After

Chapter 43.

I lean into Zed slightly and Hardin's eyes go wide but he quickly recovers. I know how immature and ridiculous this whole thing is but I don't care. If I have to be around him, I want him to be as irritated as I am.  

The leather-clad woman and takes everyone's food order. I go with a burger and fries, minus the ketchup and everyone else orders hot wings. She brings Hardin a coke and the rest of them another round of beers. I am still waiting on my coke but I don't want to be rude.

"They have the best wings here" Zed informs me and I smile at him.

"So are you going to the bonfire next weekend?" I ask Zed.

"I don't know, it's not really my scene" he laughs and takes a drink of his beer. "Are you going?" He asks and brings his arm down from the booth to rest fully over my shoulder. I feel guilty flirting with him this way, well its not really flirting because I am just asking him questions but I still feel bad. I have never tried to flirt with anyone before so I am sure I am terrible at it.

"Yea, I am going with Landon" I answer and everyone bursts into laughter.

"Landon Gibson?" Zed asks, still laughing.

"Yea, he is my friend" I snap. I don't like the way they are all laughing at him.

"He would go to the bonfire! He is such a lame" Molly says and I glare at her.

"No, he isn't actually. He is really cool" I defend him. I understand that my definition of cool is not the same as theirs but mine is better.

"Landon Gibson and cool do not belong in the same sentence" Molly says and brushes Hardin's hair back off of his forehead. I hate her.

"Well sorry if he isn't cool enough to hang out with you guys, but he is.." I start to shout and sit up in the booth.

"Woa, Tessa calm down. We are just teasing" Nate says and Molly smirks at me. I get the feeling she doesn't care for me much either.

"Well I don't like when people tease my friends, especially when he isn't here to defend himself." I need to calm down.. My emotions are running wild from being around Hardin and the fact that he is hanging all over Molly in front of me.

"Okay, I am sorry for making fun of him. Besides, I do gotta give him some credit for that black eye he gave Hardin" Zed says and wraps his arm back around me. Everyone laughs, even me, except Hardin.

"Yea, good thing a professor broke the fight up or Hardin would have gotten beat up even worse by the loser.. " Nate says and then looks at me. "Sorry, it slipped" he says and gives me a sorry smile.

A professor? Their fight wasn't broken up by a professor it was broken up by Hardin's dad. I wonder if they even know Hardin and Landon are soon to be stepbrothers. I look at Hardin and he looks worried. He lied to them. I should call him out on it right now in front of everyone but I can't. I am not like him, I find it harder to hurt people than he does. Except Noah, my subconscious reminds me and I push her back.

"Well I think the bonfire will be fun" I say and Zed smiles.

"Maybe I will make an appearance after all" He tells me.

"I am going" Hardin says from the other booth. Everyone turn to look at him and Molly laughs.

"Sure you are" she rolls her eyes and laughs again.

"I really am, it won't be so bad" Hardin says and Molly rolls her eyes again. Why would he go? Maybe because Zed said he was. This annoying little game I am playing may be working after all.

The server brings out our food and hands me my burger. It looks great except the ketchup is dripping off the side. My nose scrunches up and I try to wipe some of the ketchup off with a napkin. I hate sending food back and I am already having a hard enough time  tonight, the last thing I need is to draw even more attention to myself.

Everyone digs into their wings and I pick at my fries while everyone talks about the party tonight.

"Can I get you guys anything?" The woman asks as she walks back to the booths.

"No, I think we are good" Tristan tells her and she begins to walk away.

"She ordered her burger with no ketchup" Hardin says and I drop a fry onto the plate.

The waitress looks at me, "Do you want me to take it back?" She asks nicely and I shake my head.

"Yea.. she does" Hardin answers for me. What the hell is he doing? And how did he even know it had ketchup? He is just trying to make me uncomfortable.

"Here, give me your plate. I will bring you a new burger and fries" She smiles and holds her hand out. I hand her the plate and look down while I thank her.

"What was that?" I hear Molly ask Hardin in his ear. She should really work on her whispering voice.

"Nothing, she doesn't like ketchup." he simply says and she huffs before taking a drink of her beer.

"So?" Molly says and Hardin glares at her.

"So, nothing. Just drop it" he snaps and she rolls her eyes again and scoots even closer to him.

At least I know I am not the only one he is rude to.

I am given a new burger sans ketchup and new fries and I eat most of it despite my lack of appetite. Zed ends up paying for my meal which is both nice and awkward at the same time. Hardin's annoyance seems to grow as Zed puts his arm around me yet again, as we walk outside.

"Logan says the party is already packed out!" Nate says.

"You should ride with me there" Zed offers and I shake my head.

"Oh, I am not going to the party, Tristan is going to take me back" I tell him and he frowns.

"I can take her back to her room since I drove my car" Hardin says, I almost trip over my feet.

"No, Tristan and I will take her. Zed can ride with us too" Steph smiles at Hardin. If looks could kill, Steph would be collapsing on the floor right now.

"You don't want to drive drunk on campus, the police are going to be looking for people to give tickets to because its Friday" Hardin tells Tristan. Steph looks at me waiting for me to speak up but I don't know what to say. I don't want to be in the car with Hardin alone but I don't want to drive with Tristan when he has been drinking. I shrug my shoulders and lean into Zed while they settle this among themselves.

"I will ride with you to take her" Molly tells Hardin and he shakes his head.

"No, you ride with Tristan and Steph." he says with force.

"For god's sake can we just get in the cars and go!" Nate whines and pulls his keys out.

"Yea, lets go Tessa" Hardin orders and I look up at Zed and then at Steph.

"Tessa!" Hardin says again as he unlocks his car door. He looks back at me and I get the feeling that if I don't follow he will drag me to the car. Why would he even want to be around me if he told Steph that I better not come around? He disappears inside the car and starts the engine.

"Text me as soon as you get back to the room" Steph says and I nod and walk to Hardin's car.