CHAPTER SEVEN
“I’m no one’s judge,” I said to Phoebe.
Since meeting her the one time she came to my house, I really hadn’t gotten the chance to get to know her.
However, after seeing that she was just as fucked up as the rest of us, I knew she probably needed someone to talk to.
I watched through the crack of the stall as she slid that razor across her skin.
That painful euphoric moment was like the times I used shrooms to calm me down.
Phoebe stared at me as if she was trying to figure out if I was lying about judging her.
“What are you going to do? Tell your man?”
I scoffed. “Didn’t I say I’m not here to judge you? Maybe you need a friend. We can talk about it if you want.”
“Why are you so nice? How are you and Dio even together? He’s fucking crazy, and you—” she paused, “—you’re everything my parents want me to be. The girl next door.”
I busted out in laughter. “I’m far from the girl next door. I just choose to chill. Now, if you fuck with me, then we have a problem. Look, I’m not sure if you and Streets are a thing, but any girl who hangs with the Zoo, we fuck with you,” I told her.
She gave me a weak laugh. “Streets? You mean Xavier. He’s cool or whatever.”
I nodded. “Un huh. That’s what we all said. You want to grab food? I’m starving. I just got out of an intense interview for the internship, and I can use food.”
She accepted, and we headed out toward the parking lot. “You know I have a class with Dio,” she said to me.
Honestly, I didn’t want to talk about Dio. He had been acting strange, and the idea of me doing what I did in New York—chasing him only to be embarrassed—I wasn’t doing that. He had been calling and texting me, but right now, I needed the space.
As we got closer to the car, a guy came up to Phoebe. “We need to talk,” he told her.
“Umm, not here,” she replied.
“So, it’s like that? You’re fucking with that nigga Xavier now?” he asked her.
She shot me a look. “Samara, can I get a rain check?”
Before walking away, I wanted to invite her out with me and the girls. “Hey, are you going to the game tonight. The girls and I are going, you know, to hang out.”
She looked at the guy before she glanced back at me. “I wasn’t planning on it, but I’ll meet you guys there. Is that cool?”
“Yeah. I’ll see you later,” I told her and walked off.
When I reached my car, I hopped in, started the car, and suddenly, a hand went around my mouth. I began to panic as I tried reaching for my gun until I heard Dio. “Mars, I taught you to be quicker than that. Your gun should have been ready,” he gritted as he removed his hand.
I took a quick glance in the rearview mirror, staring at his ass sitting in my back seat. “What the fuck do you think this is?” Dio gritted.
“What the fuck are you doing back there? Lucky I didn’t shoot your ass.” I scoffed. “And why are you out here like I Spy Private Eye?”
He shook his head. “First, nigga, you got to be quicker than that. Second, why I’m back here is beside the point. I’ve been texting and calling you. So, it’s like that now? You’re ignoring me.”
I laughed. “Dionysus, please. It’s you who’s acting funny. I’m not playing this game with you.”
His phone went off, causing him to look at it. “Shit. I got to go, but let me find out. It’s yo’ ass and that nigga’s ass, on God.”
He leaned forward to kiss me, and I pulled away.
I could see the disappointment in his eyes, and I was disappointed too.
He hopped out of the back seat, crawled between cars until he was at the far end, stood up, and walked back onto the campus grounds.
Now I knew some shit was up, and I was going to find out what it was because if it had to do with another female, it was his ass and hers.