It All Started Here

Chapter Fourteen

Kara:

“What do you mean you don’t think you should go?” Rochelle demanded.

The girls just finished getting ready to go to the first basketball game since they’d come back from Thanksgiving vacation, something Kara had been looking forward to. Not because she cared about basketball but because she welcomed the chance to do something normal. After being attacked in her room last weekend, she’d been more on edge than usual and doing her best to keep those feelings in check around her roommates whose memories of that night had been wiped clean by Ethan and his servants.  

They were all set to walk out the door when Shirelle announced that she didn’t think she should go. Kara knew it was because she was afraid of seeing Jax there. Their break up didn’t really affect Shirelle during the week. Since they weren’t in the same grade and didn’t have any of the same classes, their paths never crossed. This Friday night basketball game in the Bernard gym was going to be the first time they’d been in the same place since Jax dumped her.

“I should probably stay and practice the songs we’re doing for the Christmas program,” Shirelle said. “The songs are really hard.”

This year, Miss Ambrose had gotten some kind of wild hair and decided they should do a couple of Celtic songs. She was calling it A Celtic Christmas. Some of the verses in the songs she had them singing weren’t even in English. Still, Kara knew that wasn’t really why Shirelle wanted to stay behind.

“So what?” Rochelle challenged. “The program’s like three weeks away. A couple of hours out won’t kill you.”

“It’s just that Jax will be there,” Shirelle admitted the truth.

“So what?” Rochelle said again. “It’s not like you care that much anyway.”

“I care a little bit,” Shirelle insisted.

“She’s right,” Allison said. “Jax is really cute and really popular. There’s probably going to be a ton of little sophomore girls all over him.”

“Shirelle, you’re not seriously going to hide out in here all night because of some sophomore you weren’t that happy with anyway, are you?” Rochelle demanded. “Besides, you can’t leave me and Al alone with the M&M’s.”

“What?” Kara said while Shirelle giggled.

“Megan and Mina,” Rochelle explained without apology. “We call them the M&M’s.”

“What’s wrong with Megan and Mina?” Kara huffed.

“Nothing, but whenever they’re around, which is all the time by the way, they always push the rest of us out of the way,” Rochelle said.

Kara couldn’t argue with that. It had always been that way when they all went out together, but it had gotten more noticeable since Nathaniel’s death.

“Speak of the devils,” Rochelle laughed when there was a knock on their door.

Kara’s roommates giggled at the sight of Megan and Mina stood on the other side of the door.

“Are you guys ready?” Megan asked.

“We’re ready,” Rochelle said. Giving Shirelle a pointed look, she added, “All of us.”

Shirelle smiled back at her. “Yeah, we’re ready.”

Just as Rochelle said they would, Megan and Mina walked beside Kara as their group headed down the hall and down four flights of stairs. Kara’s roommates traded I-told-you-so glances, but she pretended she didn’t notice.