Memories From a Dead Girl
Twelve
The college was so large that I wondered if I'd get lost on my way to meeting Chloe. She told me she'd be around the entrance, but not that there were going to be dozens of people, too.
"OLIVIA!"
I heard my name and turned. A girl with long black hair bounced over to me, and put her arms around my neck, hugging too tightly.
"Hi, Chloe," I muttered, but grinned. "I thought I wasn't going to find you."
"I know, right? This place is huge." My sister beamed at me, her green eyes sparkling.
I nodded and linked her arm through mine. While she led me around the campus and stopped to introduce me to her friends, I spotted a group of five people, each sitting on the steps to one of the buildings.
The person nearest to me looked up, and with cigarette between his lips, smirked. His messy brown hair was tousled as he ran his hands through it, and his brown eyes watched me carefully. Then Chloe called out to him.
He stood slowly and came toward us.
"Is this her?" he asked, looking at me.
"Yep," Chloe said proudly. "Olivia, this is Austin. Austin, my sister, Olivia."
I blinked up at him and forced myself to smile, extending my hand. I hated the attention, and I could feel a slow blush creeping into my cheeks at the look on his face.
He slipped his hand into mine, his fingers running along my wrist and said, "It's very nice to meet you, Olivia."
"You too," I answered, dropping my gaze.
Austin crushed the cigarette underneath his boot and put his hands in his pockets. I wondered if he was nervous.
"I have a...thing," Chloe said suddenly, gesturing. "Are you going to be okay on your own for a while, Liv?"
"Seriously?" I grumbled. "I just got here and now you're going to leave me with a stranger." I shook my head. "Sorry, but no thanks. I planned this day with you, so we could hang out and I could see what your life is like now."
Chloe glanced at me, then her eyes slid to Austin. "Can you show her around? I have my cell phone, so I'll call you when I'm finished." She smiled and put a hand on my shoulder. "Relax, Olive, you're in good hands. Austin wouldn't hurt a fly."
Chloe's eyes filled with tears. "I told her that you wouldn't hurt her, I promised her you were a good guy. I guess I should have seen through your disguise."
"OLIVIA!"
I heard my name and turned. A girl with long black hair bounced over to me, and put her arms around my neck, hugging too tightly.
"Hi, Chloe," I muttered, but grinned. "I thought I wasn't going to find you."
"I know, right? This place is huge." My sister beamed at me, her green eyes sparkling.
I nodded and linked her arm through mine. While she led me around the campus and stopped to introduce me to her friends, I spotted a group of five people, each sitting on the steps to one of the buildings.
The person nearest to me looked up, and with cigarette between his lips, smirked. His messy brown hair was tousled as he ran his hands through it, and his brown eyes watched me carefully. Then Chloe called out to him.
He stood slowly and came toward us.
"Is this her?" he asked, looking at me.
"Yep," Chloe said proudly. "Olivia, this is Austin. Austin, my sister, Olivia."
I blinked up at him and forced myself to smile, extending my hand. I hated the attention, and I could feel a slow blush creeping into my cheeks at the look on his face.
He slipped his hand into mine, his fingers running along my wrist and said, "It's very nice to meet you, Olivia."
"You too," I answered, dropping my gaze.
Austin crushed the cigarette underneath his boot and put his hands in his pockets. I wondered if he was nervous.
"I have a...thing," Chloe said suddenly, gesturing. "Are you going to be okay on your own for a while, Liv?"
"Seriously?" I grumbled. "I just got here and now you're going to leave me with a stranger." I shook my head. "Sorry, but no thanks. I planned this day with you, so we could hang out and I could see what your life is like now."
Chloe glanced at me, then her eyes slid to Austin. "Can you show her around? I have my cell phone, so I'll call you when I'm finished." She smiled and put a hand on my shoulder. "Relax, Olive, you're in good hands. Austin wouldn't hurt a fly."
Chloe's eyes filled with tears. "I told her that you wouldn't hurt her, I promised her you were a good guy. I guess I should have seen through your disguise."