Page 4 of The Pinkie Pact

"Okay. Well, you don't have to tell me. I totally get that." I wondered if it was something I could google, if it was something that had made the news.

Kara looked at me, her eyes clearer all the sudden. "Thank you. You know, you're pretty cool, Sky."

I smiled back at her. "Thanks. So are you."

She really was. Last night had been an absolute blast. We'd talked about everything and nothing so effortlessly like I'd known her for all my life. It was rare to meet someone like that, someone you felt instantly comfortable with, and I was incredibly lucky to have been paired with her.

Kara crunched some more cereal. "So yeah. Because of all that trouble, I've been trying to keep a distance from my old friends. You know?"

"Mm-hmm." Yeah. I did know. I knew exactly what that was like.

"And that's why I didn't have a roommate even though I've made lots of friends the last two years." She sighed. "But like my parents—and my stupid brother—have pointed out, maybe they weren't the best kind of friends to have."

I nodded, grabbing another handful of Fruit Loops, my messed-up brain wondering how we had so much in common with her telling a story so similar to my own.

"And so I decided to take my chances and put in for a new roommate this year."

I swallowed the cereal, my throat going dry all the sudden. It felt like she was getting to my part in her story now, and I didn't like where my nerves were taking me. Maybe it was the pot, maybe it was just her vibe right now, but it was seriously giving me anxiety.

"Yeah? And?" I asked when she went quiet.

"Well, you seem really nice, like I told my brother. Kieran is his name, by the way. Not sure I properly introduced you."

"Um, right. Kieran." I hated the name. It smacked of wealth and privilege. But it certainly fit him I guessed. And what was up with all the K names? Were they likethatfamily?

"So yeah," she said then stopped talking again.

What was she so scared to tell me? I couldn't even understand it. "You know, I'm not going to judge you or anything. You can tell me whatever, and I won't get mad."

She glanced up at me, and it hit me that she had almost the same green eyes as her brother. "Okay. Thank you. So here goes."

I stared at her, waiting, dying to know.

"So after last year, I promised my parents that I would improve and really try harder this year." She watched me, searching my face for my reaction.

"Um, all right. That's good, right?" I was so confused. What was the big deal?

She shook her head. "You don't get it. I mean, I can't party like I used to. I can't party like we did last night."

I couldn't help cackling out loud.Thiswas what she was scared to tell me? What? Did I seem like the type of person to drop her because she couldn't party? And the irony of it killed me because I had been thinking the exact same thing.

"Why are you laughing?" she asked, her face unsure like she didn't know whether to be offended or to join in my laughter.

"I'm sorry." I wiped a tear from my eye, hoping my mascara wasn't dripping down my face again. "It's just... we have a hell of a lot in common. Didn't you wonder why I changed schools?"

"I did wonder," she admitted.

"Same exact thing," I said, pausing for effect.

Her jaw fell open, a piece of cereal dropping out onto her bed. Giggling, she threw the Captain Crunch at me, missing because our beds were pretty far apart. "You're kidding me."

I shook my head but stopped because it hurt. "No. I'm not."

She stared at me for a minute. "So what happened toyou? Or do you want to talk about it?"

Looking down at my comforter, I picked at some crumbs. No. I most definitely didnotwant to talk about it.

She took my silence as her answer and continued on. "So what now? What do we do? Just stay in all the freaking time?"

---