Still Jaded
Page 55
"Either you're too smart or you like to sound like a computer. He has a name, and no, Denton used to be my neighbor. I've known him almost as long as Corrigan and Bry—Corrigan."
Denton's eyes shot to mine, but he smirked. "I kind of like being talked about as if I'm not here. It's a nice break from the usual fans. They don't respect physical boundaries."
"You're not helping," I hissed and stepped towards Carolina. "What are you guys doing here? Corrigan's not here."
Leah shot off her stool. "We don't come here because of him. Do you think that?"
I whirled around, shocked at the vehemence in her voice. "Uh…" What I saw in her eyes took my breath away, for a moment. She seemed determined. "Most people don't like me for me. Can you blame me for thinking otherwise? I've been told that I have an aggressive personality."
Leah looked offended. "I could hang out with Corrigan at his frat house, remember?"
"Except he hasn't been there lately."
"Still." Leah looked away. Her shoulders stiffened.
I frowned as I glanced towards Carolina. She looked less offended—which unnerved me—but also riveted as she continued to stare at Denton.
I snapped two fingers in front of her face. "He's not an animal on display and we're not at the zoo. Stop gawking."
She tore her eyes away with an effort and then smiled. "Sorry. I'm not used to curveballs. He's a curveball. Also, he's better looking in person than on the screen."
Leah choked back a laugh. Then I turned and saw Denton merely smile and lift a shoulder.
I rolled my eyes. "You can act somewhat embarrassed about that."
Denton laughed.
The sound seemed genuine and it sent waves down my stomach, which jolted me.
He shrugged. "What do you expect? I get most girls yelling at me, 'You're so hot!' This is nothing. This is almost respectable."
Enough was enough. I looked at Leah. "What are you guys doing here?"
She looked at Carolina, who cleared her throat. The human computer was back in place. "We need your help. Correction. We don't need it, but we'd like it. The Alpha Mu House is doing their annual pledge banquet. They've asked Zeta Gamma Phi to be their dates for the evening—"
Leah cut in, "Next year it's going to be us."
Carolina gave her a pointed look and then cleared her throat, again. "As I was saying, Zeta Gamma Phi is going to be busy since their entire house will be at the event…" She left the sentence hanging and gave that pointed look to me.
"You're going to break into their house?"
"What? No." Carolina looked horrified. Then she smiled and I saw the cunning girl that I'd met in class a few days ago. She continued, "Yes, but it's all in good fun. It's Prank Wars after all."
"Prank Wars? No one's touching my house again."
Leah smiled. "No, no. It's between the sororities and fraternities on campus. We're going to booby-trap their house. Nothing dangerous, nothing like that. It's all in good spirit."
"Bullshit." I narrowed my eyes at her. What else did she have planned? But it didn't matter. Leah mentioned earlier that Grace had moved into the Zeta house. I wanted to see her room. I hadn't taken the time to look through Cadence's journal, but I made a mental note to put aside a few hours to fully look through it. My gut was telling me that I'd need all the ammunition on that wacko that I could get.
"It is. Or it is for the other girls. A few of us are going to enjoy retribution. The Zeta Gamma Phi house ransacked our home last year. We came home one night to find sheep in our living room."
I looked back at Denton, who had continued to eat the chips. He was laughing now and then gave me the empty bag. "Can I come?"
"What if you're caught?"
"Are you kidding?" he scoffed. "My agent would love it if I were caught with a houseful of sorority sisters. I have another movie coming out. I couldn't buy that publicity."
"We're seriously doing this?"
Denton wrapped an arm around my shoulder and drew me against his side. He squeezed me tight and nodded. "We are, and we're going to have a great time."
"A great time breaking the law."
"A stupendous time breaking the law." Denton dazzled me with a smile. "Right? Just like old times, you and me getting into trouble."
"I don't think this is a great idea." Something tingled in my stomach, and I shrugged off his arm. That was trouble I could do without. "Let me change first."
"Take your time," Leah called out. "So, Denton, are you single?"
I hurried to my old room and changed into dark clothing, tight clothing. Almost feeling ridiculous, I couldn't dispel the butterflies in my stomach, but I was excited. Maybe breaking the law had some advantages. This was the first time I'd felt anything except numbness, suffocating pain, or comfort from Corrigan. All of those emotions were jumbled into one mess. I needed a distraction—this was a perfect one.
As for Denton—I'd figure that out later.
When I walked back into the kitchen, Leah was hanging on his arm while Carolina stood back against the wall. She was watching. She was always watching. Her eyes were narrowed. The star struck expression was gone. Her sharp intellect was back, and I knew she was analyzing everything about him like it was data to her mental computer.
"Does your mind ever shut off?"
Carolina jumped and then pounded her chest. "You scared me! Don't do that."
I lifted an eyebrow. "We're about to break into a house and you don't want me to scare you? Have you ever broken into a house? All you're going to feel is nerves. Trust me, every shadow you see will make you crap your pants. Get used to being scared."
Denton whistled in appreciation. "Looking good, Sheldon. Remember about that trouble from before?"
Leah frowned at me. "You've broken into a house before?"
I ignored both of them and whipped out my flashlight. "Let's go."
Leah groaned. Denton leered. Carolina informed me, "You don't need that. I bought flashlights already. Mine are better."
This girl had to be prepared for everything.
