Page 30 of The Friend Zone

My skepticism is back in full force. “Are you sure that maybe you hadn’t hit your arm without realizing it?”

Bay shakes her head. “No. It happened when I felt that pain. I was walking back to our table in the food court holding my cup, there was nothing I could have hit my arm on. A couple of minutes later, Nana called that she was taking Lakyn to the ER. I felt that pain in the instant my twin fell.”

I have to admit that her story is compelling. “Could that be a coincidence though?” I ask, not totally sold on twin supernatural connections just yet.

“It could be if that was the only time something like that happened,” she says. “But if one of us has a nightmare, usually the other does too. Often a very similar dream. And there’s another strange event that’s hard to explain no matter how you look at it.”

At this point, I might not be ready to say I’m a believer, but I’m fascinated by Bay’s stories. “Come on, don’t make me beg. I want to know.”

“It happened freshman year, during rush week. I really wanted Lake to rush Zeta Theta Beta, she didn’t think it was her scene. After a ton of begging, I convinced her to come to the pre-rush party I had been invited to. I was hoping she’d like some of the sisters and decide to rush with me.”

I know Lakyn is engaged to Luca Rossi, Blaze Dunn and Cash Hanbury—that joint proposal at the end of the Frozen Four final caused quite a stir last year—but I have no idea if she was a Zeta, so I ask. “Did she rush?”

“No,” Bay sighs. “But this isn’t the point of the story. It was a big party and Lake was adamant about not drinking. She was worried about being arrested if the cops stormed the party or about roofies.”

I don’t blame her. Both things could have happened quite easily at a very big Greek party. “Were you drinking?”

“I was underage of course,” she says. “But when I was offered a mixed drink, I thought why not? I didn’t want to fail some kind of pre-rush test. The thing is though, I just had one drink and it was roofied. Topher found me passed out in the bathroom and took me home and looked after me. That’s how he and I met.”

I don’t want to ruin the relaxed, easygoing vibe between us but I have to voice my disagreement. “No offense Bay, but getting roofied at a huge rager like the one you described is an easy prediction. It’s sad, but it’s a reality in almost every campus in America and probably worldwide.”

Bay isn’t mad at my observation. “That isn’t why I’m telling you this. Lake and I got separated early on. She met Tash, her future roommate, and I was hanging out with the Zeta sisters who had invited me. Lakyn started throwing up for no reason at the same time as I passed out in the bathroom. When she rushed back to our dorm room, she found me still passed out in bed and Topher sleeping on the floor, keeping an eye on me. But she felt what had happened to me, that’s why she rushed home.”

I consider her story. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe some things go beyond what science can explain.”

CHAPTER 8

WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS

BAY

I’m glad Ryker admits that the connection between me and Lakyn goes beyond what can be scientifically explained.

If he had decided to argue with me, I would have fought hard to change his mind. Like I do with Lake, but I suspect she claims our supernatural connection is just in my head just to mess with me; or maybe because the power of our bond is a little scary when you think about it.

“There’s something I’m wondering,” Ryker says after we walk in comfortable silence for a few moments. “You didn’t continue with cheerleading. Did you lose interest?”

“Yes and no,” I explain. “I was cheer captain throughout high school. We had a good team, but nothing worthy of a national championship or that would get us huge scholarship opportunities. So I started looking at other avenues to be able to afford an Ivy League education. My parents are high school teachers, so they didn’t have that kind of money, especially not for both me and Lakyn. Our grades were excellent, but full academic rides are incredibly competitive and Lake and I wanted to go to college together. I had always been interestedin makeup. Not just the makeup artist side, but also the science and research behind it. I always made my own natural face masks and stuff like that. I started vlogging about it sophomore year of high school and by senior year I had over three million followers across a couple of social media platforms and several sponsorships. That’s how I paid for mine and Lakyn’s degrees. It was natural to keep building my business and that left no time for cheering.”

Ryker looks impressed and I can’t help but feel pleased by the new admiration in his gaze. “That’s awesome, Bay. So is this why you’re taking so many science classes? You want to create your own makeup?”

I tell him about my dream of having my own company one day. “I want to make natural, cruelty free makeup that’s so outstanding that every important makeup artist in Hollywood will use it. Something for every skin type and tone.”

He nods, genuinely interested in what I’m saying. “That’s ambitious but I lo?—”

“It isn’t here anymore,” I say, disappointed.

Ryker looks confused. “What isn’t here?”

“The Mouth Of Truth. Lakyn said it was three quarters of the way down the pier, after the funnel cake place but before you get to the Ferris wheel and the kids rides. It’s not here anymore.”

In place of a replica of the ancient Roman monument, there’s a fortune teller tent.

I can’t hide my disappointment. “They swapped it with a lame fortune teller.”

The words die in my mouth when a woman comes out of the tent. “Fortune telling isn’t lame, young woman.” She scolds me.

Her foreign accent is so strong, that I have to wonder if it’s fake. “Sorry,” I feel bad about offending her trade, but I was hoping to get a prediction from the Mouth of Truth like Lake and Cash did last year.

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