Page 3 of Overachiever
Our conversation is interrupted when Owen calls out from the front door.
“In Remee’s room!” Zara replies, and he pokes his head around the corner a second later.
“Ooh, girl talk, what did I miss?”
“Just bitching about spending the summer without friends,” I reply, and his hands slam onto his hips.
“Excuse me? What am I?”
“You’d need a team of biologists to answer that question,” Zara says, and he flips her off.
“I’m glad you’re going to be there too,” I assure him.
He sits on the edge of my bed. “Of course you are. That’s what I came by to talk to you about. Taking the bus sucks. We’d be stuck all summer without a car and have to blow money on Rideshare.”
It hadn’t really occurred to me that I’d be stuck without transportation, but he’s right. It doesn’t matter because I wouldn’t trust my car to make it all those miles there and back. It’s not the safest of vehicles.
“I want to drive,” Owen continues. “If you go with me, we can take my truck and take turns driving. We’ll make it there faster.”
It does sound far better than being stuck on a bus overnight. “Okay, but you have to let me pay for half the gas.” Owen struggles to get by like most college students, and unlike me, he’s doing this for the tuition money, not a line on his resume.
“No arguments here.”
Chapter Two
Owen
“Dude, I can’t believe you’re leaving all summer just to get laid by a girl who lives in the same town,” Marty says, hovering in my doorway.
Tossing some socks into my suitcase, I head to my closet to grab my shirts. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I have a job in Florida that’ll cover a year’s tuition.”
Graham silently watches our conversation from my desk chair.
Marty snorts and throws his head back—his go-to move when he doesn’t want to hear what he’s being told. “And it just happens to be with Remee, whose name makes you pop a boner.”
“First, stop thinking about my dick. It’s not for you. Second, this has nothing to do with Remee. I didn’t even know she was going. We’re friends.”
Marty folds his arms and a taunting smile crosses his face. “Uh-huh. Drunks tell no lies, and what was it you said? Oh yeah.” His voice raises in a falsetto. “Remee is so fucking hot and sweet and sexy. Oh, if only she could look beyond my unfortunate face and sugared up toddler ways.”
Graham’s laughter is barely audible over the scuffling sounds when I tackle Marty. “You’re like a plunger. Always bringing up old shit,” I grunt, trying to get Marty’s arm behind his back. “All I said was she’s hot.”
Considering I don’t even remember the conversation they both insist happened a few months ago, I have no idea what I actually said. It’s unnerving because I don’t doubt I would’ve gushed like a middle schooler with a crush. Remee is beautiful and smart.
I’m no weakling, but Marty has at least four extra inches of height and a lot more muscle than me. Wrestling him never ends well and he has me pinned on my back in a few seconds.
“Quit it, idiots,” Graham sighs, pulling Marty off of me. “We don’t need another hole in the wall.”
Marty sits beside me on the floor, leaning against the wall. “Max was willing to hire you again this year.”
Marty works as a roofer, and I joined him as a temporary worker last summer. It was decent money, and I would’ve jumped at the opportunity if this job hadn’t come along. “I appreciate it, but this grant is worth more than I could save working there again.” Before he can answer, I add. “Wait. That’s why you’re giving me shit.” I lay my head on his shoulder and blink my eyes at him. “You’re going to miss me. That’s so sweet.”
“Get off of me,” he laughs, shoving me away.
Not that I’d be willing to say so, but I’ll miss them too. We have a lot of fun together, especially in the summer, but this is an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. Remee taking the same job is just a cherry on top of the whole situation.
Who knows what could happen with a whole summer away from our friends?
Graham and Marty hang out for a few more minutes while I finish packing, then I have to go to bed. It’s a long drive and if we’re going to make it straight through without stopping at a motel, we have to leave early.
