Page 17 of Broken by my Bully

Melissa must have picked up on my sudden panic, because she taps a fingernail against her can a few times before saying, “Library might still have copies.”

“Yeah, good thinking.” I take a quick sip of soda to wet my dry mouth. “I mean, at least just to tide me over until mine arrive.”

She quirks an eyebrow at this and then jumps when her phone blares Taylor Swift’sBlank Space.

“Fuck this ringtone,” she mutters, already standing as she takes her phone out of her sleek, boxy laptop bag and glances at it. “And fuck this guy. Gotta go.”

I watch her leave and hurriedly look away when I realize I’m staring. She sways as if she’s wearing heels, but she’s in a pair of beige mules.

Even if I had the money, I doubt I could pull off an outfit like hers.

I’d get ketchup all over it.

I sit around for a bit, doing some sneaky people-watching and Kai-spotting as students file in and out of the cafeteria. I even try to write in the Activity Log notebook, but I’m hesitant to make a mark on the page.

Since I don’t know when my next class is, I don’t know if there’s enough time for me to go to the library and find the books I need for Rooke’s class.

I remember the receptionist from this morning, and jump to my feet.

A freshman walking past me nearly drops her tray of food in surprise.

I guess I’m not the only one who’s all jittery. Although judging from the massive takeout cup of coffee on her tray, caffeine’s a suspect.

The receptionist has her back to me when I hurry to the help desk. The front door of the university is still open, and there’s a warm breeze pushing against me as I rap my knuckles on the polished wooden counter.

She swings around in her chair, glancing at me over the top of her glasses before smiling. “Your ears must have been burning,” she says. “I was just talking about you.”

I laugh uneasily. “That doesn’t sound ominous at all.”

“Just a slight hiccup with your enrollment form, but that’s for me and your folks to worry about,” she warbles.

Hiccup?

Folks?

I suppress the urge to burst into hysterical laughter, trying to ignore how my fingertips are tingling. “Anything I can help with?”

“Oh no. I just need your father to fill out an extra form. They always forget to include it in the grant package, heaven knows why.” She pushes away from her desk to collect the sheet the printer justspat out and uses her heels to pull herself back to her desk. “I’ve left him a message, so don’t you worry yourself, sweetie.”

She left him afucking message?

Don’t lose your shit.Don’tlose your shit.

I force a grin as she opens a folder branded with the college’s logo and slips the sheet of paper inside. There’s a small silver name plaque beside it lying on top of a yellow microfiber cloth. I guess she was busy cleaning it and, judging from the discarded candy bar wrapper nearby, got a little distracted.

Student Liaison

NORA

“There you are,” she says, plopping the thick folder down in front of me and patting it. “Everything you need is in there, dear.”

When I just stand there, she adds, “Was there something else?”

“Yeah…um…” I lick my lips, hoping the way my head is reeling has to do with low blood sugar and not panic. I need to salvage what I can of the ship Nosy Nora just wrecked.

“It’s just, see, my dad, he’s not in town at the moment.”

“Oh, it’s nothing urgent. As long as he gets it back to me before the end of the week, everything’s golden.”