Chapter 3
The next two days were dead quiet.
Derek didn’t call me again, just shot me one more reminder text about saving those library seats, probably terrified hat my “carelessness” might mess up Kira’s study vibes.
Meanwhile, Kira posted this Instagram story with a picture from that downtown coffee shop–the same one I’d been
egging Derek to take me to forever.
Her caption: [Feels like hard work never pays off… mood is literally in the gutter rn, but thankfully someone’s been
ere to comfort me through it all. Hoping this break we can just chill and clear our heads together]
Derek’s comment was right there for everyone to see: [Gonna treat you to all the good food this break.]
A neat little row of likes and sympathy comments from mutual friends lined up underneath.
scrolled past it with zero expression.
The afternoon before we were supposed to leave campus, someone knocked on my dorm door.
opened it to find Derek and Kira standing there, which was… unexpected.
The second Kira saw me, she put on this apologetic smile: “Quinn, hope we’re not bothering you?”
Derek immediately craned his neck to peek into my room, his eyes scanning over the small suitcase I’d left sitting
ut in plain sight. His brow furrowed just slightly.
What’s up?” I stayed planted in the doorway, making it clear they weren’t getting an invitation inside.
Oh, nothing major.”
Derek pulled his gaze back, his tone all casual: “Kira wants to get to Union Station early tomorrow, so I’m helping
er pack. Figured we’d swing by and check on you.”
fis eyes drifted back to my suitcase, and I caught that hint of suspicion: “Did you… actually manage to get a ticket?
Coach? Are you on the same train as us?”
úra blinked those doe eyes at me, all fake concern: “If you’re on our train that would be perfect! We could totally ook out for each other, help with bags and stuff…”
Jooked at her phony expression and said slowly: “I didn’t buy a ticket.”
Both of them froze at the same time.
Kira was the first to snap back, and I caught just a hint of barely concealed smugness in her voice: “Oh no! No ticket?
17:09
She Slandered Me to Millions. (Cue the Fake Tears Live!) But Her Viral Performance? All My Courtroom Evidence!
20.1%
Chapter 1
Quinn, how are you getting home then? Are even the coach seats sold out? This is terrible!”
Derek’s face darkened: “Quinn, what the hell have you been doing these past two days? Didn’t I tell you to get on this ticket situation? Now you’re telling me you don’t have one? What, you planning to walk home from campus?”
Watching them play good cop, bad cop was almost entertaining.
“I’ve got a way home,” I said flatly.
“What way could you possibly have?”
Derek’s voice was getting seriously impatient now.
“You’re still trying to act tough at this point! I knew you couldn’t handle anything properly. Now you’re gonna start blaming me again, gonna say it’s all my fault somehow…”
“Derek, don’t be so harsh with Quinn.”
Kira gently tugged on Derek’s sleeve, then turned to me: “Quinn, if you’re really stuck, my roommate has this apartment off–campus, I could give you the key…”
She pulled out her phone, tapped around for a few seconds, then turned the screen toward me.
The photo looked like it was taken in a rush–this tiny room with obvious mold stains on the walls, the floor covered in unopened Amazon boxes and takeout bags, a wobbly folding desk with leftover ramen containers still sitting on
top.
I stared at that photo of the apartment you could barely walk through.
“No thanks.”
I turned them down again, my eyes flicking between the two of them as I let a small smile play at the corners of my
mouth.
‘My way is actually gonna be faster than the train.”
Derek obviously didn’t buy it–thought I was just being stubborn and trying to save face.
He waved me off like he was totally done with my drama: “Fine, fine, whatever! Do whatever you want! Just don’t come crying to me when you can’t get home!”
“Kira and I are leaving first thing tomorrow morning, just don’t forget about saving those library seats!”
With that, he grabbed Kira’s arm and they walked away.
17:00
