Five hours later and I'm done with all classes for the next four days. I'm driving back home for the weekend and I couldn't be happier. Time away from the Croakington house and Raven will do me some good. I take my time heading back to the house, taking the long route-walking around the library and the Edinburgh building. Making my normal ten to fifteen-minute walk; into a thirty-minute one. The reason I need time away from Raven is that when I tried to talk to her about the whole Natalie thing—she actually got upset with me. Saying she is allowed to have friends outside of me. I totally agree, but it just seemed off. Also, what was the need for her to get so defensive, I didn't attack her or anything.

"Hello?" I walked into the house and was welcomed by silence. "Hello, guys? Is anyone home?" No answer. I take that as my cue to quickly pack and leave before anyone decides to make a special appearance. I guess the guys need their space and having me here is making them slightly uncomfortable. Making my way to my room I stop on the second floor to see if Vincent is home.

Crap.

I don't know which room is his. There is nothing outside their doors to tell them apart. I play eeny, meeny, miny, moe. I pick the second door to my right. I knock twice, before entering. The room is empty, I try another one. Knocking twice I open one door and then another. Two more rooms on this floor and I don't think to knock on the next one, no one is home and now I am just curious to see what the other rooms look like. Each one is the same layout but has different decorations.

I open the next door and what I see cannot be unseen.

Darren is lying on his bed, masturbating. Oh, this can't be happening. This is definitely happening. I tear my eyes from his private part to his face. He looks just as embarrassed as me. He slowly reaches for one of his pillows covering himself. My hand tightens on the doorknob, this is what I get for not knocking and assuming everyone was gone. I see his mouth moving, but can't hear a word he is saying. My heart is pounding loudly in my ears. Quickly, I walk backward closing the door. I stand in front of his door shocked; I don't know what the hell to do. Mere seconds, later he opens his room door and looks shocked to see me still standing there. Hell, I would too.

He clears his throat.

"I am so sorry. I shouldn't hav-"

"Walked in without knocking?" He raises an eyebrow at me.

"Right. I should have knocked. I didn't think anyone was home."

"So, you go around walking in other people's rooms without their consent? Are you some kind of thief Charles?" he is teasing me.

"I'm not-I don't but..." I have nothing. I got caught doing something I wasn't supposed to.

"Charlotte Withers, how may I help you?" I am so happy he decides to change the topic. I was going to keep digging myself into a bigger hole if the conversation kept going. I didn't want him to go back and tell the guys I am some sort of peeping Tammy or something along those lines. Chase would have a field day with that one. "Charles?"

"Oh, right. I was actually looking for Vincent's room." I look up and down the hall. "I am not sure which one he is staying at. You guys don't have anything to tell your rooms apart and the inside of them are different, but none of you have photographs inside of them."

"You say it like we are in a hotel," he laughs. "Also, did you go snooping inside the rooms?" he reaches out and cups my face.

I tense up.

"Oh my fairy godmother, let go of my face." I want to cry. He smirks at me and his hands fall back to his sides. I push him with all my might. "Darren that is so disgusting of you. You were just in there, choking your chicken and then you put your hands on my face!" I screw up my face and make a run for it, upstairs to my bathroom. I hear Darren laughing saying something along the lines of that will teach me, going into people's rooms.

I think if I scrubbed my face anymore I am going to peel my skin right off. This can't be happening to me. What the hell have I done to deserve such punishment? I bend over to wash the face cleanser off and hear footsteps, coming into the bathroom.

"You are going to be extremely red if you don't stop." He chuckles and it drives me crazier than I already am. "Can you please stop Charles?" He walks into the bathroom, taking a hold of my wrist. I yank it back glaring at him.

"Get out," I say through gritted teeth. "Have you ever heard of knocking?"

"If it isn't the pot calling the kettle black." He retorts walking out of the bathroom. I hear my bed squeak, placing the washcloth on the counter I head into my room.

"Off the bed, Darren." I slap his feet off the bed; he sits up and stares at me, a slow smile making its way to his face.

"Why? Do you want to return the favor and masturbate for me? I am all for it. Shall I walk out of the room, so you can get comfortable?"

"Ha. Very funny. Now get out."

"Not a chance. I'm actually glad you walked in on me. I need to talk to you about something."

