365 Days To Save The Campus Bad Boy

Friday Night

“Hey, Aurora.”

Denis entered the room. She placed her things down before standing awkwardly in the middle of the room. Then after a moment, she slowly crossed over to my side and stopped beside my table.

I looked up from my notes and glanced at her nervous face.

“What’s up?” I asked. She wasn’t one to step out of boundaries. Something must have been bothering her.

Her lips were pressed into a thin line. Then she locked eyes with me and asked.

“Do you want to go to a party?”

That alone was enough to surprise me. Because of my previous affiliation with Quinn, the campus queen, and Jace, I’d attended more parties than I could count. Loud music, expensive alcohol, fake smiles — I knew the scene quite well.

Denis however? That was unexpected. From what I remembered, she wasn’t exactly a social butterfly. Then again, it wasn’t like I’d made much effort to get to know her in my previous life.

“Whose party is it?” I asked.

“A guy from the basketball team is throwing a huge party at his house tomorrow. I really want to go, but I didn’t want to go alone.” She said with more confidence. I even caught a flash of eagerness in her eyes. She smiled. “Can you come with me? I already bought tickets.”

She waved two tickets in front of my face excitedly.

Unfortunately, I was about to disappoint her. I knew exactly the kind of people who would attend that party. And with my new plan of living a peaceful, drama-free life, avoiding parties seemed like the smartest decision possible.

I lowered my gaze back to my notes.

“I’m sorry. I can’t.”

“Oh, come on.” Denis grabbed my arm. “Please, Aurora.”

“I have a test next week.”

“I’m sure you can find another friend to go with.”

Denis adjusted her glasses and let out a sigh.

“If I had friends, I wouldn’t be here. My other acquaintances don't exactly associate themselves with jocks and parties with booze and drugs.” She paused. “But you, on the other hand, I’ve seen you go to parties before.”

I blinked. Was that a compliment? Or had she just called me irresponsible?

“Remember when I said I was a changed person? Parties are one of the things I’m trying to change.” I pointed my pen at her. “By the way, why are you so eager to go?”

Denis froze and the tips of her ears turned pink. I immediately groaned.

“Don’t tell me you fell in love with an i***t? Do you want to end up like me?”

“Love is a strong word. It’s a pathetic crush at best. I don’t think anyone can become as lovestruck as you were. You were a special case.”

I scowled. Another thing I’d discovered about Denis was that she possessed an almost supernatural ability to be brutally honest without intending any harm.

She simply stated facts. And somehow, that made it worse.

“I’m actually hoping this party will cure my crush.” She said.

That got my attention. “What?”

“Boys do stupid things at parties. If I catch him doing something embarrassing, my feelings might finally die. Once he gives me the ick, my heart can freeze over.” She clasped her hands together. “So please help me.”

Then she batted her lashes. The effect would have been ridiculous on anyone else. On Denis? With her bob and oversized glasses? It was annoyingly effective.

I sighed.

“Fine.”

Her face lit up.

“But you owe me.”

“Thank you.” She practically bounced in place. “I’ll definitely make it up to you.”

Then she hurried back to her side of the room before u could change my mind. Shaking my head, I returned to my notes. Unfortunately, all motivation to study business law had vanished. With a sigh, I massaged my sore neck and picked up my phone instead.

A notification immediately caught my eye. It was Jace. I stared at the message. Somehow, I hadn’t gone around blocking him yet. It completely slipped my mind. I hadn’t blocked Quinn either but that was because I needed some things from her.

“We need to talk. You have to explain what happened on Monday.” The message read.

I rolled my eyes and typed. “There is nothing to explain. I don’t want to be associated with you anymore. Stop texting me.”

I hit send. Then blocked his number immediately.

‘Good riddance.’

***

Friday night arrived sooner than expected.

I stood in front of my closet, sitting through the countless dresses Quinn had once convinced me to buy for parties. Most of them were flashy and attention-grabbing.

I was still debating what to wear when Denis stepped out of the bathroom, dressed in a pair of Gucci jeans and a pink sequined boucle jacket that somehow managed to look both elegant and effortless. She had even traded her glasses for contact lenses.

I always knew she was pretty, but tonight, she looked exceptional.

Well. There went my original outfit plan. I shoved the dresses aside and opted for something similar. A pair of tailored pants, an off-the-shoulder top, and a few understated accessories.

Chic and comfortable.

When we finally arrived at the venue, I couldn’t help staring. The mansion was enormous. Three stories tall, illuminated by warm golden lights and surrounded by perfectly manicured gardens. It looked more like a luxury resort than someone’s home.

Most Westbridge students came from wealthy families. My family wasn’t poor. Some people would even call us rich. But compared to the level of wealth I saw at Westbridge every day? We looked positively ordinary.

One of the reasons I’d applied for a scholarship wasn’t that my parents couldn’t afford the tuition. Technically, they could, but the fees were so outrageously expensive that paying them would have placed a heavy burden on our family. I couldn’t bear the thought of that.

As I stared at the mansion, I was reminded of why I’d wanted to attend Westbridge in the first place. The prestige, connections, and opportunities. A degree from Westbridge opened doors. That was the dream I’d worked so hard for.

Then another realization struck me. I knew this house. The memory surfaced immediately. This was the first part I’d attended after officially getting together with Jace. Back then, I’d been ecstatic. I thought I’d finally gotten the happy ending I’d spent time chasing, even if the relationship wasn’t public yet. It was also the first time Jace made a s****l move at me. What I hadn’t known was that half of his friends had been placing bets on him f*****g me.

The memory left a bitter taste in my mouth.

“Ready?” I turned toward Denis.

She stood beside me, practically vibrating with anticipation.

“Of course. Come on.” She pulled me forward.

As we crossed the yard, several students lingered outside, chatting in small groups away from the noise. The moment we stepped through the front doors, music blasted into my ears. The smell of alcohol and cigarette smoke hit next.

I had attended enough parties to be unfazed.

Denis, however, immediately scrunched up her nose.

“It stinks.”

I shrugged. “Never been to a house party before?”

“Not this kind. Classical music and waltzes are more my style.” She grimaced and stepped to the side as a drunk girl stumbled past us.

I arched a brow. “Classical music and waltz? I’ve never heard that before.”

“I can bring you to one. You’d love it.”

I shrugged and turned away. We had barely taken a few steps into the room cramped with people when Quinn suddenly appeared in front of us. I sighed. Here we go again.