Saving Grace

Chapter 14: Facade

"You're coming?!" Halsey screeches at the top of her lungs, waving her hands frantically over her head.

I put my hands over my ears, wincing. I sometimes think she is a banshee in hiding. "Tone it down with the excitement, woman, or I'll change my mind."

She immediately straightens up and lowers her hands, grinning sheepishly. "But you're actually coming to a party. That is like, huge. I'm so happy!" She hugs me.

I awkwardly pat her arm and we break off. I take her arm and steer her towards our next class. "Hurry up, we're going to be late," I grumble.

Halsey rolls her eyes and fastens her pace.

We're in the halls of the university, trying to head to our next class through the swarm of the students. It's the last day before weekend and everyone is in a hurry to attend the morning classes and then head home and crash or party or whatever it is they do on weekends. Everyone is buzzing about the party tomorrow, friends making carpooling plans and discussing about what they're going to wear.

Apparently, this party is a huge deal, being the first one of this semester. Also, Dean is known to have the best parties and juniors, freshies and seniors are all invited. Dean is like the uber cool, handsome senior that is friendly with everyone, especially the ladies. I overheard some of the seniors squealing about Dean's 'swoon worthy' looks in the bathroom the other day.

No wonder all the girls have been planning outfits for a week already. This party is like the unofficial Homecoming of the university, only more rowdy, considering the talk about beer kegs and an epic stereo system, including a DJ and a bonfire afterwards in the secluded forest area where Dean's lodge is.

Bonfire in this weather? People are weird.

We quickly settle in our seats right before the professor enters the class and begins the lecture. The class goes on, me and Halsey religiously taking notes on thermodynamics and fluid mechanics, trying to decipher what volume flow rate means.

The professor ends the class early, saying something about an important meeting, and all the students jump up from their seats and rush out of the classroom as if they finally got out of jail.

I quickly stuff my notebook and pen in the bag and take out my phone, checking the notifications. Two messages from Natalie, one of the girls that waved at me and Halsey in the hallway, asking about an assignment. One message from Mom saying she'll be a bit late today and for me to get takeout for lunch. Two missed Skype calls from Alex, timed during the class.

I frown, looking at the last notification. Alex and I just had a really long conversation on call yesterday night, maybe six or seven hours ago. And now he's calling me on skype. The guy had pestered me for a whole hour till I gave up and told him my skype ID. He was relentless.

How much can a person even talk?

Halsey nudges me and nods towards the exit, I hold up a finger gesturing at her to wait, pick up my bag and walk out with her.

"Everything okay?" Halsey looks at me, her eyes sharp and observant.

"Yeah, just checking my phone. Alex called during class," I explain in a resigned voice.

Her eyebrows shoot up. A slow grin covers her face, her eyes twinkling mischievously.

I can recognize that look from a mile away. "No." I shake my head adamantly.

"Yes." She nods her head, grinning like she won the lottery.

Never mind, I know she has already imagined our babies by now. She's a hopeless romantic and starts shipping me with every guy that even breathes in my direction. The fact that I haven't shown interest in any guy, let alone dated one, after the accident, I take her shipping me with random men as a light joke and nothing else. She'd probably be shipping me with another guy a week later. I let her do it and don't respond to her nabbing because I don't have the heart to tell her I haven't seen anyone in that light ever since the accident. I don't want to let her in on exactly how broken I actually am. She's always worrying about me as it is.