Before You Go

FIFTEEN

After the nightmarish therapy session, I’m back on campus with fifteen minutes to spare before Professor Cass expects me in political science. Dr. Payne has put me in what my mother would call a foul mood and I’m so not up for an editorialized lesson on the Supreme Court. And the thought of having to listen to Jenna’s drama and watching her little posse of wannabes hang on her every word gives me a headache.

There is only one place I want to be right now and I can’t go home so I go to the restroom to regain my composure.

Dr. Payne’s words play in my head.

Victim.

Don’t let yourself be a victim.

Dr. Payne’s voice won’t leave me alone and I start to feel claustrophobic. The solitude isn’t working. I need air. I need people, noise, distractions. I open the door to leave and bump into Jules.

“Hey,” she says, gripping a cigarette with her lips. “We missed you at Sasha’s the other night. How’s the work at the paper going?”

“It’s going okay,” I tell her.

She raises an eyebrow, clearly not believing me.

“Well,” I admit. “It’d be better if our assy editor didn’t have such massive mood swings.”

“Yeah, I know,” she says. “He means well, but after freshman year, I don’t know.” She considers her words. “He became more…intense.”

“You seem to know a lot about him.”

“At one time, we were good friends.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, Foster too. We had some really good times.”

“What happened?” I ask, now curious.

“Lots of things.” She waves her hands. “We all just kind of drifted apart, I guess. Foster and I became our own island.” Jules is lost in thought for a moment.

“Can you elaborate?” My curiosity takes over my manners.

“It’s really not my story to tell, Tabby. But I can give you the dirt on the rest of the university populous.” She grins. “And there’s still time for a quick smoke break before poly sci. Are you in?”

“Sure,” I say, unable to turn away from her. And though I wish she’d tell me more about Noah, I kind of respect her more for her loyalty.

For the next seven minutes, I watch Jules blow smoke rings as she dishes out all the campus gossip. It’s funny. For a girl who seems so not into the college scene, she sure has her finger on the pulse.

The good news is: I think I might have a new friend.

The bad news is: I think she might be broken, too.