Graduating (Covenant College Book 5) (9 page)

After seeing Mark and Professor Blake together, I was obsessed with finding out why. My roommates were less enthusiastic.

“Maybe Blake was just trying to recruit him back,” Kelsey said, pointing at the television. “Turn it to
General Hospital
. I don’t care what those women are gabbing about on
The Talk
. It’s just noise.”

I flipped the channel. “Come on. It’s got to mean something.”

“I think you see a conspiracy around every corner,” Paris said. “I don’t blame you. Last time I checked, people do try and kill you every time you turn a corner, but I just don’t see it in this case.”

“Mark said he dropped out of the Academy.”

“I was there,” Paris said. “I heard him.”

“If he dropped out of the Academy, why is he meeting with Blake?” I pressed.

“I have an idea about that,” Kelsey said.

I waited for her to continue.

“What if Blake is trying to fill in the holes in his memory by talking to people who were there that night?”

Huh. I hadn’t thought of that.

“Why would they go out to dinner to do that?” I countered.

“Maybe Blake is trying to woo him,” Kelsey said.

I rolled my eyes. “Be serious.”

“Hey, we don’t know how Blake rolls,” Kelsey said. “Maybe Mark is his type.”

Paris lifted her finger to her lips in warning, motioning toward the open doorway. From our position on the couch, Kelsey and I were cut off from the view down the hallway. After a few seconds, Heather and Kate wandered in.

“Hey, guys. What are you doing?”

“Just watching television,” I lied.

“What were you talking about?” Kate asked. “Or is it a secret, like usual?”

“I was just telling them about my dinner last night,” I said. “Aric took me out to that ritzy place up by the casino.”

Kate frowned. “That place is really expensive.”

“We had prime rib,” I said. I had no idea why I’d picked this topic to cover with. It was just giving Kate fodder for her imagination.

“He eats red meat?” Kate wrinkled her nose.

“He loves red meat,” I said. “He’d roll around in it naked if he could.”

Paris snorted. “There’s a visual for you.”

“What can I say, the man loves his beef.”

“And his wood,” Kelsey said, teasing.

I managed a smirk as I risked a glance in Heather’s direction. “So, Heather, how are things going with Mark?”

Heather furrowed her brow. “Good. He’s a really great guy. I like him. He’s got a really artistic side. He’s not trying to be anything that he’s not.”

“He’s a good guy,” I agreed, trying to ignore the daggers Paris was shooting in my direction. “How did you guys meet again?”

“It was at the rally for Governor Reagan.”

“Uh-huh. And, um, you’re a fan of Reagan’s?”

“I think he has some interesting positions,” Heather said. “He’s pro-family and pro-life, both things I believe in strongly. He’s also anti-labor, and a fiscal conservative. I think those are all positive things.”

Most of that zoomed right over my head. “And Mark is a fan of Reagan’s?”

Heather shrugged. “You’ll have to ask him. We don’t really talk about stuff like that.”

“What do you talk about?”

“You’re acting really weird,” Heather said. “Why are you so fixated on Mark?”

Because I think he’s evil. Duh. “I’m just interested in finding out where his head is at these days.”

“And where is your head at?” Heather challenged.

I faltered, suddenly unsure of myself. “What do you mean?”

“You guys seem to live in this little bubble where you think you’re somehow above the rest of us in this house,” Heather said. “You’re always whispering and joking, and I know we’re the butt of a lot of your jokes.”

I didn’t know what to say, so I didn’t say anything.

“I mean, the three of you are so caught up in your own stuff you don’t pay attention to anyone else,” Heather said. “That has to be exhausting.”

“Excuse me,” Kelsey challenged. “What is that supposed to mean?”

“There are other people in this house,” Heather said. “I have issues of my own, but every time I turn around it seems to be you guys forcing your own issues on us and trying to be the center of attention.”

“What are your issues?” I asked, trying to keep my voice even and pleasant.

“I have classes. I have a boyfriend. I have family stuff. I could use a sounding board sometimes,” she said. “You guys are always so caught up in your own stuff, your own boyfriends, and whatever secrets you’re keeping, that you have no time for me.”

Huh. So, wait, her issue is that she’s needy? “I guess I’m confused how your problems are our problems?”

“You guys have time for each other,” Heather pointed out.

“We’ve known each other longer,” I countered. “I don’t really know you.”

“You haven’t bothered to try to get to know me” Heather said.

Kelsey tilted her head to the side, considering. “It’s just that, well, it’s our senior year,” she said. “We’re kind of set in our ways. You’re still here another year after this. I think making new friends is just more important to you.”

“And you three are all about each other and your boyfriends,” Heather said.

“Well, I think it’s probably better that we’re all about our boyfriends and not about anyone else’s boyfriend,” I said.

