15. Sadie #2
"It's fine. I just want them to check it. It’s best to be safe, right?” I smile at her.
“That’s true, there are some freaks out there.” She jokes, and I have to laugh because I have a freak following me right now.
"We're going to Grounds after," she says. "Come when you're done."
"Yeah," I say. "I will."
***
The residence office smells like carpet and old coffee. The woman behind the desk listens to me and I notice she isn’t writing anything down I hope she’s mentally taking notes. I wonder how many students come to her to moan about something.
When I finish, she pulls up the building's security log without being asked.
I tell her about the beeping. I tell her I've noticed the door not feeling quite right a few times.
I don't tell her about the flowers or the bracelet or the fact that I woke up this morning wearing something I specifically took off before I went to sleep.
I don't know how to say that without it sounding like something I made up.
She tells me they'll run a full diagnostic on the building's access system this week, and they'll have a security presence outside the building in the evenings, someone checking the perimeter, for the next seven days while they assess.
Someone watching the building. That’ll be nice, he won’t be able to get past them can he.
I thank her for listening to me leave the office and get ready for my day. The morning air is cold, so I pull my jacket tighter and head to Grounds.
***
Grounds is busy enough that I hear it before I push through the door. It’s Saturday morning, why are so many students awake this early?
I spot my girls at our corner table. Then I spot the table directly beside them.
Miles is sitting with his back to me, wearing a dark jacket, and one hand around a coffee cup.
He’s saying something to Mason that makes Mason lean back in his chair and laugh.
Declan is beside him, with Trixie tucked into his side.
Lileah is sitting across from them, with her hair down.
She’s stunning, how she doesn’t have a line of guys after her is crazy. Her legs are to die for.
I walk to our table, sit down and accept the coffee Juno slides across without being asked. I make the decision that I’m going to have a normal Saturday morning if it kills me. I just want to put all the stalker stuff behind me, at least for today.
"You okay?" Juno asks.
"Perfect," I say, and pick up the coffee.
It's Lileah who breaks the border between the tables.
"Oh my God." Lileah points at Maya's earrings. "Are those from the jewelry store on Fletcher Street?”
Maya touches them automatically. "Yes, I love it there. They can do with bringing the prices down a little, though,” Maya jokes. I say nothing as I’ve never been there and don’t plan on it either.
"I've walked past it a hundred times and never gone in.”
"You have to go. It's overwhelming in the best way, there's a woman there who sells everything from the fifties, and she'll tell you the entire history of every piece if you let her."
"I want that," Lileah says immediately. "I want all of that."
“You’re acting like you never get any jewelry, or anything from anyone.” Mason snaps at her, making Miles laugh.
“Something new won’t hurt…”
“I got you earrings, and a necklace yesterday.” Miles points at her, and I look at the set he got her. I have to say for a guy, he has nice taste.
"Saturday mornings. She's only there on Saturdays," Maya tells her.
“I can’t go today, we can go next Saturday, do you think she’ll be there?” Lileah asks.
"Probably."
Lileah turns to Trixie. "We're going."
Trixie nods her head and then starts signing to Declan who smiles at whatever she’s said.
"You should all come," Lileah says to the table at large, which now includes everyone whether they intended it or not. She's already pulling her chair around. "I'm Lileah, by the way. Since we're apparently doing this."
“And there’s our baby sister making friends wherever she goes,” Miles jokes.
“Shut up, any guy who talks to me, you three scare him away, and now I can’t have girlfriends?” she snaps at them and the three of them laugh.
"Maya." Maya grins.
"Juno," Juno says, with the energy of someone who already knows Lileah is going to be a great addition to our group.
"Bree."
"Cara."
Lileah points at each of them in turn, committing it. Then she points at me.
"Sadie," I say.
"Do you all do gymnastics?" Lileah asks, looking between us. I mean, we are all wearing our Gymnastics tracksuits.
"All five of us," Maya says. "Regionals in…" she counts briefly "... nine days."
"Are you ready?" This girl is going to give Juno a run for her money on who talks the most.
"Ask us in ten days," Juno says.
Lileah laughs. "I did dance until I was seventeen," she says. "I completely understand the pre-competition spiral."
"What stopped you?" Bree asks.
"Life," she says, "and the fact that I was good but not that good, and I think I knew it before my teacher did." She picks up her coffee.
The table goes briefly quiet as it does when someone says something true and nobody wants to rush past it.
Declan moves his chair. Mason, grinning, shifts the whole table slightly so the two tables merge into one.
Miles stays exactly where he is. He’s now directly beside me and God damn he smells sexy. I wonder how good a kisser he is? I wonder if he could make me come so hard I forget my name?
He says something quietly to Declan and goes back to his coffee. He doesn't look at me, and I decide I’m not to look at him either, even though it’s really hard. I last approximately forty seconds.
"Okay, so tell me everything," Lileah says to Maya.
Mason leans across the table toward me. "She does this everywhere," he says, nodding at Lileah. "New city, new country, it doesn't matter. Ten minutes and she knows everyone and everything about them.”
“I’ll stick her with Juno, it’ll be a waiting game to see who stops talking first.” I joke.
"It's exhausting," he says, with complete affection.
Lileah says, "I can hear you," without turning around.
"I know," Mason says.
Trixie is showing Cara something on her phone. They seem very similar. Declan is watching Trixie, even though she’s not talking to anyone, she’s still in the conversation, which is an impressive skill to have.
I look at Miles. He's looking at me. Talk to me. All I want him to do is to talk to me. I mean, I guess I can talk to him first, but what would I say?