Page 21 of Ink & Stardust

My face must give me away.

“I just wasn’t feeling well, and he was more concerned with beating someone in some drinking game than making sure I was okay.” I deflect. It isn’t a lie. It’s just not the entire truth either.

“What a dick.”

“To be fair, he was really drunk.”

“Perhaps you dodged a bullet then.”

“Perhaps.” I sigh.

“Where are you off to anyway?” She gives me a quick once-over, gesturing to my black leggings and oversized blue tee that I paired with, you guessed it, blue Converse.

“I have a massive paper in English that’s due at the end of the week. Thought maybe I’d head to the library and get a head start on it.”

“It’s Saturday.” Char points out the obvious.

“And?”

“And you always go to the library on Sunday. You’re just going to leave me here with no one to hang out with?” She visibly pouts.

“You have Maisie.” I gesture to her bunk.

“Maisie isn’t here.”

“She’s not?” I take a closer look at her bed, realizing that while her blankets are messed up, she isn’t actually under them. “Where is she?”

A smile tugs at Charlotte’s lips. “Where do you think she is?” She wiggles her eyebrows suggestively.

“She went home with someone? Who?”

“Some hottie from the football team. Mac or Max. Something like that. All I know is the two were all over each other all night.”

“Damn.”

“I know, right. I’m so jealous. I haven’t gotten laid since I got here and I’m starting to have withdrawals.”

“What about Erik?” I grab my bag off the floor and sling it over my shoulder.

“Let’s just say Owen isn’t the only one who showed his true colors last night.”

“Uh-oh. What happened?”

“Nothing I care to rehash.”

“Are you okay?”

“Me? I’m great. I mean, other than the fact that you’re abandoning me.” She runs her hand through her thick, auburn hair, trying to brush out some of the tangles with her fingers.

“I won’t be gone too long. A couple of hours maybe. Then we can go have lunch or something. Deal?”

“Okay, I guess I can live with that.” She concedes. “Maybe Maisie will be back by then and she can come with us and fill us in on last night’s sexcapades. If I can’t get any myself, maybe I can settle for living vicariously through her.”

“If you wanna get laid that badly, just find a hot guy and hook up with him. I mean, look at you. Ain’t no man in his right mind going to turn you down.”

“I know I give off the impression that I’m a slut, but I’m a little more selective than that.”

“I didn’t... I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to imply...” I ramble.

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