Page 14 of Casper
Maybe I was reading too much into it, but that didn’t feel like a friendly touch. Wanting to get out of there before things could get weirder, I slung my bag onto my shoulder and hurried for the door.
“No worries. I won’t fall behind. See you tomorrow.” I was out the door and down the hall before he could say another word.
When I was finally able to meet up with the girls, I found them at a corner table in the cafeteria. We usually sat outside when the weather was nice. Today the chill in the air was a bit too intense for that.
I sat down next to Ripley across from Storm and Codie. With a heavy sigh, I pried open the lid on my rice, veggie, and tofu bowl. I wasn’t sure I had much of an appetite today.
“That dress is so pretty,” Codie gushed, twisting a lock of black hair around a finger. “You always look like a fairy.”
Storm nodded. “All you’re missing is the wings.”
“Thanks. I like feeling free in my clothes. Flowing skirts are my favorite.” I stirred around the contents of my dish with my fork before spearing a few vegetables. “How are you all doing today? I feel like I barely slept this past weekend.”
Codie grinned. “Is that because a certain someone kept you up? Casper came by your dorm room, right?”
“He did?” Ripley raised a brow, taking a bite of her sandwich. “Do tell.”
All three of them stared at me expectedly. I didn’t like feeling so on the spot. Especially when there was nothing going on.
“He came over to check on me,” I explained, thinking of a story on the spot. “Some guy got weird with me in the haunted house, and Casper chased him off. It was really no big deal.”
Codie and Storm exchanged a look. Thankfully, Ripley seemed oblivious. She was too busy staring at me.
“So you’re not hooking up with him? Because I’ve got to say, Luna, he really doesn’t seem like your type. You’re just so…” Ripley motioned to me, sweeping a hand up and down. “And he’s just so… I mean you know. He’s one of the Kings. Those guys are pretty intense.”
Storm frowned into her pasta dish. “Maybe they’re not for everyone but some of us kind of like them.”
Ripley backtracked immediately. “Oh, of course. I guess there’s someone out there for everyone. I didn’t mean any offense. Those guys scare me. That’s all.”
Ripley had made it clear in the past how she felt about the Kings. Although she tried to be respectful of Storm and Codie, she hadn’t approved of their relationships. Even though Storm and Rebel were now married, and Codie probably wasn’t far behind, I suspected Ripley still didn’t approve. I understood wanting to make sure your friends were safe and happy but she seemed especially judgmental.
“Casper is a nice guy. I don’t think he really gets a fair chance from most people since he doesn’t talk. I think there’s a lot more to him than most people realize. And no, I’m not hooking up with him.” I wasn’t sure why I was coming to Casper’s defense. It shouldn’t matter what Ripley or anyone else thought of him.
“Not yet,” Codie giggled.
Ignoring her remark, I shoveled food into my mouth. The conversation naturally took a turn as everyone discussed the party on the weekend. Since I hadn’t stuck around long, I didn’t have much to contribute.
Athena soon joined us. Clutching an iced coffee in one hand and her phone in the other, she slid onto a free chair, almost bursting.
“Did you guys hear about Brandy?” She cut into the conversation. “Apparently, someone tampered with her car. She was in an accident this morning. I guess she’s in the hospital now.”
Athena’s words echoed in my ears. Brandy. The cheerleader from the party who called me a freak. What were the chances that this was a coincidence?
I sat there in shock, trying to go through the motions of chewing and swallowing. My brain struggled to process what I’d just heard. There was no way this was a coincidence. Not in a world that had Casper Callahan in it.
“That’s crazy. Maybe she shouldn’t be such a mouthy bitch then.” Ripley shrugged. “I’m sure there’s plenty of people who would have loved to fuck with her. She’s mean as hell.”
I did my best to nod along, adding small remarks here and there as they wondered aloud who would do such a thing. At one point, I found Codie studying me, her brow quirked up. I dropped my gaze back to my dish. Doing my best to be subtle, I pulled out my phone, holding it on my lap as I sent a text to both Storm and Codie, asking them to hang around for a few minutes after Athena and Ripley left.
Although I wasn’t much of an actress, I think I put on a pretty good performance for the rest of our lunch. Not once did I let on that I knew exactly who fucked with Brandy’s car. I couldn’t believe he would do that, except that of course I could believe he did that.
Finally, Athena and Ripley both left, having to get to class. I also had a class coming up, but I was willing to be late.
Once they were both out of earshot, Storm asked, “Is everything okay, Luna?”
“I don’t know. I don’t think so. I really need to get your opinions on something.” Taking a large drink of my bottled water, I did my best to remain calm. Keeping my voice low, I leaned across the table, and said, “The body that was found at the haunted house was the guy who cornered me. Casper killed him. I saw it happen. I think he’s also the one who targeted Brandy. She was being an asshole to me at the party before I left.”
They both mulled this over for a moment before responding. Storm nodded thoughtfully. “I guess I’m not really surprised. We all know what the Kings are capable of. They’ll do anything to protect the people they care about.”
