Chapter 6: An Unexpected Friend

Delaney

I had officially developed a hatred for the Greyhaven University cafeteria.

Which was unfortunate, considering I liked food. A lot. Especially lately.

Seriously, I didn't know what was wrong with me. I'd eaten two bowls of cereal, four pieces of toast, and a banana before my eight o'clock lecture, yet by eleven thirty my stomach was making noises that belonged in a horror movie. Maybe I had a tapeworm. That would explain the constant hunger.

Actually, no. I didn't want a tapeworm. I had enough problems.

I stood outside the cafeteria doors, debating whether I could survive on vending machine snacks for the rest of my college career. Yesterday's run in with Camille had been humiliating enough. The thought of seeing her again made my stomach twist for an entirely different reason.

"Come on, Delaney," I muttered. "You're not going to starve because of one bitch."

Technically, I could survive on the granola bars in my backpack. But I wanted a cheeseburger. And fries. And maybe a milkshake.

God, I was disgusting.

I pushed through the doors. The cafeteria was packed with students rushing to grab lunch between classes. Conversations overlapped, silverware clattered, and the smell of grilled meat made my mouth water so fast I nearly drooled.

For some reason, the noise seemed louder than usual. I could hear someone complaining about an exam near the windows, a girl laughing by the drink machines, two guys arguing over who owed whom twenty dollars.

How the hell could I hear them over everyone else?

Maybe the acoustics in here were weird. I added it to my rapidly growing list of things I didn't understand.

I grabbed a tray and headed straight for the grill. "Two cheeseburgers, please."

The dining hall employee raised an eyebrow. "Both for you?"

I stared at him. "Is that a problem?"

He shook his head so fast I worried about his neck. "Nope."

"Excellent. Extra bacon on both."

I added fries and a bottle of water, then went hunting for a seat. Unfortunately, the universe hated me, because right in the center of the room, surrounded by a cluster of unfamiliar girls, sat Camille.

Wonderful. Absolutely fucking wonderful.

I considered turning around. Then I spotted an empty table by the windows. It wasn't far from her, but there were enough people in between that I might be able to eat without being noticed.

Probably.

I made it halfway there.

"Delaney!"

Fuck. I kept walking.

"Delaney Mercer!"

Maybe if I ignored her, she'd get bored.

"Are you seriously pretending you can't hear me?"

I stopped. Slowly, I turned around. Camille smiled sweetly, the way a cat smiles at a bird.

"Oh good! I thought something was wrong with your hearing."

I forced a polite expression. "Hi, Camille."

Her eyes dropped to my tray, then lifted to the girls around her. "Wow. Again?"

One of them snickered. I glanced down at my food. "What?"

"That's a lot of food."

"Congratulations on being able to count."

Her smile tightened. The girl beside her laughed before clapping a hand over her mouth, and Camille shot her a glare sharp enough to cut glass. Then she turned back to me.

"I'm just concerned. You've been eating so much lately."

How sweet. Maybe next she'd offer to inspect my bowel movements.

"I'm fine."

"Well, you know what they say about stress eating."

I sighed. "Have a good lunch, Camille."

I turned away.

"Hopefully your parents aren't paying for all that."

My feet stopped moving.

My parents. It was almost impressive how quickly she dragged them into every conversation. I took a breath, then another.

"Actually," I said without turning around, "I'm paying for it myself."

"Right. I forgot." Her voice rose, loud enough to reach the next table. "You've always had to take care of yourself, haven't you?"

My grip tightened on the tray. Someone nearby laughed. I could feel eyes crawling over me, and a familiar warmth began to build in my chest, slow and uncomfortable, like a kettle starting to heat.

Not again. I wasn't doing this again.

I started walking. Then a cheerful voice rang out behind me.

"Oh my God! There you are!"

Before I could react, someone appeared at my side. A girl with curly strawberry blonde hair, freckles, and an enormous smile. I recognized her at once. One of the seniors. The redhead who'd been watching me with the others.

She slipped her arm through mine as if we'd been best friends for years. "I've been looking everywhere for you!"

I blinked. "You have?"

"Obviously." She leaned closer and lowered her voice. "Just go with it."

Then she turned toward Camille, all sunshine. "Oh! Sorry. Were you talking to her?"

Camille looked irritated. "Actually, yes."

"That's unfortunate. We're late."

"Late for what?"

"Lunch."

Silence. I stared at the redhead. Camille stared at the redhead. The redhead kept right on smiling.

Finally Camille scoffed. "Whatever."

"Wonderful! Have a great day!"

And just like that, the girl towed me away. I stumbled after her, trying to keep my burgers from sliding off the tray.

"Um..."

"Almost there."

"Do I know you?"

"Not officially."

Comforting. Really comforting.

She steered me to an empty table by the far windows and let go of my arm. "Okay. Sorry about that."

I stared at her. She smiled sheepishly. "I probably should've introduced myself first."

"Probably."

"I'm Harper." She held out her hand. "Harper Ellis."

I hesitated before shaking it. "Delaney Mercer."

"I know."

My eyebrows shot up. Harper winced. "That sounded creepy."

"A little."

"In my defense, I've seen you around campus."

I studied her. "You're one of those seniors."

Her smile wobbled. "Those seniors?"

