I move to her side, peeking out. “Yeah. They were calling for a pretty bad one. I’ve been trying to get a hold of Chase to tell him to get home, but he’s not answering my calls or texts.”
“Yeah, well, as I said, you’re not really his favorite person right now. But just so that you don’t worry, I’ll tell you he’s fine. He’s still at the library in a late-night study session with some of the other students from one of his classes. He shouldn't be out yet, but just in case I’ll send him a text telling him to stay put until the storm lets up.”
I look to her and nod. “Thanks.”
She pulls out her cell and types away. When she looks up to me, I can’t help but laugh.
“What?” she asks.
“Where on earth did you find that antique, and why in the hell are you still using it?”
Her brows pinch together in confusion, so I nod down to the phone in her hand. Rolling her eyes, she replies, “Not all of us are fortunate enough to throw money at every new piece of technology that comes out.”
“Fine, but what about getting one from the last decade?” I ask.
Velyn shrugs. “Like I said, not all of us are that fortunate.”
She turns away, heading to the couch. Why do I all of a sudden feel like a real ass? Walking over to where she’s seated, I take the spot across from her.
“It really means nothing to you?”
“What’s that?” she asks.
“Money.”
Letting out a breath, she looks to me. “Of course, it does. It just means something different to me than it does to you.”
“How so?”
Velyn turns to me, sitting up and bringing her knees to her chest. “Well, to you money’s the deciding factor on where a person stands on the social ladder. To you, it defines value, who you are as a person, and how much more powerful you are in comparison to those around you. To me, …it’s just simply my means of survival.” She lets out a sigh. “I know how you see me, Dylan.”
“Do you now?”
“I do. I know the first time you saw me, some of the things you noticed were my older somewhat faded clothes, my well-worn shoes, that my hands weren’t manicured with French tips and that my hair’s its natural mousy color—no highlights or trendy style. I know you noticed all this because, to you, those things matter. They tell you whether or not I’m worthy of your attention.”
I let out a dry laugh. “So, you think you have me all figured out, right?”
“Am I wrong, Dylan? Be honest, and I don’t mean with me but with yourself for once. Truly think about what I just said and be honest with yourself.”
“Of course, I notice those things, and don’t you dare tell me I’m the only one; you do the same thing. It’s natural to observe others. It’s our instinct.”
She perks up a little. I think I just got her, but then she opens her mouth. “You’re absolutely right. I do notice those things, but how I perceive them is far different from you.” She sits up legs crossed and opening herself up to me instead of trying to shield herself off like she has been. “Tell me, Dylan, honestly. When you first met me, did you not see the homely looking girl whose family obviously has no money?”
“No, I didn’t.”
“Liar! That’s exactly what you saw. That’s why when you saw me a few days later in Chase’s room, you called me a golddigger,” she says. I lay back against the arm of the couch, just looking at her with a smile crossing my lips. “Why are you smiling? I just accused you of judging me.”
Letting out a laugh, I point to her. “You just proved my point.”
She slants her eyes almost as if she’s getting ready to shoot daggers at me. “And what point is that?”
“That you pass judgment just like anyone else. You assumed that’s what I noticed just like you judged me as some rich-kid bully that same day. It’s what set this whole thing off; that first day in the quad when you found me goofing around with Chase,” I say.
The anger in her eyes turns to realization, then in a whisper, she replies, “It’s not the same.”
Softening my voice, I reply, “But it is. The only difference is that my judgment wasn’t about how much money you had. When I saw you, I thought you were hell on wheels the way you were charging at me. Then when you got right in my face standing up for Chase, I saw more. I saw that just after a couple of hours, you stood up for someone you barely knew—your new friend.”
“Then why were you such an ass to me, Dylan?”
“Because even after you realized who I was, you carried on this anger toward me,” I reply.
She shakes her head. “No, I didn’t. I never even spoke with you after that; not until the morning when you barged into Chase’s room and accused me of befriending him only for his money.”
“Wrong! I came into the diner that same afternoon to ask you to come to my party. That was my peace offering, and you snubbed me. I even went home and convinced Chase to talk you into it. I wanted you there for me, Velyn.”
She throws her hands up as though relieved that a moment of realization has hit me. “Exactly, Dylan, and like I said, there was no way I was going to be another one of your little one-time hook-ups.”
Oh my God, I’m done with her.
I stand to my feet, looking down. “I’m not going to sit here and let you shoot down everything I say without even considering it—I’m done. When the
