Out for Blood
Page 43
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Chloe shook her head and eyed the bottle. “You guys owe me twenty bucks.”
“Twenty bucks! No way does that nasty crap cost twenty bucks.”
“It’s a delivery charge.” She grinned and then winced. “Ouch.”
“Don’t lean on your stitches like that,” Jason offered helpfully.
“Duh.”
“I hope Spencer’s okay.” I reached for my cell and texted Kieran and Quinn to tell them what had happened. I hiccuped on a sob that snuck up on me.
Jenna blinked at me. “Nuh-uh,” she said, making a grab for the bottle. “Nasty peach booze, stat!”
I made a face. “No way. I’ll throw up.”
Jason shifted over a foot. “Not on me.”
I lay back down. The sound of my friends giggling helped a little.
But not as much as what suddenly occurred to me.
I sat straight up.
“I have a plan,” I announced.
Chapter 17
Hunter
“Did you hear me?” I repeated louder. “I said I have a plan.”
Everybody groaned except for Jason, who was already snoring. I nearly stepped on his head when I stood up. “Let’s go!”
He jerked awake. “Mmfwha?”
Jenna helped him up. “Hunter’s on a mission.”
“It’s four o’clock in the morning,” he groused.
“Chloe, come on,” I insisted from the doorway.
She opened one eye. “I am injured.”
“You have stitches,” I said, unconvinced. “Come on, already. You’ll miss all the fun and then you’ll bitch about it for the rest of the year.”
“That is true,” she agreed, finally getting up. She clutched the bottle to her chest. They moved in an exaggerated slow huddle across the carpet, stopped when they realized we were still in our room, and then burst into muffled giggles. The fact that Jenna sounded like a hyena made us all laugh even harder. My stomach hurt. It was a nice change from my brain.
I just couldn’t think about what I’d done or worry about Spencer all night. I’d go mental. This was better. This was a goal. This was action.
Chloe was the last into the hall. She tripped over the threshold as the door slammed shut behind her. “Shhh!” she practically yelled. Jenna slapped her hand over Chloe’s mouth to shush her, then pulled away squeaking.
“Did you just lick me? Gross.”
“Teach you to grab my face.”
This was going to be a disaster.
“Cut it out,” Jason tossed over his shoulder. “I feel like we’re back in kindergarten. Let’s go.” He stopped in the foyer, under the remnants of the broken chandelier. “Um, Hunter?”
“Yeah?”
“Where are we going exactly?”
“Eleventh-grade floor,” I mouthed. “And watch the cameras.”
We hurried up the steps, avoiding the creaky stairs, the corner with the camera, the loose floorboard. The common room was empty and all the doors were shut tight. Everyone sane was asleep.
“Anyone know which one’s Will’s room?” I asked.
Jason stared at me. “Great, you’ve got a dozen demerits so now you want us to get them too?”
I lifted my chin. “I’m going to find out what’s going on. You can go back to bed if you want.”
Jenna snorted so loud she coughed. “Forget it,” she added. “I want in.” She poked Jason hard in the shoulder. “And so do you.”
“Yeah, all right,” he muttered. He grabbed the bottle from Chloe. “I need to be drunker.” He swallowed, crossed his eyes. “Nope. Bad idea.” He tripped over nothing. He hadn’t even taken a step. “He was in room 209, the one at the end by the back staircase.”
“That was obliging of him,” I whispered back, cheered.
“Obliging? Who talks like that?” Chloe shook her head. She was right. I’d been reading too many romance novels. But now probably wasn’t the time to wonder about it. “You’re getting weird, Wild.”
“You’re already weird, Cheng.”
She slung her good arm over my shoulder. “That’s why we’re such good friends.”
After shooting her a grin, I touched the door. “Anyone know if Will’s roommate is here yet?”
There were a lot of shrugs.
“You check,” Chloe suggested. “You’re our fearless leader.”
I stuck my tongue out at her, which was terribly leader-like of me. But she was right, though. This was my stupid idea so I should take point. I turned the doorknob slowly but pushed the door open an inch in one quick motion. If you went too slowly, which was the temptation, it actually had more of a squeak. The room was dark. I couldn’t hear any snoring but that was hardly conclusive proof.
I took a step inside. The others giggled behind me. I shot them a look over my shoulder. There was a hush and then more giggling. They’d wake up the entire floor if we didn’t hurry. I took another step inside and hit the Indiglo light on my watch, cupping my hand over the light. I needed just enough to see if the beds were empty, not so much that it might wake up any roommate.
The beds were empty. I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding.
“Clear,” I whispered. They tiptoed inside with such exaggerated care that I snorted out a laugh. “This isn’t a slapstick movie.”
