"How was class?" Darla asked when I returned to our dorm room. She sat cross-legged on my bed with a still-steaming cup of coffee.
"I have no idea," I said. "Thanks for the coffee. What's the occasion?"
"Well, for one, I'm glad you are back," Darla said. She moved over and made room for me to sit down. "And secondly, it’s been too long since we had a little gossip session."
My heart tripped. I loved gossip, but there had been too much about me lately. It was still hard to walk around campus without people offering condolences or whispering about Sienna behind my back. Plus, Trent had been seen all over campus making out with various men and our break-up was public news.
I sipped my coffee. "I heard some students might protest tomorrow. A sit-in outside the admin office."
Darla shook her head. "Want to know what I heard?" she asked.
"I have a feeling I don't want to know at all."
"Too bad because what I heard is just way too delicious not to talk about. I mean, you can trust me, we'll gossip about it, but nothing will leave this room," Darla said.
"Oh, God, it must be worse than I thought. What did Trent do now?"
"Trent? You mean besides mope, weep, and have jealous fits all over campus?" Darla took a quick sip of her coffee but could not be coy for more than four seconds. "Alright, so Trent told everyone he caught you making out with some stud in Vegas. I asked him about it and turns out I've met the guy. Haven't I?"
"No," I said.
Darla slapped my shoulder. "No way. You are a terrible liar, Quinn. You kissed Owen, didn't you?"
"No. He kissed me," I said. "And it was only to make Trent jealous. He was just being a good friend."
"Well, I have it on good authority that it was a hot and heavy make-everyone-in-the-bar-jealous kind of a kiss," Darla said.
"That's good, right?" I asked, hoping to steer the conversation in a better direction. "And it sounds like it worked. So, Trent is really jealous?"
"Oh, who cares about him?" Darla asked. "Tell me more about Owen! I know you've been not so secretly in love with him forever. Bet that kiss made it feel more than reciprocated, am I right?"
My shoulders slumped. "I have no idea. Owen never said anything afterwards."
"And what about you?"
"What do you think?"
Darla sighed. "That you melt at the thought of it and think about it all the time. I know I would."
"Oh my God, Darla. What am I going to do?"
"Answer your phone, that's for sure," she said. Darla handed me my phone.
It was Owen.
"Hello?" I asked.
"Quinn, I'm glad I caught you. Please don't tell me you have to study this weekend. There's a great tournament in Vegas. Low-key, just gathering players for the bigger events, but I want you to come with me. You'll have a really good time, I promise," Owen said.
"Whoa, wait, slow down. You want me to join you in Vegas this weekend?" I tried to grab Darla's hand, but she had already stood up. She went to my closet, pulled out my small suitcase, and started packing. "For a video game tournament?"
"Honey, who cares if he wants you to dress up as a blue alien? You're going," Darla whispered.
"I told you I think you have potential as a player. And you said it yourself, you love playing. Come on, Quinn. Live a little," Owen said.
"You know I should be studying. I have hundreds of assignments to catch up on," I said.
"Come with me, Quinn. Don't make me beg. We'll have fun. Unless you're scared of a little fun?"