I groaned, rolling over onto my stomach while Chloe shook me like she was an earthquake. "Wake up, wake up, wake up! Bitch!"

"Chloe!" I yelled, pushing her off, smiling to myself when she landed on her ass.

She grabbed a pillow, ready to smack me but then threw it on the bed. "It's your birthday eve so I won't do anything," she huffed. "Let's go."

"Where?" I whined.

"We have class in fifteen minutes; if we don't leave now, we'll be late!"

"Stop yelling!" I sat up, grabbing my claw clip and twisting my hair into a bun.

"Change, hurry," she ordered.

I grabbed a sundress from my closet and went into the bathroom. I quickly brushed my teeth, splashed some water on my face, and then got dressed. I ran back out, leaving my hair as it was, and pulled on my converse. I grabbed my bag, which I was smart enough to pack last night, and then my keys.

We ran out of our apartment and started walking to campus. We got lucky when we found an apartment so close to it.

"Mr. Jeffery is going to kill us if we're late again," she mumbled, both of our walks turning into a jog.

"Then I'll pull the birthday card," I chuckled, both of us starting to run on the sidewalk.

We were running past our local coffee shop and diner which was named Candy's Coffee. Because the owner was an old lady named Candy. The doors opened and both Chloe and I halted so we didn't get hit in the face. I huffed, rolling my eyes when I saw who it was.

"Hey, Chloe." Reece smiled at her. "Indigo." He smirked at me. He was the only person in the world who called me that.

"We're late, sorry." Chloe grabbed my hand and pulled me around him.

I groaned when he grabbed my arm, pulling me back. I looked at Chloe pleadingly.

"I'm going, sorry," she said quickly before running ahead.

I spun around to face him. "What?"

"Pretty dress. Who's it for?"

"You."

"Haha. Need a ride?" he asked, lifting his brows at me while sipping on his coffee.

"From you?"

He shook his head. "We live in the same neighborhood, it's a walk to campus. I'm not driving, I'm just asking if you need a ride." He smirked.

I glared at him, smacking the coffee cup out of his hand.

He stared at the spilled coffee, frowning. "That was rude."

I threw his hand off of me and shot him a glare. "No use crying over spilled coffee." I turned around and started running again, swiping my ID card at the entrance and running into campus, stumbling into the room right behind Mr. Jeffery. "Sorry," I said, catching my breath and climbing up the stairs, taking the spot beside Chloe.

"You made it," she teased.

"You left me, traitor," I scoffed, taking out my notebook.

While Mr. Jeffery set up his laptop, I checked my schedule for the day. As a university student in Boston, my day usually revolved around my classes. I was studying creative writing and business. On top of that, I took psychology for extra credit. My classes were never more than five a day and that day, I had business, psychology, and English literature. In that order. I had different classes for each of those. Marketing, literature, stuff like that.

We usually sat closer to the back so it was easier to slip inside if we were late. But that day, the back entrance had been blocked off. God knew why. I had an entire hour in between this class and my next one; that was when I'd go back to the apartment and shower and get ready properly.

The back door shook, catching my attention. I blinked, looking away from it and continuing to write my notes, using my laptop to look up whatever I didn't understand.

The front doors to the hall opened, slamming against the wall. Everybody jumped.

I didn't; I kept writing.

Mr. Jeffery stopped, looking at the door. H was one of those teachers who would stop teaching and just stare at the student who was late until they sat down.

"Sorry, Mr. Jeffery, I was busy." Reece grinned, leaving an assignment on Mr. Jeffery's desk. "That's my essay redone that you asked for, by the way."

"You were busy?" Mr. Jeffery scoffed.

Why did he like riling up the teachers?

"Don't you know? It's our lovely Indigo's birthday. I was buying her a present." He turned to me, waving. "Hey."

Everybody turned around.

I shifted in my seat and put my head down while Chloe laughed softly beside me, watching us. I kicked her leg and she winced, elbowing me.

"Her birthday, is it?" Mr. Jeffery asked, looking at me.

I shook my head quickly.

"Liar," Reece sang. "It's tomorrow," he said to Mr. Jeffery. "I was just preparing. Sorry. Can I sit now?" He didn't wait for Mr. Jeffery's response and sat down in the free seat that was right in front of me.

Mr. Jeffery resumed teaching and I glared at the back of his head.

"Stop digging daggers into the back of my head. You'll drill a hole through it," he said, looking at me over his shoulder.

"If I had gum right now, I would stick it in your hair," I mumbled, focusing on my notes.

