Tender Kisses and Gentle Hearts

chapter 5- The Devil

"There are good people and bad people in the world. The ones who start the fires, and the ones that put them out."

-Lemony Snicket

Chapter 5-The Devil

I sighed and put my head between my hands. A normal person would not have been studying on a Friday night. They would've been out partying. But since I am definitely not normal, I was stuck in my dorm, studying. It wasn't like I had exams coming up, I mean I did, but it wasn't like I needed to study right this moment. It was just that I had nothing to do. And if I had nothing to do then I would start thinking. And thinking would've killed me. So I decided to distract myself with studying.

I could have gone to a party. But ever since the Parker incident, I hadn't gone to a party ever again. I was scared. And I hated it. Every time I would go out, I looked over my shoulder; I hadn't talked to a stranger in a really long time, at least not men. And if I did then it was an emergency. If a person I once cared so much about could hurt me and betray me so easily, why couldn't a stranger, someone who I didn't even know the name of, do that too? So that was definitely out of the question. I could have at least gone out to the park or the local coffee shop, but it was already 8 pm and I didn't allow myself out that late, not anymore. Ever since Parker started placing those notes I have been more cautious of what I do.

I hadn't heard from him, though. It was a good thing, I guess. But it made me even more panicked. It was like he was getting closer to me that it didn't matter if he left notes because he could talk to me face to face. The last time I heard from him was a week ago when Luca had dropped me off in my dorm. The note had been placed on the mat we had in front of the door. I had thrown it away but I still remembered what it said.

There's no way to escape me. You should be expecting me soon.

- P.

It had been nagging me the whole week. But I didn't really think of it since I was swarmed with homework and I was grateful for having a distraction. Math was my favorite homework to do. Any problem could be solved, not like in real life, where problems have no solutions most of the time. But this Friday I had no homework.

The school year was coming to an end really quickly. Tomorrow was June 1st that means only two weeks left until school lets out. And yes, exams were approaching. That's kind of why I was studying.

I sighed and shut my book. The door opened the moment I put my book away. Jessie, my roommate, was standing in the doorway looking excited. "Hey Jess, what's up?"

She squeals. "I'm moving!" She announces grabbing all her clothes from her closet putting them on the bed. "To San Francisco! I got accepted at that place I told you about, oh my God Amy I am so freaking excited!"

"Oh really, that's great! I am so happy for you Jess." I say and hurry over to help her. I help her pack for the rest of the night. We chat every now and then, small talk. After we are done she turns over to me and hugs me. "I'll miss you." She says.

I hug her back. "Me too," I say. We let go and she turns over to me, teary-eyed. "Goodbye, take care, Lia!" I smiled at her nickname for me. I wave as she goes out the door.

I plop myself down the bed and sigh. The room seemed empty without her. Jessie had always been a nice girl and a very nice roommate. Even though we weren't best friends she was still my only friend on campus, and now here she was going away. I was happy for her. She said she was accepted at another college over at San Francisco and it was even better than this one. She had to go fast and that's why she left today.

I stay there, wondering whom my new roommate was going to be. I hoped she was a nice girl. Like Jessie had been. Well, tomorrow I would find out.

I put the book back on my shelf and wipe the tears off my eyes. I had just finished reading Allegiant, for the third time and it still made me cry. I hear the door slam open and turn over as the sound of high heels fills the quiet room.

"Ew, books." The girl says annoyingly. She shivers. "This place gives me the creeps."

I look over at the blonde girl standing over Jessie's old bed. It was Monday, I had finished my classes already and I was announced that my new roommate was coming today. I had not expected it to be Scarlett Ellis. She was the most feared girl on campus.

I fake smiled and took out my hand for her to shake. "I'm Amy."

She looks down at my hand disgustingly. "I'm Scarlett." She eyes my outfit, which consists of black leggings, a grey hoodie and fuzzy socks.

I drop my hand and watch as she puts all her pink stuff all over the room and her bed. I rub my temples and sigh. This is a nightmare.

I plop myself down on my bed and close my eyes as I hear her heels clinking all over the place. I curse under my breath.

Great, just what I need. A stereotypical dumb blonde who only likes pink and making people suffer. Although, there must be more than what meets the eye, right? Maybe Scarlett would be more than what she seems to be.

"Oh my gosh, your ugly books are in the way of my fuzzy pink rug! It has to go there. You have to move your stupid books away." She exclaims.

Then again, she might be exactly what she seems to be.