The box open. Packing peanuts spilled out. An instruction manual lay on top declaring it the Halo. “What the fuck?”I sat aside the manual on the f...oor by me and fished around in the Styrofoam pellets. They shifted and rustled. I brushed something metallic in it. I drew it out, packing peanuts cascading around it, some falling onto the floor. I held up the gold ring, its circumference about the diameter of my head.“Ordering some bling?” Rick asked, leaning over.“Bling doesn't come with stereo. But now Jen was worried. With his passion satiated, would Michael still be okay with what she had done, the way she had let Gerard touch her? She had been faithful to Michael since their marriage, and she was pretty sure he had been as well. Since their marriage, no one had touched her the way Gerard touched her yesterday, except for her husband.Sure, sometimes at parties, friends would take advantage of the festive atmosphere and feel her up. But it had always been a quick feel. Yesterday had. We just weren’t as close as we had been before, but she felt she needed to explore this new relationship with Chris. I had to give her that space, but I should probably try to connect with her more.By the time I got to Journalism class, my new default best friend was doing a pretty decent job in her new role.“So what’s wrong?” Autumn asked.“Nothing.”“Don’t tell me ‘nothing,’” she complained, tutting at me. “Something is wrong. I can tell. Well, everyone can tell.”“It’s nothing.”“Am I going to. ” I mumbled.“Oh, I know.” Raven said, sliding me my glasses.“K.” I said, grabbing my shot of blood and lifting it to my mouth.“But maybe if you’re lucky, I’ll call you Daddy later.” Raven continued.I nearly choked on the liquid but managed to keep it going down my mouth.“Uhm, so, uhm, where is your friend? The blond? Jill?” I stammered, looking behind the bar for the other bartender. In her place was an extremely thin redhead wearing a skirt and a white button up shirt.“She didn’t come in.