"Where's your boyfriend today?" He turned to look at me.

"Where's your best friend today?"

He frowned. "Caleb doesn't take this class."

"I'm talking about Landon."

"He's your boyfriend."

"He calls you his best friend," I deadpanned.

"Oops. Anyway, where is he?"

I shrugged.

"You don't keep tabs on your boyfriend?"

I rolled my eyes and started ignoring him.

"You should," he mumbled.

I leaned across the table, pushing the back of his head forward.

He clicked his tongue, turning to glare at me.

"Reece." We both looked up at Mr. Jeffery.

I quickly pulled my hand back down and acted like I was engrossed in my notes.

"Answer the question."

"What's the question?" Reece asked, sticking his hand out under the table, facing me.

I ripped a corner of the page from the back of my notebook and waited for the question.

"Tell me at least two benefits to an organization using a partnership business structure as opposed to establishing a corporation structure."

"He hates you so much," I whispered, scribbling down the answer. I shoved the note into his hand and he pretended to look down at his notebook.

"Partnerships require lower costs than a corporation. And partnerships also have lower taxes. Is that right, Mr. Jeffery?" He grinned, ripping the note under the table.

Mr. Jeffery looked up at me. "Indie, answer the next one."

I nodded.

"In an economy, if the share of its primary sector is 50% or more in the total output of the economy, what's it called?"

We were studying partnerships, this question had nothing to do with that.

"Agrarian Economy," I answered.

He sighed in frustration before nodding. "That's correct."

I smiled, continuing with my notes while he continued teaching. I looked down when Reece stuck his hand out again, holding out a dollar bill. I took it, slipping it into my bag. Every time I helped him, I got a dollar. Every time he helped me, he got a dollar. Which he never got because he didn't know shit, or so he said. I knew he knew everything because he was actually a smart fuck, but he didn't like helping me, so he acted dumb.

The bell chimed and we were all dismissed.

"See you later," I said to Chloe, heading back home. I was walking to the exit when someone fell into step beside me. I thought it was Reece, so I asked the obvious question. "What the fuck do you want?"

"Whoa," I heard a chuckle.

I stopped, looking over. "Oh shit, sorry," I laughed, hugging Landon's arm.

"Hi, baby," he grinned, kissing the side of my head.

"Hey. Where were you? You didn't come for class," I stated as he grabbed my hand and rocked our held hands back and forth.

"I felt like shit when I woke up. Didn't feel like coming."

I nodded in understanding.

"Are you going back home?"

"Yeah. I have an hour till my next class. You want to come?"

He shook his head. "I've got class in ten minutes." I nodded, stopping at the campus entrance. "See you later." He nodded, pecking my lips. "Bye." He turned around, catching up to some guys from his next class.

I turned around, swiped my ID, and walked out the turnstile gate. I started walking to the apartment, my phone ringing in the process. It' was my mom. "Hello," I sang.

"Hi, hon. How's it going?"

"It's going good, what's up?"

"So, listen."

I stopped walking, already knowing what was coming. They weren't visiting. Again.

"We can't make it to Boston this time, sweetie. We've got a really important deal to close, we won't make it in time for your birthday. So, why don't we just wait till your summer break, hmm?"

This was my second year in college. And it was the second time they' were doing this to me. "Sure," I sighed, pulling out my wallet and walking into Candy's Coffee.

"We're sorry, hon. But you'll visit us here in New York during the summer, right?"

"Yeah, the summer. Which is still two months away, Mom. I'll be there," I chuckled, rolling my eyes. I wouldn't be there though. Chloe and I were going to Hawaii this year. I was not going to the humid, sticky, annoying New York. I never liked New York, that was why I freaking moved to Boston for college.

"Okay. Happy birthday eve, by the way."

"Thanks," I mumbled, waiting in line.

"Bye, hon."

"Bye, Mom." I hung up and shoved the phone into my bag, taking out some cash.

"Move." I felt someone grab my arm and yank me back.

"Hey, I—" I stopped talking when he turned to look at me. "Reece, I was here first."

He ignored me and stepped up to the counter, stealing my turn. "Two iced black teas, please." He paid and then collected the drinks, turning to me and handing me one. "There. Happy birthday, eve." He walked around me and left.

I frowned, looking at the drink, and then stepped out of line. I left, walking a few feet behind him while sipping the drink.

"Are you following me, Indigo?" He called out without turning to look at me.

"Our apartment buildings are next to each other, asshole!" I answered, biting the straw.

He turned around, glanced at me, smirking, and then continued walking.