Rush This by Leila Hart

Author:Leila Hart [Hart, Leila]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Hartstop Press
Published: 2023-07-05T16:00:00+00:00

Jenna

I groan and add my test to the towering stack. I’m glad it’s over, but I feel like my brain has been run through a pasta maker. The energy that fueled my late-night study session and full day of cramming is fading fast. I need to crash. Soon.

I check my phone. I have about a billion missed calls from my sisters. All trying to convince me to come to Date Party, no doubt. Well, they’ll have to be disappointed because I’m exhausted. I listen to a message from Rae, Violet, and Reese and smile. I wonder about the surprise, but exhaustion definitely beats curiosity as my primary emotion right now.

I drag myself up the stairs to my dorm room. Just a few more feet and I can pass out. A cat costume lies between me and my bed. The attached note reads: “Jenna, get your sexy self to Date Party now!”

Warmth floods through me. I am so lucky I am to have such sweet friends. I hold up the ridiculous costume and think about all the hard work that went into it and a queasy guilty feeling settles in my stomach. Maybe I could stop by for an hour or so. I check my watch. If I hurry, I can still make the last bus.

Half an hour later, I’m dressed to kill and stepping off a bus at Riverside Tavern. I tug at various parts of my outfit, uncomfortable with how much skin is showing. My eyes ache from lack of sleep, but I try not to rub them, so I won't mess up my mascara. I step through the doorway and into the tavern. The party lights and loud dance music are like a lightning bolt to the heart. I feel my energy return. Before I can take another step, I am practically assaulted by Rae.

“Jenna! We thought you weren't coming! Mary Katherine’s been freaking out! Don't move.”

She runs away, and before I can formulate a response, she’s back with MK by her side.

“Kid! I'm so glad you came.” MK hugs me. “Wanna see your surprise?”

“Yes,” I say as they drag me, one holding each hand, through a crowd of people and over to a corner booth.

At first, I think the test anxiety is causing me to hallucinate.

“Dude, I've been waiting for you to get here.” The hallucination speaks with Drew's voice.

“Drew,” I say uncertainly. “What are you doing here?”

“It's my Fall Break. MK told me about your sorority party and asked me to come down as a surprise.”

He stands up and steps out of the booth, bridging the gap between us. The fact that Drew is here to see me finally makes its way through my test-addled, sleep-deprived brain.

“Dude, this is awesome!” I screech, hugging him so vigorously that a bystander would think I’m trying to tackle him or climb on his shoulders. I hear snickering and try to dislodge my limbs in a ladylike fashion.

“I'm so glad your sisters didn't let the secret slip. The look on your face was priceless,” Drew teases.

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