Chapter 4: Seven Strangers

Delaney

By Tuesday morning, I had decided Greyhaven University was full of fucking weirdos.

Not because of the guy who'd strolled through the residence hall wearing nothing but a towel and cowboy boots. Not even because someone had stolen an entire vending machine from the second floor. Those were normal college experiences, apparently.

My problem was more disturbing. Someone was watching me, and whoever it was had developed a very concerning interest in my emotional well being.

And try not to get so angry.

I stared at the message while I waited for my coffee. Who the hell sent something like that? More importantly, how did they know I'd been angry yesterday?

I'd searched the number online, combed the university directory, scrolled through social media, and even tried a sketchy reverse phone lookup site. Nothing. Whoever was texting me had done a spectacular job of being impossible to find.

"Large iced caramel latte!"

I practically lunged at the counter. "Mine!"

The barista blinked at me. I cleared my throat. "Sorry. Long morning."

"It's eight fifteen."

"Exactly. Tragic."

She smiled politely. I gave her my best impression of a functioning human and escaped.

Outside, the September air was cool enough to make me regret wearing shorts. The weather app had promised sunshine. Apparently it was a lying little bitch.

I took a long drink and started toward class. Strangely, I felt good.

My legs felt strong, my headache was gone, and even though I'd spent most of the night catching up on assignments, I wasn't tired. I'd woken before my alarm, which never happened. Normally getting out of bed took three alarms, a minor existential crisis, and the promise of caffeine. Today I'd simply opened my eyes at six thirty, wide awake.

Disgusting. I was becoming a morning person. Someone needed to stop me.

A bicycle bell rang behind me, and I stepped aside as a student tore past. "Watch it!"

"You're the one on the fucking sidewalk!"

He flipped me off. I returned the gesture. Ah, college.

That was when I noticed him. A guy leaned against the brick wall outside the humanities building, tall, broad shouldered, black hoodie, dark messy hair that looked either rolled out of bed or carefully arranged to look that way. Annoyingly attractive, the kind of attractive that made girls do stupid things.

And he was staring directly at me.

I glanced over my shoulder. Nobody there but an elderly professor wrestling a briefcase. When I looked back, the guy hadn't moved. His expression was serious, almost suspicious. I wiped my mouth with my sleeve in case I was wearing breakfast. His eyes followed the movement.

Okay. Weird. I kept walking. Maybe he thought I was someone else.

By ten, I was reconsidering, because Mr. Tall, Dark, and Creepy had friends.

The second one stood outside my English lecture, leaning on a vending machine. Light brown hair, warm eyes, a varsity jacket over a gray hoodie. He had the kind of ridiculous smile that probably got him out of speeding tickets. When I walked past, he stopped talking mid sentence, and his eyes widened.

I checked my sweatshirt for coffee stains. Clean.

"What?" I finally asked.

He blinked, then smiled. "Nothing. Sorry."

"Well, this has been weird."

His smile grew. I went inside.

I took a seat near the back, and the room hit me like a wall. Coffee, perfume, dry erase markers, someone's breakfast sandwich, and something unpleasant drifting from the trash can.

The girl beside me had apparently bathed in vanilla. My eyes watered. By the time class started, my head pounded. Maybe I was getting a sinus infection. That would explain a lot.

Halfway through the lecture, a whisper slid past my ear.

"Isn't that the girl?"

I stopped writing. The voice came from behind me.

"I think so."

"Seriously?"

"Just shut up."

I turned. Three students sat near the back doors, and none of them were speaking. I faced the front again. Hallucinations were apparently becoming my whole personality.

Lunch was worse, and not because of the food. I'd grabbed a cheeseburger, fries, a chicken sandwich, and water, which was ridiculous. I usually struggled to finish one meal. Today I felt like I hadn't eaten in a week.

I carried my tray toward a table by the windows, and that's when I saw them.

Seven students sat at a table at the far end of the cafeteria. Five guys, two girls, and two of the guys were extremely familiar. Black hoodie. Varsity jacket.

Oh, you've got to be kidding me.

A blond guy lounged backward in his chair. A tall, muscular one with cropped curls spoke in a low voice to the others. The fifth had straight dark brown hair and gray eyes, and he looked thoroughly unimpressed by existence.

One girl had curly strawberry blonde hair, freckles, and a smile bright enough to be a public safety hazard. The other had long black braids and the air of someone with more common sense than the whole table combined.