“Twenty bucks! No way does that nasty crap cost twenty bucks.”
“It’s a delivery charge.” She grinned and then winced. “Ouch.”
“Don’t lean on your stitches like that,” Jason offered helpfully.
“Duh.”
“I hope Spencer’s okay.” I reached for my cell and texted Kieran and Quinn to tell them what had happened. I hiccuped on a sob that snuck up on me.
Jenna blinked at me. “Nuh-uh,” she said, making a grab for the bottle. “Nasty peach booze, stat!”
I made a face. “No way. I’ll throw up.”
Jason shifted over a foot. “Not on me.”
I lay back down. The sound of my friends giggling helped a little.
But not as much as what suddenly occurred to me.
I sat straight up.
“I have a plan,” I announced.
Chapter 17
Hunter
“Did you hear me?” I repeated louder. “I said I have a plan.”
Everybody groaned except for Jason, who was already snoring. I nearly stepped on his head when I stood up. “Let’s go!”
He jerked awake. “Mmfwha?”
Jenna helped him up. “Hunter’s on a mission.”
“It’s four o’clock in the morning,” he groused.
“Chloe, come on,” I insisted from the doorway.
She opened one eye. “I am injured.”
“You have stitches,” I said, unconvinced. “Come on, already. You’ll miss all the fun and then you’ll bitch about it for the rest of the year.”
“That is true,” she agreed, finally getting up. She clutched the bottle to her chest. They moved in an exaggerated slow huddle across the carpet, stopped when they realized we were still in our room, and then burst into muffled giggles. The fact that Jenna sounded like a hyena made us all laugh even harder. My stomach hurt. It was a nice change from my brain.
I just couldn’t think about what I’d done or worry about Spencer all night. I’d go mental. This was better. This was a goal. This was action.
Chloe was the last into the hall. She tripped over the threshold as the door slammed shut behind her. “Shhh!” she practically yelled. Jenna slapped her hand over Chloe’s mouth to shush her, then pulled away squeaking.
“Did you just lick me? Gross.”
“Teach you to grab my face.”
This was going to be a disaster.
“Cut it out,” Jason tossed over his shoulder. “I feel like we’re back in kindergarten. Let’s go.” He stopped in the foyer, under the remnants of the broken chandelier. “Um, Hunter?”
“Yeah?”
“Where are we going exactly?”
“Eleventh-grade floor,” I mouthed. “And watch the cameras.”
We hurried up the steps, avoiding the creaky stairs, the corner with the camera, the loose floorboard. The common room was empty and all the doors were shut tight. Everyone sane was asleep.
“Anyone know which one’s Will’s room?” I asked.
Jason stared at me. “Great, you’ve got a dozen demerits so now you want us to get them too?”
I lifted my chin. “I’m going to find out what’s going on. You can go back to bed if you want.”
Jenna snorted so loud she coughed. “Forget it,” she added. “I want in.” She poked Jason hard in the shoulder. “And so do you.”
“Yeah, all right,” he muttered. He grabbed the bottle from Chloe. “I need to be drunker.” He swallowed, crossed his eyes. “Nope. Bad idea.” He tripped over nothing. He hadn’t even taken a step. “He was in room 209, the one at the end by the back staircase.”
“That was obliging of him,” I whispered back, cheered.
“Obliging? Who talks like that?” Chloe shook her head. She was right. I’d been reading too many romance novels. But now probably wasn’t the time to wonder about it. “You’re getting weird, Wild.”
“You’re already weird, Cheng.”
She slung her good arm over my shoulder. “That’s why we’re such good friends.”
After shooting her a grin, I touched the door. “Anyone know if Will’s roommate is here yet?”
There were a lot of shrugs.
“You check,” Chloe suggested. “You’re our fearless leader.”
I stuck my tongue out at her, which was terribly leader-like of me. But she was right, though. This was my stupid idea so I should take point. I turned the doorknob slowly but pushed the door open an inch in one quick motion. If you went too slowly, which was the temptation, it actually had more of a squeak. The room was dark. I couldn’t hear any snoring but that was hardly conclusive proof.
I took a step inside. The others giggled behind me. I shot them a look over my shoulder. There was a hush and then more giggling. They’d wake up the entire floor if we didn’t hurry. I took another step inside and hit the Indiglo light on my watch, cupping my hand over the light. I needed just enough to see if the beds were empty, not so much that it might wake up any roommate.
The beds were empty. I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding.
“Clear,” I whispered. They tiptoed inside with such exaggerated care that I snorted out a laugh. “This isn’t a slapstick movie.”
