Remember This Part

1. Three Dudes Fight, Two Lose

Thea.

"Oh, hey, I found another one!" I exclaim happily, pulling another tiny scrap of aluminum out of my bowl of macaroni. Apparently, the dining hall had a mishap with their pasta today. I've already found four tiny pieces of foil in my dinner. But it's kind of fun. Like a snack-sized scavenger hunt.

With her eyes still pinned to her phone, Nika says, "Add it to the pile." I roll my eyes.

"Alright, who are you texting?" I ask.

"A suitor," she replies.

"Really? And where did you find this 'suitor'?" I press on. "Tinder, or Christian Mingle?"

"Actually," Nika begins, setting her phone down, "It's a guy from my high school."

"Ooh, that's new," I say happily, forgetting my Mac & Metal for a moment. "And who is this man stealing away your attention?"

"I don't want to say anything yet," she tells me seriously. "I'm worried it'll jinx it." For the record, Nika is rarely superstitious. She's also rarely concerned with boys. They're just naturally drawn to her, and she enjoys batting them away. So my interest has officially been piqued.

But I don't pester her. Instead, I lean back with a little grin on my face and resume counting slivers of aluminum, enjoying the breeze on my face. It's the end of September in Colorado, which means that it's also one of the last warm days this semester will offer. That's why I convinced Nika to eat our dinner outside. As a rule, she tries to avoid BMU's courtyard as much as possible.

Nika is a quiet, reserved person, and our campus can never be either of those things. Bryce Meyers University tends to attract a rowdy crowd. The courtyard is proof of that. But that's what I like about it. I've never been a fan of silence. I get this uneasy feeling inside my gut, like I'm the last person in the world. Nika, on the other hand, doesn't mind that at all. She could just sit alone in our room until the building wears away.

"Thea," she now says reprovingly. "Stop playing with your food and go get something else to eat."

"I'm not playing with food, I'm playing with a bowl of mystery," I say melodramatically. She grins. "Besides, I have to get going soon."

"You need to eat," she insists.

"I'm headed to Seb's, so I'll just grab a sandwich from there or something," I assure her.

"No you won't," she scoffs. "You never spend your money unless you absolutely have to. Come back to the dorm with me and I'll get you some Eggos and a bowl of my mom's homemade applesauce."

"I don't have time," I contend, rising to my feet and collecting my table scraps. "But maybe we can get something—"

I'm interrupted by the sound of a thump and a boy's grunt. Nika and I look up in unison to see two guys engaged in a scuffle just a few yards away from us. Well, it started as a scuffle. But soon enough, the bigger one with the blond hair has the scrawny redhead pinned to the ground, and he starts punching him ruthlessly. I feel my chest constrict painfully as I watch the scene unfold. My heart rate starts to pick up, but I can't make myself look away. Neither can anyone else, apparently. The two boys have managed to get ahold of everyone's attention. Some of the bystanders have started to yell at them, urging them to stop. For the most part, however, the students are either stunned into silence or happily entertained. Like I said, Bryce Meyers attracts a rowdy crowd. This isn't the first time we've watched something like this happen.

"Let's go," Nika murmurs nervously, standing up and grabbing her cup of iced coffee. That sounds like a great plan, honestly, except I know I can't leave. Someone has to do something. The thin red-haired boy is getting thoroughly beaten in this fight. He could get seriously hurt.