"The ones who keep staring at me like I'm about to grow a second head."

For a moment she looked genuinely mortified. Then she laughed. "Oh God. Have we been that obvious?"

"Painfully."

"Well, shit."

I couldn't help it. I laughed too, and for the first time in days something in my chest loosened.

Harper gestured at the chair. "Can I sit?"

"Sure."

"Excellent. I'm starving." She dropped into the seat across from me, then eyed my tray. "Oh, thank God. You're an actual eater."

"What?"

She pointed at my cheeseburgers. "Every girl I've had lunch with this week ordered a salad and then complained about being hungry."

"Maybe they like salads."

"Then they should eat bigger salads."

I snorted.

Harper grinned. "See? You get it."

She pulled a wrapped sandwich from her bag and dug in. I watched her for a moment, and curiosity won out.

"Why did you help me?"

She stopped chewing. "What?"

"With Camille."

"Oh." She swallowed. "Because she was being a bitch."

I blinked.

Harper shrugged. "What? She was."

I laughed again. "You're not wrong."

"Trust me, I've dealt with enough girls like that to spot the behavior."

I picked up my burger. "She's from my hometown."

Her expression softened. "Ah. High school?"

"Unfortunately."

"Let me guess. Popular girl who peaked at seventeen and still thinks everyone should be terrified of her?"

I nearly choked. "Holy shit. Were you there?"

"Different school, same species."

For some reason that made me laugh even harder, and she laughed along with me. Suddenly lunch didn't seem so terrible anymore.

Twenty minutes later, I knew three things about Harper Ellis. She was twenty two. She was majoring in environmental science. And she had absolutely no filter.

"So then," she said, waving a french fry like a conductor's baton, "Jett decided it would be hilarious to jump into the lake completely naked."

I stared at her. "In November?"

"Yep."

"Was he drunk?"

"Unfortunately, no."

"What happened?"

"Hypothermia." She nodded solemnly. "His balls nearly froze off."

I burst out laughing so loudly that several students looked over. I clapped a hand over my mouth. "Oh my God!"

"The idiot still insists it was worth it."

"Was it?"

"Absolutely not. Naomi threatened to drown him herself."

I shook my head. "Your friends sound insane."

"They are." She took another bite. "But they're good people. Mostly."

"Mostly?"

"Jett's questionable."

I smiled, then remembered something. "Wait. Jett. Is he the blond guy?"

Her eyes brightened. "Yep!"

"And Naomi is the girl with the braids?"

She nodded.

I hesitated. "What about the guy with green eyes?"

Something changed in her face. It was subtle, barely there, but I caught it.

"Kellan," she said. "Kellan Hayes."

Of course he had a name like that. He looked like a Kellan, whatever that meant.

"And the other one? Brown hair, varsity jacket?"

"Callan Reid." Her smile came back. "Why? Interested?"

I almost dropped my burger. "What? No! He came up to me yesterday and acted like he knew me."

"Oh." Another strange flicker crossed her face, gone as fast as it came. "Callan's friendly like that."

"By randomly asking strangers where a professor's office is?"

Harper frowned. "He did what?"

"Asked me for directions, and then somehow knew my name."

She stared at me. Then she started laughing.

I narrowed my eyes. "What?"

"Nothing."

"Harper."

"Oh my God. I'm going to kill him."

"Why?"

"Because he's an idiot."

That explained absolutely nothing.

Before I could press her, my stomach growled. Loudly. I looked down in horror, and Harper glanced at my empty tray.

"Still hungry?"

I groaned. "Apparently."

"Come on." She stood.

"Where?"

"To get you more food."

"I can buy my own food."

"I never said you couldn't." She grabbed her bag. "I was going to get something else anyway."

I hesitated, then followed her. Mostly because another cheeseburger sounded amazing.

By the time lunch ended, Harper had somehow talked me into swapping phone numbers. She'd also informed me I was coming to a study session later that week.

Apparently she and Naomi ran a group for students who needed somewhere quiet to work. I wasn't sure how studying with a table of seniors would help a freshman, but Harper swore they were surprisingly useful.

"Well," she admitted, "some of them."

I smiled. "I'll think about it."

"Good enough!"

We stepped outside, and the afternoon sun settled warm against my skin. Harper adjusted her bag.

"Hey, Delaney?"

"Yeah?"

Her face turned serious. "If Camille bothers you again, you can tell me."

I looked at her, and something uncomfortable tightened in my throat. I wasn't used to this. People offering help. People being kind without wanting something back.

"I can handle Camille."

"I believe you." She smiled. "But you shouldn't have to handle everything alone."

For a moment I had no idea what to say, so I looked away. "Thanks."

"Anytime."

She gave me a quick hug and practically skipped down the sidewalk. I stood there, slightly stunned. Then I smiled.

Maybe college wouldn't be so terrible after all.

My phone buzzed. I pulled it out, half expecting another threatening message. Instead, it was Harper.

Forgot to say this, but your hair is GORGEOUS. Also, we're getting coffee tomorrow. No excuses. ❤️

I laughed. Another message popped up.

And if Camille shows up, I'm biting her.

I shook my head. "You're ridiculous."

Me: Please don't bite anyone. I just met you.

Her reply came instantly.

No promises. 😇

Still smiling, I slipped my phone into my pocket and headed for class.