THE PARTY
1214 Words
Chapter 3
"Oh my God..." I finally managed to whisper.
For a moment, none of us moved.
The boy remained sprawled on the ground while the crowd watched in stunned silence.
Then, without saying another word, Alex turned and disappeared into the crowd.
Only after he was gone did people begin to move again.
The injured boy's friends rushed over and helped him to his feet before taking him toward the school clinic.
Slowly, the crowd dispersed.
Nobody seemed surprised by what had happened.
As if this was normal.
As if Alex beating someone up wasn't the biggest thing that had happened all day.
I exchanged a glance with Ellie and Samantha.
Neither of them looked any less shocked than I felt.
We continued walking back to the dorm.
On the way, groups of students whispered about the fight.
The news had already spread across campus.
Ellie, being Ellie, couldn't resist digging for more information.
She spotted a girl she vaguely knew and practically ran over to her.
"Do you know who that guy was?" Ellie asked.
The girl nodded immediately.
"That's Daniel."
"Daniel?" Samantha repeated.
"The leader of HU."
I frowned.
"What's HU?"
"A student gang," the girl explained. "They're always causing trouble."
My stomach tightened.
The girl lowered her voice.
"I heard Daniel was harassing a girl."
"What?" I asked.
She nodded.
"He kept bothering her even after she told him to stop. Things were getting ugly before Alex stepped in."
For a moment, nobody spoke.
"So Alex was helping her?" Samantha asked.
"Looks like it."
The girl shrugged.
"That's what everyone's saying."
"Thanks," Ellie said.
The girl waved and walked away.
As we continued toward the dorm, my thoughts drifted back to Alex.
The punches.
The blood.
The terrifying look in his eyes.
I couldn't understand him.
One minute he seemed like an arrogant rich kid.
The next minute he was defending a girl.
Which one was the real Alex?
By the time we reached our room, my head hurt from thinking.
The moment the door opened, I dropped onto my bed.
Face first.
"I'm exhausted," I groaned.
Ellie laughed.
"First day and you're already dying."
"Leave me alone."
She laughed harder.
I buried my face in the pillow.
My mind replayed the fight again and again.
Especially the moment Alex looked at me.
The memory sent an uncomfortable shiver down my spine.
Thankfully, sleep came quickly.
---
Monday arrived faster than expected.
The first day of classes.
I woke up before Ellie and Samantha.
The room was still quiet.
Sunlight streamed through the curtains.
For a few seconds, I forgot where I was.
Then reality hit.
College.
New city.
New life.
New people.
I sighed and climbed out of bed.
After taking a shower, I stepped back into the room and found Samantha already awake.
She smiled.
"Looks like you woke up before us."
I chuckled.
"Couldn't sleep anymore."
"First-day nerves?"
"A little."
She laughed.
"Don't worry. Everyone feels that way."
A few minutes later, we woke Ellie up.
Or at least we tried.
It took nearly ten minutes and several threats before she finally dragged herself out of bed.
"You two are bullies," she complained.
"We're saving your education," Samantha replied.
Soon we were dressed and heading to class.
The lecture hall was massive.
Rows upon rows of seats stretched across the room.
Students filled the hall with chatter and laughter.
I took a seat between Ellie and Samantha.
A few moments later, a woman entered.
The room instantly quieted.
"Good morning, students."
"Good morning, ma'am," everyone replied.
"My name is Miss Kelli, and I'll be your General English lecturer."
She smiled warmly.
"As you all know, this course is compulsory for all first-year students."
The lecture itself was brief.
Mostly introductions, expectations, and course outlines.
Nothing too complicated.
Before I knew it, class was over.
Students began filing out of the hall.
As the three of us headed back toward the dormitory, something caught Ellie's attention.
"Guys!"
She pointed toward a notice board.
A large poster had been pinned to it.
FRESHMEN WELCOME PARTY
Location: Private Section
Time: 9:00 PM
Everyone Welcome
Ellie's eyes nearly sparkled.
"Oh my God."
She turned to us.
"We are definitely going."
"I'm in," Samantha said immediately.
Then both of them looked at me.
I blinked.
"Uh..."
"We'll take that as a yes," Ellie declared.
Before I could argue, she grabbed our wrists.
"Come on! We need outfits!"
---
By the time night arrived, Ellie was practically vibrating with excitement.
"Hurry up!"
"We're going to be late!"
She dragged Samantha and me down the pathway leading toward the Private Section.
The closer we got, the more nervous I became.
I had heard enough stories about this place already.
When we finally arrived, my eyes widened.
The area looked less like student housing and more like a luxury estate.
Lights illuminated the pathways.
Expensive cars lined the parking area.
Music echoed through the night air.
Students crowded everywhere.
Some danced.
Some laughed.
Some kissed openly.
Honestly, it didn't feel like a freshmen welcome party.
It felt like something else entirely.
"What's this place?" I asked.
Samantha smiled.
"This is the Private Section."
"The place Alex lives?"
"Yep."
I swallowed.
For some reason, hearing his name made my stomach tighten.
The image of him standing over Daniel flashed through my mind.
Why had he looked at me like that?
The question had been bothering me all day.
"You okay?" Samantha asked.
I forced a smile.
"Yeah."
Not really.
Ellie dragged us inside before I could think about it any longer.
The moment we entered, dozens of eyes landed on us.
Heat rushed to my cheeks.
I immediately looked down.
A few seconds later, everyone returned to whatever they had been doing.
The music was loud.
The room was crowded.
People filled every corner.
Ellie grinned.
"I'll get us drinks."
Before we could stop her, she disappeared into the crowd.
Samantha shook her head.
"She's impossible."
I laughed softly.
Then my gaze wandered across the room.
Almost immediately, I found him.
Alex.
He sat on one of the couches like he owned the entire building.
Which, honestly, he probably did.
Several girls surrounded him.
Laughing.
Touching his arm.
Competing for his attention.
One girl was practically sitting in his lap.
I quickly looked away.
Heat crept into my cheeks.
Why was I even staring?
It wasn't my business.
I grabbed a drink from a nearby table and tried focusing on literally anything else.
A few moments later, curiosity got the better of me.
Again.
Slowly, I glanced up.
My heart nearly stopped.
Alex was already looking at me.
Not at the crowd.
Not at the girls around him.
At me.
For a second, neither of us looked away.
Then his eyes narrowed slightly.
As if he recognized me.
As if he was trying to figure me out.
My grip tightened around the cup.
I quickly looked down.
This is ridiculous, Ana.
The moment I gathered enough courage to look again, my stomach dropped.
The couch was empty.
Alex was gone.
My eyes widened.
Where—
A sudden hush swept through the people nearby.
Footsteps approached.
Slow.
Confident.
Deliberate.
My heart pounded violently against my ribs.
I looked up.
And froze.
Alex was walking straight toward me.
- Writer
