Extra Credit

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 39

Calista
The off campus bar was overflowing for a Thursday night. She had somehow wrestled me into a country bar on one of the busiest strips in the city. The dance floor was a sea of ten gallon hats and plaid. The high top table we managed to secure was off to the side, right under a pair of mounted bull horns. The blonde bombshell stood in front of me plopped her empty glass down with a clang.

“Are you sure you don’t want just one drink?” Ella held up one sharp finger in front of her face and gave me a puppy dog stare. “Speaking from experience, it does help a little bit.”

“I’m sure El,” I promised, grabbing onto her hands and bringing them down in front of her. Her talons were dangerously close to her eye and the last thing I needed was an unexpected trip to the nearest hospital. “You have another one for me.”

“But that’s not how tonight was supposed to go,” she whined, throwing her head back.

I laughed at her antics. “How was tonight supposed to go?”

She didn’t have to tell me. I knew about her wicked little plan from the beginning. For the last few nights, Ella had spent an odd amount of time in our dorm room. She had been itching to go out, I could tell by the way she paced against our worn carpet, but she was a good friend and didn’t have the heart to leave me alone. I knew she was going stir crazy, so when she asked me to go out to a bar off campus with her I couldn’t turn her down.

“You were meant to drink with me,” she pouted.

“And then how would we get home? I signed up to be DD.”

“Leave my car in her comfy, little parking spot and take an Uber back—duh.”

The corner of my lip twitched. “I’m okay, Ella.”

“Are you sure?” She asked, leaning in closer. “I know you really liked him.”

I gave her a gentle nod. “I’ll survive. Thank you for being such a good friend.”

“Always, Cali Girl,” she said. She heaved me in for a hug so hard I almost fell off my stool. “If you ever need anything—and I mean anything—you just say the word.”

“Actually, if you could get Harper to stop planning Lincoln’s murder that would be great,” I said into her hair.

“No can do.”

I couldn’t contain the giggle that escaped past my lips. “And why not?”

“Because I’m helping her.” She leaned back, one hand resting on each one of my shoulders. “For legal purposes, I’m kidding. But that boy better hope we don’t cross paths anytime soon.”

She gave me a pat only to saunter off to the bar with the empty glass she had sitting on the high top table we were occupying. She shimmed with the music all the way to the bartender in her leather boots.

While Ella schmoozed another drooling college boy into buying her a drink a vibration started in my back pocket. I dragged out my phone, taking note of the name on the screen. My heart skipped a beat.

Lincoln’s face flashed into the screen. It was a selfie that Sadie had taken one night while I was over their house. I had given her my phone to play with while Lincoln and I were studying—something to pass the time and keep her occupied. Well, the smart cookie figured out how to work the camera. Something inside me warmed at the memory. The two of them were sporting goofy grins. I wasn’t even sure Lincoln knew I had this picture.

Wandering towards the back door, I tried to find a quieter space to answer the call. I managed to slip into the hallway that led to the bathroom before pressing accept.