18

"Let's go to my room, I have some ice," he said, taking her bag and holding her chair. She got up at the same time Sage did.

"Where are we going?" Sage asked with a stifled giggle. Max just rolled his eyes at her. The place has quickly become filled with students and she was bumping a few shoulders on her way out.

She didn't see the blonde girl with a sizzling hot cup of coffee walk in her direction since she was focused on catching up with the other two. It hurt badly but she didn't want to seem weak so she told him it was okay. She saw their heads turned to each other as they bickered over something.

"Oh, sorry," she said, turning around to apologize to someone she bumped shoulders with when she walked out the door. Just as she turned back around to seek for Max and Sage, she walked right into the girl, causing her cup to spill over and burn them both. They both shrieked when the liquid burned their skin.

"Oh. My. Goodness!" the girl dramatically yelled, stomping her foot and immediately started searching for tissues in her bag.

"What happened?" Sage asked when she came to stand between them, also going through her bag and giving Kárri wet wipes.

"This girl walked right into me and I dropped my coffee," the girl whined, wiping her blue crop top and chest area with tissues while Kárri silently cleaned her arms. She was already feeling sticky.

"I'm sorry. I should have looked where I was going," Kárri said with an eye roll. The girl was being unnecessary. They both looked up at the same time and the girl froze, her eyes narrowing. Kárri didn't know what to say to her because she was staring at her in a way that made her uncomfortable.

Her face had gone from pink with frustration, which matched her rose gold hair, to pale like she has seen a ghost. Then she clenched her jaw and walked away without a word. Sage took Kárri's bag from Max before he went after the girl.

"Who is she?" Kárri asked, watching Max jog to catch up to her.

Sage shook her head, giving Kárri a small smile. "Come, let's get you clean."

***

"Thanks for letting me shower," Kárri said. Sage was on her bed typing on her phone and looked up when Kárri walked out in a fresh set of clothes.

"No problem," she smirked, playing around with her lip ring.

"And your shower is so huge," Kárri gushed, thinking of her own back home.

"You're always welcome to come shower here," Sage said, twisting a strand that got loose.

"Yeah, right," a bored voice said, catching Kárri's attention. It was the dramatic girl again, laying on Max's bed in a fresh set of clothes that looked like a guy's.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't see you there," Kárri said. She had a feeling this girl didn't like her at all. It was starting to feel mutual.

"I'm starting to get used to that," she said snarkily, not even looking up from her phone. Kárri bit the inside of her cheek and looked at Sage, who tilted her head at the blonde and whispered, 'Ignore her'. Kárri smiled as she continued to dry her hair with the towel.

"So, Kárri, what brings you here?" the girl spoke after a while, interrupting the whisper conversation Kárri and Sage were having.

Kárri raised an eyebrow, wondering who she was and how she knew her name. But she quickly dismissed it, assuming that Sage told her. "I came here to shower."

"Duh, I know that. This school, isn't it far from home? Or is there a real reason why you searched for a school so far away? Not because you're running from certain responsibilities?" she spoke, her voice accusatory.

Kárri was caught off-guard by the strong accusatory tone. It's almost as if she was hinting at what happened the previous year. "I'm sorry, what did you say your name was?" Kárri asked. She'd be dammed if she came from St. Martin's as well. Sure she didn't know everyone, but she would have at least remembered that face.

"Britney."

"Last name?"

"That's not important," she said with a smile that made Kárri feel like she knew something Kárri tried so hard to forget on a daily basis. Suddenly, spattered blood and red and blue lights flashed before her eyes and her eyes stung with fresh tears.

"I have to go," Kárri said to Sage, quickly picking up her bag and giving Sage a hug.

"Hey, are you fine?" Sage asked, concerned. Kárri nodded her head, already heading for the door.

"Yeah, I just realised I have something to get to," she chuckled lightly. "I'll text you," she offered. She didn't stop to hear what Sage said. She needed to put as much space between her and Britney as possible. Especially with the images of Gio that flooded her mind.

She reached for her phone as she walked out of the building and into the street. She dialled a number and waited for someone to pick up.

"Hey, where are you?"

"I'm home, why?"

"Are you busy?"

"No, not really. Wh-"

"May I come over?" she asked, her lip trembling. She blinked to stop the tears.

"Yeah, let me pin you the address, okay?" She nodded, cutting the call and sitting by the bus stop. She looked down when she got a new notification and hailed a cab to the place he sent. She could easily walk but she wasn't up for it.

When she got there, she knocked on the door and someone let her in. She looked around and saw that the house had a couple of guys hanging around minding their own business. "Who are you looking for?" the one who opened the door asked nonchalantly.

She sniffed and wiped her face with the sleeve of her jersey, feeling more tears fall down her cheeks. Just then, Zeke came down the stairs shirtless and in some sweatpants. He froze when he saw her there. She ran into his arms as soon as she saw him and broke down in tears.