𝐑𝐞𝐝 𝐑𝐢𝐝𝐠𝐞

L U C Y

"Wow. Good. Great." I sigh sarcastically.

"Looks like you're having a great time." I hear a feminine voice speak up from behind me, equally sarcastic as she hurries to help me with my things that are now splayed out all over the ground. "You wouldn't happen to be the new girl would you?" She asks, her green eyes looking directly into mine as we crouch close together to gather everything.

"How could you tell?" I laugh, picking up another "Welcome To Red Ridge" pencil, the reason for the poked hole in the plastic orientation care package bag.

"How many Red Ridge things does one need?" She asks, eyebrows furrowing and I shake my head.

"They must have cleared out a dollar store for this." We stand up together and I smile somewhat awkwardly at her, just now realizing how intimidating it is to take her all in.

"I'm Charlotte, and if I'm correct, you must be Lucy!" She exclaims excitedly, her accent becoming more prominent.

"Charlotte as in my tour guide and team captain?" I ask hesitantly and she nods, still grinning.

"Wow, I'm so excited to meet you! What fortunate timing. Let me help you out." She says, grabbing for two of my bags before I can even open my mouth to say "no thank you".

"Feel free to take the library off your list of places to show me on the tour, I have a feeling I'll be spending way more time than I'd like to there," I say to make conversation.

"Oh, the library was never on the tour." She giggles. "I'm not that kind of guide. Prepare yourself." She widens her eyes as a humorous sort of warning and I purse my lips to hide my smile.

"Well alright then."

"Oh and you can call me Charlie. All my friends do."

"Well alright then, Charlie," I repeat and she wordlessly leads me to my room.

"Mine is just over there, my roommate's name is Reed and she's our goalkeeper. You'll love her." She proclaims, waiting for me to unlock the door before she lets herself in and starts putting my heavy bags down with ease. "Got a lot more?"

"Bags? Yeah." I laugh. "My mom is a little helicopter-y and I couldn't say no. I don't need it all right now though."

"Oh, we might as well. I'll go grab Reed and she can help, that way you can meet her."

"It's really not necessar—" She waves me off.

"It's practically a team bonding exercise. Don't fret." She grins and I'm put at ease.

"If you insist."

"I can't wait to see how you're going to fit all of that stuff in your tiny closet and singular wardrobe," Reed says, taking a bite of her burger and getting ketchup all over her lips.

"It's called organization." I sass, passing her a napkin while Charlie watches us with a smile on her face that just says I-told-you-so. She did though. From the moment Reed and I greeted each other, it felt like a friendship that had always been there just, clicked into place.

"Wait until you meet our mates. They're great, aren't they Reed?" Charlie says teasingly, jabbing lightly at Reed with her elbow and I narrow my eyes. Reed puts her burger down on her plate and faceplants onto the table dramatically, groaning all the way.

"I seem to be sensing some sort of drama." I laugh and Reed looks up, glaring at me mockingly.

"What gave you that idea?" She asks before turning her glare to Charlie.

"Do you want to explain or shall I?" The blonde asks.

"Go for it." Reed picks up her burger and shoves the rest in her mouth rather impressively.

"Long story short, Reed has been crushing on her other best friend, Farris, who has a penis, and blurted out that fact rather recently and he hasn't brought it up since then," Charlie explains and I cringe.

"Wow. So he just forgot that he had a penis?" I ask jokingly and Reed rolls her eyes but cracks a smile. "That's rough. Sorry dude." I say, unsure what else I could possibly say to put her at ease in a situation like that. "Think you guys will be able to recover if he doesn't...reciprocate?" I say softly.

Reed shrugs. "I honestly have no idea. We've kinda gone back to how we were before, but every time we touch or anything, I swear I can see the words I love you hanging over my head like a neon sign that I know he can read. I'd rather take back what I said and get over it in my own way eventually rather than ruin what we have."

Charlie nods. "They're special."

Reed raises an eyebrow at her. "Whatever the hell that means."

"You guys just...you'll see," Charlie says more to me and Reed rolls her eyes.

"Whatever." I look between the two and purse my lips, feeling a sense of impatience as I wait for the time to come when I'll be able to understand their inside jokes and vague comments.