"I will. See you around."
"See ya." I half waved before heading inside.
I made small talk with a few girls before finding my way up to my empty room. After a quick shower, I got changed and slipped into bed. I closed my eyes and thought about a sandy beach and a sexy guy I'd never see again.
Chapter Three
Juliet was true to her word, and she brought Mallory with her. They were back in the room twenty minutes before I had to leave for class.
"You guys didn't have to stop by here. I know it means you got up earlier."
"You're worth sacrificing sleep over." Juliet changed into a pair of jeans and a long sleeve t-shirt.
I was wearing something nearly identical. I generally dressed up more for class, but I wasn't feeling it. There didn't seem to be any point.
My change in class attire didn't go unnoticed.
"Didn't you pick up that new sweater dress right before break? Have you worn it yet?" Mallory shoved some books in her tote bag.
"Nope, but I'm not in the mood to dress up. We'd better get going."
"We have plenty of time." Juliet exchanged looks with Mallory. Had I been that way when they were going through issues? I hoped not.
"And before you ask, I'm not going on Thursday, but you guys should." I'd forced myself to forget about the Kappa mixer until I heard some of my sisters discussing it in the bathroom. There wasn't a chance I was going.
"Obviously none of us will go. Do you want to do a girl's night out? A movie night?"
"You guys both need to go."
Mallory shook her head. "Not a chance."
"You're going."
"Whatever you say." They exchanged looks again.
I slung my bag over my shoulder. "Are you both on the main quad?"
"Yeah. You're stuck with us for the whole walk." Mallory linked her arm with mine. "Whether you like it or not."
I laughed. "I like it."
We headed toward the academic quad, stopping to pick up some coffee on the way. I waved goodbye to both of my roommates before walking toward the doorway of the history building. I'd decided to add some European history into my schedule.
"Cara, hey." Aaron appeared out of nowhere, blocking my entry.
My mouth went dry, and I couldn't speak. My chest tightened in a painful way, and I just wanted to curl up in a ball and cry. I attempted to step around him. He reached for my arm, but I pulled it away.
He pretended not to notice the way I recoiled from his touch. "It's good to see you. I've been so worried."
Worried? I finally regained the ability to speak. "I have to go."
"Come on. Just give me a few minutes. We need to talk."
"I can't be late."
"Get off that, Cara. This is more important than a history class."
Something suddenly dawned on me. "How'd you know I had class here now?"
"That doesn't matter."
"Yes, it does." Annoyance and anger replaced the ache in my chest. "It definitely matters."
"I know people who work at the Registrar Office. You weren't answering my calls."
"I didn't answer your calls, so it seemed okay to show up outside my classroom?" Seeing him was even worse than I expected. The sight of him brought back all the hurt and anger tenfold.
A group of guys walked over, forcing Aaron to step back. I followed them directly inside.
"Cara, come on!"
I resisted the urge to turn back. There wasn't a chance in the world I was letting him make me late for class.
Aaron texted me while I was in class, telling me to meet him for lunch. I ignored it, relieved that the proposed meet-up meant he probably wouldn't be waiting outside the building. When I didn't show up for lunch, he'd hopefully get the clue that I wasn't interested in making up. He'd had his chance with me, and he blew it.
***
Aaron texted me three times when I failed to show up for lunch, but then the texts stopped. I took it as a sign that he was giving up, but I was still on my guard. Seeing Aaron sent such a surge of pain through me that I wasn't sure I could handle it happening again.
I made it through Wednesday and Thursday without seeing him again, but I knew I couldn't stay that lucky.
That night, I literally begged my friends to go to the mixer without me. I knew they didn't want to leave me behind, but they also didn't want to send their boyfriends to the mixer without them. They reluctantly agreed, but only after I promised them I had other plans. Of course, my other plans involved watching something on TV, but that was the same thing as meeting friends for coffee and dessert, right?
I waited until the house emptied out before heading downstairs to comb through the communal movie collection. When the last of the laughter died down, I made my move.
The house wasn't as empty as I thought. Mallory's little sister, Jade, nearly walked into me on my way down the stairs.
"Hey, why aren't you at the mixer?" I gave Jade a funny look. She didn't even live in the house yet, so why was she there?
"Because I'm going to a show tonight I refuse to miss. It's one of my favorite groups. I thought you might want to come with me." She held one hand out palm up as if in offering. I couldn't tell if she was inviting me along to be nice or because she really wanted the company. I had a feeling Mallory had called her.
"You have an extra ticket?" This all seemed way too coincidental. Had Mallory planned this all along? Clearly, they'd seen through my charade.
"I got two from the campus radio station. Now that I've got my own show, I get to take some of the tickets."
"So, I don't even have to pay for it?" Part of me searched for an excuse to get out of going, but another part liked the idea of doing something that didn't involve sitting around the house alone. Whether my roommates were behind it or not, maybe the show wasn't such a bad idea.
"Nope. Plus I'd be grateful not to have to go alone."
"What kind of music is it?" The ticket was free so I wasn't really going to argue, but it couldn't hurt to ask.
"It's indie-rock type stuff. More on the alternative side of things. The band's called Chance of a Lifetime."
Indie-rock group? I wasn't into music enough to know much about that scene, but the nice thing was I knew Aaron definitely wouldn't be there. "Do I need to change?" I glanced down at my pink Delta Mu tank top layered over a black tank top and paired with a jean skirt. The weather was a little bit cool for a skirt, but I was tired of wearing jeans constantly.
She shook her head. "It's going to be casual, so it's fine." Jade was wearing jeans and a fitted black t-shirt. She was one of those girls who pulled off casual classic perfectly.
"Okay, cool." I really wasn't in the mood to change. I really wasn't in the mood for much. Skipping the Kappa mixer was almost as hard as getting used to sleeping in my own room. Somehow I doubted Aaron was having the same problem. I obviously didn't want to go, but it felt so strange to miss it. It was just another reminder of how much of my life had been tied up with his.
We took a cab down to The Music Attic on Ann Street. Jade didn't have a fake, so we weren't going to be drinking, but finding parking didn't sound appealing either. Considering the tickets were free, I figured I could handle splitting a cab.
I'd never been out with just Jade before. She was Mallory's little sister, not mine, but she'd always seemed like a really sweet girl. Unusually quiet for a Delta Mu, she added some balance to a house full of extremely outgoing personalities. My own sorority little sister had decided to transfer schools, yet another disappointment to swallow over winter break. Hopefully she'd be happier going to school closer to home.
A line formed outside the front entrance of a building I'd have never believed was a club. It looked more like a stop on a historical tour rather than a concert venue, but that's the thing about Charleston. A lot of the city is old.
I gazed around at the line, unsurprised that I didn't recognize a single person. This wasn't really my scene. Besides, most of the line didn't seem like college students. There was something refreshing about the change.
We waited in line about fifteen minutes until we reached the small desk. "Hi, my name's Jade Cambridge and there should be two tickets here for me." Jade was way more in her element than I was.
"Okay, here you go." The guy taking tickets smiled at her. She smiled shyly and looked down. Interesting. I'd never seen a guy have that effect on Jade before.
I eyed the bar on our way into the surprisingly small space.
Jade must have caught me looking. "It's okay. You can get a drink."
"No, I'm doing tonight alcohol free. But I could use a water. Want one?"
"Sure."
Jade waited while I bought two bottles of water from a busy bartender.
"Now, where do we go?" There was open space in front of us and a staircase leading up to a balcony. The place was fairly empty, but we were early. My guess was it was going to be far more crowded by the time the show started.