“You always have an answer, don’t you?”

“I don’t know what you want from me,” I said. “You say we’re standoffish, but you’re the one who spends all of your time hiding upstairs. It’s not just us. And, yes, I’m all about my boyfriend. Have you seen him? We were apart last year, and now we’re making up for lost time. I don’t see the problem with that.”

“I don’t think there’s a problem with spending time with your boyfriend,” Heather said. “You two just seem to be fornicating every chance you get. It isn’t emotionally healthy.”

“Fornicating?”

“She means having sex,” Paris supplied.

“I know what it means,” I shot back. “I just think it’s a weird way to put things.”

“It’s not weird,” Heather said. “I’m pro-family values, remember?”

“You slept with Mark the day you met him,” I reminded her. “Maybe you shouldn’t be casting aspersions on anyone’s morals.”

“I’m not casting aspersions on anyone’s morals,” Heather said. “It’s just your priorities I find fault with.”

This conversation had taken a weird turn. “Who are you to judge our priorities?”

“I’m not judging,” Heather said. “I just think you guys should rethink exactly what it is that you want from life.”

What I wanted was out of this conversation. I shot her a thumbs-up and a watery smile. “Okay.” Once she was gone, I turned my attention to Kate. “She’s your friend, right?”

“We know each other,” Kate said. “I don’t know that we’re best friends or anything. She’s kind of intense.”

“You don’t think she’s weird?”

“I think you’re all weird,” Kate said. “She’s not wrong about you three joining together and thinking you’re better than everyone else in the house. Kristy and Tally said that you were all self-absorbed last year. They told me that when I agreed to live with you. I just didn’t realize how serious the situation was.”

“How are we self-absorbed?” Kelsey asked. “We mind our own business.”

“That would be an example of how you’re self-absorbed,” Kate said. “I get it. I do. You live in your own world, and the rest of the people in this house aren’t a part of it. You might want to consider, though, that if you broaden your horizons, you might find some great new friends.”

Kate didn’t stick around for very long after her pronouncement. “What do you think?” I asked, when I was sure she’d disappeared into her bedroom. “Are we self-absorbed?”

“I’m fine being self-absorbed,” Kelsey said. “I don’t have time for them. And, let me tell you something, that Heather girl is weird.”

“You don’t think Kate is weird?”

“She’s just looking for attention,” Kelsey said. “She jumping on Heather’s bandwagon because she wants you to spend less time with Aric. She’s so transparent.”

“Maybe,” I said. “Still … I can’t help but think there’s something weird about them.”

“You think there’s something weird about everyone,” Paris grumbled. “You’re a very suspicious person.”

“Whatever,” I said. I waited a beat. “Maybe I should have Scott run a background check on both of them?”

“You’re doing a great job with that suspicious thing,” Kelsey teased.

“Hey, stop talking about them and focus on me,” Paris said, her eyes lighting up with mischief. “What do you guys think about me?”

Yeah, we were definitely self-absorbed. Who says that has to be a bad thing?

“We’re going to be taking this class in a new direction,” Professor Blake announced midway through November. “I have another class that will be joining us, and I’m going to be splitting everyone up and pairing them with a partner.”

“What other class?” One of the girls in the front row – a member of Blake’s fan club – asked the question.

“It’s another digital media class,” Blake said. “I want to pair one person from each class. The whole point is to take varied perspectives and try to meld them. This class will have one perspective, and that class will have another. That’s why I want to keep the pairings separate.”

“What’s the goal?”

“It’s just an exercise right now,” Blake said. “I don’t want to tell you what the goal is until you’re done with the assignment. This is all about perspective and the media. That’s all I can tell you.

“I have a file up here for each of you,” Blake continued, tapping the top of his desk. “Inside, you’ll find the name of another student and contact information for that student. The specifics of your assignment are also inside. No one will have the same assignment, so cheating and trying to switch partners is not an option.”

“What if we’re paired with someone we don’t like?”

Blake smiled, catching my eye for a second before turning back to the rest of the class. “Life is about being paired with people you don’t like. You’ll have to find a way to work with them. You’re not going to like everyone in this world. Life is not a clique. There will be no switching.”

There was something about this whole setup that wasn’t sitting well with me. I just couldn’t put a name to it. Blake had something up his sleeve.

After retrieving my file and sitting back at my desk, I flipped it open. People say I’m suspicious, but there’s a reason behind it. I shouldn’t have been surprised that the name staring back at me was a familiar one: Matilda Foley.

I pressed my lips together and met Blake’s gaze across the classroom. The rest of the class was buzzing and talking, comparing assignment sheets as they tried to figure out Blake’s ultimate aim. I already knew what he wanted, though. He wanted to pair me with someone he thought was my enemy to see what would happen. He obviously didn’t know that, while Matilda and I weren’t friendly, we also weren’t at each other’s throats.

