Page 4 of Stranded

Then I take a deep breath and calm down enough to open up the conversation again.

Get it yet?

Yeah but it’s showing the wrong place for some reason

Hahahahahahahahaha

I freeze, my lips slowly parting as I stare at his laughter. Fear trails down my spine like a fingertip, slow and icy cold.

Thisissome freaky serial killer shit. Is he doing this to freak me out? What if he’s really at my house?

But... he shouldn’t know where I live.

Wait a minute. I can look at the grid of nearby users. Unless there’s a Maple Island Pride festival I don’t know about, I should see anyone on these islands within the first screen or two of little square profile pictures.

I fumble and tap out of the conversation, swiping away the notification about some other profile hitting on me.

“Sorry, SuckMeXXL. Not a good moment.”

I skim the first few dozen profiles, but my date isn’t there.

“Shiiiiiiit.”

There’s no sign of anyone between me and the campground.

The ferry is well and truly gone.

And there’s a new photo from IslandHeat. I hold my breath as I tap to open it.

Oh, fuck.

I close my eyes slowly, my cheeks burning as the ground threatens to swallow me whole.

Why didn’t I see this coming?

Because it’s the kind of thing only a real,realasshole would do. Or a whole group of them—like my roommates.

Derek, Shane, and Breanna are huddled together on the couch. Derek is holding the phone, but he’s laughing his ass off so much that he can’t even hold it steady for the photo.

This was all a prank. The worst prank in the world.

“Holyfuck,” I whisper, fury rising in my chest. “What the hell?”

My classmates are spoiled brats who enjoy rubbing their straight As in my face, and making me the butt of all their jokes. They pretend I’m not in the room when they talk about the clothing line they’re planning to launch together. Hell, they’ve rented a studio together for the business, and they’ve never even offered to show me around.

I’ve sucked it up until now because I have a huge room and the rent is cheap, but… they’ve never gone this far before.

I can’t believe you bought all that artistic dream crap

What’s the matter

Is it your grades??

hahahaha

I’d offer to call the coast guard

but idk man, you might be a bad-luck charm and sink them too

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