Page 33 of Class Clown

“Ruby!” she cried.

“Yay!” I called back.

If I’d been with her in person I’d have given her a giant hug, but as it stood, I pictured her laughing blue eyes, and the waves of her red hair bouncing around in their own type of greeting.

“We miss you so much. How is Arizona?” she asked.

A wave of longing punched me right in the gut and I sank down into Cole’s chair as it washed over me. “It’s good, but I miss you guys too. There are so many things that have happened and I wish you’d all been here to experience it with me.”

I was homesick for my best friends. The five of us, the Thornback Dragon Women, had been inseparable for years, each of us finding unconditional love and acceptance in ways we hadn’t anywhere else. They’d become my sisters in all the ways that counted, and I was feeling the separation acutely. Even though they were all coupled up now, and Lizzie had actually moved hours away at this point, I still relied on them.

“Tell me everything about home, what’s been going on?” I ordered cheekily.

I leaned back into the chair, kicked off my shoes and got comfortable as Aryn gave me a run down on what the other Thornbacks were doing. My typical energy was subdued as I listened, and I wished so much I could bring them on this new adventure with me.

When Aryn had filled me in and answered all of my questions, she said, “By the way, lady, you never sent us that promised picture of . . . Nate? The unexpected, but hot, roommate?”

“Nico,” I corrected, thinking once more about the flash of his white teeth a few minutes ago.

“Right. Nico. Even the name is kind of cute!”

“I have a picture. I keep forgetting to send it because I never have WiFi. Hold on.” I got busy scrolling through my pictures – a large amount which were of Quinn in case the FBI needed solid evidence after my murder – until I found the one I’d taken of him on the first camp arrival day. “Alright, I sent it to the group.”

“Good. We’ve all been talking about it and wondering if . . . oh.”

“I take in the picture arrived?” I giggled.

“Rubes. I am a taken woman, very secure and happy in my relationship, but this man oozes some seriously attractive mystery.”

“This is exactly why some of the women up here are throwing themselves at him. It’s hysterical.”

“How areyounot joining in?” she teased.

I scoffed. “So many reasons. He’s Cole’s best friend, I’m too old for him, but most of all he has no fun inside of him, and lastly, I’ve decided to play matchmaker, remember? You can’t match-make yourself. It’s tacky.”

“What is the age difference? Like three years?”

“Four.”

“Ooh, grandma. You’re such a cougar.”

“Please refer back to the part where I said he’s a grumpy-pants. And since you’re not hearing me, I’ll repeat myself. Not interested.”

Now Aryn scoffed. “Yes, he’s so disgusting that I can hardly function after looking at him. My eyeballs, they burn.”

“He’s not perfect. His nose is a little thin. And he can’t actually smile normally.”

That was a lie. I’d seen his real smile and there was nothing wrong with it.

“His smile looks fine to me.”

“He looks pained.”

Aryn laughed. “Okay, well let’s hear what else has been going on.”

“I have a stalker. I’m sending you the pic now.” This time it only took a second to dig up a pic of Quinn, because I had a thousand.

“Rubes! Are you serious? Does Cole know?” A pause. “Is that a porcupine?”

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