Immediately, the blood returned to my cheeks. “How did you know that’s why I’m here?”

“I saw you bolting through the entrance hall like you’d seen a ghost,” he answered. “It’s not that hard to put two and two together.”

“No, I suppose not,” I laughed, thinking back to the many entries about Noelle’s alleged hookups. “Good night, Jasper.”

“Good night.” Before I knew what was happening, he leaned down and pulled me into a short hug. I was frozen in shock for a second before I returned it, a little awkwardly since he was so much taller than me.

When he pulled away, the toothy grin was back on his face.

“See you around, princesse.”

Still reeling from the unexpected affection, I watched him leave before I turned the computer off and got up.

Remembering Miss Pepperman’s order to take a book with me, I picked out Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, which I had read twice already and loved both times.

Moments later, I arrived back at our room. This time, I was much more cautious when opening the door, listening carefully and pushing it open slowly.

I found the room abandoned; all that hinted at what had happened were her crumpled bedsheets and the faint smell in the air but I was too tired to care and fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

5

Evelyn

Friday evening saw Seven Hills buzzing with excitement. There was a party in Gloomswick, I had heard, where a lot of the older students were going. Seth and I weren’t all that interested in getting drunk, but we also didn’t want to waste our Friday night. In the end, we decided to go out for pizza together after Seth had complained that he was sick of all the healthy food the cafeteria served.

Noelle also seemed to plan on going somewhere, as she was standing in front of the mirror doing her makeup while I got ready. Since she still didn’t talk to me, I didn’t know where she was heading, but I also didn’t think asking was worth the trouble.

I was relieved when a knock at the door cut through the silence. Because I was expecting Seth—and Noelle didn’t move an inch—I was the one to get it, only to freeze when instead I found Elias, Noelle’s boyfriend.

“Oh,” I said, eloquent as ever, and stepped aside to let him through, trying to push away the images that popped into my head at the sight of him.

Elias winked at me, obviously mistaking my blushing for something else, and strolled past me. “Hey, baby. Lookin’ good.”

Noelle, who was still doing her makeup, only smirked at him through the mirror, tilting her head slightly to the side when he wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed a kiss to her neck.

I felt horribly out of place.

“What took you so long?” Noelle, finished with applying her mascara, asked and turned around to face him.