It took fourteen remaining minutes for the two girls to finish their smoothies. They did so in absolute silence, Rebecca feeling herself grow smaller and smaller with every passing second that Kennedy didn't make a sound. How was she to know that the girl didn't like to talk about herself? Some people were private. She should have thought about that before she pried.

"Ready?"

Kennedy said one word when she had finished the last of her drink and stood to leave, grabbing her keys and wallet off of the table and not waiting to see if Rebecca was following her. Rebecca nodded to herself and stood as well, jogging slightly to follow Kennedy out of the door and to her car, which was already started by the time Rebecca had closed the door after getting in.

Kennedy dropped her off at her apartment without saying another word, driving off the second Rebecca's foot left the vehicle.

Rebecca turned around and watched the Accord drive out of the parking lot and onto the main road, disappearing out of sight within thirty seconds. She stood in that same spot for the next ten minutes, staring at the spot where the car had disappeared absentmindedly, her entire body having next to no feeling. She had been so close. So close to being 'in,' to being liked and invited to things and known by people other than her roommates. So close to having friends who hadn't known her since high school and only continued to hang around her out of pity. So close. So close.

And it was gone. Snatched away from her because she had asked a stupid question and tried to pry too much into the life of someone she had met 24 hours earlier. She had no right to ask about Kennedy's life. But she had, and now she was done. She had been given one day of a peek into the good life, and it had been taken away because of her big mouth.

Slowly, Rebecca forced her feet to move and take her into her apartment. She unlocked the door and walked into the apartment, closing the door softly behind her in hopes that no one would hear her enter and she could go to her room in peace.

"Bec!"

No such luck. It had been a rather luckless day, all things considered.

"Hey, Celeste." Rebecca smiled slightly, throwing her gym bag on the counter and sitting down at the kitchen table. She felt like her smoothie was going to come up the wrong end with how her stomach was churning through its embarrassment. "How's your morning been?"

"Alright." Celeste shrugged as she continued to chop pineapple and place a few pieces into different reusable containers, "I've just been meal prepping mostly. Trying to do something productive."

"Proud of you." Rebecca commented absentmindedly, scrolling through Instagram as she spoke and half-listened. No posts from Kennedy.

"How was volleyball?" Celeste asked after a few moments of silence, "Did you win?"

"Not quite." Rebecca laughed, "But it was fun. The girls were all super nice, but also...super competitive."

"I'm shocked." Celeste laughed, "If you're doing anything with Kennedy Abrams, I'm assuming you're gonna be good at it."

"Yeah, true." Rebecca replied, switching from Instagram to Twitter. All she really wanted was to go to sleep and forget that she had said the stupid thing she had said and ruined the chances of being friends with someone she had admired for a while at that point. But she couldn't go to sleep at 1:38 in the afternoon on a Sunday, it didn't make any sense.

She was about to turn off her phone and consider engaging in actual conversation with Celeste when a text message appeared at the top of her screen from the person who was still occupying her every thought.

Hey Rebecca! Sorry for being totally weird a little while ago, no clue what that was about. I must be about to get my period. Anyways, you should totally come over to my place tomorrow morning for coffee. 8:30? Please tell me you'll be there, I'm so sick of my apartment already. Love you, see you tomorrow!

Rebecca finished reading the novel-length message and thought for a moment. She had class at 8 AM on Mondays, and she had never skipped a class before. She should really go to class. She knew that.

But after believing that this life had been snatched away from her, all she wanted to do was accept the invitation and solidify her place in Kennedy's life: no more questions and no more prying. Just being a friend. A friend of Kennedy Abrams.

I'll be there!

Rebecca sent the message and instantly regretted the exclamation point, but the deed had already been done. She set her phone down and looked up at Celeste, who was staring at her expectantly.

"What was that? Did a guy just text you or does your face light up like that over an Instagram like?"

Rebecca shook her head.

"It was nothing. I got a better grade on an exam than I was expecting."

Celeste cocked her head to the side.

"Exam? My exams don't start until next month."

Rebecca felt her face starting to grow red and shrugged in response.

"Mine were just earlier I guess."

Celeste nodded slowly and returned to her food preparation as Rebecca stood to go to her room. She was safe. Kennedy didn't hate her. She still had an in—a way into the world she had always watched from the outside.

A/N: Thoughts? Kennedy? Rebecca? Let me know what you think about the book so far!

-Katherine