Pov: nathan
The music was loud enough to shake the walls, a relentless bass thumping that made the cheap house vibrate like it was about to fall apart. I leaned against a sticky counter in the kitchen, a half-empty drink in my hand, watching Finn spin a ridiculous story to a group of freshmen who were clearly eating it up.
"Swear to God," he said, holding his drink aloft like it was proof of his credibility, "the guy was so drunk, he thought he could ride the campus fountain statue like a horse. Fell right into the water, broke his phone, and started screaming about suing the school."
The group burst into laughter, and Finn grinned like he'd just landed the punchline of the year. I rolled my eyes, taking another sip from my cup. It wasn't even his storyâit was mine.
He caught my look and smirked, tipping his drink in my direction. "What? You weren't gonna tell it."
"I wasn't," I said dryly, "because it's not that funny."
"Not that funny?" Finn repeated, turning back to the group. "It's a fucking classic!"
The group laughed again, and Finn gave me a mock salute before launching into yet another story, this one about the time he'd gotten caught sneaking into the cafeteria after hours.
I left him to his audience and moved toward the living room, weaving through the crush of people. The air was thick with sweat and perfume, the kind of stifling heat that made it impossible to think straight. I could feel eyes on me as I passedâa few girls turning to whisper, others shooting lingering glances in my direction.
It wasn't anything new. I'd gotten used to it.
---
I found a quieter spot near the back of the room, leaning against the wall and letting my drink rest loosely in my hand. The party buzzed around me, a chaotic swirl of voices and movement that I didn't care enough to join.
That's when I saw Jackson pushing his way toward me, flanked by his usual crewâEric and Caleb.
"Nathan," Jackson said, grinning like he owned the place. "Man of the hour."
I raised an eyebrow. "Didn't realize this was my party."
"Every party's your party," Eric said, smirking.
I ignored him and took another sip of my drink. "What do you want, Jackson?"
"We were just wondering," Jackson said, leaning against the wall next to me, "how's life with your new roommate?"
I stiffened slightly, my grip tightening on the cup. "What about her?"
"So it's true?" Eric said, his smirk widening. "You're actually rooming with a girl?"
Jackson clapped me on the shoulder, his grin turning sly. "Dude, Dylan? Jules? Whatever she's going by now. We met her yesterday. She's... different."
"Skittish," Eric said with a laugh. "Like a scared kitten."
"Kitten," Jackson repeated, like he was testing out the word. "Yeah, I can see that."
I frowned, my jaw tightening. "What's your point?"
"No point," Caleb said, shrugging. "Just didn't think you'd be the type to share a room with someone like her."
"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked, my voice flat.
Jackson held up his hands, still grinning. "Relax, man. She seems nice. Quiet, though. You know. Not your type."
I rolled my eyes and drained the rest of my drink. "We barely know each other. It's just a fucking dorm."
"Sure," Jackson said, his grin widening. "Whatever you say."
I pushed past them without another word, heading back toward the kitchen.
---
Finn caught up with me a few minutes later, his grin as wide as ever. "Where the hell did you go?"
"Away from Jackson," I said, pouring another drink.
Finn laughed, leaning against the counter. "Yeah, that tracks. What'd he want this time?"
"Something about my roommate," I said, taking a sip.
"Ah," Finn said, nodding knowingly. "The infamous Dylan Jules."
"Yeah."
"Shit, man," Finn said, laughing. "You're gonna scare her off in a week."
I raised an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"You're not exactly the warm and fuzzy type," Finn said, smirking. "And she is like the kind of girl who cries when someone raises their voice."
I shook my head, letting the comment slide. Finn didn't mean anything by it. He never did.
---
A little while later, I found myself in the back of the house again, leaning against the wall and watching the party move around me. That's when I saw herâthe girl with the dark hair and the sharp smile.
She was looking right at me, her eyes narrowing slightly as she stepped closer.
"Hey," she said, her voice low and smooth. "You're Nathan, right?"
"Depends," I said, my tone light. "Who's asking?"
She smiled, the sharpness softening just enough to be dangerous. "Lila. We have econ together."
"Do we?" I asked, even though I already knew the answer.
"You're not great at pretending you don't notice people, you know," she said, tilting her head slightly.
"Not my strong suit," I admitted.
The conversation flowed easily after that, like it always did. Lila was quick with her words and quicker with her hands, and by the time we made it to one of the empty bedrooms upstairs, the party had blurred into the background.
---
I walked her back to her dorm afterward.
The campus was quiet, the air cool and damp in the early morning hours. Lila talked about somethingâher plans for the summer, maybeâbut I only caught bits and pieces of it.
Women shouldn't walk alone at night. It was something my mom used to say, a lesson drilled into me before I'd ever stepped foot on this campus.
"You don't have to do this, you know," Lila said, glancing up at me as we reached her building.
"I know," I said. "But I'm here anyway."
She smiled, that sharp edge returning for a moment. "Thanks, Nathan."
"Don't mention it."
---
By the time I got back to my dorm, it was just after 5 a.m.
The room was dark when I opened the door, except for the faint glow of the moonlight streaming in through the window. Jules was curled up under her blanket, her back to the room and her breathing slow and even.
I kicked off my shoes and shrugged out of my jacket, tossing it onto the back of my chair. The smell of smoke clung to the airânot mine, though. Hers.
I glanced at her side of the room, at the small stack of books on her desk and the photo tucked into the edge of her mirror. It was a cat, fluffy and smug-looking, staring directly at the camera like it owned the world.
The floor creaked under my weight as I moved to my bed, and Jules stirred slightly but didn't wake up.
I sat down and leaned back against the wall, closing my eyes. The alcohol buzzed faintly in my veins, dulling the edges of my thoughts, but not enough to quiet them completely.
Living with Jules was going to be interesting, whether I wanted it to be or not.
ââââââââ
A/N
Late night update! Just came back from going out, uploading this for you guys!!
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