Moose and Goose

Chapter Twenty-one

The student lounge is packed, and Judith has to push through the crowd to get a good look at Jerome's table, only to discover that it's empty. She looks over her shoulder, her ears ringing from everyone's loud voices, but she searches the student lounge despite her annoyance.

"Are you kidding me," someone yells, catching her attention. When she sees Jerome, his friends, and Mary in front of the bulletin board posted against the wall far to the left of his table, she smiles and breathes a sigh of relief.

"Take a chill pill, K," Mary tells him, but her body is as tense as his from the news that they read. Judith approaches them.

"How can I when this is the second time that they rescheduled?" Khalíd turns his body to her, and he stares into her solemn, blue irises with his dark and serious ones.

"Exactly, and I spent my car money to join," Manuel chimes in. Judith stands at a distance, Mary is standing behind Jerome, and she has her back to her. "It's non-refundable, and without the payout, I'm fucked."

"You're exaggerating, Manny," she says, and he rolls his eyes in disbelief. Jerome and Eric turn away from the board to look at them. Khalíd lays his irises on Judith.

"Hey, 'Rome, your kitten is here," Khalíd says before Manuel can respond. They all avert their gazes at her, and Mary rolls hers as well.

"I don't mean to interrupt," she tells them while shifting her gaze from one to the other. "I actually need to speak with you, Mare."

"If this is about Derek," she begins, but Judith interrupts her.

"No, I was wondering why no one showed up for the group." They look at Mary when she heaves a sigh.

"La'Shawna hasn't shown up since your little announcement during our trust exercise, and William and Anthony think it's because of what you said," she explains. "You must've upset her."

"Well, that wasn't my intention." Mary shrugs her shoulders nonchalantly. "Where's Kacey?"

"Hell if I know. I don't keep tabs on you bitches – especially her." She scoffs incredulously and wrinkles her brows at her, taking undue offense from her question. Mary turns away from her to face her two snickering friends.

"You're so plastic," Judith says with a disgusted expression that she doesn't notice. Mary watches her walk toward the exit with her bag over her shoulder.

"Like a Barbie doll that you couldn't afford," Mary quips, and Judith raises her left hand, her middle finger aimed at her before she can reach the door.

"That's not funny," Mary lowers her voice at Khalíd and Manuel when they belt out louder laughs. Eric looks at Jerome, whose attention is glued to Judy until she steps outside.

Judith storms down the path to the sorority with her fists balled up at her sides, angry huffs of breath entering and exiting her nose.

"Hey!" When she sees Andrés approaching from the frat yards, she stops walking, and her hands relax. He stands in front of Judith, his hands in the pockets of his jeans, his long-sleeved black shirt hugging his frame.

"Hi," she says while forcing a smile before looking past his head. Derek Oliver is towering over a short girl with a sandy red afro and a caramel complexion. She's laughing heartily at whatever he is saying while resting her hands on her abdomen.

"I wanted to apologize for yesterday. Usually, I'm pretty cool around women, but I guess all that talk about my ex-girlfriend reminded me of how lonely I really am," Andrés says, but his voice is fading in her ears. "Can we restart?"

Judith watches the short girl attempt to walk away from him before stopping in her tracks, his hand on hers. Judith's eyes widen, and her heart races as she waits for his violent side to show, but she's happily disappointed when he merely leans in for a kiss.