“Do you have a problem with your assignment, Ms. Lake?” Blake looked just a little too full of himself.

“Nope,” I said. “I’m looking forward to it.”

“Good.”

MATILDA
and I agreed to meet at the University Center. The phone conversation had been short and fraught with nervous energy. A public setting seemed like the best way to go – for both of us.

I found her sitting at a table by the window in the coffee shop. I waved at her, pointing to the counter to indicate that I was going to get a coffee, and then joined her a few minutes later.

“So, I’m sorry that this is so weird,” I said. “Blake only paired us because he wants to poke me.”

“I figured,” Matilda said. “It’s not a big deal.”

“Still, I don’t like that he swept you up in all of this,” I said. “He’s just being a douche.”

“What else is new?”

I lifted my eyebrows.

“No, seriously, what else is new?” Matilda asked. “Why is he so fixated on you right now?”

“He’s mad about some things that happened last spring,” I said. “This is his passive aggressive way to pay me back.”

“What happened last spring?”

I shifted uncomfortably in my chair, sipping from my coffee to buy time. I didn’t think lying to Matilda was a great way to start things off. “There was a fight,” I admitted.

“Isn’t there always a fight? Isn’t that just how your life goes these days? Do you want to be more specific?”

Matilda was aware of the paranormal problem – and Blake’s monster hunters – so I didn’t see the harm in telling her the truth. “Blake was trying to use a bunch of vampires to wipe out the Alpha Chis. I got involved and stopped him. He’s still a little bitter.”

Matilda eyebrows shot halfway up her forehead. “You’re kidding. I thought he disliked supernaturals. Why would he try to use them as weapons?”

“You’ll have to ask him that.”

“And how did you figure into all of this?”

“The same way I figure into everything on this campus,” I said. “Blake wanted to use me to get what he wanted.”

“And I’m guessing that didn’t go very well,” Matilda said.

“Nope.”

“Why did you take a class with him?”

“I didn’t,” I said. “I purposely signed up for the class that was being taught by Professor Halloran. I even called the registrar’s office to make sure. Yet, the first day of class, guess who was teaching it?”

“Blake.”

“Yeah.”

“Do you think he purposely set it up?”

“I don’t believe in coincidences anymore,” I said. “People say I’m suspicious, but look at what happened to us today.”

“That was Blake manipulating the situation,” Matilda said. “There was never any chance of it being a coincidence.”

We were quiet for a moment. “What about you?” I asked finally. “How are things for you?”

“They’re quiet,” Matilda said. “That’s the way I want them.”

“You know, we never really talked about what happened,” I said. “After that night, you just disappeared, and I was kind of freaked out and let you. There was a lot going on then.”

“I was embarrassed,” Matilda said. “I didn’t realize what was going to happen. I know I should have. You must think I’m incredibly naïve. I knew we were going to do something, but what happened … well … I just never expected it.”

“I didn’t expect what happened with Laura either,” I said. “I kind of expected the Jessica stuff.”

“You knew we were in over our heads from the beginning,” Matilda said. “Well, at least I was.”

“Can I ask you something?”

Matilda nodded mutely.

“Did you know what Laura was? I mean, did you ever figure it out?”

“No. She had me fooled. I was just as shocked as you were when it all came down,” she said.

I believed her. I was almost sure of it. “You know, if you wanted to hang out some time – come to one of our parties or something – you’re more than welcome. We don’t have to pretend like we don’t know each other.”

“Thanks,” Matilda said. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea, though. I thought I wanted to be in the center of everything on this campus. That’s how I got into trouble in the first place. I just don’t think I want to be in the middle of anything anymore. I’m fine being on the sidelines.”

“I get that,” I said. “If I were you, I’d stay far away from me, too.”

“It’s not you,” Matilda said. “I like you. I’ve always liked you. It’s everyone around you that I can’t take. You’re a trouble magnet.”

I snorted. “I am.”

“Let’s just … do the assignment and leave it at that,” Matilda said. “I hope you understand, it’s not personal. I just don’t want to be a part of this stuff anymore. I think it’s dangerous for someone like me.”

“I totally understand,” I said. “I wouldn’t be a part of it if I didn’t have to be. And, just look at it this way, once Blake figures out that his little plan backfired, he probably won’t try to use you as a weapon against me again.”

“I’m actually glad he did,” Matilda said. “It gave us a chance to talk about a few things.”

“Me, too.”

Matilda forced a smile onto her face. “So, do you want to talk about the assignment?”

“That is why we’re here.”

When it was all said and done, I realized Blake had done me a favor. Sometimes people can come back from the brink and be better because of it. It was a good lesson to learn, even if I’d learned it because Blake was trying to hurt me.