Chapter 3 #3
“Thanks.” I force out a smile, trying to be polite but distant, knowing full well I’m not going to take them up on it. “I’ve just got to head to my next class. It was nice meeting you both.”
I keep it short and sweet, already turning on my heel, but just as I reach the door, someone barrels into me hard enough to knock the wind out of my chest.
I stumble, my arms flailing for a second until I crash into something solid. Someone solid.
Chris.
His broad chest stops me from falling onto the tile, but it doesn’t stop the sting in my shoulder.
“Watch it,” the girl snaps, her voice sharp and unapologetic as she looks me up and down like I’m the one who wasn’t watching where I was going.
“I’m… sorry.”
I don’t even know why I say it. The words just slip out.
“Oh, it's you,” she sneers, her lip curling. “The jersey chaser.” Her eyes trail up to the guy behind me. “You moving onto the hockey team now?”
My mouth parts, but nothing comes out.
She elbows the girl beside her and smirks. “This is the girl whose sex tape went viral in high school,” she announces with far too much glee considering it’s a lie. “Did you hear about it? No, wait. Did you see it? I’d be so embarrassed if my tits were that uneven.”
I try to step back, but Chris’s body is still behind me, solid and blocking my path.
“Yeah. That shit’s all over social media,” the other girl says with disinterest.
I wrap my hands around the arms of my bag, trying to muster up the courage to deny it, but Jenni steps in front of me.
“Gabbi,” Jenni cuts in, drawing her name out like it tastes sour on her tongue. “I think you’ve got bigger problems than spreading rumors about my friend’s past.”
Gabbi stiffens, but Jenni doesn’t miss a beat.
“Like, say… making sure no one finds out you’ve been sneaking around with Professor Henderson for the past year.”
Silence.
Gabbi freezes. Her eyes widen as all the color drains from her face.
“If that comes out, you’ll lose your scholarship, your place at this college, and what little self-respect you have left.”
“How did you—”
Jenni doesn’t flinch and cuts Gabbi off. “Come for Honey again,” she says coolly, “and I’ll let everyone know you’re giving blowjobs for better grades. Don’t test me. I’ve got receipts.”
There’s no bluff or hesitation in her voice, just a soft, almost sweet threat.
Gabbi presses her lips into a tight line. Without another word, she grabs her friend’s arm and bolts from the room, practically dragging her out.
I stare at Jenni, floored. My heart is still pounding, my skin flushed with embarrassment, anger, and… something else I’m not quite sure of.
“Um… thanks,” I say, stunned.
I want to explain there wasn’t a sex tape. That it was just a rumor started because my ex went viral after cheating on me, but before I can even get the words out, Jenni waves me off.
“Whatever. It’s not that big a deal. Gabbi’s an asshole. I went to high school with her, and I really wish she’d picked literally any other college in the country. Any chance I can get to put her in her place, I take.”
“Oh, okay,” I say, still trying to process what just happened. Embarrassingly, I’m half-stuck on the fact that she called me her friend. That hasn’t happened in a long time.
Jenni grins, already over it. “What are you doing tonight? Chris and I were thinking of watching a movie in my dorm. You should come.”
“Tonight? Um…” I hesitate, my brain immediately going to Zach and his practice, but more than that, I don’t want to tick off the only person who’s been nice to me since I got here. “I’m a little busy.”
Why am I so disappointed that I can’t third wheel a dorm movie night?
The thought lands with uncomfortable clarity. I’m genuinely upset about missing the chance to be the awkward extra in a cramped dorm, probably perched on Jenni’s desk chair while they curl up together on the twin bed.
Awesome. Apparently, my social life has reached the point where even that sounds… nice.
“No problem,” Jenni says easily, and I can tell she genuinely means it. There's no passive-aggressive undertone, no slight tightening around her eyes that suggests I've just failed some kind of friendship test. “How about lunch? You could meet us at the dining hall after your next class?”
“Uh, sure, that sounds awesome,” I say with a smile, genuinely excited at the prospect of sitting across from someone other than Zach while eating.
“Perfect.” Then she pulls her phone out and offers it to me. “Do you want to put your number in? I’ll text you the details.”
My number? I’m hesitant at first since I don’t like to hand it out to anyone, but explaining why feels a little ridiculous when she clearly has no idea who I am.
“Um, okay.” I take her phone and quickly type my number in.
Jenni takes it back with a smile. “Great. Well, we look forward to seeing you in a little bit, don’t we, Chris?”
She elbows her boyfriend, who just lets out a little chuckle.
“Yeah. Definitely looking forward to it.”
After we part ways, I walk to my next class feeling something I haven’t felt in months: optimism.
It feels strange, almost weightless, like I’m walking with a version of myself I thought I’d lost somewhere between whispered rumors and people deciding who I was before they ever spoke to me.
Maybe, just maybe, my fate at this college hasn’t already been sealed. Maybe there are more people out there who don’t care about football and aren’t interested in chasing me away from Zach.
The thought is exhilarating and terrifying at the same time.