Page 12 of Your Side of the Offense

"I will make time, my darling. Like the parties before classes start. Maybe we can find one tomorrow?" she suggests, and I feel her approaching me.

"Um, I don't know, maybe." I don't know if I'm in the mood for crowds yet.

She stands next to me as we gaze at her work of art. "You not into parties?"

"I am," I lie. "I just wanted to relax a little, you know?"

"But the best parties start this weekend."

"Is this the peer pressure I've heard so much about?"

"Yes." Her hands grab the container I was starting to forget about. I haven't even used it as a conversation starter.

"What's in there?" she asks suspiciously.

"Guess?"

"Um, I'd rather not because in my family some of those have old documents my grandmother keeps, and some are basically a drawer for wool and buttons. I don't know your family, so could be a bomb in there."

I cackle.

"There are actual cookies here. I brought this as a conversation starter. My grandmother always forces them on us. Don't laugh at the container. It's basically a family heirloom."

She laughs anyway opening the tin. "Oh, come on, I understand." Her eyes do that sparkling thing again. "These smell delicious." She takes one and heads to the study table and I follow to take one.

"Soda or juice?" she asks heading to her fridge.

"Soda, please. No sugar if possible."

"Oh no, ma'am. I am a vibrant 19-year-old. This is a house of sugar."

I laugh. "Fine, give me the poison then."

We sit and talk about high school and just the general low down on our lives. Though I very much avoid the topic of boyfriends, which Hazel doesn't seem to mind much. She tells me about her experiences, though. In the afternoon, we walk to a local restaurant not far from the campus.

She tells me the salmon was ridiculously good and I just have to taste it to believe. I'm a bit of a salmon snob.

Although not the best I've had but still really good.

When we are done, we leave, but she has to run back a few minutes later to pee and I wait for her at the benches outside because it’s hot as hell in there.

Dangling my feet off the bench, I take in my new home.

Students going in different directions. Some fast, some slow, some looking like they have no fucking clue where they are going and it's not even the beginning of semester yet. Some are already drunk and it's not even 9 p.m. I sit there, waiting for Hazel who is taking her time, almost going to find her when she comes back.

"Were you taking the deuce of your life in there?" I say.

She giggles. "I'm a lady, Su, I don't deuce. And no. I just met the most gorgeous boy I've ever seen. We made eye contact and…" She trails off and I see hearts in her eyes and can’t help but giggle.

"Is he still in there?" I'm curious to see this most gorgeous guy.

"Nah, he left. He just came to pick up an order, he's gone. He was in a hurry."

"Did you at least make googly eyes at him and seduce him?"

"No," she sighs. "He walked away when I was trying to say hi."

"Rude ass bitch," I say as we start walking.

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