Chasing You

15

LACEY

"I can't bring you today," Rae says drinking from her Starbucks cup. I groan loudly throwing my head back. Tori moves around her grabbing toast from the toaster as Rae grabs her backpack.

It's been a busy couple of days. On Friday when Braden picked me off of the side of the road, my car broke down and I found out that my sorority wants me to help host a themed dinner for, well now, tonight. Instead of me going out on Friday night, I had to stay in and plan this fucking dinner. Saturday there was an away football game so everyone daylonged and honestly it was a blur. Sunday I was hit with homework and more sorority bullshit, as well as a phone call from my mom.

Which was joyous in itself.

Monday through Tuesday were spent dealing with homework, dodging Braden, dodging everyone in my sorority, making dinner plans for my whole sorority, and trying to deal with my car. I finally was able to get someone to tow it and look at it by Tuesday. They told me to come back Wednesday. Here I am, Wednesday and I just need a ride. The walk was at least seven miles from the campus the last time I went and our apartment is further than that.

My car just has to break down now. I have so much shit to do finish up today and I don't have time for any of it because my stupid car broke down. I am not asking Braden to drive me because I can't. Even though he offered, I don't know where we stand and he confuses me and I need today to go smoothly.

"Rae please, I'll even just wait at the shop for my car to be ready and just do my sorority stuff later. Please, my sorority will kill me if I don't pick up our catering and everything else," I plead with her. I need my car sooner rather than later.

I can't do anything until I know what's actually wrong with it. The door opens behind me and I glance towards it. Sixer is the first to trot into the apartment with Carter holding her leash. Asher steps in behind her looking at paperwork.

"You didn't tell me a simple vet visit was hundreds of dollars," Asher grumbles from behind Carter. She ignores him and so do I turning back to Rae. Carter rounds the counter opening the utensil drawer. She grabs a metal straw and shoves it into her Starbucks drink.

"I'm sorry, Lace. I have class, then cheerleading and we are going to Darby's for dinner after. I don't have time," Rae says shrugging her shoulders. Carter plops down onto the barstool next to me giving us a confused look. "Ask Carter if she can."

"Ask Carter if she can what?" she asks confused glancing at me. Asher sits down on the barstool next to me as Carter comes back around. He's holding a coffee cup staring at paperwork. Carter's brown hair is tied up in a bun as she unhooks Sixer from her leash hanging it on the key rack.

"Could you drive me to see what's wrong with my stupid car and then bring me to get sorority shit for tonight?" I ask her clasping my hands together. She glances at Rae and then back at me.

"I would but I promised a girl in my class we would study for my exam on tomorrow. Then I have class and Jeremy Robbie and I have to study for our one class," she says but glances behind her. A smirk crosses her face as she glances at her boyfriend. Carter holds up a finger sliding in between his legs.

"One-fifty on this visit. Is it usually that much?" Asher asks her as she snatches the papers away from him. I furrow my eyebrows at what exactly she is getting at scooting my chair further away from them.

"Babe, I need a quick favor," Carter says wrapping her arms around his neck. I exchange a look with Rae and she looks just as confused. Asher looks at her skeptically.

"I swear to God Carter if you drag me to one of your nail salon appoin-"

"No it's not that asshole, can you take Lacey to see what's up with her car?" she asks making my eyes bug out of my head. Asher scoffs loudly glancing back at me then at Carter. "Ash, you don't have classes today or anything."