5. KNIGHT FOR THE NIGHT

5

KNIGHT FOR THE NIGHT

Summer

I blink my eyes up at my new bff as she stands there, her hands on her hips.

"Do we have to be college freshmen clichés? Can't we just sleep and make our parents proud?" I complain trying to hold her gaze.

"No, we are going to this party, Summer. This semester is going to be major stressful for me." She looks serious. "We are going. Even if I have to drag you there myself."

"I'm starting to think my parents were wrong to leave me in your care," I say getting up and unknot the robe I had on.

I was comfy for bed. Was going to have an auto-romantic night with candles; silk robe with nothing underneath, the smutty book already chosen. Strawberries and chilled cheap sparkling wine chilling in my fridge, vibrator fully charged. I was hoping for a night ending with some leg shaking and a good night's rest.

But my new friend has other plans. She plops herself on my bed as I pull up a short jean skirt. I am topless as I look for a top and notice her checking me out, and it puffs me out a little. I find it extra titillating when girls check me out. Some girls might dress for the male gaze, but I dress for the female lustful gaze. For me, that's where it's at.

Women will appreciate your body without getting entitled and violent about it, I like that.

After I find a top, she helps me with my hair. Luckily, I just washed it, and it was primed for tomorrow. So getting it in order doesn't take long. I let my curls down and she helps me with some makeup.

Apparently, it's a senior party and we need to care what they think about us. We should feel lucky and be grateful. My little friend here could be a social climber. But she's nice and I like her a lot and no one's perfect.

Our outfits are coordinated, a cardigan on top of her crop, and I don't, and instead of a short skirt, she has a pair of jeans.

It's a cool night and I realize how great outside is when we step out.

"Oh, my god. I hope the boys here are gorgeous like that guy."

"You still hung up on that guy from the shop?"

"Uh, yeah. If you saw him too, we'd be fighting over him right now. Girl, I tell you he was made by the deities to lure us away from the righteous path."

We laugh.

"Oh, come on, no one is that gorgeous," I say.

What I mean to say is I've seen better. I've dated better. And I haven't seen anyone here who is anything to write home about. I mean, I've seen more than a few hot guys and maybe I'm biased, but my exes were gorgeous.

We walk across campus to the other side of the standalone houses. A few streets with more student accommodation, separated by years. We get to the senior's street and don't have to ask where the party is. The whole street is congregated in this house of the apparent lords of the college.

We approach the girl friend who invited Hazel. Apparently, they met on the plane and she's a sophomore. Thanks to Hazel's social skills, here we are.

"Oh, hello pretty girls!" the gorgeous blonde approaches with a bright smile.

I smile involuntarily. Her energy is infectious, or maybe she's tipsy.

"Gabby!" Hazel squeals and they hug and air kiss. I chuckle a little cause I wasn't expecting that.

"Gabs, this is my next-door neighbor and current bff." Hazel gives me a challenging arch of the eyebrow and I bite my amused lips. "Her name is Summer, but her parents and I call her Su. Su, this is Gabby. The reason we are going to be the cool freshmen."

"Hey, Gabby." We hug only, which I'm glad.

Double-cheek kisses are weird for me. I always forget where to go first. Like I know in my head, but when it's action time, I drop the ball. Jaden used to say I should just embrace the fact that I'm a thug for life. I find myself smiling. But hide it quickly when I see the gaze of both girls on me. Okay, I just did something weird. Save yourself.

"I'm thirsty. Can we get drinks?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Come and let me introduce you to the generous gods who threw this party."

We follow her navigating through the crowds. The party is crawling with hot people and the energy is infectious and intoxicating.

We are definitely not in high school anymore.

The music is deafening as we pass the kitchen counter; the whole living room is open plan, and head to where the tall guys are. I'm guessing the athletes. The ones every girl comes here hoping to hook up with. I realize then, I have no such hopes. In fact, I'll pass.

I hate how my heart still clings to something that will never happen. I decided to move on, but it's like my heart is holding out for something. It refuses to let go and that annoys the fuck out of me. I should just find a nice guy and move on.

A guy comes around grabbing Gabby's waist and gives her cheek a sloppy kiss.

I miss those. My envious heart breaks. Why do men have to be pieces of shit? I would still have all of that. But I resign my focus and get back to the present where a second guy just turned up.

"Landon! Stop!" Gabby giggles, the fondling not stopping. I have a suspicion this guy would finger her right here if she said yes.

