"A frat?" Kyle shifts away from the table to place his dishes in the sink. "Yes, a fraternity," Piper insists, surrounded by her entourage, already dressed and gathered around the dining room table. Piper is making plans for the evening, although she hadn't informed me about it. In fact, it seemed like she hadn't informed anyone about her desire to attend a frat party. "I thought we were hitting up Apex," Mark says with a furrowed brow. Apex was a budget-friendly downtown club for students. Similar to a frat house, it was dimly lit, noisy, and offered cheap drinks. It didn't particularly pique my interest, especially knowing it would be packed with first- and second-year students on a Friday night in search of something to do. "I considered it, but my sorority got an invite to this frat, so I thought it might be a better plan," she says, wearing a cheerful expression. "At least there won't be any lurking at the door." "It might be okay for you," Kent mutters, folding his arms acro
"Did you really only need seventeen minutes, Julianna?" Piper's voice rings out before I've even crossed a few steps into the hallway. "I thought you'd need all twenty." Laughter follows her words. I take a deep breath, stand tall, and continue down the hall, entering the kitchen. "Are we all ready?" I inquire, sweeping my hair off my shoulder. Piper's smug smile fades, Kyle stumbles into the pony wall by the front door while wrestling with his shoes, and Mark accidentally sprays beer across Chloe, who recoils with a disgusted exclamation. "Ew!" Chloe shrieks, jumping up to grab a paper towel from the kitchen. The sudden silence makes me feel like all seven pairs of eyes in the room are locked on me. "Well, it seems to be effective, huh?" Mark coughs, giving me a thumbs-up when I ask. "Fantastic. Let's give it a whirl at the frat house." Everyone gets up, retrieves their coats and shoes, and starts heading out. Kent, however, doesn't rise immediately. We share a few seconds of mutua
"Alright, we have a couple of options," I propose, aiming to make sure our plan is solid before venturing into the party scene. "First, we could pretend I'm an exchange student from London looking to attend a frat party." He chuckles, seeming open to the idea. "That doesn't sound too bad," he agrees. "What else have you got?" "Option two: you play the 'I'm Kent' card and leverage your fame to get us as far as possible." He simply shrugs in response. "Piper wasn't kidding; those guys don't take well to challenges," he mutters, and I nod in agreement. "But let's keep it as a backup plan." "Alright, for option three, we can team up with a group of girls already waiting in line. It'll look like you're bringing about six girls to the party." "That seems like our best shot to me," he concurs, and I smile. "Let's give it a try." He lets out a sigh as he surveys the line of people. Our group of friends had been waiting for Abby and her friends, and now we found ourselves alone in this sit
"You often use that nickname," I persist, and he chuckles. "I'm not attempting to belittle you," he reassures me, his hand on my hip causing my thoughts to cloud. I sneak a quick glance at him, and despite the darkness, his green eyes are captivating. "Even though I'm aware you don't hold me in high regard, I appreciate everything you've done," I mumble, and he shakes his head. "Julianna, if I didn't like you, I wouldn't have gone to such lengths," he admits, and my eyes widen. "I understand I haven't done much to make you happy since you moved in. I just struggle with people," he confesses, sounding somewhat upset. "I know it's not a valid excuse, but there's something I want you to know." "Alright," I say slowly, and he nods. "I'm aware people may have told you that I hop from one girl to another, using them, and that I'm a promiscuous man who sleeps around," he begins in a hushed tone, and I sigh. "That's not true," he asserts in a whisper, and I blink in surprise. "What about
I've been feeling like I've been caught in a whirlwind since Saturday night. I couldn't stop replaying what had transpired between Kent and me. So much had shifted, leaving me in a state of confusion. I appreciated Kent's candidness about his past and his apology for his past behavior towards me. It was crucial to me, not because I needed an apology, but because I wanted him to comprehend how his actions had affected me. Certain memories refused to leave my mind, regardless of my efforts. Every night, they haunted me as the last thoughts before sleep, and with Kent residing just across the hallway, there was no escape. Although the moment on the lawn behind the fraternity house had been charged with electricity, I had no reason to believe it was anything more than a spontaneous occurrence. I couldn't be certain that Kent genuinely wanted to kiss me, even though he claimed to be trying to leave his past behind. Our inability to even make eye contact made me loathe both of us. I rese
I hadn't really known how to approach Kent since Saturday. What happened had a more significant impact on me than I had anticipated. We had been on the verge of kissing, but I had never felt that way around guys before. It was an entirely new sensation. Nonetheless, it was better to leave it unspoken. I needed to move forward and put it behind me. I should attempt to normalize my interactions with Kent, but not just yet. As we walked home, I found myself at a loss for words. "You're awfully quiet," he remarked, and I simply shrugged, feeling somewhat apprehensive. "It's been a long day, and the humidity at the pool makes me want to crawl into bed," I replied in a hushed tone. "You didn't have to walk me home." "I thought it was the right thing to do," he reasoned. Late at night, he always offered to accompany me home, which was thoughtful. "You always seem to be there to walk me home," I chuckled. Upon arriving home, I swung the door open, kicked off my shoes, and tossed my ID o
Being alone with Kent at home is something I dislike. The atmosphere in the apartment becomes unusually quiet. Since Mark and Kyle left yesterday, we've mostly been confined to our rooms. I couldn't fathom why it was so challenging for us to get along. We had, to some extent, agreed to give it a shot, but I suspected Kent was still upset about what happened on Thursday. He appeared troubled in my presence, and it made me feel uneasy. I knew we could engage in normal conversation, but I was hesitant to initiate anything. My day was consumed by work. I had to conduct swim lessons and later serve as a lifeguard for several hours. Today, I had to leave early for an additional swim session to stay in shape before my shift. As the rain began to fall, I sighed, donned my raincoat, and made my way to the kitchen to fill my water bottle. Kent emerged from down the hall, and I kept my gaze down, waiting for the water to reach the brim. "Leaving?" I nodded in response to Kent's inquiry. "Ye
When Brendon returns, I feel anxious but try to recall what I know. "I'm Julianna, Lauren. Can I assist you?" She nods weakly. "Is there an Epi-pen in this room?" She gasps, and I glance at the group of kids she's with, who are standing nearby. The other lifeguards had already ushered everyone else back to the changing room. Who among them would know where Lauren's Epi-pen was? As I raise my voice, one of the girls steps forward with wide eyes, asking, "Does she have an Epi-pen?" "I-I didn't know Lauren had this condition," she murmurs softly, her eyes on the verge of tears. "Alright, calm down. This is not your fault," I reassure her. "Could you please check her locker?" She quickly nods and hurries away, leaving me feeling anxious. Lauren is struggling to breathe, her face reddening and purpling. "I'm here," Brendon says as he approaches. "Is there anything I can do to help?" "Is there an Epi-pen in here?" I inquire, but he shakes his head as if uncertain. "I'm not sure," he