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Chapter 12

Kathleen's jealous, and the thing is, she has no right to be. The way Ben eyed her over, the way he messaged her insinuating I was nothing but an annoyance, it all sums up how men operate around Kathleen. She's a beauty and I'm... her aid.

"Is that supposed to piss me off or something?" I whisper, turning around to see her smile widely. She laughs like fucking Maleficent before she grabs her water bottle, taking a quick swig.

"Oh, please, Noelle. Anyone within a two mile radius can see you're into the guy. But it's whatever, because you said you'd help me with him and I expect nothing more than that. Then you can go along, find some random writer who fits your aesthetic, and-"

"My aesthetic?" I'm at a loss of words. I'm used to Kathleen's coolness, the moments of silence, the times in which she acts so damn superior, you'd think she was Kate Middleton. But in this moment, there's something different. It's like we're on an equal playing field and it complicates her plans. And Kathleen Jones has never had a complication before. "Is that what you think? That I'm some low-life person who could never catch some football player's eye?"

"Aha! So you do like him." 

"I don't fucking like him!" I throw my hand to my mouth as I realize that I said that way too loudly, which defeats the purpose of the statement. Kathleen shakes her head and points to my phone.

"Play twenty questions. Send me the screenshots so I know what the hell I talk to Ben about on our date tomorrow." As I shake my head, she holds up a finger before bringing it to pinch the bridge of her nose. "You owe me this. I saved your ass and didn't humiliate you in front of Ben. Had he known you didn't tell me you knew him, he'd think you were in love with him, keeping him all to yourself."

I open my mouth and close it, squeeze my eyes shut as I imagine myself in my bed at home, my dad stopping by my room before he heads off to sleep, telling me how proud of me he is. I always knew he noticed the way Kathleen treated me, but he never explicitly stated how he felt. He would respond to Kathleen in the way any parent does, respectful and poised. If he knew about how she was acting with me now, I'm sure he'd throw the way he usually acts out the window, insisting I move back home and completely block Kathleen out of my life.

When I open my eyes, Kathleen is out the door.

***

My plan is plain and simple: I'll play twenty questions, send our conversation to Kathleen, and then I'm going to be a hermit crab. Kathleen and Ben will date for however long they deem fit and everything will be the way it was. 

As for my daily schedule, I'll go to class, come back home, and get through the semester. Over winter break, I'll ask for a dorm room change and I'll find my people. For once, I'll put myself first. I'll finally do what my dad has wanted, which is stop playing with Kathleen's superiority complex. I just can't believe it took until college to realize how much of a docile fool I've been.

Kathleen Jones:

So, let's play twenty questions. :)

Ben Jacobs:

Mmkay. Favorite color?

I roll my eyes at this. Why are men so predictable?

Kathleen Jones:

Pink. You?

Ben Jacobs:

Ah, it's brown. I know, I know, weird, right?

Brown? His favorite color is brown?

Kathleen Jones:

Yeah, it's a bit weird. Should I call for help or something? I thought you'd say blue. I just make blue synonymous with football, since you're a hotshot and all ;)