Page 23 of This Blood That Binds Us

“It’s nice to meet you all.” I took my seat across from them.

I was met with warm smiles.

“Hi, I’m Jennifer.” A girl with brown hair and warm skin twirled her fingers at me in a wave. The other girls took turns introducing themselves.

“I’m Heather!” Her neon-purple hair glowed in the dim lighting, the only one to stretch out her hand to me in a handshake.

“Chelsea,” the only blonde said.

The most prominent thing about her was her smudged red lipstick and the subtle dirty look she was giving me.

Chelsea inched closer to Aaron. “So, tell us about how you guys met! I’ve never heard your name come up.”

Aaron and I exchanged a tentative glance. He opened his mouth, but I cut him off.

“We actually met in the hallway between classes one day. You know, the whole drop-the-book thing. He picked them up for me.”

“Not surprising. Aaron’s a gentleman.” Chelsea traced her fingers along Aaron’s arm.

“Yeah, I can tell he’s pretty popular.” Their eyes were trained on me. “Uh, Jennifer...I like your shoes. They’re super cute.”

If there’s one thing I had learned about living with women in the group home, it was to compliment them to gain their trust. It worked on almost everyone.

Her eyes lit up instantly. “Thanks! I got them down at the boutique on Main Street.”

“Your dress is so cute, Kimberly. Did you thrift it?” Chelsea said, wearing a black bodycon dress.

“Thank you! Yeah, I did.”

Chelsea eyed me up and down. “I could tell. You just have that vibe.”

I couldn’t tell from her expression if she was genuine or not, so I assumed she was complimenting me.

“Oh, that reminds me. I almost forgot to tell you about this new thrifting app I found.” Heather ushered them into a new conversation.

I leaned into the couch, my shoulders relaxing away from my ears. Chelsea averted her attention away from us and talked to Aaron and some guys beside him. Every few seconds were met with her giggling laughter. Slowly, I started to feel like I always do in social situations. Like I was fading into the background. Every minute ticked, and I imagined them all watching my every move.

“So, Kimberly, what’s your major?” Chelsea’s voice broke my concentration. At the sound of her voice, the whole group hushed to listen. Their silence was deafening despite the loud vibration of music.

“I’m a Psychology major. What about you?”

“Oh, interesting. I’m in Criminal Justice.” Her face was soft, but her tone was off.

“Oh, that’s cool. Do you want to be a lawyer?”

“Yeah. I’m pretty good at arguing, so why not? Aren’t I, Aaron?” She leaned her hand to rub his chest, but he wasn’t paying attention to our conversation. When he didn’t answer, she nudged him in the side.

Aaron’s head spun around. “Yessss. Yes to whatever you are asking.”

“What about you? What’s your big dream?” Chelsea uncrossed her legs and leaned in closer.

“Uh, I don’t really know. I’ve never had a definite idea for a job I think I could do for the rest of my life...”

I hated that question. Though I knew I wanted to graduate and be successful, I never felt settled into my major. I had already changed it once before. It was hard to narrow down one thing I was passionate about, but I was afraid to be left with nothing and crippling student loan debt. So, I settled at the end of the year with Psychology.

“Oh, I’m sorry. That sucks. Maybe you should talk to a counselor or something. I know there are a lot of people who canhelp you with that. I could never do that. I like to know where my life is headed.”

“Yeah, it’s okay. I have time.” I shifted awkwardly.