Page 49 of The Spider Queen
I’m not having this discussion again.
Good, because I have to go. I don’t want to be late.
Do you have pepper spray?
Awww, Thane. Are you worried about me?
Yes. College boys are notoriously horny.
Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind. And yes, I bought pepper spray.
Thane sighed.Did I tell you that you’re beautiful?
You did.
Be safe, all right? Maybe check in with me every now and again? Otherwise I’ll worry.
Thane, I lived with my mother for eighteen years. I’m kind of done checking in with people.
How old are you? Because you’re acting like a teenager.
Be nice to me or I won’t introduce you toBuffy.I severed our connection and turned onThe X-Filesfor Thane. There was no point in getting into the middle of an argument just as I was about to go out and drink. My evening needed to be fun and light. Lectures from a spider didn’t count as fun and light.
The evening was bustling, and the temperature was changing. It was still cool but not miserable. I was excited to be social, doing something as normal as hanging out with friends, celebrating the end of a really hard school week. After Hunter and I had made amends, I was able to shove the rest of my worries aside for the night.
Francis and a few other classmates waited for me at the Cistern, the grassy lawn in the center of campus where commencement was held every year. Randolph Hall, the architectural staple that was on all the college brochures, glowed in the moonlight.
“Ah, you came!” Francis said with a grin. “I was afraid you were going to bail.”
“Why would I bail?” I asked, waving hello to John and Jacky. They were looking pretty cozy. I didn’t mind PDA so much, but was this a double date?
“Because you’re a known introvert,” Jacky said with a grin.
I looked at her. “Really? That’s what other people are saying about me?”
“Does that bother you?” Francis asked.
“No. It’s just interesting.”
“Let’s get going,” John said, tugging on Jacky’s hand. “I need a beer. Or five.”
“Oh, great. This’ll be a fun night,” Jacky teased. “You better not puke. I won’t be cleaning that up.”
While they playfully bickered, I fell into step with Francis. And because I was trying something new in life, I decided to be blunt. “Is this a double date?”
Francis threw back his head and laughed. “Oh my God, really?”
“Um. Ouch.”
“I’m gay, Poppy.”
“What? I so wasn’t getting that vibe from you!” I said, a relieved smile flitting across my face.
“Oh man, you were worried that I was gonna try to get into your pants, weren’t you?”
I laughed. “I’m not that arrogant. But the pressure is definitely off, don’t you think?”
Francis looped his arm through mine while we continued our trek to Market Street. John and Jacky had ceased fighting and were now wrapped around each other, kissing and attempting to walk at the same time. Beer would only make their PDA worse. They sort of reminded me of Anita and Jonah—in that cutesy phase of a relationship. I sighed. Would Hunter and I have ever been like that? Guess I would never know.
