Chapter Ten

Pagan

Only my Literature and Calculus professors felt the need to start classes a week ahead of time. The rest of my classes didn’t begin until next week. We were welcome to go meet the professor and pick up our syllabus, so after I’d done that, my first week of college classes was over.

I could reread Ethan Frome since it had been two years since I had read it. I could also go get coffee and go over my Calculus syllabus. Calculus scared the hell out of me; I was not a math person and never had been.

Miranda walked out of the bathroom dressed like she was going out clubbing, but it was only one in the afternoon. “How do I look?” she asked twirling around.

“Like you want to dance the night away and have free drinks brought to you all night long,” I replied.

Miranda grinned, “Good. Because I do.”

“Wait. What? You do realize it’s just one o’clock? Clubs don’t open until eight and without Gee you’re never getting in.”

Miranda shrugged and began posing in the mirror. “Not going to a club. I’m going to my very first frat party.”

“At one in the afternoon?”

Miranda gave me an exasperated look then looked back into the mirror and puckered her lips. “No, silly. Nathan will be here to pick me up at six. We are going to get something to eat then head to the ATO house.”

She still wasn’t making sense. “Then why are you ready five hours early?”

Miranda stopped doing sexy poses in the mirror and turned around and looked at me. “This is a trial run. I have a couple more to do before he gets here. I’m seeing how I look like this. Then I’m going to change and pull my hair up and maybe use a little blue eye shadow---or do you think that is too much? Maybe I should go with the silver.” She continued to ramble and I covered my face with a pillow. I was exhausted just thinking about getting ready once, much less a few times.

“I think you are officially insane,” I replied.

Miranda laughed, “I know you do. But I have to be perfect. This night has to be perfect. I really like him, Pagan.”

I was glad she did, but honestly, did she have to play real life Barbie doll in order to impress him?

A knock on the door interrupted us and I moved the pillow from my face and sat up. Miranda walked to the door and opened it up without asking who it was first. When I saw who was standing there I really wish she had. It was Victoria.

“Can I help you?” Miranda asked when she recognized her. She stepped in front of Victoria and put her hand on her hip. She was doing her protective stance. Like Miranda was big enough to take down anyone.

“I’m here to see your friend,” Victoria replied.

“This is not your day then, ‘cause that ain’t gonna happen.”

I could hear the snarl in her voice. Miranda had just made an enemy. “You do know that Nathan is screwing my Kappa sister Siera? They’ve been fuck-buddies now for over three months. He was with her last night after he left you.”

I was off the bed and moving Miranda out of the way before the bitch could say anymore. I didn’t believe her but I knew Miranda did. I was good with reading people and I had seen the way Nathan looked at Miranda. I didn’t doubt he had once been messing around with this Siera but I didn’t think for a minute that he still was.

“You came here for me. What do you want?” I demanded, wishing I had kept my distance from Jay. This was the kind of drama I hated and avoided at all costs. I was not into catfights---especially over a guy I didn’t want.

“Whatever you think you and Jay are going to rekindle; you need to think again. Back the hell off bitch. I’m not sharing. He is in my bed most nights. You’re just a new flavor. He gets bored with them fast.” The venom dripping from her tone was really uncalled for. She was upset over nothing.

“I hope you and Jay have a long happy life in bed together. I don’t care. I’m not interested in him. He’s an old friend and nothing more. So take your threats and go share them with the redhead down the hall because she is the only one in the building who wants Jay.” I didn’t give her time to respond. I slammed the door in her face.

The room was eerily quiet and I looked back to see where Miranda was. The bathroom door was open and the shower was running. This was not a good sign. She had several other outfits and hairstyles to try before six. If she was showering that meant she believed the spiteful words that spewed from Victoria’s mouth.

I walked into the bathroom and pulled myself up and sat down on the counter. I could hear the soft sobs and hiccups coming from the shower.

“For what it’s worth I don’t believe her,” I said loudly enough she could hear me over the water.

Miranda sniffed and let out a hard laugh. “I do. He wouldn’t take me to his apartment last night. Even after I asked. He said we’d do that another night. He got a phone call right after we finished dinner and he acted funny and nervous the rest of the evening. He even cut our date short. I thought I was imagining things. He had been so sweet when he’d kissed me,” another sob broke free.

I was ready to go strangle this Nathan guy. “Then he is the biggest idiot known to man. You are gorgeous and funny and any guy who is lucky enough to have you interested in him should realize his supreme luck and not screw it up.”

Miranda let out a sad laugh, “I love you, Pagan.”

“I love you too,” I replied.

“Could we watch season two of The Vampire Diaries tonight and eat ice cream? I need it. The first time I think I like someone after Wyatt and this happens. It sucks,” she hiccupped.

“I’ll go get the ice cream. You dig out the DVDs.” I told her as I got down from the counter.

“I miss him, Pagan,” she sounded so sad and defeated. I didn’t have to ask whom she missed. I knew she meant Wyatt. I missed him too. But I knew her loss was completely different.

“I know. Finish your shower and I’ll be back soon with plenty of ice cream and two spoons.”

“’Kay.”

***

Miranda’s phone had finally stopped ringing. Once I’d barred the door and informed Nathan that if he came in, I would call campus security and have him arrested, he’d finally given up and left. That was two days ago. I’d been holed up in our room with Miranda ever since. We’d watched seasons one, two, and three of The Vampire Diaries. We had eaten more galloons of ice cream than should be legal. I doubted I would fit into my jeans on Monday.

I glanced back at the clock. It was after four and I knew Gee would be barging in here at any minute to get us moving. Miranda was better today. She and I had laughed most of the morning. The only thing that had caused her to frown was the ringing of her phone. It had finally stopped sometime around lunch. Either Nathan had given up or he was moving to plan B since plan A sucked. Miranda was not going to answer that phone. Sometime around lunch yesterday she’d gone from being sad to being angry. She had even barged out of the room saying she was going to get fresh air, go running and maybe flirt with some boys. I felt much better about her recovery.

The door opened and Gee stuck her head in, “You ready to be a sexy-ass groupie tonight? You’re VIP, baby,” she finished her comment with a wink.

I hadn’t seen Dank since the incident with Miranda. He’d called and texted me a few times having gotten my number and permission to call through Gee. Last night he’d even been a little naughty in his texts. I’d secretly gotten a thrill out of it but he hadn’t let it get too far. Before I got hot and bothered, he’d said goodnight and told me to go to bed so I’d be rested for tonight.

“Yeah, I’m ready, but I am not a groupie,” I replied.

“You are so a groupie. The only kind of groupie that Dank Walker will let get near him.”