“Dania, okay. But don’t say anything to Stu. He’s been talking about hooking up with her again.”

I groaned. What the hell was wrong with my friends? They jumped in each other’s pants faster than a case of crabs. It was gross.

“You jealous, baby?” Shane asked, looking entirely too hopeful.

I threw a magazine that had been sitting on the chair beside me at his face. “No, I’m not jealous you moron! But my god, can’t you find someone to f**k that isn’t in our immediate group of friends? And I thought Dania was hooking up with that guy from the river party.” I realized it had been a while since I had bothered to find out the latest goings on in Dania’s personal life. I wasn’t sure if that made me a bad friend or a protecting my brain from the images.

“I don’t know if she is or not. It was just a random thing. She came by to pick up a movie she left at my place last week and you know how she is,” Shane smirked and I threw another magazine at him.

“And you’re saying Stu wants her back? Seriously?” Well there went my Stu is g*y theory.

“Yeah. Maybe. He’s been sort of nostalgic about her lately,” Shane said, rubbing the cheek that was hit the magazine.

My mouth dropped open in shock. “You’re kidding me! Nostalgic about what? The time she broke his window? Or the time he called her a slut in front of the entire cafeteria?”

Shane shrugged. “Whatever. I don’t really care what they do. I was just getting my rocks off and I don’t need Stu up in my ass about it. So just don’t say anything.”

I curled my lip in disgust.

“Yeah, whatever. I’ll let you keep that lovely tidbit all to yourself,” I said, looking away. Dania and I were definitely having a talk later about this one. What the hell was she thinking?

You would think after getting knocked up, she’d learn her lesson. Spreading your legs to randoms, even if the random was Shane Nolan, was a stupid idea.

But obviously she needed to be beaten around the head a few more times before she saw it. And I was happy to do the beating.

Shane was called back a few minutes later and then it was my turn.

After I was finished, I went outside and found Stu waiting for me.

“You wanna go get a drink at Woolly’s?” Stu asked. My mouth fell open for the second time in less than twenty minutes. Stu Wooten was actually asking me to hang out?

Stu and I weren’t close. I could pretend at a relationship with Reggie and Shane but never with Stu. He wasn’t a talker. And it was no secret he was a bit homicidal. The truth was he freaked me out. He was the type to shank you as much as look at you.

“Uh, no thanks. I’ve got stuff to do,” I mumbled, unable to come up with a better excuse.

Stu lit up a cigarette and blew out a cloud of smoke. “I saw you talking to that freak,” he said, surprising me.

“Flynn?” I asked.

“Is that his name?” Stu countered.

“Yeah. That’s his name. And when the hell did you see me talking to him?” I asked. And why did I feel like I was being interrogated?

“At Darla’s. You guys seemed pretty cozy.” Stu blew out another puff of smoke, this time in my face.

I coughed and waved a hand in front of me.

“What’s it to you, Stu?” I was getting annoyed by this whole conversation.

Stu dropped his cigarette and stomped it out.

“It’s nothing to me. Just thought it strange that you were hanging out all friendly like with the tard. Seems to me you should be a little more selective in who you hang out with,” Stu remarked.

I was going to blow my top. Stu Wooten was the last person I needed shit from.

“Look, Stu, I don’t hang out with Flynn. And if I did, that wouldn’t be any of your business! And he’s not a tard. He has a name. So freaking use it!” I had to take a deep breath to calm myself down. I was getting strangely worked up.

Stu didn’t say anything about my outburst. And that made me feel even more foolish. What had possessed me to defend Flynn like that? But it infuriated me to hear Stu disparage him like that.

“Whatever. Later, Ellie,” Stu said, climbing up into his truck and I was left standing there feeling completely unsettled.

12

-Ellie-

“This one is adorable! It even has a little balcony!” Dania squealed. The realtor, who had introduced herself as Barbara, stood just inside the door with a fake smile plastered across her smug and judgmental face. She had been irritatingly condescending since Dania and I had arrived at the apartment complex on the north side of Wellsburg.

She had taken one look at Dania with her protruding belly and instantly made up her mind about the two of us. The sad thing she wasn’t entirely wrong. Her preconceived notions were entirely too accurate.

Yes, Dania was the flaky unwed mother who continued to smoke like a chimney and drink like a sailor. And I was the brash and aggressive friend with little education and even less class.

We were a white trash duo from the wrong side of the tracks.

“Now this one is $450 a month and that includes utilities. The landlord is strict with rent payments and they are expected on the first of every month. If you are more than three days late more than once, you will be evicted,” Barbara, the realtor explained, her eyes darting toward Dania, who was still freaking out over the awesome cabinets.

I narrowed my eyes while crossing my arms over my chest. “I understood when you explained it the last two times, ma’am,” I said coldly. Yeah, I get it. We weren’t the ideal renters. But she didn’t have to be rude about it.