Kiran had been avoiding me all day, but I was not going to let her leave campus without talking to me. I had to know what was going on. A cozy fire crackled in the fireplace in our lobby, and Rose and Vienna sat in front of it, chatting, surrounded by at least a half dozen pieces of luggage as they waited for their rides. I just hoped their being there didn't get in the way of my mission. From my vantage point I was able to see all of my housemates on their way out for the holiday. A couple of parents picked up their daughters, but there were more drivers than family members. Something about the whole procedure made me feel sad and empty, even though it hardly seemed to faze any of the girls. They were used to it, I supposed. And hell, I was the one who wasn't even invited home for Thanksgiving, so who was I to judge? One of the drivers I had seen come in, a tall, handsome guy with a layer of peach fuzz on his head and a tiny, triangular bit of hair under his bottom lip, appeared at the top of the stairs.