They looked like the cast of a television show where everyone had suspiciously perfect skin. I hated them a little.

Then the blond looked right at me. His grin vanished, and he leaned toward the muscular one. Suddenly seven pairs of eyes turned my way.

Oh, hell no.

They weren't even being subtle. Freckles looked startled. Braids frowned. Black Hoodie straightened. Gray Eyes looked downright pissed.

So I lifted my free hand and gave a big, exaggerated wave.

The blond burst out laughing. Freckles smacked his arm. Black Hoodie didn't smile. Gray Eyes looked even angrier.

"Fucking weirdos," I muttered, and sat down.

I could feel their stares on the back of my skull like sunlight through a magnifying glass. I unwrapped the cheeseburger anyway, and God, it was good. I was halfway through the chicken sandwich when a shadow fell across my table.

Varsity Jacket stood there holding a water bottle. Up close, he was even more unfairly attractive, and his friendly expression only made me more suspicious.

"Hey. Mind if I sit?"

I looked around. There were at least fifteen empty tables. "Why?"

He laughed. "Fair question." He seemed briefly unsure of himself, which was interesting. Pretty boys could be awkward. Good to know. "I was going to ask if you knew where Professor Aldridge's office is."

"Nope. I'm a freshman."

"Right." He shifted. "You're Delaney, right?"

Every muscle in my body went still. I lowered the sandwich. "How do you know my name?"

His face changed for just a second. Surprise, then something that looked a lot like regret. "I think we have a mutual friend."

"Who?"

He hesitated. Behind him, Black Hoodie stood abruptly. Varsity Jacket glanced back, then smiled at me again. "You know what? Never mind. Sorry to bother you."

And he walked away.

What. The. Fuck.

I didn't have friends at Greyhaven. Not really. Certainly nobody who should know a guy like that. I grabbed my tray. Whatever game they were playing, I wanted no part of it.

By late afternoon, I'd almost convinced myself it was coincidence.

Almost. Until I spotted Gray Eyes outside the library, Freckles near the bookstore, and finally Black Hoodie beside a parked motorcycle across from my residence hall.

I stopped on the sidewalk. Seriously? Again?

His attention shifted to me, and for a moment neither of us moved. Then I marched across the pavement. I'd had enough.

"Okay, what's your problem?"

He straightened. Up close, his eyes were an unusual green. Not that I cared. "My problem?"

"You've been staring at me all day."

"I haven't."

"Oh, sorry. Have you just been aggressively observing my general existence?"

Something flickered across his face, maybe amusement, gone too fast to tell. "You should go inside. It's getting late."

"It's four thirty."

"I can read a clock."

"Congratulations."

His lips pressed together.

I folded my arms. "I don't know you, and I have no idea why you and your little friend group keep watching me, but it's creepy. So stop."

He studied me. His gaze moved over my face, paused near my shoulder, and returned to my eyes. He looked almost concerned. "Have you been feeling sick?"

My stomach tightened. "What?"

"Headaches? Fever? Anything unusual?"

I stepped back. That was officially too fucking weird. "How would you know to ask that? Are you the one sending me messages?"

His eyebrows drew together. "What messages?"

"Don't play stupid. Someone's been texting me since Saturday, and now you people keep turning up everywhere I go. Explain, or I'm going to campus security."

He reached into his pocket. My body tensed, but he only pulled out his phone. "What's the number? If someone's bothering you, I want to know."

I almost laughed. "That's funny. You're bothering me."

He looked away, suddenly out of words. Good.

"Stay away from me."

I turned and marched toward my dorm without looking back, even when the feeling of being watched crawled up my spine, even when the hair on my arms rose at the entrance.

I swiped my ID and hurried inside. Only when the doors closed behind me did I let out the breath I'd been holding.

My phone buzzed. Unknown number.

Be careful around the seniors, Delaney.

I stopped walking. Another message followed.

They aren't what they seem.

I turned toward the glass doors. Black Hoodie still stood beside his motorcycle, but he wasn't watching the building anymore. He was staring across the street.

I followed his gaze. On the far sidewalk, half hidden beneath the trees, stood a tall figure dressed entirely in black. I couldn't see a face, only a silhouette, perfectly still.

My phone buzzed one last time.

Especially the one with green eyes.