19. Cin
Cin
I’ve never been more ready for spring break in my life.
No teachers, no assignments, even though I’m almost completely caught up with them all. Just me, myself, and my car. I can go anywhere I want, even though I have to be back before eight o’clock when they lock the gates.
Skipping to the elevator in my snake lace tights and green skirt, I pause at Gemma’s door, hopeful that she’ll go out with me today. She’s been one of the only people here who hasn’t sucked, so I figure I’ll ask her to come with me. I knock on her door, and hear her shuffle her feet.
I thought it would be awkward between us after the bunny party, but everyone seems okay to pretend like it never happened, and I’m surprisingly okay with that. Even though Cody hasn’t spoken to me since our chat earlier in the week.
Honestly, I’m not sure I want to talk to him. With his sulking one minute and love declarations the next, it’s giving me whiplash and gives me an icky feeling in my stomach when I think about it.
I knew he would be disappointed, mad even. But to be so adamant that I love him? It’s strange .
Gemma throws open her door in a robe, hair askew in a bun on the top of her head.
“Hey, Cin!” Her voice must always be happy, because she sounds like she’s been awake for hours.
“Hey, would you want to go into town with me today?”
Her face breaks out into a grin and she jumps into my body, wrapping her arms around me and giggling.
“I thought you’d never ask,” she says dramatically as she shimmies off me while promising to be quick.
True enough to her word she’s dressed and out of her door in less than five minutes. Her usual blonde curls are pulled up into a messy bun, and her outfit consists of denim and cotton. She reminds me of an eager puppy who's ready to go on a walk as we exit the elevator. The way she bounces as she walks, and leads, as if she knows what my car looks like.
I snort to myself and allow her to happily hum as we walk past the lunch doors and into the main building to sign out. Having to sign in and out is annoying, especially if I just want to go for a night drive, which I haven’t been able to do since I’d have to be back so early, and no one can leave after curfew.
Mrs. Davis greets Gemma with a wide smile and a warm hello, then she sees me and her smile falters, just a tiny bit, but it happens and Gemma doesn’t miss it.
“Mrs. Davis,” she coos, “have you met my friend, Cin?” She bats her bright blue eyes at the old woman and beams.
“I have,” she says, voice not as happy as it was earlier, “I see you’ve found better company, Miss Morgan.”
I have to hold in a snort, because after the bunny patch party I don’t think I’d consider Gemma “better” company in the way Mrs. Davis means. She’s been nothing but nice to me though, and I have a feeling if I did let her get close she would be a good friend.
Just not sure yet if I’m ready to be a good friend to her .
“Well, we’re off, bye Mrs. Davis!” Gemma wraps her arm around mine and gives her a little wave after I sign myself out. Pulling me out the doors and back into the sunshine. It’s beautiful here, I have to admit, but it’s not really warm enough for my liking yet.
Even if it were raining I’d be just as excited to leave, seeing my mom after months is the only thing on my mind.
Gemma stops, pulling me abruptly back before a red Audi flies around the lines of parked cars and brakes in front of where we stand. The window rolls down and surprisingly it’s Toby and the other guy that lives in their shared apartment that I haven’t actually met personally. He smiles and Gemma rolls her eyes.
“Banks,” she starts, bending down so she’s eye level with Toby in the passenger seat, “I see your driving skills haven’t improved any.”
He laughs and pulls on a pair of shiny reflective glasses, “I didn’t hit you.”
“This time. Lucky me.”
I choke a little, wondering what the fuck these two are going on about. He hit her with his car ?
All three of them laugh and Toby winks, “he clipped her arm, once .”
“Yeah, left a bruise I had no way of explaining to my parents,” she glowers at the two of them and I feel incredibly out of place in this conversation, even though they’re speaking to me.
“It’s fine, Cinnamon,” Banks says, “I bought her a brand new toy, all was forgiven.”
Gemma plants a kiss on Toby’s cheek amidst her laugh, and steps back beside me as Banks hits the gas and pebbles rip up behind him.
Side-eying her, I lift my brows in a silent ‘whathefuck’. That was a whole lot of confusion. I didn’t realize Gemma and Toby were in a relationship, not after what we all did together at the Bunny Patch.
“We aren’t together,” she says, threading my hands through hers and pulling me toward the rows of cars. “I mean, not in the traditional boyfriend-girlfriend way.”
“Okay,” I extend the ‘y’ as if I’m going to say something else, but I’ve got nothing so the awkwardness of it feels stuffy.
She laughs, “which one’s yours? I’ll explain better after coffee.”
I point her in the direction of the white Cadillac SUV mom bought me, and click the locks so we can both climb in.
“Cinnamon Morgan, do you have a sugar daddy I should know about?” That makes me laugh, and she joins in though her features still fully seem invested in an answer for her question. “Seriously, we all thought, scholarship and all…”
“Oh,” I cough and clear my throat, “uh, my mom’s got a pretty good job, I guess, and my grandparents left her a lot of money when they passed.”
“I’m sorry,” she places her hand over mine on the console, “were you close?”
“Never met them, actually,” I answer, staring at our hands. I think this is the most offhanded human contact I’ve allowed since Cody and I reconnected. And she gives it out so freely, it makes me wonder where she comes from. I know now she has parents, which I figured, but with her also not going anywhere for the break it made me wonder.
“That’s sad, my grandparents are kind of the shit ,” she laughs, “not something every eighteen year old can say, but mine are the best.”
Her smile is brighter, if that’s even fucking possible, and it makes me want to meet them. If they’re anything like her, I bet they are the shit .
“Thanks for coming out with me today,” I say instead, “where too first?”
She squeals and clicks the panel display, plugging in something that must be in town because the GPS starts talking and I follow.