Page 32 of Refusing Kendall

I’ve barely sat down in my seat before her next words hit my ears, “I would think so. If I had four boyfriends at once, I’d be exhausted on more days than just Monday.”

Putting on my best Mav face, I ignore her as I pull my stuff out of my bag.

“Come on,” she leans in closer, “I thought we were friends.”

“We are, but I never said anything like that,” I say, still not looking at her.

She snorts, “You didn’t have to. I’ve seen them hanging around, and when my sorority sisters, wouldn’t shut up about some wh...girl who is dating four of the football players, I put two and two together. I’m seriously not trying to be nosey. Just curious.”

“And what happens when I confirm or deny this to you?” I ask her. “You run and tell your sisters and start more shit.” I don’t mean to sound like such a bitch, but we’ve worked hard to keep this a secret so the guys wouldn’t catch shit for it. All the work will be going down the drain the moment the slut bunny and her friends decide to act on their new-found knowledge.

Jacie lets out a huff of air, “I can see why you’d think that, but I’m only in that sorority because of my mother. It’s nowhere close to what I wanted for myself. Anyways, true or not true, you’ve made enemies with a pack of mean girls. I’d just watch my back if I were you. Or, I should say your guys’ backs. They don’t like taking no for an answer.”

“What is this?” I ask, getting pissed enough to finally look at her, “High school?”

She shrugs, “It might as well be for them. They live off daddy’s money and think they can do what they want. That’s why it’s best to keep your guys close.”

My laugh sounds supremely evil, even to myself, “If they know what’s best for them, they’ll keep their hands, mouths, tits and whatever else to themselves. You’re more than welcome to relay that message.”

She chokes on her laugh as the professor walks in and calls for the class to quiet. My mind reels with all of the new information I just learned. Just thinking about the fact that they caused such a huge fight between me and Teagan Saturday is enough to make me want to punch their teeth down their throat. No matter how good the making up with him was. Now, to find out that they’re wanting to start more shit by not giving up? I mean come on, how fucking old are we? We’re supposed to be mature enough to have a job by now, and even join the military if we wanted. Yet here they are acting like spoiled, rich little slut bunnies.

I try to focus on some of the lesson for the day, and by the end of class I’m calm enough to not want to slam my fist into someone’s face today.

Even as Jacie waves bye when she leaves, I don’t think about the info dump from earlier. I pull my phone out of my bag to text the guys. The professor in this class has a strict policy on cell phones and doesn’t allow them. The first week of class he kicked no less than five people out for using them while he lectured. In the past hour and a half of not answering, I’ve got thirty-two missed calls and half as many voicemails that fill up my entire box. My hands jitter as I try to unlock my phone. I hope to whatever god there is that nothing is wrong.

After the second try I finally get it unlocked and sigh with relief. It’s not my quad that left the voicemails. Scrolling through I see the same number has left fourteen of them, and they are all the same two minutes or so long. Everyone else has already left, so sitting in the empty classroom, I hit play on the first one. At first, there’s nothing on the other end. Then comes heavy breathing. As stupid as it makes me feel, I listen to the entire thing just to make sure there’s nothing else on there. Hitting delete, I listen to the next one too. When it’s nothing but the same thing, I just go through and delete the rest.

All of the missed calls were from this number, so I go into my phone settings and block it. Fuck that. It’s probably those stupid sorority girls trying to start shit. They could’ve easily gotten my number from Jacie.

With a renewed bout of anger, I don’t bother responding to a text from Lucas. I grab my shit so I can head home. Once I’ve calmed down again, I’ll text him back. There’s no reason to get them all pissed off over some stupid girls.

It seems as though the entire tiny building that I’m in is empty of life. There’s no one in any of the rooms or in the hallway like normal. Or, maybe those voicemails creeped me out more than I thought. Either way, I pick up my pace to get out of here quicker.

Embarrassingly enough, when I make it outside I’m breathing deep from both the adrenaline and the pace. My heartbeat slows down as I finally see people around me. I’m almost home when I start feeling like I’m being watched. It works its way up my spine and sends a shiver across my body, even in the afternoon sun. I know I’m probably just being paranoid, but I’m freaking out nonetheless.

The house comes into view, and I swear I could cry. I rush through the gate and onto the porch. Just as I go to stick my key in the door, I see that it’s slightly ajar. Oh, hell no. I’ve watched all those horror movies with Goose. There’s no way that I’m going in there.

I slowly back away from the door, one hundred percent forgetting about feeling watched just minutes ago. Pulling my phone out of my back pocket, I move to unlock it just as it starts to ring. Between the vibration and the ringtone, I scream like a girl and drop it on the sidewalk. Thankfully, it doesn’t break and also doesn’t quit ringing. A lone tear leaks out of my eye when I see Lucas’s face on the screen.

“Hello,” I answer breathlessly.

“Hey baby,” Lucas says. “How was your day?”

I don’t mean to do it, but I break down, going into full panic mode, still trying to get away from the house. There’s no telling what I sound like, but it’s enough to alert Lucas that something is wrong.

His voice turns dark on the line, “Kendall? Kendall, what’s wrong?”

I somehow manage to tell him about the house between gasps of air, and I hear him talking to whoever he’s with.

“Kendall, listen to me, baby. Don’t go in the house. Run back across to campus. We will pick you up at that little coffee shop. Maverick has already called the cops out to the house. Just stay at the coffee shop until we get there, ok?”

I nod and realize just how stupid that is since he can’t see me, so I answer him. There’s no way I’d go into that house anyways.

Lucas never hangs up the phone. Even as he and Mav pull up in the parking lot of the coffee shop. They get out, and I run straight into his arms. For some stupid reason I break down into tears again. His hand rubs up and down my spine soothingly.

I feel Mav press a kiss to the top of my head, “Come on. We need to get over to the house. I don’t think Teagan and Goose will be there yet.”

We load up into the Rover, and Lucas, the sweetheart that he is, takes the backseat with me.

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