Barbie has been avoiding me for three days. Ever since she stormed out of the library after blurting out some nonsense about Elena talking to Dr.Garcia, she's gone out of her way to not cross paths with me. 

That's what I wanted before we became partners, but her refusal to schedule another study session will impact my grade. Our assignment is due in a couple of days. There's no way in hell I'll have enough time to complete it on my own — not with my packed schedule and a ton of other commitments. I need her to do her part.

As soon as I slump into a seat, my knee bounces, and my gaze skitters around the auditorium. One by one, students file into the room and occupy their chairs, but none of them wear the obnoxious heels that click so loudly they draw the attention of every person in the vicinity.

Dr. Garcia takes up his place behind the lectern, and the lecture begins.

I keep glancing at the door, but nothing changes. Barbie missed the class, and I spend the rest of it planning my next move instead of listening to the professor.

When Dr. Garcia dismisses us, I wait for everyone to leave and approach the podium.

"Dr. Garcia," I say, clearing my throat.

He takes off his glasses and puts them in the front pocket of his shirt. "What happened this time?"

This time?

Before I say my next words, he grabs some papers and taps his index finger on the page on top. "Miss Van Doren and you make a good team. You completed the task before it was due, and the quality's excellent. So you can tell Miss Atkins her concern was unnecessary. I paired you up with my best student, and it wasn't a mistake."

"I—"

"Don't waste more of my time, Mr. Hutches," Dr. Garcia says, giving me a pointed look.

My shoulders slump, and my cheeks burn. 

"Sure. Thank you," I mumble, turning to leave.

Fuck. Barbie didn't lie. Elena talked to him about me. Why would she meddle? Also, what was that shit about the task Barbie and I presumably completed? I haven't even started doing my part, which means…

Tara did both mine and hers and conveniently missed the lecture. So did Elena, although for a different reason. She said something about an appointment. I'd know what if I actually listened. Or cared.

Someone elbows me in their rush to get to the next class. I realize I zoned out in the middle of the crowded hallway and pivot to leave the Humanities Building. 

I need to put Elena in her place. She has no business talking to professors behind my back. 

The air outside isn't chilly enough to cool me off. Anger fills me, rushing through my bloodstream, infecting every cell like a highly contagious virus.

I got involved with her for the wrong reasons. Looking back, I don't even know why. I was drunk and miserable, and she happened to be at the same party. I wouldn't normally look her way, much less sleep with her if I were sober. But one drunken hookup led to another, and it became a routine — studying, having sex, and not giving a damn about each other during the rest of the day.

Keeping my eyes glued to the ground, I march to the Science Building. Elena and I have Bio together later, but the conversation needs to happen before the class.

Lucky for me, I spot her by the entrance, alone.

"Elena."

She looks up from her phone. "I was waiting for you. Let's go."

"No. We need to talk."

"We'll be late."

"I don't care."

She rolls her eyes and shoves the phone into her purse. "Let's get coffee, then."

"I don't want coffee. What I want is to know why the fuck you talked to Dr. Garcia about me."

Elena shifts her weight. "Who told you that?"

"He did."

Her mouth opens and closes. Either she didn't expect me to find out, or she had no clue the professor wouldn't keep her shenanigans secret.

I cross my arms. "Nothing to say?"

"Your grades are important to you. Someone like her will drag you down. I did you a favor," Elena says. 

"And by favor, you mean making me look like an idiot in Dr. Garcia's eyes? Let me deal with Tara on my own. I don't need your fucking help."

Elena smirks. "Don't tell me she brainwashed you too. It didn't take long. Evans is dumb, but you're not so smart, either, after all."

I inhale. The crisp air fills my lungs, and a semblance of calm settles over me for the first time in forever.

"We're done."

Elena's panicked gaze flits to my face. "What do you mean?"

"The fucking. The studying. All of it. It's over."

"You can't be serious."

"But I am. I have enough shit to deal with without your intrigues. Find another fuck buddy, El."

Her face falls. What did she expect? That I'd thank her? 

"I'm not going to class," I say. "See you around."

My legs carry me to my car. It's as if I'm barely touching the ground, and the feeling is so foreign it makes me smile. Not even the sound of Elena yelling my name dampens my suddenly good mood. 

I shrug off my backpack and the jacket and drop them onto the back seat. A minute later, the engine of my Mustang purrs to life, and I reverse out of the parking lot.

The traffic isn't heavy yet. Eventually, I drive off the highway and veer onto a narrow road.

After I park, I get out of the car and round it to open the trunk. A groan pushes past my lips when I don't see my wet suit. I could swim without it, but catching a cold before midterms isn't in my plans.

The trunk closes with a click, and I stroll down the familiar path leading to the beach.

My body relaxes with each step. The roar of waves as they crash against the rocks soothes me, and the breeze coming from the ocean feels heavenly on my skin.

Even the sky is the way I like it – stormy clouds cover it, the gray tones reminding me of smudged charcoal on a white page. 

I sit and survey the beach. It's empty save for the seagulls. Pieces of driftwood litter the sand, but since the tide is rising, it won't be long until the water carries them back into the ocean. 

As my eyes continue roaming my surroundings, I spot something I failed to see right away. A person is swimming toward the shore, wearing a similar suit to the one I'd forgotten. 

When the swimmer scrambles to their feet and straightens, I jolt upright.

It must be a joke. I'd say she followed me here, except Barbie came to my favorite spot first.

She squeezes the water out of her hair as she walks in my direction. Her focus must be elsewhere because she doesn't notice me. Not until her name leaves my lips.

"Tara."

She halts. Her head snaps up at the sound of my voice, and Barbie takes a step back.

"What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same," I say. "It's my favorite place. Are you stalking me?"

Barbie huffs, combing her fingers through her blond strands. "Believe me; if I'd known you would be here, I would've chosen a different time to swim."

She shivers and wraps her arms around her midsection. The uncertainty is written all over her face. She doesn't know what to do. Truth is, neither do I. But there are things we need to talk about, like why she did the task for me as if I were useless or dumb.

"I didn't send Elena to talk to Dr. Garcia," I begin. "That's on her."

Tara shrugs and starts pacing the length of the beach. 

I angle my body toward her. "What the fuck are you doing?" 

"Measuring ten foot. Don't have a pole, but this will do," Barbie says, sitting.

I haven't met anyone more ridiculous in my almost twenty-one years of life.

"Whatever," I mutter. "It's the truth. I—"

"Don't." She hugs her knees. "Too late, Basti. The assignment is done, so we don't have to schedule any sessions until Dr. Garcia gives us another problem to analyze."

"Why the hell did you do that? We're supposed to do things together. I'm not stupid; I can do my part."

Tara laughs, and I take in her wet hair and pale face. It's fifty-seven degrees outside. Her feet are probably freezing. 

"I didn't do it for you," she says.

A cold droplet smashes against my forehead. I wipe it off and rake my fingers through my hair.

"Let's grab some coffee."

Why did I just say that?  I couldn't have meant it. We're not friends. People who can't stand each other don't do the coffee shit. 

Tara jumps to her feet and dusts sand off her suit. "I'll pass. The beach is all yours, Basti. Enjoy."

Cold sand muffles her footsteps as she walks away from me.

I forget about the cold and the rain and watch her instead.

Is that thing with Elena over, though?

There's a bunch of new readers. What are your thoughts so far?

Thoughts about Bast? Tara?

Also, that coffee offer. What the hell is Bast even thinking?