Chapter 1: Introduction
The room was spinning. And each time I thought I had a handle on things, a wave of nausea—or was that alcohol—rolled in to mess me up. Hundreds of college freshmen crammed into the cramped space, jostling elbows, spilling drinks, shouting over deafeningly loud music. Frantically, I searched for a familiar face. Did I remember taking those tequila shots with someone earlier? Surely I wasn't that stupid.
Then, mercifully, I saw a face that stopped me dead in my tracks. Kara Thompson.
She stood at the center of the room, glowing like some golden-haired entity in charge of the very stars above. She radiated a force so powerful that I couldn't look away, even if I tried. There was something unique about her, mesmerizing. Kara laughed, tossed her luxurious mane, and exuded that unshakable self-confidence innate to goddesses and celebrity icons alike.
I'm Joe—Joseph Lewis. She doesn't know me, but I've seen her around campus.
She studies in the library at the same times as I do. I sometimes find myself sneaking glances her way while pretending to read about the Industrial Revolution for my History class. She seems so unapproachable, like some distant sun orbiting in another galaxy—beautiful, but far from my grasp.
And now, inexplicably, we're at the same party.
* * *
I was on a mission. The blood in my veins surged both with courage and tequila. I approached Kara, my body a little too eager, my palms moist.
Her friends, two girls I've occasionally crossed paths with, watched me warily as I got near her. Sarah was the tall, obviously athletic one. She had short blonde hair and flashed a devious smile, as if knowing she was about to put me in my place. There was a sharp gleam in her eyes. Emily, on the other hand, played the part of the quiet, anxious sidekick, a petite brunette with glasses who seemed uncomfortable in her own skin.
As I moved closer, Kara raised her head and caught my eye.
Her gaze lingered, something like curiosity flickering across her striking features. I took a deep breath, summoning every ounce of confidence I could muster.
"Hey," I said, my voice sounding nearly normal over the thud of music, "I'm Joe. We've seen each other in the library, right?"
She eyed me up and down before breaking into gentle laughter. It was disarming but not completely unkind, and I couldn't help but grin back.
"Yeah, I guess we have," she allowed, appraising me for a moment longer before finally deciding to speak. "I'm Kara. Nice to meet you, Joe."
The ice was broken. I found myself laughing with her effortlessly, my heart soaring, and—my God—did she smell intoxicating. It's that vanilla scent, I thought.
As we carried on with our conversation, I began to notice Sarah and Emily's mounting suspicions. Their wary eyes narrowed, sizing me up as a threat, daring me to stick around.
Sarah, especially, had her guard up, as if waiting for me to slip up and reveal myself as an imposter.
But I refused to let her intimidate me. I held my ground, my attention locked on Kara. My mind was alight, ignited by the radiance of her smile and the sparkle in her ocean-blue eyes. It felt like a dream, and I couldn't let go of it for anything.
Just when I thought that everything was falling into place, Sarah and Emily's whispers grew louder.
Annoyed, I found myself glancing over at them occasionally, seething with anger at their obvious animosity.
This was my chance to make a good impression on Kara, and now two of her friends were perpetuating a cloud of doubt around me. Snapping my gaze back to her, I caught Kara looking at me with confusion and something like sadness.
"Everything okay?" I asked, knowing keenly that things were far from it.
She maintained eye contact for a moment, her complexion paling slightly, before looking away. "It's just my friends.