I studied her. "Do you prepare for sex? Spontaneous sex can be the best climax."
Denton's eyes shot to mine, but he smirked. "I kind of like being talked about as if I'm not here. It's a nice break from the usual fans. They don't respect physical boundaries."
"You're not helping," I hissed and stepped towards Carolina. "What are you guys doing here? Corrigan's not here."
Leah shot off her stool. "We don't come here because of him. Do you think that?"
I whirled around, shocked at the vehemence in her voice. "Uh…" What I saw in her eyes took my breath away, for a moment. She seemed determined. "Most people don't like me for me. Can you blame me for thinking otherwise? I've been told that I have an aggressive personality."
Leah looked offended. "I could hang out with Corrigan at his frat house, remember?"
"Except he hasn't been there lately."
"Still." Leah looked away. Her shoulders stiffened.
I frowned as I glanced towards Carolina. She looked less offended—which unnerved me—but also riveted as she continued to stare at Denton.
I snapped two fingers in front of her face. "He's not an animal on display and we're not at the zoo. Stop gawking."
She tore her eyes away with an effort and then smiled. "Sorry. I'm not used to curveballs. He's a curveball. Also, he's better looking in person than on the screen."
Leah choked back a laugh. Then I turned and saw Denton merely smile and lift a shoulder.
I rolled my eyes. "You can act somewhat embarrassed about that."
Denton laughed.
The sound seemed genuine and it sent waves down my stomach, which jolted me.
He shrugged. "What do you expect? I get most girls yelling at me, 'You're so hot!' This is nothing. This is almost respectable."
Enough was enough. I looked at Leah. "What are you guys doing here?"
She looked at Carolina, who cleared her throat. The human computer was back in place. "We need your help. Correction. We don't need it, but we'd like it. The Alpha Mu House is doing their annual pledge banquet. They've asked Zeta Gamma Phi to be their dates for the evening—"
Leah cut in, "Next year it's going to be us."
Carolina gave her a pointed look and then cleared her throat, again. "As I was saying, Zeta Gamma Phi is going to be busy since their entire house will be at the event…" She left the sentence hanging and gave that pointed look to me.
"You're going to break into their house?"
"What? No." Carolina looked horrified. Then she smiled and I saw the cunning girl that I'd met in class a few days ago. She continued, "Yes, but it's all in good fun. It's Prank Wars after all."
"Prank Wars? No one's touching my house again."
Leah smiled. "No, no. It's between the sororities and fraternities on campus. We're going to booby-trap their house. Nothing dangerous, nothing like that. It's all in good spirit."
"Bullshit." I narrowed my eyes at her. What else did she have planned? But it didn't matter. Leah mentioned earlier that Grace had moved into the Zeta house. I wanted to see her room. I hadn't taken the time to look through Cadence's journal, but I made a mental note to put aside a few hours to fully look through it. My gut was telling me that I'd need all the ammunition on that wacko that I could get.
"It is. Or it is for the other girls. A few of us are going to enjoy retribution. The Zeta Gamma Phi house ransacked our home last year. We came home one night to find sheep in our living room."
I looked back at Denton, who had continued to eat the chips. He was laughing now and then gave me the empty bag. "Can I come?"
"What if you're caught?"
"Are you kidding?" he scoffed. "My agent would love it if I were caught with a houseful of sorority sisters. I have another movie coming out. I couldn't buy that publicity."
"We're seriously doing this?"
Denton wrapped an arm around my shoulder and drew me against his side. He squeezed me tight and nodded. "We are, and we're going to have a great time."
"A great time breaking the law."
"A stupendous time breaking the law." Denton dazzled me with a smile. "Right? Just like old times, you and me getting into trouble."
"I don't think this is a great idea." Something tingled in my stomach, and I shrugged off his arm. That was trouble I could do without. "Let me change first."
"Take your time," Leah called out. "So, Denton, are you single?"
I hurried to my old room and changed into dark clothing, tight clothing. Almost feeling ridiculous, I couldn't dispel the butterflies in my stomach, but I was excited. Maybe breaking the law had some advantages. This was the first time I'd felt anything except numbness, suffocating pain, or comfort from Corrigan. All of those emotions were jumbled into one mess. I needed a distraction—this was a perfect one.
As for Denton—I'd figure that out later.
When I walked back into the kitchen, Leah was hanging on his arm while Carolina stood back against the wall. She was watching. She was always watching. Her eyes were narrowed. The star struck expression was gone. Her sharp intellect was back, and I knew she was analyzing everything about him like it was data to her mental computer.
"Does your mind ever shut off?"
Carolina jumped and then pounded her chest. "You scared me! Don't do that."
I lifted an eyebrow. "We're about to break into a house and you don't want me to scare you? Have you ever broken into a house? All you're going to feel is nerves. Trust me, every shadow you see will make you crap your pants. Get used to being scared."
Denton whistled in appreciation. "Looking good, Sheldon. Remember about that trouble from before?"
Leah frowned at me. "You've broken into a house before?"
I ignored both of them and whipped out my flashlight. "Let's go."
Leah groaned. Denton leered. Carolina informed me, "You don't need that. I bought flashlights already. Mine are better."
This girl had to be prepared for everything.
I studied her. "Do you prepare for sex? Spontaneous sex can be the best climax."
