Chapter 1: Introduction
The bass pulsed through the walls of the dorm like a heartbeat, my roommate's speakers pumping dubstep more insistent than a drumline at peak pep. I stared into the closet mirror, double-checking for slashes of lint on my pitch-black V-neck or coffee stains left by one of our perma-dorm-room guests.
My dark brown hair flopped over my hazel eyes, so I brushed it back and tried to quell the sudden flutteriness of my stomach. I blamed it on the four Red Bulls I'd chugged since dinner, the caffeine and taurine surging through my system.
The lights in the room swept intervals of red and blue thanks to our UV light bulb, its glow shimmering over posters of guitar gods and alternative bands I secretly idolized.
I sighed, catching the reflection of my friend, Rachel, in the mirror, putting the finishing touches on her immaculate makeup. She sat with one leg propped on the rumpled bed, her blonde hair cascading down her shoulders as she puckered her full lips. I'd never admit it out loud, but she stole the show wherever she went.
"Seriously, I don't understand why you even bother with clothes sometimes," I joked, and she flashed me a grin.
"Because, my innocent little lamb, sometimes you have to leave something to the imagination," she winked.
Rachel breezed through the makeshift party in a tight red dress, a stark contrast to my modest all-black attire. I clutched my plastic cup of cheap beer, watching as people swarmed the dorm room, like moths to a flame. My palms grew sweaty and more of the golden liquid sloshed onto the floor.
I wove my way towards Rachel, who was laughing, her head thrown back – utterly captivating. A group of half-drunk frat boys I vaguely recognized from a class stood a few feet away.
Rachel turned to me, batting her long lashes. "Hey, there he is—my knight in shining armor!" she hiccuped, wrapping her arm around my waist before playfully planting a kiss on my cheek.
I tensed up, but she didn't seem to notice my discomfort.