Chapter 43

The car came to a smooth stop in front of the main building. Megan and Rachel stepped out together. At Meridian University, students might confuse Einstein with Edison, but no one could fail to recognize Megan. She was basically the plus-one of Tristan by now, and that came with serious street cred. No one dared cross her. People actually made detours just to avoid walking too close, like they were afraid they'd somehow offend her just by existing—like breathing near her could get them KO'd. They walked into the classroom and, like clockwork, Rachel tugged Megan toward the back row and plopped down next to her, already grinning. "That back-of-the-room view... truly the underrated art of admiring hairstyles," she joked. Megan gave her a helpless look. Trust Rachel to turn slacking into something artsy. That's when a high-pitched, over-the-top laugh echoed through the room like someone had set off a ringtone from hell. Enter stage left: Natalie and Amelia. The second Natalie spotted the