“What?” I lowered the paper just enough to look over it and see her offering me her best impression of the innocent look. It looked more like she’d stubbed her toe and was trying not to scream outward.
“I don’t remember half of these.”
“Of course you do.” Shrugging, she lowered her latte and leaned in closer. “I just spiced them up a little.”
“A little?” More like she rewrote every item in Darcy form. “Get a tattoo, are you serious?” Smiling wide, she nodded her head. “My father will kill me.”
“Which is why I said in a secret hidden location.” Rolling her eyes, she reached over the paper and pointed to that exact wording. “Like in your nether regions.”
“Excuse me?”
“Please, you act like your vagina would be the only one a tattoo artist will ever see. Believe me when I say they’ve tattooed and pierced more tits and girly bits than they can remember.”
“Speaking of girly bits.” I placed my finger on #2 and then scrolled over #5, #9, and #10. “Can I ask why half this list consists of tasks related to my vagina?”
“Sweet, sweet Ruby, that would be because she really needs someone to look out for her.”
“And you call this looking out for her?” Why was I friends with this person?
“Waxing only hurts for a short time and the aftermath is well worth it. Believe me when I say the sensation is ten times better without the forest to sift through.” She gave me an over-exaggerated wink. I looked around to ensure our conversation was not on display for anyone else inside Starbucks. “Second, dancing without panties is exhilarating, and the thrill actually might break down some of those towering walls you have built around you. Third, I never said you had to get a tattoo on your hoohah, I was thinking more like on your hip, but hey, if you want to go there, I won’t judge. Tattoo a mouse near your kitty for all I care.”
Covering my face, I felt the heat rise to my cheeks.
“The piercing, you could go for the navel, but again, if you want to be adventurous I won’t stop you. Let me know if that bitch hurts too bad though, because I could never get the guts up to allow someone to shove a needle through my cli—”
“Okay.” Holding up my hand, I prayed that she stopped there.
When her words faded, smothered by her laughter, I peeked through my fingers at her. She was loving this.
“Number ten, that one is a must, a need to get it and get it good. We fall back to the fact that you are wound so flipping tight you squeak when you walk. You need to loosen up.” I arched my brows upward in surprise and it took her a second to register the words she’d spoken. “Oops, sorry, bad choice of wording.”
This gained laughter from me as well, because come on, it was too fitting.
“You said you were tired of being invisible. You said you wanted to do all the things you’ve never done because you were to afraid. This is it. We follow this list, even with my well thought out additions.”
Well thought out, my ass.
“By the end you’ll be thanking me.”
I wasn’t so sure about that, she was a mess, a fun, easy going, living-her-life mess.
***
Stepping up to the front door of my house I paused, taking a few extra minutes to ensure I was presentable. One deep breath in followed by a slow exhale, I placed the key in the lock and twisted.
The soft click echoed, or so it felt. One should never feel this type of pressure when coming home. It’s supposed to be the place of escape, one of comfort and security. Only to me it was more like entering a courtroom where I would once again be placed on the stand to prove my innocence. The thing was I never knew exactly what I’d been charged with each time until the questions began. Home to me was stressful, it was nerve racking, and a place I hated. It was almost like I was trapped, caged like a wild animal that should be allowed to run free.
“Ruby.” I had not yet closed the door when my father was already calling out for me. “Running a little late, I see.” Stepping out of the den where his office was, I could already see the disapproving glare in his eyes. “I hope whatever it was you were doing after class was something productive and not simply a waste of valuable time.”
“I was at the library.” I no longer felt bad when I lied to him. It had become a means of survival. No matter what I did or said, however big or small, he’d always found something wrong in it. “I have a paper due in class next week.”
“Which class?” He wasn’t asking because he was interested. He was asking so that he could test me. But if the years alone with my father had taught me anything, it was to always be prepared.
“Professor Miles, International Relations,” I said with conviction. Silence fell over us as he watched, as if waiting for me to crack. I didn’t.
With a simple nod, I was dismissed and moved toward the staircase, fully intending to hide out in my bedroom. Only his booming voice stopped me. “I have dinner tonight with several faculty members, so I will be out late. You will have to fend for yourself.”
Looking back over my shoulders, I forced a smile. “Okay.”
I hurried to my room, closed the door behind me, and took in a slow, calming breath. Darcy was right, I was a ticking time bomb. One full of tension. The idea that this could be my life for the next however many years it took to complete college and gain a degree I didn’t even want made me feel nauseous.
I’d been told I would be a lawyer, not asked. It had never been about what I wanted, or what made me happy. My mother was the one who cared, she was the one who allowed me to be me. She never forced my hand, she gave me options, then in the end when we made the choice, it was always what I wanted. My father worshiped my mother, but truth be told, he’d never wanted children. He’d only conceived me to keep her happy. I was the one who reminded him he’d lost her.
I’d dreamt of being a dancer, though I knew that would have never been my only joy. I knew I wanted it to play a big part. But after my mother passed, my father took that joy away. Dance lessons were a waste. They were a pastime we no longer needed. I’d been groomed and pressured to be who he needed me to be. My dreams no longer mattered.
I was his robot.
Chapter Four
Jay
“Where are they?”
I remained perfectly still on the couch, ignoring the idiots behind me. There was never a dull moment here, never a quiet time to just enjoy some peace. The fraternity was cursed with a bunch of idiots and now the girls who dared to take on each one longer than just one night. I still found it amazing that those types of girls existed. Who in their right mind would willingly be a part of this group?
“My shoes, you idiot, where are they?” Blake barged into the living room and practically tackled Clayton, pushing on his chest, and kicking at his shins. “If you threw them outside again I swear I will―” She paused as if the words had failed her.
“Well, they aren’t outside.” Looking back, I noticed the blank look on her face and followed her glare toward the entrance to the kitchen. That’s when I could no longer hold back my own laughter. Xavier stood in the doorway holding up a clear bowl of some yellow substance, but there was no way to miss what was buried in the center. Bright red Chuck Taylors, the upper half of the high tops sticking out of the top of the bowl.