An Unusual Invitation 2
1130 Words
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to, like, offend you or anything. Really! But, like, seriously, I’m happy to help you out! It’s just, you know, the way we do things around here... We’re all about... helping.”
I swallowed, trying to collect my thoughts. Helping? Did she mean helping me, or was this just another thing for her to 'fix'?
But before I could speak, Brittany’s eyes lit up again, and she looked at me like she had just figured something out. “You’re totally gonna fit right in with us! Don’t worry, it’ll be fun,” she said, almost bouncing with excitement. “It’s not like you’re stuck with me forever. But you get it, right? You come with us, and it’s gonna be—like, way more fun than whatever that girl was gonna do.”
I stood there, still processing everything. My brain was reeling. So if I joined her, what would be different?
“So… if I join you,” I said slowly, “what difference does it make?”
Brittany’s eyes practically sparkled as she heard my question. The energy in her face shifted into something... I couldn’t quite place, but it was full of anticipation.
“Oh my god,” she gasped, her voice a little higher than before. “You have no idea how much this is gonna change everything!”
And just like that, her excitement practically exploded in the hallway.
Before I could even decide what expression to wear, Kelsey let out a low, irritated sigh, the first sound she’d made since they arrived.
“If she doesn’t want the offer, she should just say so.” Her voice was sharp and smooth, like the click of heels on marble. “I’m sick of standing here already.”
I flinched, heart skipping. Her tone wasn’t even angry—just exhausted, like I was already a mistake wasting her time.
Brittany gasped as if Kelsey had just cursed at a baby kitten. Her pink lips parted in theatrical horror. She whipped her head between Kelsey and me like we were characters in some overdramatic stage play.
“Oh no, she definitely wants it,” she said, pointing a perfectly manicured finger at me, then glancing back at Kelsey like obviously she just didn’t get the vibe. “Isn’t that so, sweetie?” she turned to me with the biggest, most dazzling smile I’d ever seen.
I opened my mouth to speak, but the words didn’t come out fast enough.
Brittany took that as full confirmation. “See? That’s so!”
She clapped her hands together in one crisp, elegant motion that somehow felt like a spell being cast. “Well then! Pack up and follow us, darling!”
She spun around to look for Kelsey—only to find the hallway... empty.
Her eyes went wide. “Good gracious!” she yelped, throwing a hand over her chest like she’d been left behind in a burning mansion. “Why leave me alone in this godforsaken place?”
I blinked.
She twirled halfway back to me, her dramatic flair never once faltering. “Don’t worry, you’ll get used to her. She’s... prickly at first, but she’s actually worse later on.” She gave a sugary laugh like it was a compliment, then paused to give me a quick once-over.
“Now hurry, hurry! I hope you haven’t already unpacked everything, because we do not have time for a fashion montage. Well, we do, but not in here.”
With that, she waved her hand in a “come on” motion, her bangles jingling, already halfway down the hall again—leaving behind a sparkling trail of perfume and chaos.
I stood in my half-empty room, heart doing this jittery dance between full-blown panic and giddy awe. One last glance around. My books were still on the desk—I hadn’t even had time to unpack properly. My bag was stuffed and ready, zipped shut with all the confidence I didn’t have.
I should’ve said no. Maybe. Probably.
But seriously… when in my life had anything this insane ever come wrapped in pink stilettos and glitter lip gloss?
This was it. My moment.
I slung the bag over my shoulder and bolted out the door, trailing behind the scent of Brittany’s perfume and the loud, unapologetic click clack of her heels echoing down the hall like a war drum.
We breezed through the central garden, roses filling the air with that lush, fancy kind of smell that didn’t belong anywhere near a college campus. Two carved archways later, we stepped into an elevator with no buttons—just a glowing panel that lit up like something out of a sci-fi movie.
North Tower: Access Granted.
Okay, fancy.
The doors slid open with a soft chime, and I almost dropped my bag.
This... this was not a dorm.
This was a freakin’ palace.
The floors were marble. White with gold veins. So polished I could literally see my reflection—messy ponytail, flushed cheeks, wide, terrified eyes. There were chandeliers. Actual chandeliers. Balconies framed with blooming vines, plush chairs like someone had dragged a five-star resort into the hallway, and—
A butler.
An actual man in a tux holding a silver tray of sparkling drinks.
Sparkling drinks.
I was dreaming. I had to be dreaming.
My legs didn’t move. Couldn’t. My fingers clenched the bag strap like it was my lifeline.
This can’t be real. I don’t belong here. I should turn around. Just… disappear.
Back to West Dorm. Back to creaky floors and vending machine coffee that would have tasted like regret.
This place?
Too much. Too clean. Too expensive. Too not me.
“It’s pretty, right?” Brittany chirped, spinning on her heel like we weren’t standing in a marble fantasy. Her pink dress fluffed up like cotton candy as she twirled. “Ugh, I always forget how shiny it is till I bring someone new.”
I swallowed, forcing one shaky step after another. “This… this is your dorm?”
“Oh honey.” She beamed, swinging her arm toward the hallway like she was unveiling a kingdom. “This whole tower is our dorm.”
My jaw dropped. “All of this?”
“Mhm!” she sang. “North Tower. Reserved only for Gold Tier students.”
“Gold Tier?” The words slipped out before I could snatch them back. “What… what does that mean?”
Brittany froze mid-stride.
Then she spun on her heel, eyes wide, hands pressed to her chest like I’d just committed high treason.
“You don’t know?” she gasped, like I’d just told her Santa wasn’t real.
And just like that, I knew I was in over my head.
- Writer
