Chapter 29 How Dare You
How Dare You
Maisie
The week since running out of the coffee shop has been surprisingly uneventful.
I haven’t run into Connor anywhere, so there wasn’t a need to explain my strange behavior.
However, I did go to dinner with everyone on the team Wednesday night.
Dublin initiated it, and everyone was miraculously free.
We went to Antonio’s and had the best time.
I also think I misread Dublin’s intentions when he first asked me to breakfast. That, or he was just testing the waters and didn’t feel too strongly about it one way or the other.
He and I have plans to get ice cream together on Monday.
His favorite flavor is mint chocolate chip, but I’ve decided I can look past that.
It’s honestly nice to make more friends.
Angie is my ride or die, but ever since Connor stopped talking to me, I’ve felt…
well, a little like a pariah. I’m glad to know that isn’t the case, and my brain was simply being mean to me again.
“Hey, pass me the red lipstick, would ya?” Angie says as she applies another swipe of mascara, her mouth hanging open as she focuses on her reflection in the mirror.
“Sure,” I say, passing her the tube. She was kind enough to stick with my originally planned Marvel theme for costumes.
It felt weird going as the Wasp without Ant-Man, so I switched it up and decided to go as Gamora, which, now, three containers of green paint later, I’m regretting a bit.
She decided to go as Peggy Carter because she said she was manifesting meeting her Captain America—who she claims is arguably the hottest Avenger.
I’d choose Bucky Barnes, but that’s neither here nor there.
Plus, in her words, she already has the perfect hair for pin curls.
“Thanks again for dressing up with me. It’s been weird—the radio silence from Connor, I mean.”
“Yeah, what in the world is his deal? I have half a mind to march right up to his front door and tell him what a chicken shit he’s being!”
“Pleaaaase don’t do that.” I laugh nervously.
“We’ll see,” she replies. “He’s on my shit list.”
“We don’t know what’s going on with him. I don’t think we should jump to conclusions,” I protest.
“Mmmm, that’s ’cause you’re nicer than me.” She quirks a red-lipped smile, then caps the tube with a definitive click. “Done,” she says, turning to show me the finished look.
“You look hot!”
“I do, don’t I?” She shimmies a little and pops a heel to prove her point. “Oh, you’ve got a little something right…” She reaches toward my face, and my spine stiffens, wondering what it could be, but then she gestures toward my whole face in all its green glory and says, “there,” with a laugh.
“What, you don’t like green?” I run a hand down the length of my body; wearing a black tank top and shorts, my green arms and legs are also on display. “I’ve heard it’s all the rage in the Andromeda Galaxy.”
A laugh sputters out of her, and she quickly turns to check if she smudged her lipstick. She shakes her head as she turns back to me. “You’re so weird, and I love it.”
She lifts her phone to take a selfie of the two of us and airdrops it to me.
I pull out my phone and smile upon seeing the two of us decked out in our costumes.
Two roommates turned best friends—there’s nothing better.
I shoot off a quick text to Connor with the picture attached.
I write “Happy Halloween” but nothing else.
I slip my phone into my pocket as Angie takes my hand, pulling me toward our front door.
“Now let’s go. I’m ready to get my dance on!”
I smile at that and let her pull me toward our night of Halloween-themed frivolity.
We start off at a frat house because Angie had promised some guy she’d stop by. I mostly stand awkwardly at her side as she flirts for a bit. I don’t want to drink because I don’t know the guy who is pouring, so I swipe through social media and do my duty as wallflower/wingwoman.
Our next stop is the off-campus bar that everyone frequents, Down Home Bar. Angie leads us to the front of the line and even gets the bouncer to waive the cover charge. I swear she’s magic.
We each only get water since we don’t have fake IDs, but that doesn’t stop us from dancing to at least ten straight songs.
Sometimes guys make their way over to us.
Sometimes we dance with them, sometimes not.
Even with my usual trepidation, I manage to have a great time because Angie is with me, leading the way.
In the middle of one of the last songs, Connor’s face flashes involuntarily in my mind.
I wonder what he might be doing tonight, who he is with, if he is having fun, if he is…
thinking about me. But I shake my head—that’s a ridiculous notion.
He has a girlfriend, or at least I think he does.
I do my best to filter him out of my mind and go back to dancing with my best friend.
Our last stop of the evening is the Swim House.
“It certainly is Old Faithful,” Angie says as we make our way up the stairs.
My heart rate kicks up with worry that I’ll run into Connor here, but I take a deep breath and decide that, whether he’s here or not, I’m not going to let it ruin my otherwise fun evening.
The music is blasting like always. I do a quick sweep of the living room. No Connor. I let out a shaky breath, but my shoulders don’t release their tension, knowing that just because I don’t see him yet doesn’t mean he’s not here.
I spot Tyler in the corner and smile. It’s nice to see him out and about.
I’m pushing my way through the throng of dancing bodies when my gaze snags on someone else.
Veronica. And she has her tongue down another guy’s throat.
Oh, hell no! Before I can think about what I’m doing, I march up to her and grab her by the arm, forcibly disconnecting her from the guy.
“What the hell!” she shouts as she yanks her arm from my grip. Her eyes bore into mine so angrily, I almost lose track of why I came over here. Luckily, I gain my footing quickly.
“How dare you do this to Connor!” I say, pointing at her wide-eyed male companion.
“Excuse me?” Her tone drips venom. “This is my boyfriend, Owen.”
I suck in a breath as my eyes widen. Boyfriend? My palms start to sweat, and tension immediately pulls at my temples. I take a shaky step back.
“Mm…mm…my bad,” I stammer out.
I was doing what any good friend would do. I was coming to Connor’s defense. Even if he isn’t talking to me right now. This is a horrible misunderstanding. Embarrassment like I haven’t felt since everyone saw me pee in the pool in elementary school pulses through my body.
“I have to go…sorry about the confusion!”
I slip away, turn on my heel, and quickly locate Angie. She is chatting with Tyler, but I scoop her by the elbow and hightail it out of there as fast as I can.
Warmth continues to radiate throughout my whole body, and I force myself to breathe the way Connor led me the night of my last panic attack.
Angie reacts quickly this time, pulling me into a hug immediately when we’re outside and encouraging me to breathe.
She reminds me, “Everything is going to be okay.”
Luckily, the panic doesn’t take hold. It was just a spike in anxiety from the absurdity of the situation.
If Connor isn’t dating Veronica, then I really have no clue why he isn’t talking to me.
I take a seat on the steps outside the house, and Angie joins me. I take a few more deep breaths as I lean my head on her shoulder.
“Tonight was fun, but I’m ready to head home and get in my jammies. You in?”
“Deal,” she says.
We stay there for another minute or two before walking home.
When we get there, she even spends an hour helping me get all the green paint off.
I smile as we each climb into our respective beds after a full night.
I can’t help but think that even though I don’t have any biological siblings, I now have another pseudo-sister.