me. “He’s my favorite author, and you don’t even begin to understand how much he means to me.”
“I wasn’t planning on making fun of you.”
She looked at me for a second. “Thanks.”
I gave her a tight smile before telling her I had to leave.
“Hey, Dash,” she caught me right before I walked out of the dining room. “Thanks for today. I mean that, thank you.”
For the first time since I’d met her a couple days ago, I saw the vulnerability in her face instead of the stone cold stare. I could have been a dick and made fun of her about it, but I wasn’t.
“You’re welcome.” I said as I left her in the dining room with her box.
When I strolled into my house, I planned to go straight to bed, but something stopped me when I reached my bedroom.
My room was large but was never as tidy as Dart’s. He was a clean freak. I had two laundry baskets: one for dirty and one for clean clothes. I hardly hung anything up except the suits that I was required to wear on game day.
On the other side of the room was my desk, which was already covered in textbooks, and a large bookcase sat in the other corner. One of my father’s hobbies was carpentry, and he built this case when I was a teenager. He’d done it because he was tired of seeing all my books on the floor.
My love of reading was a secret from almost everyone. Obviously, Dart knew the truth, but everyone else assumed I was English Literature major, because it was an easy subject. If only they knew the truth, it was harder than they thought.
I looked at the titles of my books. The majority of them were Edgar Allan Poe. The first time I read him I was a freshman in high school. I enrolled in an elective class and thought it would help me meet girls. Sadly, it didn’t but I was introduced to reading and Mr. Poe.
I never looked back.
Chapter 7 – Garnet
I had never been so thankful for Friday to come. My first week in college was pure hell. However, I did it; I made it through.
I threw my bag in the corner and flopped on my bed, pulling off my boots. My feet were aching, but I loved those hot pink peep toed boots.
“Good, your home,” Daisy was in my doorway. “What time are you going to be at the sorority house?”
I sat up on my elbows. We haven’t really talked since I blew up at her last weekend. It was mainly small questions and short answers; I was fine with that, because I don’t regret what I said. Daisy needed to hear it.
“What are you talking about, Daisy?”
“Tonight is the sorority rush. You need to be there by eight.”
I shook my head, setting up fully on my bed. “I’m not going to rush anything, unless it’s a shot of vodka.”
“But-” She looked like I had punched her in the face. “How are you going to meet people? You need to start making connections for your future and you should start now.”
I rolled my eyes and stood up. I was much shorter than Daisy, but I crossed my arms, and stared her down. “I will meet people and make connections the old-fashioned way, by talking to people.”
“The sorority will look great on your resume.”
“Stop. Just stop talking. I’m not you. I don’t need to dye my hair blonde and learn how to play beer pong to gain friends. So, why don’t you put on your string pearls, and your boyfriend’s letter jacket, and leave me the fuck alone.”
The tears were pooling in her eyes, and my heart broke a little, but I wasn’t her, and I didn’t need her bossing me around and telling me what to do and how to live my life.
“Fine,” she turned and walked away from me.
I slammed the door and felt a little shitty. I rubbed my temples and sat on the edge of the bed. I needed a drink, badly.
My phone alerted me with a text from a girl I’d talked to in my English class. She sent me the address of the party she had been telling me about.
Perfect.
~~
The party was loud and everyone was crowded into the tiny apartment. I didn’t even know how much I’d already drunk, but my vision was blurry. I had to quit drinking; I knew it, if I was going to make it home tonight. I