Even Top Students Fail

Christmas Eve

The streets near MIT buzzed with activity. Couples strolled hand in hand, friends laughed and chatted. Every restaurant was packed, including the popular food street.

Lily's dorm mates had planned this mixer weeks ago, choosing the upscale Fish Fragrant Garden near campus. It was where Amy and Ian had celebrated becoming official with their friends from Room 503.

The four girls from 503 were striking. Lily wore a short white down jacket over a black pleated skirt, snow boots, and a bright red scarf. Emma exuded cool in a gray tracksuit. Alice looked ladylike in a light purple coat. Amy, prioritizing style, wore a black coat with shiny high-heeled boots, her long wavy hair flowing.

Ian and his roommates waited outside. "Hello, beautiful ladies! You all look stunning. Let's get inside where it's warm," Ian greeted smoothly. His charm had won Amy over quickly.

They'd reserved a private room with the heat cranked up. As usual, seating was boy-girl-boy-girl. Lily sat next to a handsome, refined guy who pulled out her chair. His dazzling smile rivaled William's, maybe even Ian's.

Ian introduced everyone. "This handsome devil in gray is Owen, our dorm's big brother. The guy with shorter hair is David, our second oldest. And this good-looking fellow is Adam, the baby of our dorm. You all know me, of course!"

Ian's architecture program was male-dominated, but the guys were often better quality than in business school. These four at least had height on Lily's classmates.

After introductions and a toast, food arrived slowly due to the busy restaurant. No one minded - the meal wasn't the main event.

Lily enjoyed pleasant conversation with Owen. After initial awkwardness, they found plenty to discuss. Owen was intelligent, warm, and easy-going.

Meanwhile, Lily stifled laughter at Emma and Adam's interaction. Adam, friendly and outgoing, wasn't deterred by Emma's icy demeanor.

"Let's get to know each other, beautiful! I'm Adam. I'm into singing, dancing, you name it. What do you like?" he asked enthusiastically.

Emma barely glanced up. "Emma," she replied flatly before falling silent.

Emma excelled at shutting down strangers, but Lily knew she was sweet once you knew her. She exchanged an amused look with Alice across the table.

Owen noticed Lily's bright smile and couldn't help smiling himself. He remembered first seeing her bringing Amy a jacket, dressed in a vibrant red tracksuit. She'd taken his breath away, making his heart skip a beat for the first time.

Owen had never experienced love at first sight before. He'd subtly tried to get more information from Ian afterwards. Ian had offered to introduce them if Owen was interested.

Normally Owen disliked Ian's flippant attitude, but his interest in Lily made him willing to drop hints.

Halfway through the meal, Lily's phone rang. She signaled to Alice that she needed to take the call outside.

"Hello?" Lily found a quiet spot outside.

"Lily, why did it take so long to answer? What's all that noise?" William demanded.

"Oh, just having dinner with my roommates for Christmas Eve," Lily replied casually, omitting the guys to avoid triggering William's jealousy.

William guessed what was really happening. Lily's uncharacteristic meekness was a sign of guilt.

"Lily, are you cheating on me?" William accused.

"What? It's just dinner with friends! The whole dorm is here. And I'm not even officially your girlfriend," Lily fired back, temper flaring.

"Lily, do you know how powerless I feel? We're in different cities, scheduling calls. I can't chase away the guys buzzing around you. All I can do is beg you to stay away from other men. I'm starting to despise myself for it." William's defeated tone caught Lily off guard.

She'd never heard him sound so lost and insecure. It felt wrong - William was supposed to be proud and unshakeable.

"No, you've got it wrong. This time-" Lily started to explain.

"Never mind. It's late and I need to study. Bye." William hung up abruptly.

This was the first time William had ended a call first since Lily started college. The dial tone echoed as she stood in shock.

Lily began to question herself. She hadn't felt guilty before, but hearing William's hurt made her feel terrible. She'd experienced that helpless dependence before and never wanted proud, confident William to feel that way, especially because of her.

Lily stayed outside in the cold, lost in thought. She only returned when Alice called to check on her. She'd left her jacket inside and was now sniffling with a fuzzy head from the cold.

"What took so long? You should've worn your coat - don't catch cold!" Alice scolded gently, noticing Lily's pale face.

"Here, drink some hot water," Owen poured her a cup. He'd been worried but hadn't felt it was his place to say anything.

By the time Lily warmed up, the meal was ending. Ian suggested karaoke, with Amy eagerly agreeing. But Lily was no longer in the mood.

"I'm sorry, but I think I caught a chill. My head's pounding so I'll head back. You all have fun though!" she apologized.

"I'll walk you home," Alice offered, concerned.

"No, I know the way! If you leave too it'll dampen things. I'll be fine," Lily insisted, noticing Amy's slight frown.

"How about I walk you back and then rejoin the group? It's not safe for a girl alone," Owen suggested.

"That's not necessary, senior. There are plenty of people out and I'm not a child. You all go have fun - don't let me ruin the night!" Lily waved off his offer.

"At least text me when you get back," Alice made her promise. There wasn't much danger - the restaurant was less than 500 meters from MIT and the streets were crowded.

"Of course. You guys go on and enjoy!" Lily assured her before hurrying out into the night.