lock it before hearing Lucy's voice.
“Charley?”
When I shout back, I lean up against the door, hyperventilating.
“Just a minute!”
I hurry around, wiping all the writing off the mirror and tossing the charred rose petals into the garbage can. I am out of breath at the end, and my heart is pounding in my chest.
“What's taking you so long, Char? I want to hear all the gossip!”
I roll my eyes and take a deep breath, feeling irritated and dejected as I stride towards the door. I take a few steps back as soon as I open it, and she walks in with a big smile on her face, but before she finally speaks, her face falls, and she sniffs the air, looking around.
“What's that smell?”
I let out a nervous giggle before responding.
“I thought the same thing! It had to be Cody's cigarette.”
Her eyes catch mine immediately, and she gazes at me suspiciously before peering around again. When she begins toexplore, I panic and step in front of her with a big fake smile on my face.
