Chapter 18

OPHELIA “Dammit!” The girl sitting a few seats away from me pushes her long auburn hair out of her face as she shakes her pen and curses again. “You want to borrow one of mine?” I ask her. I brace myself, waiting for the sneer or eye roll that usually follows me attempting to spark up a conversation with anyone. But she smiles, and it lights up her pretty, lightly freckled face that reminds me of the models in makeup commercials. “Do you mind?” I rummage through my pencil case and pull out a pen for her. “Not at all. I have dozens of them.” She reaches along the table and takes it from me. Holding it aloft, she eyes the unicorn pattern, and I cringe. I just turned nineteen; it’s probably time for me to stop buying shit with unicorns on it. “Cute,” she says with another smile. “Thanks so much. You’re a lifesaver.” I smile back. “You’re welcome.” She reaches across the desk again, holding out her hand. “I’m Cadence.” I take her outstretched hand. “Ophelia.” “It’s so nice to meet you, Oph