I Just Need You - J. Nathan Page 0,4
bathroom is two doors down. I’m capable of braving the walk alone.”
“Whenever you leave your room,” he ordered.
“You’re gonna get sick of my weak bladder.”
“I can handle it.”
I spent the rest of the evening organizing my clothes by colors since I had nothing better to do. At eight o’clock, there was a knock on my door. My eyes drifted to the camera in the corner of the room. Was I supposed to answer the door? Was I supposed to wait for Marco? I stalled, slowly moving to the door, assuming Marco would come out and check whoever was out there. But when I didn’t hear anything, I spoke. “Who is it?”
“Elodie,” a girl said. “Your RA.”
I opened the door to find a skinny girl with fair skin, dark hair, and glasses smiling at me. “You must be Kresley.”
“Hi.” My eyes moved behind her, half expecting Marco to be standing there, but I was only met with more rap music blaring down the hall and other students passing by as they moved into their rooms.
“Welcome to Remington,” Elodie said, pulling my attention back to her. “I hear you’re a transfer. Where’d you transfer from?”
“I’m from California but I transferred from Paris.”
Her eyes expanded behind her glasses, making her brown eyes even bigger in the lenses. “Sounds like a dream,” she said.
More like a nightmare. “Yeah. Well, I’ll be graduating from Remington at the end of the school year,” I said with a smile that likely didn’t reach my eyes. I prayed she didn’t ask any more questions. I’d been guarded since Paris. I wished I wasn’t, but my counselor assured me it was normal—as long as I gradually opened myself back up to people.
“You’re a senior?” Elodie asked.
I nodded.
“What’s your major?”
“Hospitality. I’d like to be an event planner.”
“Sounds cool,” she said, her eyes looking over my shoulder into my room. “Wow. It looks more like a beach resort in there than a dorm room. Nice job.”
I twisted to look inside. My light blue comforter with complementary throw pillows gave it a warm feel and matched the water in my posters. “Thanks.”
“Well, I just wanted to come say hi,” she said, as I turned back to her. “I’m at the end of the hall in 202. If you need anything at any time of day or night, that’s what I’m here for. But, I just met Marco. He said he’s your security?”
I nodded, knowing she was probably looking for answers I wasn’t ready to give. “Yeah, if we could keep that quiet, I’d be forever grateful.”
She zipped her fingers across her lips.
I smiled. “It was nice to meet you.”
“You too.” She turned to go.
“Hey, Elodie?”
She stopped and twisted back to me.
“What does everyone do around here for fun?”
“Half the campus is Greek. So, frat parties.”
“Do people ever go off campus to bars or clubs?”
“Oh, sure. Noise is a great one. My roommate Alice and I are actually heading there later tonight if you’d like to come.”
I’d never been so happy for an invite in my entire life. I hadn’t been able to sleep well since Paris, so I’d been worried about my first night in a new place. But, dancing and drinking would definitely tire me out and help me with that. “I’d love to.”
“We’ll come by and get you around ten thirty.”
“Thanks, Elodie. I don’t know anyone here, so I really appreciate this.”
“Sure thing. It’ll be fun.” She smiled before turning away.
Even though attending Remington hadn’t been part of my original plan, maybe, just maybe, everything would turn out okay after all.
CHAPTER TWO
Kresley
I sat in the backseat of Marco’s Escalade behind tinted and bulletproof windows. Elodie and her roommate Alice sat on either side of me. They were both kind enough not to ask why I had a driver, more pumped to know that neither of them had to be the designated driver. I wore skinny jeans and a strapless green shirt with a necklace of three twisted strands of diamonds—a gift from my father for my sixteenth birthday. I wasn’t sure what kind of place it was, so I didn’t want to get too dressed up. But Elodie and Alice wore similar outfits, which made me feel better.
Alice turned to me, her long strawberry blonde hair falling over her shoulders as she did. She was Daphne to Elodie’s Velma. I wondered if anyone else had ever noticed their uncanny resemblance to the mystery solvers? “So, you were in school in Paris?” Alice asked.
“Yeah.”
“Was it tough to leave such a gorgeous