Taylor West is the epitome of self-reliance. Or she must be. Relationships are fickle. Despite finally enrolling in her dream studies and thriving in them, her social life is only skin-deep. When she finds out that her so-called boyfriend is a selfi...
He looked behind my back. "So...you got something for me again?"
"Huh?"
"What? No care package this time?"
My face went up in flames. "No! That was just—just a one-time thing okay? Because I owed him a favor."
"Oh, yeah?" He spoke in a teasing tone. "Killian wouldn't tell me for what."
"Um—" I chuckled nervously. "Nothing important, really."
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The soft ground beneath my sneakers sunk as I stumbled along the narrow path that was more of an animal trail really. Moonlight filtered through the thick canopy, casting long, moving shadows across the uneven terrain. The wind rustled through the leaves, accompanied by the occasional piercing screech of an owl. The air was thick with the crisp scent of pine needles, and a chill, damp fragrance carrying the promise of rain.
Today, Suz dragged me to a party a bit out of town, where apparently, her future boyfriend was probably going to be. Which turned out to be true, but much to my dismay, he'd arrived with a few familiar faces in tow and Rosalyn and Drew hadn't bothered hiding their surprise at seeing me there.
"This is a really stupid idea," Rose said somewhere in front of me, her bleach-blond hair shining like a beacon. I was surprised to see her without Jessica or Veronica today, but with a tall brunette instead. Those three were usually attached at the hip.
"It's Halloween," Nick, or rather Suzy's future second half, called from up ahead. I wasn't sure if he was aware of his luck yet. "If there's a time to break into old buildings, it's today."
By the time we arrived in front of a large fence, my breath exhaled into small foggy clouds. In the distance, lightning flashed, followed by a low rumble. Not ominous at all.
"Great, this is the best weather for a trip into an abandoned building." Rose's friend was hugging herself, her head lifted towards the clouds.
"It's the perfect weather actually," Nick countered. He walked along a thick metal fence, looking around. "A little thunderstorm creates a really cool atmosphere, don't you think?"
One of his friends stepped up to me. "Are you cold, Taylor? You can have my jacket."
I had instantly forgotten his name but he'd been nice and sort of attentive so far. A bit too nice maybe. "I'm good for now, thanks," I said.
Unlike me, the other girls had dressed up. Suz was wearing a black dress coupled with a long red cloak Red RidingHood. Rose went as Catwoman in a tight leather suit. Her friend was clad in a nurse outfit, her long legs nearly completely exposed to the fresh October air. Out of the four of us, I was definitely the best prepared. I hadn't bothered to get a costume. Instead, I wore long sleeves coupled with an oversized shirt that showed an evil pumpkin wearing a witch's hat and dark skinny jeans.