I take a seat next to him. "If you want me to jerk you off or whatever, I am going to slap you." He chuckles shaking his head no.

"I actually need your help with something and I don't want the guys and especially Chase to know about it." He sits straight up on the bed. "This is serious Charles."

The smile wipes off my face. It's my turn to sit straight up; I look at him with a confused facial expression. I wait for him to speak; I don't want him to feel rushed or anything. I watch as he looks around the room, before clearing his throat. The anticipation is killing me. I want to know what it is now. I open my mouth to speak, but he beats me to it.

"Promise not to tell the guys." He pauses staring at me intensively. "Seriously, not a peep."

"I promise. What is it?"

"You can't rush these things Charles." he is making a dramatic entrance, for sure.

"But what I can rush is you out of my room. So start speaking or get out."

He raises his hands in the air. "Fine. Fine. Fine. So, about our project I want you to help us. Chase already told the guys not to ask you because you already made it clear you don't want to assist us on this project. I, on the other hand, don't want his choice of girl to help us out. Because when she comes around the whole crew of hers is going to be over here." He sighs heavily.

"Who is the girl? And I know the project is about food, so I'm fifty-percent interested. I don't know why you guys won't tell me. Is this how you guys are with your female friends? If so, I'm surprised you guys had girlfriends."

A smile lights Darren's face. "I thought you didn't know us?"

"Just that you-I don't know much," I confess sort of.

"You know enough if you know we had multiple girlfriends. Look, say you will help us and I will tell you all about it," he shrugs.

"I don't know, what will Chase think?"

"What will I think about what?" Chase's huge frame completely takes over my doorway. He is looking between Darren and me. I don't know what he is feeling because Chase doesn't wear any other facial expression besides his signature nonchalant one. Back in middle school, he was the boy who could light up a room with his smile. Now, looking at him I don't see that anymore. I haven't seen that side of him since tenth grade. He grew into a smooth, Casanova asshole.

Darren clears his throat, sending me a tight smile. I was never good at coming up with a lie on the spot. I'm not a good liar anyway, my parents were always happy about that. "I was telling Darren, that I would love to assist you guys on your school project. I've always wondered what business major people had to do for their finals."

Chase raises one of his thick eyebrows at me. "Really?" He looks over to Darren.

"Yeah, man. I think we should let her. This morning was a bit intense and everyone was all over the place. I know the guys will be thrilled to know she is on board. We will pass with flying colors for sure." Darren answers and then I get slightly worried that, what if I can't really help them pass? "Besides, most of the girls in the culinary department praise her. She is like their Food God." Okay, now I feel like he is pushing it with that one.

"Ok, fine."

"Really?" It is my turn to look at Chase with raised eyebrows. He didn't put up a fight as I thought he would. I search his face for something, I don't know what, but there is nothing just a blank expression.

"Of course," Is all he says and walks to his room, closing the door. , but I have a feeling he wasn't going to make working with him easy.

"That went well. Better than I thought." Darren laughs it off heading out of my room. "I'll let you relax before we dive into the project tonight." He taps the door frame.

"Tonight? I can't." I look over at my suitcase.

"Are you flaking again?"

"Of course not." I huff. "It was—I was going to visit my parents for the weekend. I have a four-day weekend. Can we postpone it until next week?"

"Uhhh," He scratches the back of his head. "We can't postpone it; you can go to your parents. Natalie decided to help us out on the project temporarily, so I guess you are free to go. I let the guys know you aren't flaking but had prior engagements before this. So no worries." He smiles at me.

"Natalie?"

"Chase's ex-situation as he would like to call it, but I like to say she is the ex-girlfriend he can't stay away from," I remember exactly who she is. Last night one of the guys mentioned she use to cook for them when she stayed over with Chase on and off for the last three two years. I never had an encounter with Natalie before, but she made my blood boil whenever I did see her and Chase flaunting their PDA all over campus.

"Oh okay." I try not to sound jealous, but with the look Darren gives me I know I failed miserably.

"Have fun with your Parentals. Catch ya' later Charles." He smiles walking away.

Just great.

It's just the beginning of the semester and I feel like I've been here forever.

"Sweet niblets!" I whisper to myself.