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Prologue

Sydney

I just punched a girl in the face Not just any girl My best friend My roommate

Well, as of five uess I should call her my ex-roommate

Her nose began bleeding al her But then I re whore she is, and it ain I would have if Hunter hadnt prevented it by stepping between us

So instead, I punched hie to hie Ive done to my hand

Punching soined it would Not that I spend an excessive a hoould feel to punch people Although I aain as I stare down at e Hes another one Id like to get even with I know he technically has nothing to do with iven me a heads-up a little sooner Therefore, Id like to punch him, too

Ridge: Are you OK? Do u want to come up until the rain stops?

Of course, I dont want to coes apartment, it would hurt a whole lot worse after I finished with him

I turn around and look up at his balcony Hes leaning against his sliding-glass door; phone in hand, watching hts from the courtyard illuminate his face His dark eyes lock with retful smile makes it hard to remember why Im even upset with hih the hair hanging loosely over his forehead, revealing even more of the worry in his expression Or ret As it should be

I decide not to reply and flip his his shoulders, as if to say, I tried, and then he goes back inside his apartment and slides his door shut

I put the phone back in ets wet, and I look around at the courtyard of the apartment complex where Ive lived for thole months When we firstup the last traces of spring, but this courtyard see to life Vibrant blue and purple hydrangeas lined the ays leading up to the staircases The fountain affixed in the center of the courtyard saw a steady stream of youthful visitors

Now that summer has reached itssince evaporated The hydrangeas are a sad, wilted reminder of the excite at the courtyard now, defeated by the season, is an eerie parallel to how I feel at the moment Defeated and sad

Ie of the now empty cement fountain, my elbows propped up on the two suitcases that containfor a cab to pickto take ht now Which is, well, homeless

I could call ive the all the We told you sos at me

We told you not to move so far away, Sydney

We told you not to get serious with that guy

We told you if you had chosen prelaw over music, ould have paid for it

We told you to punch with your thumb on the outside of your fist

Okay,techniques, but if theyre so right all the damn time, they should have

I clench ain My hand is surprisingly sore, and Iuys Punching sucks

Knohat else sucks? Rain It always finds the ht nohile Im homeless

The cab finally pulls up, and I stand and grab ets out and pops open the trunk Before I even hand him the first suitcase, my heart sinks as I suddenly realize that I dont even have my purse on me

Shit

I look around, back to where I was sitting on the suitcases, then feel around ically appear across my shoulder But I know exactly where my purse is I pulled it off ht before I punched Tori in her overpriced, Cameron Diaz nose

I sigh And I laugh Of course, I lefthomeless would have been way too easy if Id had a purse with me

I ed ht now

I know theres a hotel about a half-o back inside and get ure out what to do Its not as if I can get any wetter