"Get a fuckin room!" the second guy says. I look to him and appreciate his physique. He's not bad looking, not bad-looking at all. I get out of my thoughts when Hazel nudges me and I realize I was staring.

"Hi," I say, a little shy.

He gives me a bright grin. "Hello, pretty girls. I'm Logan."

"I'm Hazel and my friend here is Summer." I almost scowl at her. I had it.

Another guy comes around.

"Well, damn. Hello. I've never seen you around. You new?"

"Yeah, we are freshmen," I blurt out. My friends faces say maybe I wasn't supposed to reveal that. Though I don't know why. The guy smiles.

"Hazel, Summer," Logan one says.

"Welcome to my party. Let's get you drinks and come hang."

Gabby comes back with her boyfriend in tow. "Oh, you already met the generous hosts. I guess my work is finished." She air-kisses us and like that, she pulls her boyfriend to the abyss of people here.

Trevor gestures for us to join their group and me and Hazel look at each other first. She takes my hand and squeezes it. We didn't plan to drink tonight. But we also didn't plan to be invited to the elite corner.

We are introduced to other guys and take the drinks we are offered. My father's teachings don't stop ringing in my head. I don't drink but I pretend to, and I smile, and I nod where appropriate. In high school the guys took me to many parties, so I learned how to pretend to enjoy a party without caring a damn, and drunk people are easy to convince.

It was my burden as the girlfriend of not only the captain of the football team, but the star quarterback as well. But one thing I can't convince myself of is the heat here. With all the windows and doors open, it's hot as fuck.

"I'm going outside for some air," I whisper to Hazel who is currently blinking her gorgeous eyes at Trevor. She nods, more a dismissal.

I leave Logan inside. They are all cool, but the scene reminds me too much of those idiots and I need some air. I walk out and find a vibrant pool party outside. I guess welcome to college then.

It's probably after 10pm and I am tired already. Even when I used to go to parties, the scene wasn't where I stayed long. I have another drug of choice. I shake my head again banishing the thought. I catch a few eyes and whistles from the pool side luring me to them, but I ignore them and walk to the guy smoking alone. He is in a shadow, and I figure it's whatever.

"Hi." I lean on the wall next to him.

"Are you lost?" he asks.

Wow. Rude.

"No, you looked lost, I'm here to help you, nerd." I pluck the cigarette from his mouth and bring it to my lips, his gaze on me.

"Stop staring, my name is Summer."

"I'm Fanta," he says. And I turn and frown.

"Do you happen to be Fanta Morris?" I mean it's a pretty unique name. I laughed my ass off when I saw it because I have never heard of a Fanta before. I always thought I'd make fun of him when I saw him, and I knew they would do too.

Them. I look around.

"You must be Summer Bailey. I've heard a lot about you." He takes the cig in my hand and turns away, bored.

Now I regret coming to him.

"Your boyfriends are over there," he says pointing.

I look in the direction he's pointing at and indeed, four eyes on me. Fuck.

Why the fuck are they here? Shit, they were here first. But they should know to keep away from all the places I'll be. I get hot suddenly. My gaze now looking anywhere but them, I decide I need to leave.

Hazel comes sprinting to me from the inside and I meet her halfway. My heart pounding a little faster, jumping. I need to get out of here before they get bright ideas and come to me.

"Oh my god, Summer! There you are," she screams a little and pulls out her phone showing me Trevor's number.

"Wow, nice!" I force excitement. Anxiety claws my chest, making its way to my limbs. I try to breathe through my nose to keep calm.

"Oh my god. Now get in there and get Logan's number. Just imagine it. If we dated the two hottest guys in the football team." She squeals.

I chuckle cause no way. My exes were all that too, but it wasn't really a thing for me. Which makes me realize if it were to happen like she's saying, there's a good chance they are playing too, and I don't want more of these awkward instances on campus. My plan to avoid them is the only defense I really have.

"Uh, you know I really want to just go back. I actually have a little headache."

"Summer, we haven't even been here that long," she whines.

"It's almost midnight."

She's been having too much fun that she hasn't noticed the time, but I have. I have counted every minute and every hour. But she is also tipsy so I can't leave her. Fuck my life.

She pulls me to go to the room and freezes as I do. I feel her tremble next to me and I see her gaze fixed on…Harvey. Is Harvey the most gorgeous guy on campus? Well, shit. I try to pull her to the direction of the house and avert their gaze.

"Sunshine." Jaden is the first to speak.

Hazel gawks at me and I want to roll my eyes.

"Let's go." I pull her to the direction of the house, but she doesn't budge. The bitch.

