Page 102 of The Dollhouse

“Wyatt,” he said, and then I nodded and pointed to his chest, where his nametag sat, and he ran a hand through his hair, muttering, “Always forget about the nametag. I like your hair, Zoey. I think it’s pretty cool. You don’t see too much pink hair around here.”

I reached up, touching the tips of my hair. “Ah, yeah. Thanks. I love the color. I think you and I are the only people on campus who don’t hate it. Everyone around here just seems…” I trailed off, not knowing how to say it without sounding insulting.

“I know exactly what you mean.” Wyatt lowered his voice, though he still grinned, so I could tell what he was about to say was all in good nature, “I’m actually here on a scholarship. Don’t tell anyone, though.” He winked, and I didn’t know if any other guy could’ve pulled off such a wink. “Hillcrest isn’t my usual stomping grounds.”

Well, that explained why he was working here. On a scholarship meant he didn’t really have extra money. So very much unlike the guys Willow normally went for. Standing here, talking to him, I knew he deserved a girl who wasn’t Willow, someone so much better than my baby sister. She’d hurt him, one way or another, eventually. Mark my words.

But, then again, maybe it wouldn’t get to that point, since I’d be hurting him first. I felt kind of bad, because my first impression of him was a good one, but him being a decent person wasn’t going to change my plans.

“I can tell,” I told him. “You don’t seem as… entitled as most other people here.” I feigned a chuckle. “I hope that wasn’t too rude to say.” He laughed, and I noticed the sound was low but sweet. “I, uh, I have to get to class actually, but it was nice to meet you, Wyatt.”

“You don’t want to…” He nodded his head toward the bookcase behind me, and I shrugged.

“No, I’ll swing by another day and grab it. You’ll be here, right?” I did not know how to be inconspicuous, but I did that one on purpose.

Wyatt grinned. “Every Tuesday and Thursday between the hours of nine A.M. and one P.M. I’m here.” He must’ve taken his break with Willow, then.

I bit my lower lip, glancing down, acting a little coy. “Then I guess I’ll see you later.” I pushed past him, brushing my shoulder against his as I went. I tossed a glance over my shoulder at him and found he watched me go with a silly grin on his face, and I increased my pace, hurrying out.

Well, that didn’t go the way I thought it would, but I had to say, I think it would make things easier, at least where Wyatt was concerned. I had a name to the face now, knew his work schedule, and that meant I could see him more and talk to him without my sister around. Flirty Zoey would have some fun.

The next day was Friday, which meant I had a party to get ready for after class, and it also meant I had to confront Willow before the last class let out and she hurried home. I didn’t plan on seeing Wyatt until Tuesday, which meant, theoretically, Willow could hang out with him over the weekend without my stalking presence twenty steps behind.

I wasn’t worried. The more Willow hung out with him, the more she’d like him, which would mean the more upset she’d be when I stole him out from under her.

Anyway, I had to approach Willow before I saw my parents, because I wanted to see the shock and surprise on her face when she realized it was me and not some pink-headed stranger. She’d seen me during the course of the week, but she hadn’tseenme. She didn’t know I was her sister, because she didn’t care enough to look at me for longer than two seconds. Just a passing glance, and that was it.

Today was her wake-up call.

I snuck out of the last class early, packing up without a sound and waiting just outside the door for the professor to let the class go. My sister was always one of the first few to make a mad dash out of the room, always in a hurry, as if she constantly had somewhere else to be.

My arms were folded as I waited for her. I’d practiced what I would say to her with Lake last night, and I was more than ready to confront her. Just rip the bandage off quickly, get it over with. Things were going to be more fun anyway once she and my family knew I was here.

When it was finally time for the professor to send the class packing, a few students walked out first. And then the girl who I wanted to see walked out, already on her phone, blocking out the rest of the world.

I walked beside her, and she didn’t even notice, not until I spoke up, “Texting your new boyfriend? Or should I be worried that he’s already got a girlfriend and you’re trying to be the homewrecker again?”

Willow’s feet stopped, and her head finally lifted and turned to stare at me. Her eyes widened when she saw my face, when it registered in her brain that I was not some nameless pink-haired girl; I was her sister.

She blinked, uncaring that we’d stopped in the middle of the hall, getting in the way of the students behind us. “Zoey?” Willow sounded aghast, ignoring the comments we received from the annoyed students who had to walk around us.

“Yeah, it’s me.” I cocked my head at her, watching as she studied me, taking in my hair, my posture, my clothes. I was damn near unrecognizable to her, which was why she didn’t realize it was me until now. “How’ve you been? No, wait, I don’t know if I care.”

Willow rolled her eyes. “Since when are you back?”

“Since this week, actually.”

“Do Mom and Dad know you’re here?”

I shook my head. “No, I haven’t seen them yet, but I will. It would be great if you could keep this between us for now. You’re good at that, aren’t you? Keeping secrets and all that shit.” I couldn’t help myself; digging at her, referencing the past… it was why I was here, after all. I wasn’t over it. The fucking betrayal.

Willow groaned. “Really, Zoey? You’re still on about that? God, can’t you just get over it?” Her eyes glared at me. “You ran away. You left. You abandoned your family.” She scoffed, frowning, “You don’t even deserve to be back here.”

“Maybe not,” I admitted, taking a step closer to her. “But you definitely don’t deserve Wyatt. How is he, by the way? I saw you two together. He seems… cute. Not like your type. I was starting to think you’ve changed, but you’re just as bitchy as ever, so I’m clearly wrong about that.”

Willow opened her mouth, about to speak, but I carried on, “No, you don’t get to put me down, Willow. You fucked Bryan behind my back, got Mom and Dad to lie for you. How should I have reacted? Should I just have smiled and pretended everything was okay when it felt like the world was burning down around me? You fucked me over. Sisters aren’t supposed to do that.”

She glared. “Oh, like you were ever a good sister to me. You ignored me my whole life. You acted like I didn’t exist!”

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