Page 3 of The Spider Queen
She sighed. “I worry about you.”
Her tone was anything but teasing—and it was sincere. I looked at her. “Why?”
“Why? Really? You don’t date—”
“I had a pseudo-date a few weeks ago.”
“I’m talking about a date that doesn’t involve bio books, a lab, or a microscope.”
“I aced my bio lab, remember?”
“There’s studying biology and then there’sstudying biology.”
“You’re gross.”
Shrugging, she turned her attention back to the soccer match on TV. “Wouldn’t hurt you to live a little outside your comfort zone.”
“I like it there.”
“It involves a lot of sweatpants and your nose stuck in a science book.”
“Anita—” I warned.
“They aren’t all like him, you know.”
“Just stop, okay? I don’t want to talk about it. Just focus on your own love life and I’ll focus on mine.”
“Iamfocusing on my love life. There’s a frat party tonight. Wanna come?”
I smiled. “Not even a little bit.”
“If you come for an hour, I’ll stop bugging you about your social life.”
Closing my laptop, I peered at her. My cousin was being even more insistent than usual. “Who is he?” I shoved my laptop into my messenger bag along with my notebook and a deluge of pens.
Her brown eyes opened wide. “A cute Sig Ep. Like, really cute.”
I felt myself caving. “Fine, I’ll go with you, but I’m going to the library first, okay?”
Anita squealed, bounced over, and then hugged me to her. “Best cousin ever!”
“Yeah, yeah. Just give me a heads up before you ditch me.” I headed for the front door.
“Be back here no later than six.”
“Six?” I groaned. “What time is the party?”
“Nine. We need three hours to get ready.”
Translation: Anita wanted three hours to make me over.
“I’ll be back by seven—no earlier.” When she was about to protest, I glared. “Or, I don’t have to go at all. And you can find a new wing-woman.”
“Seven,” she grumbled.
Though February in Charleston wasn’t like February most places, it still had its rainy and cold winter days, and today was one of them. But I’d still take winter in Charleston over winter anywhere else. Forty and raining I could do. Twenty and snowing I couldn’t.
I made it to the library just as the sky opened up into a downpour. I’d forgotten my umbrella, so hopefully it would stop in a few hours before I went home. The library was a new construction completed a couple of years ago—and it still had that sawdust smell. It had a cafe with a Starbucks, which stayed open twenty-four hours a day during finals week. Currently only one barista was behind the counter. She looked annoyed that she had to be at work when everyone else was already out and starting their weekend.
