Total pages in book: 177
Estimated words: 178117 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 891(@200wpm)___ 712(@250wpm)___ 594(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 178117 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 891(@200wpm)___ 712(@250wpm)___ 594(@300wpm)
When his father nods, Ali immediately drops the broom he was holding. “Sweet.”
“But I expect you all back tomorrow morning, same time sharp,” he says.
“Aw …” Dylan groans.
“We’re almost finished,” I muse.
“Only got the whole of the Skull & Serpent house left.”
“We’ve got Penelope’s father to help there,” Ali says. “I’m sure he doesn’t need a bunch of lazy students to clean that shit.”
Dylan folds his arms. “Besides, we weren’t the ones who destroyed that place.”
“Technically, you were, since all of this fuckery points back to the four of you,” his father says, and he places a hand on Ali’s and Dylan’s shoulders. “So be glad cleaning in your vacation week is the only thing I’m asking you to do.”
He pats them on the back. “Now get out of here and enjoy the rest of your day.”
In the cafeteria, Kayla, Crystal, Jeremy, and Calvin are already waiting on us at a table.
Felix grumbles with a tray that carries only a single cup of coffee. “Do we have to?”
Dylan shoves his elbow into his waist. “Be nice.”
“I am being fucking nice,” he seethes back.
“We can do this for her,” Ali says, taking a bite from his apple. “Besides, her friends aren’t bad.”
“Hey, girl,” Jeremy says as we approach, patting the seat next to him. “Plenty of room here.”
“Got space for these boys too?” I ask.
Kayla makes a face and takes a big breath, but Crystal’s soft nudge gets her over her reservations quickly. “Yeah, yeah.” She scoots up to allow for more room. “There are more chairs over there.” She points at another table. “No one’s sitting there so you can grab ’em.”
“Sorry we’re late,” I say as I sit down.
“Still helping with the big clean, eh?” Calvin asks. “Trying to score extra points?”
I smile. “Sort of.”
Dylan whispers into my ear, “They don’t know?”
I shake my head. “Better keep it that way.”
“Better keep what?” Kayla asks.
“Oh, nothing,” Dylan replies. “Just some sex talk.”
Her eyes widen, and she makes a weird face.
God, why does he always embarrass me?
“So y’all are still together?” Kayla asks.
A blush forms on my cheeks, but Ali swings his arm around me, pulling me close. “Yup.”
“Wait … as in all three of you?” Calvin asks. “Wow, way to go, Pen. Triple dicking.”
Now I’m blushing even harder.
“How’s the Alpha Psi doing?” I ask to change the subject.
“Oh, the girls are fine,” Kayla replies, smiling. “The renovation of your sister’s room is well on its way. It wasn’t cheap, but it had to be done.”
“That’s good to hear,” I say.
“But I just wanna know … is it all over now?” Crystal asks.
“What is?” Felix says.
“The one who threatened her, who set that fire in the Alpha Psi house, and maybe even the school … Did they catch him?”
Ali, Dylan, and Felix all look at each other, and then at me, like they’re waiting for me to tell my friends the truth. But I’m not sure I’ll ever tell the full story of what happened. Of Dylan’s father, the shoot-out, my sister, all of it.
“Yes, they’re gone,” I say, swallowing. “For good.”
Dylan breathes a sigh of relief.
“But you know who did it, then?” Jeremy asks.
Felix frowns. “Is it important?”
“Well …” Jeremy shifts in his seat, intimidated by Felix’s taunting gaze. “I don’t know, I just figured after all the damage he did.”
“It’s done. Over. It won’t happen again,” Felix says, and he takes a gulp of his coffee.
Crystal sighs and nods. “I’m glad. I don’t need to know who it was. I just want to know that it’s over. It’s about time this school became boring again.”
Everyone laughs, and the tension breaks.
Felix’s phone buzzes, and he picks it up. “Pen … Time.”
“Time?” I mutter. I didn’t think it’d slip by this fast.
“Our appointment,” he adds.
“Right,” I say as I get up.
“Oh, got somewhere important to be already?” Calvin asks.
“Hope it isn’t one of those sex-talk things you mentioned,” Jeremy muses.
Kayla grumbles, “Cringe. I don’t want to hear it.”
I laugh. “No, we’re going to RINGO’s.”
“Wait … that tattoo parlor down in Crescent Vale City?” Kayla asks.
“You’re getting a tattoo?” Crystal mutters, like she couldn’t fathom me getting one.
“Yeah, I already got one long ago with my sis,” I reply.
“Awesome! Can I see it?” Crystal pleads, putting up some big, cute eyes.
“Ah, I—”
“We’re out of time, ladies,” Dylan muses as he gets up and tugs me along with him. “Let’s go, Pen.”
“We’ve got somewhere to be,” Ali adds. “See ya all later.”
“I’ll show my tats to you next time,” I tell everyone, and I add a wink.
My skin stings, but it’s nothing I can’t handle. I’ve gotten a tattoo before. I just forgot what it felt like.
“All done,” the tattoo artist says as he slides away in his chair to grab a mirror.
I lift my shirt a little farther up, revealing my under boob, and I check out my tattoo right underneath. An elongated set of words strewn across my chest in beautiful calligraphy.