Marionette Read Online Free

your shoulders?”
    I turned and replied, “Why don’t you tell me, Doc?”
    She laughed, and I bolted.

Chapter Three
    I unlocked the door to my dorm room and sniffed around. I wasn’t used to the smell of the past and present occupants of my dormitory. Growing up rich did not prepare me for this stench. How could people live in such filth?
    I’d wanted a private room, but my parents refused to fund that expense. They did spring for a room that offered a bathroom accessed by just four girls, instead of a bathroom for an entire floor of girls. I felt that even that was more for show. If their friends found out I was living among the “common folk,” people would talk. I appreciated a more private bathroom, but I still had to live with a roommate and two suitemates. Technically, three roommates. Back home, I had an entire wing of the house to myself. I preferred being alone, and my family preferred not being around me; it worked for all of us. No one in my family spent any time with family members. We were all strangers.
    Now I was living with someone I’d only met when I carried my first box into the room. I wasn’t too impressed by said person; neither was she, I think.
    Audrey, my roommate, was out for the moment. I eyed the boxes and clothes tossed indiscriminately around the room. Most of my belongings had been put away. Audrey was rushing the sororities, so she didn’t have much time to get organized. From the looks of her boxes, though, she didn’t seem to be a tidy person—‌another aspect that didn’t dazzle me.
    As she rushed into the room, I could feel her smile before I turned around to say hi. Her chipper “Hello” bothered me. I gave her a cool, “Hello” in reply. Not all of us were shiny happy people. She wore a white tee with a yellow skirt. Fucking yellow!
    My roommate was several inches shorter than me. Her chocolate brown eyes always looked troubled, and her mousy brown hair hung down her back in a tangled mess. Did she not own a hairbrush, or was it buried in one of her boxes? What kind of sororities was she rushing? That wasn’t my thing, but I can’t imagine too many of them were impressed by such a slob.
    “Have you met our suitemates yet? They moved in today.” Her voice squeaked. Mousy hair and mousy voice. Great, I was living with Minnie Mouse.
    “Uh, no, I just got back a few minutes ago.” And I wasn’t really up for meeting more people today.
    “Come on over with me and let’s introduce ourselves,” chirped Minnie. With a firm grasp on my shirtsleeve, she pulled me through the bathroom door that connected the two rooms. If I’d said no, she probably still would have pulled me the entire way, kicking and screaming. I decided to give in and make a better impression.
    I hoped our new neighbors had the foresight to lock their door so we couldn’t bust in on them. They didn’t.
    Minnie crashed through the door and screeched, “Hi!”
    One of the fathers in the room slipped with a hammer and smashed his thumb. Great! This impression was more memorable than if she had dragged me over kicking and screaming.
    A giant blonde slowly approached Minnie, leaving a decent amount of space between them as if she thought she might have to make a quick getaway. I know I wanted to.
    “Hi. I’m Jenna Parry. You must be our suitemates.”
    She didn’t put her hand out to shake. And I wasn’t thrilled about being lumped in with Minnie. Trust me, I’m not the bubbly type.
    “Yep, my name is Audrey Andrews and this is—‌”
    “Paige.” I had my own voice, and I wanted to put some distance between us.
    The other girl stepped forward. Again, she didn’t approach too closely. It’s funny how much room you can find in a miniature dorm room when you’re afraid.
    “Hi, I’m Karen Cooper.” She moved forward and shook my hand. Then she gingerly reached out to shake Minnie’s. Minnie grabbed it and gave it three hard shakes. Jenna still hadn’t offered her hand to either of us. I