Free Unethical by Jennifer Blackwood Page B

brothers circling the dance floor, looking for a hot chick to get lucky with at a party. Once one opened up, it was an all-out sprint. For those already seated, this was fucking hilarious to watch. If not, it sucked balls to wait another fifteen minutes until someone else packed up to leave.
    “Oh my god, there’s an open table!” Jules ran to a table overlooking the fourth floor. She cut off a dude wearing Kappa Sig letters and chucked her backpack onto the table.
    The Kappa Sig grunted and threw his arms above his head. “What the fuck!” Fuck echoed through the cavernous room, and I bit the inside of my cheek to resist chuckling.
    Jules planted her hands on her hips and stood her ground in front of our newly acquired table. “Sorry.” Her tone conveyed anything but sorry.
    I maneuvered myself in between Jules and the Kappa Sig in case he wanted to throw down with a chick in front of all these people in the library. “Is there a problem?”
    “No.” He mumbled “bitch” under his breath as he stormed out of the rotunda.
    I high-fived Jules. “Nice job.”
    “This ain’t my first rodeo. You just gotta show them who’s boss.” She snapped her fingers in a Z pattern across her chest.
    Payton let out a loud sigh and slammed her backpack on the table. If we weren’t all med majors, I’d think she carried around bricks or a small arsenal. She said, “You’re ridiculous.”
    Jules smiled and shrugged. She and Andrew pulled laptops out of their backpacks and plugged their power cords in the center console.
    “I didn’t bring my laptop today. I’m gonna head down to the first floor and get on a computer.” Not to mention my laptop’s sad condition, on its last leg. Nobody needed to witness the ghetto-ness that could be classified as my laptop.
    “How about you and Payton research state laws for assisted suicide?”

    Payton’s warm breath ran across the back of my neck as she stood behind me in the computer area.
    “You didn’t have to do that for me.”
    I smiled at the screen. Finally, I did something right. Maybe she’d got it through her head I wasn’t the douche bag ex she made me out to be. “I know.”
    “I don’t need you to fight my battles. I’m a big girl.”
    “You seem pretty small to me, fun size.” She flinched at the use of my nickname for her in high school. She hated it, but I thought it suited her well. Tiny and delicious—just like the miniature-sized candies.
    She scoffed, and a blush spread across her cheeks. “You know what I meant.” Flipping through her notebook she said, “What state should we look up first? Washington?” Her voice came out calm and even, but I couldn’t help but notice she refused to look at me the entire way to the computer area.
    This subject hit too close to home for her. I didn’t think she’d be up to researching this topic, not with Dr. Cooper’s trial starting in a couple months. The news stations had a countdown, always willing to add their two cents about the situation. I should have put up more of a fight with Andrew. No matter my feelings toward her, she didn’t deserve to go through this shit.
    “Sure. How about you type and I’ll take notes.” I pulled up the research database program and scooted off the stool.
    She hopped on the stool and typed in Washington Assisted Suicide Laws.
    About twenty different sources popped up immediately. I let out a low whistle. A long day of research lay ahead of us, especially writing about a few states. Her knuckles turned white as she held the mouse in a death grip. Time to break the tension before she broke school property.
    “You know, you’re kinda cute when you concentrate. Got that whole constipated look down. Add in some grunts, and I think you’ll be good to go.”
    It came out of left field, but I was pretty sure this would take her mind off her dad for a few moments.
    She shook her head, and even standing behind her I knew she rolled her eyes. Good, it worked. “Thanks. Just what