“I texted you earlier,” she said breathily, obviously stillshaken by her ordeal. Why she so easily complied with Kell’sministrations, she didn’t know. As it was, Becky hardly knew Kell,let alone his roommates. Somehow, though, she felt she could trusthim.
“Only inquiring about the room,” Kell explained, gentlyencouraging her to sit down on the edge of the mattress. “Not whoyou were or that you were coming over.”
“Yes, and we had plans,” Crispin piped in. “Matters to attendto. We don’t normally sit around on a Friday night waiting for oddlittle waifs to show up on our doorstep.”
“S-sorry,” she whispered. “I… had nowhere else togo.”
“Surely, you could go back to where you came from,” Crispininsisted. “This isn’t a refuge for little mundane girls likeyou.”
Becky flinched at the unflattering phrase, mundane girl. Was that how sheappeared to the outside world? Dull, tiresome, uninteresting. Wasthat why she’d been avoided like the plague?
“Holy shit, Crisp, quit being such a dick,” Dorian said with afrown.
“All right enough!” Kell growled over his shoulder. “Leaveus.”
“Fine… but just so you know, this is complete bull shit!”Crispin spat out before walking off and slamming his bedroomdoor.
Dorian took adeep breath and sighed, shrugging apologetically at Becky. “Hedoesn’t mean it. He’s just a dick sometimes.”
“Goodnight, Dorian,” Kell insisted, standing to hisintimidating full height, hands on his hips.
“Yes… well, goodnight.”
Suddenly, itwas just the two of them in the room. “Sorry,” Becky said,nervously chewing her bottom lip.
At the sound ofthe quiver of uncertainty in her voice, Kell let out a heavy sigh.Relaxing his menacing stance, Kell turned his attention to thesmall girl. Yes, she was indeed small in every sense of the word,and she was merely a young girl. Hardly a woman yet or, at least,that’s how she appeared to him at that moment. How someone solittle could cause such angst, he did not know. More than that, whyshe stirred in him such odd feelings of protectiveness andtenderness, he couldn’t explain. Normally girls like her avoidedhim like he was death incarnate. This one, on the other hand,seemed inexplicably drawn to him.
Ever since thatfateful day when he had literally crashed into her, he had noticedher following him, casting furtive glances in his direction. Nowshe had shown up on his doorstep like an abandoned puppy. Could shehave developed a crush? No, not possible, not this girl, not with aguy like him. No way… Anyway, it didn’t matter. He would set hergood and straight soon enough.
“Listen, I’m not really sure what this is all about… but I’mgoing to go out on a limb here and take a guess,” he said,crouching down in front of her, looking into her heart-shaped face.“Becky this… situation…” He gestured between the two of them. “Thiscan’t… I mean… well… it just won’t happen.”
“Kelley, please… don’t turn me away,” she squeaked, her face crumpling into atrembly mess of quivering lips and watery eyes. There was no wayshe could go back to that dorm. She would much rather stay here. Atleast here, someone knew her name. Even if it was this frighteninglooking fellow with blood-red streaked hair. If this didn’t workout, she would simply give up college and move back home with hergrandmother. Although that wasn’t even an option anymore, sinceGranny had sold the old house and moved into the retirement home.“I don’t have anywhere else to go.”
“Oh, no… don’t do that.” He winced, realizing that hispresumptuous assumption had been way off. Perhaps this was justabout her wanting a place to live. “Don’t cry.” He took a deepbreath and blew it out slowly. If there was one thing he couldn’thandle, it was watching women cry, especially this particularlittle lady. “All right, tell you what, get some sleep, and we’lltalk in the morning.”
“Why can’t I just stay here?” she asked with an uncontrollableshiver. “I won’t be any trouble, I promise…”
“Love, if it were only up to me, I’d have no problem with youstaying here.” He paused, giving his head a quick shake. “Now getsome sleep,” he said with an authoritative voice. He got up quickbefore he did something they would both regret. Something, likepicking her up and carrying her into his room, holding her to hischest and soothing her to sleep. Why that image crept into hismind’s eye, he couldn’t say. She just seemed so needy, sovulnerable. It should irk him, but instead, it called tohim.
Becky watchedhim walk away, leaving her alone in the womb-like room. She hadjust started to lie back on the mattress, only to shoot up againwhen he returned, carrying in his arms, a quilt. “Here, you mightneed this,” he said, dumping it unceremoniously on the bed. Thenwithout another word, he left the room, closing the door behindhim.
Realizing thatshe was still fully clothed in blue jeans and a bulky sweater, sheresolved to put on her comfy pyjamas. Quietly padding across thecreaky floor, she crouched down by her suitcase and snapped itopen. She undressed quickly and put on her favourite PJs. Tired andworn out, Becky spread the quilt over herself and tucked it upunder her chin.
This was herlast refuge, she thought with a heavy sigh. She would simply haveto convince the Goths to let her stay. At least, Kelley didn’t seemtoo opposed to the idea, unless he was just being polite. The othertwo, well, Crispin anyway, he seemed quite hostile towards her.Still, she would take it. Anything was better than living inobscurity.
Ever since thefirst day she met Kelley, she had been inexplicably drawn to him.Obviously, they had nothing in common, but he had been the onlyperson thus far to show her the least bit of kindness,friendliness. He hadn’t been indifferent to her like everyoneelse.
She had wantedto get to know him better, possibly become friends with him but shehadn’t been able to get up the nerve. During class, she’d hadplenty of opportunities to strike up a conversation but justcouldn’t bring herself to open her mouth without choking on herwords. He, on the other hand, always had a nice smile for her.
The other daywhen she had been walking by the local diner where a lot of collegestudents liked to hang out, she had seen them.
