rabe

r's feet with my jaw-dropped. Theo picked u

on my cat?”

cted awkwardly, gettin

at him, and he petted its head. Why do I feel like

your cat's fault for cro

y cat for your

rfectly normal, I'

stupidity covering your

ng me stupid.” I nar

e the one who took class

ave a Ph.D. on h

abo

e didn't intentionally step on the poor kitten's tail,” Ian

ell she is m

t thrilled to stay

to his uncle, “Please tell me, Uncle Ia

Unfortunately for you,

be joking right now, but this is n

t?” I p

tated flat-out as if that was the

ess what? I don't

you. Problem solved. We definitely can’t stay t

let out in

or. “I don’t know why you’re here, but honestly, I don’t give a damn.” Now that stung a

e just being a jerk n

erk anyway, that’s noth

try to fix your

aybe it was just a teenage rebellious phase. Then again, Theo didn’t get along with anyone—not that it was

inking? Thinking de

to Atherton or Annabelle stays here.

me, and I didn’t want that. I didn’t want to put Ian in a

and gave him a forced smile. “Ian, thank you for offering me to stay here, but clearly your nephew doesn’t want

ut

really don’t want to be the cause of the rift between you guys. So I’ll take my leave. And don’t

or with my belongings. I didn’t look back as I made my way

in the park tonight.

k. I massaged my forehead, feeling an incoming headache. Today has be

occupying my park bench seat. That w

en, a hand gr

ar turquoise eyes that looked glowing green under the pale yello

y something to humiliat

hook h

e after he himself insulted me to leave. “Oh, do you think I stole something of yours?

just co

iately and looked back up

t go of my hand and t

you want me

cause of me, even if that girl is you, it makes me feel uncomfortable. If something happens to

en why couldn’t you have just said so

I could imagine him rolling his

d for a minute if I s

sigh. “Annabelle, y

only you apo

started to say

y phone. I turned on the voice recorder o

d him earlier, he turned to see me hol

efore. It’s my once-in-a-lifetime chance to hear

grabbed one of my luggage, and I groaned in defeat. I would have released this mas

uncomfortable silence until we reached the elevator on the

ren’t coming home until

retty popular around the school. “Ah, yeah, my friend’s parents came home with guests, so we had to stop our study marathon.” His

one who thinks this color is ugl

protested, letting my pre

ips. “Oh, hi. You must be our new roommate my dad talked about.” Wow, he really never acted like

was because of him that I was famous as Annab

he way. Mind if I call you Ara?” I shook my head, and he smile

east one of you is nice,” I

door opened up and th

ly, and Theo groaned and hid his face with the elevator wall. “But please

ot to,” I sai

re about you,”

Theo interrupted with an annoyed groan. “Ugh,

to Wyatt. “So anyway,” Theo banged his head on the wall, “I’m in my junior year.

have a best friend, well, unbest friend. She doesn’t like to address me as her best friend, but I

out as soon

e offends you too much,” Wyatt said

I told him. “And I will definitely fix his messy habits. Have you seen

made the mess. Theo’s the tidy one. I’m the messy, sloth one

and jeans. He looked like the type you would trust your daughter with at ni

ent door for me which Theo slammed shut

k you.” As I looked around the apar

people with polar opposite characteristics. This was going

★