Gone Girl 2

Chapter 31

One week later

Everyone gathers on the campus ready for the new semester. The three weeks holiday is over and now it's time to go back to our dreadful lives.

My car approaches the parking lot and I park it carefully in between two cars. Sometimes I can't believe it's my new car, it's completely out of my income. I have to find a part-time job just for the gas alone.

Let's not mention car maintenance and insurance. I haven't managed to sell the old rusty car. I can't blame people for not wanting to buy that... thing.

It was at least fifteen years old and used.

Nicole comes out of the car since she stayed with me the whole vacation. Her mother turned out to not be as happy about it as we initially thought.

"Are you ready for the new semester?" she asks.

"Not even a little bit."

We walk together to the dormitory hall, passing through the crowd.

Shanice and Irène are talking near the entrance and Nicole and I look at each other.

"What's up with them?"

"I swear together they are up to no good," I reply jokingly.

"They've been close lately. Shanice stole your friend."

"Yeah, my friend." I laugh. Probably Shanice gave up and fell for Irène's charm. In some way, I feel sorry for her because despite everything Shanice deserves better.

I now finally understand that she only did that stuff to me because she truly cares about Derek, maybe it wasn't the right way to go about it but she's one of Derek's closest friends.

Alexander's roommate walks near us and he shoots me an annoyed look. I don't have any idea what it means but maybe Alex told him it's my fault he transferred?

I hope he mentioned the countless illegal things he did.

I don't miss Alexander at all, but it hurts he betrayed me. I hate admitting that because it shouldn't hurt me, he was never my friend.

How could he even go that far?

"Earth to Veronica," Nicole says as we walk to our dormitory and she takes out her keys.

"Yeah. I'm here."

"You were thinking of Alex, right?" she asks.

"How do you know?"

"I know that guy, he was close friends with Alex and he knows more than you think."

Oh. Is he going to get revenge for him too? I can't do this anymore. I feel like everyone is out to get me. For once I understand how Irène feels.

"Don't worry. He should be grateful Alex isn't rotting in prison."

Rich people don't pay for their mistakes. I don't even know how he managed to get accepted into the other university. It ruins their reputation, but again, most people don't even know what he did.

If it wasn't for him, Derek and I would have been together.

Enough of that. I need to think about my classes, which are starting tomorrow.

I unpack my baggage again and I put everything in the closet and the drawer. The next holiday will be in summer and I doubt I will go to my mother's home again. Things have been shitty since she accused me of still talking to Derek. At least she doesn't know he slept in my bed on New Year's Eve.