"You're being rude, Sunshine, " she says to me, and I hear chuckles from the other side.

"We didn't know you were coming to this party, Peach. We could have gotten you," Archer says. They are facing away from the light – so they just look like shadows, four imposing shadows – but something is different about them.

"You guys know her?" Hazel asks like I am a troll who lives in a swamp, and they are princes.

"She hasn't told you about us?" Jaden says with a smile I want to wipe with a slap.

"One of them an ex?"

"No. Just people I went to school with," I say.

The idiots chuckle.

"Introductions?" Caleb says looking at me.

"This is Hazel, my neighbor…"

"And current bff…" she interjects, and I roll my eyes.

"Hazel, this is Caleb, Archer, Jaden and…" I blow a breath. "Sorry, I forget your name, sir."

They all laugh, even him.

"I'm Harvey," he says coolly. "And don't pretend like you've forgotten my name, D." he looks me right in the soul and my insides solidify a little.

"Well, this has been great but…"

"Yo, there you girls are." Logan comes from the direction of the house. I want to high-five him, I'm so relieved.

He comes behind me and throws his hands over my shoulder, the air changing immediately. Why the fuck is he doing this? I don't look their way. His arm feels like it is made of fire, and not the sexy kind. I want to throw it away because it feels wrong.

But I'm not with them. I'm single. I'm single, right?

"I see you already met the next kings in line for the throne." He looks down at me as he gestures to them. I don't look at him or them. I want to be out of here.

"You know Summer?" I hear the dark note in Harvey's voice, and know this isn't going to go well.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm her knight for tonight." The grinning, drunk idiot says.

Right then I chance a look at Hazel, and I find her basically eye fucking Harvey and I don't fucking like it. I know she doesn't know about our past and I feel crazy because I have no claim to the guy anymore, but I didn't like how that felt.

I remove Logan's arm from me.

"I have to go. I have an early class. Hazel, we leaving."

Hazel protests as she stumbles next to me.

"Wait, Summer." Logan jumps behind me. I don't know but I feel a little violent.

I don't stop when Logan runs after me and stumbles up next to me too.

"I'll walk you guys back to your residence."

We stay another five minutes saying goodbye to the gods of the school and Trevor pecks Hazel on the lips. The girl is red in the face by the time we leave. I almost wish it was from rage, but no it is from being a horny teenager.

Logan and two other guys walk us to our res. I do admit it is a bit chivalrous and the further we walk from the house, the better I feel. The more distance I put between me and them, the lighter I feel.

"Alright, fellas, this is us," I needlessly announce when we get to our dorm.

"Yup," Hazel pops the 'p' and I snort. She's really a lightweight.

Although I don't drink that much, I am not a lightweight, and that says a lot because I'm a vodka drinker. I'm a shot girl. And even when I'm drunk, I stay in control of my faculties. I only ever used to let my guard down when I was with them because I knew I was protected, but being with girls doesn't afford me those luxuries. I can't just drink and be drunk anyhow anywhere with anyone.

"We can walk you to your rooms. We are not going to grab you," Dave says and I don't find it amusing at all.

"No. We good." I take Hazel's hand.

"Um, Summer, can I talk to you for a second?" Logan scratches the back of his neck and I want to groan loudly.

The night is fucking over, and I want to go be in my room. But I stay because the guy hasn't actually done much but be nice.

"Yeah, sup?"

"Can I have your contact? I really like you. I want to do coffee sometime, or a movie or the beach if you're into that." He looks nervous, and suddenly I feel like a bitch. He literally hasn't done anything to me but just be chill.

"Um, sorry. Not today." I give him about as honest an answer as I can.

He looks surprised, but nods in understanding. "Alright, I guess I'll ask you again next time."

I raise an eyebrow, not believing he wasn't saying I go fuck myself like most guys would. Well, that's definitely a point for him. Sad, I know, but we live on this earth, and sometimes we must applaud fish for swimming.

We part and me and Hazel go to our rooms. I help her settle in, change her into her pajamas, and remove her makeup. After, I go to mine, shower and prepare for bed.

My insides are still flared. I'm a myriad of emotions. On one end I fucking miss them, on another it's fuck them. But I miss a lot of things about them.

A lot of things I've been missing for months. After dating four guys, I guess it's hard to go back to anything 'romantically normal.' Even as I think of my future romantic life on campus, it poses the questions, who can I date that will give me what I am used to getting?

I think about Logan, he seems like cool people. Maybe if he's serious, I'll give him a chance.