PRETTY WHEN YOU'RE MEAN

a's

eze lifted strands of her hair, laughter bubbling from every direction. Students buzzed around the quad, faces li

nts," Kate said from beh

ved on plastic tra

loyal, and a little dramatic. This college, freedom, dorms and late-night junk food was supposed to be the start of something better. No m

ean

e the nerves. "Maybe we'll

, we're gonna run thi

unded by booths with flyers and free water bottles. A gi

she froze. Completely. Br

like a crown. A laugh that was s

Haw

red. But she coul

la said beside

"Still a walking Ba

s like nothing had changed since high school. Her red top hugged her like it had been stitched on

n she s

eyes l

e expected a flicker of co

ar, biting smile that once made Ell

hrough the buzz of orientation, "looks

dropped. "D

d coffee," Kate muttered, al

. Her voice was barely abo

d, but not wit

hing hotter and messier

ding, trying to swallow the

walked toward the dorms. "Doesn't she have a model

uess hell really

high school slamming into the present. Abby in the hallways. Abb

y biting her lip when she was concentrating in debate. Abby looking at h

hook h

ck there. She wasn'

be... she

the walls, and music thumped from somewhere down the hall. Ella tried to lose herself in

oice echoed

n losers get i

on her desk. "What if she

e shin," Kate offered, lo

. "Speaking of kicking loo

a party off-campus. Back-to-School B

said immedia

her eyebrow

. Loud. Filled with drunk strang

You're supposed to crash the best parti

d. "It's our

o something crazy," Lela said. "On

ute girl," Kate add

felt uneasy Abby's face car

t of saying yes could shake her out of w

t that could hap

d out soo