You’re the Reason, стр. 15

My eyes widened, appalled by her nerve. “You’re the one who snooped through my personal things. How would you feel if I did that to you?”

She looked me dead in the eyes. “What’s mine is yours.” Her words, mixed with her warning the other night, told me what this was really about.

With my jar in hand, I grabbed my backpack and yanked open the door. Without another word, I let the door slam behind me. I hurried down the hallway and away from my room, my heart racing the whole time.

Had she wanted me to find her looking through my jar?

Was she sending a message that she could do what she wanted when she wanted to?

I climbed the stairs to Valerie’s room and knocked on the door. She opened it, smiling once she found me standing there. “Hi.”

Tina was in the room, so I stepped back, not wanting to go inside.

“What’s wrong?” Valerie asked, noting the indecision on my face.

“Can we go somewhere and talk?”

She slipped out of her room and closed the door. “What did Chantel do?”

I rolled my eyes. “It’s so stupid.”

“Come on,” Valerie said, leading me to the stairwell. I followed her down to the first floor and out the back exit of the dorm to the small pond. “She won’t come out here.”

We started walking around the walking path surrounding the pond and made our way halfway before sitting on the first wooden bench we came to. I pulled off my backpack and placed it and the jar down beside me. Still feeling riled up, I gazed out at the pond watching two swans floating by side by side.

Valarie’s eyes cut to mine. “You gonna tell me what Chantel did? I assume it has something to do with that jar.”

“I walked in on her going through it.”

“And it’s something important to you?”

I nodded.

She didn’t pry—like a true friend who knew I’d open up when I was ready. Even though we’d only known each other for a short time, I knew Valerie was a true friend. She was someone I could talk to and rely on.

“It’s just a bucket list of things I want to do before graduating. But some of them are really personal.”

“Like getting nipple rings?” Valerie bumped me with her arm, letting me know she was joking.

I laughed. “Something like that.”

“Why do you think she did it?” she asked.

I shrugged, though I was fairly certain I knew.

“So, what are you gonna do about it?”

“I’m not sure. I’m so mad right now that she even did it.”

“You should bleach one of her favorite shirts. Or, wait, cut her hair while she’s asleep. Or, better yet—”

“You’re starting to scare me.”

We shared a laugh. And, as much as I appreciated her trying to make me laugh and lighten the mood, I still had no idea what I was really going to do about this problem with Chantel.

“Was Chantel like this last year?” I asked. “Or do you think she’s just acting out because your house got shut down?”

“She’s definitely gotten worse.”

“Do you think Sydney Lane’s death changed her?”

Valerie’s eyes shot to mine. “What?”

“No one’s mentioned Sydney. Not you, not Chantel, not anyone. But I’m sure losing her last year must’ve been difficult on all of you.”

Valerie closed her eyes, pained by my words. “She was a great person,” she whispered.

“There are a lot of great people who struggle with mental illness,” I said.

She didn’t look at me, though I could see her eyes opened and focused on her shoes. “Her family doesn’t believe she struggled with any illness.”

“That’s why they’re having it investigated?”

She nodded.

“What do you think?”

She shrugged. “They’d know their daughter better than anyone.” Valerie pushed herself to her feet. “We should probably head back now.”

“Oh,” I said, realizing I’d made Valerie uncomfortable and she was done answering questions about her dead sorority sister. I grabbed my backpack and jar and stood, following her back to the dorm in silence. “You wanna get dinner?” I asked when we neared the back door of the building. “I really don’t want to go back to my room yet.”

Her mouth twisted as she considered my question. “I’m not really hungry.”

“Oh.” What the hell? She was always hungry. “Okay. I guess I’ll just…see you tomorrow.”

She nodded before walking back inside the dorm.

I didn’t feel like eating alone in the crowded dining hall, but there was no way I could go back to my room feeling as unsettled as I did in that moment. Chantel pissed me off, and I needed space.