A Girl in the Shadows

Chapter Thirty-Two

Molly's empty dorm was a picture of chaos. To my right, scratches lined the door of the walk-in closet. Suitcases used as barricades were spilling out of it. Shoes were tossed across the room as former defensive projectiles. In the far corner, Jen's bed was neatly arranged as if it had never been touched. As if she'd never dealt with the trauma of being lunged at by her roommate. Molly cut in front of me, then pulled out one of the largest suitcases I'd ever seen.

"What are you doing with that?" I asked.

"Uh...packing?" she said.

"You need to travel light. We have a long journey ahead of us," I said.

"I hate to be a nag too, but we have to change buses like, a lot. It'll be a pain to lug that all the way there," Kai said.

"And remember, I'm sure Tristan can arrange to have your things sent to you as well," I said. Her lips pouted and she went deeper into the closet, emerging seconds later with a lavender backpack. I put in my best effort to smile. "Yes, that will be perfect."

Kai sat on the floor next to the dresser and began rummaging through the drawers. "Shorts...t-shirts...I know we'll be underground, but, if we go out in public none of this stuff will work." She clapped her hands again. "Oh, we can go shopping for some sweet new vampire outfits!"

Molly paid no attention, focusing on emptying her desk drawers instead. She grabbed a notebook and put on a pair of sunglasses. I reached over her and began taking the thumbtacks out of her corkboard above the desk. It was full of her senior pictures, long with images of her family at theme parks. Along with Tristan and her parents, I learned that Molly had two other sisters, one younger and one older, I assumed.

"Big family," I said, handing them to her.

"Yeah," she said, a grin crossing her lips, but only for a second.

"I had a younger sister as well."

"Uh...okay," Molly said, shoving the pictures into the front pocket.

She hates you. Why can't you see that? My eyes wandered around at Molly's things. She grabbed a mug with a cartoon mouse off the desk hutch and wrapped it up in a navy-blue sweatshirt from her high school, then shoved it into her backpack. Images of the mouse were above her bed, along with a keychain on her backpack. You hate that damn mouse. You'll have nothing in common. She'll never trust you.

"Hey, Tali," Kai whispered, waving me over. I bent over. "You're coming on a little too strong."

"What? I've barely said a word to her," I said.

"You're being too formal. Just be yourself!" You mean a freak of nature? A girl who belongs in a grave, or perhaps an asylum? That's rich. She nudged me again. "You'll be great."

"Kai, I...I don't deserve a friend like you."

"Yes, you do" she said, going back to Molly's clothes. "And even if you still think you don't, you're stuck with me, amiga."

The handle of the door was turning. Molly gasped and turned to me. Kai dove behind the dresser.

"Tell them you're expelled and packing. That you need more time," I said, putting my back against the wall and out of sight.

The door opened and closed. Molly sighed with relief as the footsteps got closer.

"Oh, it's just you, Stella," Molly said, her voice cracking.