Plan B by SJD Peterson Read Free Book Online

anything together. I was exhausted and briefly thought about taking the offer, but the short walk would do me good. Give me a chance to clear my head.
    “Nah, you and Katie go on. I’d rather walk, but thanks.” I gave Katie a hug. “Thanks for coming.”
    “It was my pleasure. You really were amazing on that stage tonight.”
    I pulled back from the embrace and gave her a small smile. “Thanks.”
    Bo patted me on the back, but was looking at Lance. “You want to come with?”
    He shook his head. “I think I’ll walk back with Danny.” He glanced at me. “If that’s okay?”
    “Umm… yeah. Sure.” Wow, there went that witty repartee of mine again. I scowled at Lance as he hugged his sister. How in the hell did he do that to me?
    Bo and Katie headed out, and after I said my good-byes to Lee, Clifford, and half a dozen other people, Lance and I stepped out the door and headed in the direction of the dorm.
    Now that the mystery of the creepy stares was solved, I couldn’t help but wonder why Lance was walking along with me. Why wasn’t he hanging out with his jock buddies? I really wanted to know what had brought him to the show, and I was very curious as to what he’d been thinking when he was zoned out earlier. Was he thinking about me, obsessing as crazily as I seemed to be?
    There goes that vanity of yours again , I thought.

Chapter 4

    M Y EARS and nose were numb by the time we made it to the dorm. Neither Lance nor I really said much, both hunched over to block the bitter wind and hurrying to get out of the cold. I was thankful when Lance pushed the door to the entryway open and held it for me; I was too cold to even pull my hands from my pockets. Every muscle in my body was tense and my jaw ached from clenching it so tightly to stop my teeth from chattering. I sighed heavily in relief as a warm blast of air surrounded me as soon as I was inside, and only then did I pull my hands from my pockets and start to vigorously run them up and down my arms.
    “Jesus Christ! Talk about blue balls,” I complained.
    I shoved open the door to the stairs with my shoulder and ran up the flight of stairs to the second floor. I searched my pockets until I found the key to my room as I hurried down the hall. I needed a hot shower, hot cocoa, and a warm bed. Now! I had been so focused on getting out of my cold clothes and into a steamy shower that I forgot about Lance until I opened the door to my room.
    “Uh, come on in.”
    “Thanks. I hope you don’t mind.” He unbuttoned his coat and shrugged out of it. “I won’t stay long, just need to warm up a bit before I head back.”
    As he cupped his hands together and blew inside them to warm them up, his eyes scanned the small room and he obviously was able to tell which side belonged to whom. It wasn’t that difficult. Bo had the boring nondecorated side. Ugly plain-brown bedspread, desk perfectly organized and uncluttered. Not a single poster or picture on the wall above his bed. Mine? My side was frickin’ awesome. Theater masks, bright boas in pink, purple, and yellow, collage of photos of my different performances. And if that wasn’t a dead giveaway, the makeshift desk/vanity covered with makeup, hair supplies, and jewelry certainly was. Lance sat on Bo’s bed, set his coat next to him, and ran his hands along his thighs.
    I pulled off my own coat and threw it on my bed. “What do you mean, before you head back?” I asked and flipped on the little space heater I kept next to my bed.
    “I left my car back at the party.”
    “Why the hell did you do that? It’s frickin’ cold out. Or didn’t you notice?”
    “You said you wanted to walk.” He shrugged and picked at a loose thread on his jeans.
    I just stood and studied him, trying to figure out if he was for real. He barely knew me and yet he’d shown up to my show, came to the party even after his date bailed on him, and now he’d walked me across campus in freezing temperatures when he had a car?