Page 12
1426 Words
By the time they reached the fourth floor, Maya was already talking.
“We have about forty minutes.”
“Forty minutes for what?”
“To get ready.”
“For what?”
Maya unlocked the door.
“The party.”
Elena walked inside.
“I thought you said it wasn't dangerous.”
“It isn't.”
“You didn't answer.”
Maya dropped her bag onto her bed.
“Because you're going.”
Elena stared at her.
“I never said that.”
“You didn't say you weren't.”
“That isn't the same thing.”
“It is in my world.”
Maya opened her closet and started pulling clothes out.
Elena watched her throw one shirt onto the bed, then another.
“You have a lot of clothes.”
“I have a normal amount.”
“You've been here two weeks.”
“And?”
“How did all of that fit in your suitcase?”
Maya stopped.
“Very carefully.”
Elena laughed.
Maya held up a black top.
“This?”
“No.”
Maya held up another.
“This?”
“Maybe.”
“Maybe?”
“It's nice.”
“That sounded like a teacher grading homework.”
“I didn't mean it like that.”
Maya tossed it onto the bed.
“Fine. We're going with this.”
Elena opened her suitcase.
Maya immediately turned.
“Wait.”
“What?”
“What are you wearing?”
Elena looked down at the jeans and simple top she had been wearing all afternoon.
“This.”
Maya stared.
“No.”
Elena laughed.
“What?”
“You cannot wear travel clothes to your first college party.”
“Why not?”
“Because.”
“That isn't a reason.”
“It is absolutely a reason.”
Maya walked over and opened Elena's suitcase before Elena could stop her.
She started looking through the clothes.
Elena folded her arms.
“You're very comfortable invading people's luggage.”
“You'll thank me.”
“I doubt that.”
Maya pulled out a dark blue dress.
“This.”
Elena took it from her.
“I forgot I packed this.”
“Which is exactly why I found it.”
Elena held it against herself.
“It might be too much.”
Maya shook her head.
“No. It's simple.”
Elena looked at herself in the mirror.
Maya stood behind her.
“You look good.”
Elena smiled slightly.
“Thank you.”
Maya pointed at her.
“See? Compliments work.”
“Don't get used to it.”
Maya laughed and went back to her closet.
Music started playing from her phone.
Something upbeat.
Elena changed while Maya searched for earrings and complained about losing one.
“Found it!”
“You're excited about one earring?”
“It was missing for three days.”
“Where was it?”
Maya looked at the floor.
“Under my bed.”
Elena shook her head.
“Don't judge me.”
“I didn't say anything.”
“Your face did.”
Elena smiled.
A few minutes later, they stood in front of the mirror.
Maya adjusted her hair.
Elena fixed the sleeve of her dress.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then Maya looked at her.
“Okay.”
“What?”
“You're definitely coming.”
Elena laughed.
“You decided that for me?”
“Yes.”
“Of course you did.”
Maya grabbed her phone and opened the camera.
“One picture.”
Elena groaned.
“You already took one.”
“That was café Elena.”
“What's the difference?”
“This is party Elena.”
“She's still me.”
“Not for the next few hours.”
Maya lifted the phone.
Elena smiled despite herself.
The camera flashed.
Maya looked at the picture.
“Okay. We look good.”
Elena leaned closer.
“We do.”
Maya smiled.
“That's what I like to hear.”
She slipped her phone into her bag.
“Ready?”
Elena looked around the room.
Her suitcase was still half-unpacked.
Her family photographs were sitting on the desk.
Her old life was still packed into a few bags.
And somehow, she was about to walk into a college party with a girl she'd met that morning.
She took a breath.
“Yeah.”
Maya opened the door.
“Then let's go.”
They stepped into the hallway together.
The music reached them before they even stepped outside.
Maya pushed open the residence hall doors, and Elena immediately stopped.
The lawn looked completely different from earlier.
String lights stretched between trees. Groups of students filled the grass and walkways. Someone had turned up the music, and laughter carried across the evening air.
Elena looked around.
“This is the party?”
Maya grinned.
“This is the beginning.”
“Beginning?”
“You'll see.”
They walked toward the crowd.
Almost immediately, Maya disappeared into conversation with someone she knew.
Elena stood beside her for a moment, holding her small bag and taking everything in.
She wasn't used to this.
The noise.
The music.
The number of people.
The casual way everyone seemed to know someone.
A student rushed past carrying two cups and nearly collided with her.
“Sorry!”
Elena stepped aside.
“It's okay.”
The student disappeared into the crowd.
Maya returned.
“You okay?”
“Yeah.”
“You look overwhelmed.”
“I am.”
Maya smiled.
“Good.”
“Good?”
“It means you're actually experiencing something.”
Elena laughed.
Maya grabbed her hand.
“Come on.”
They moved deeper into the crowd.
For the next few minutes, Elena stopped trying to remember everyone's faces.
She simply watched.
A group was dancing near the music.
Two guys were arguing over something neither of them seemed to remember anymore.
Someone had started a game with a football.
A girl was sitting on the grass laughing so hard she could barely speak.
It wasn't like the movies.
It was messier.
Louder.
More ordinary.
And somehow, better.
Maya leaned toward her.
“See?”
Elena smiled.
“I see.”
Then someone bumped into Maya from behind.
Her drink tilted.
A hand caught it before it spilled.
Maya looked up.
“Whoa. Thanks.”
“No problem.”
Elena looked over.
It was him.
Ethan.
He held Maya's cup for a second before handing it back.
“Almost lost that.”
Maya smiled immediately.
“Yeah. That would've been tragic.”
Ethan laughed.
Then his eyes moved to Elena.
Not dramatically.
Just a brief glance.
“Hey.”
Elena realized he was talking to her.
“Hi.”
“You're new, right?”
Elena nodded.
“Yeah.”
Maya jumped in.
“This is Elena. My roommate.”
Ethan looked back at Elena.
“Elena.”
He said her name like he was making sure he had it right.
“I'm Ethan.”
“I know.”
Maya's eyes widened.
Elena realized what she'd said.
“I mean—”
Ethan laughed.
“That's good, I guess.”
Maya covered her smile with her cup.
Elena gave her a look.
Ethan glanced between them.
“Should I be worried?”
“No,” Maya said quickly.
Elena shook her head.
“Definitely not.”
Ethan smiled.
“Good.”
Someone called his name from behind him.
“Ethan!”
He turned.
“Coming.”
He looked back at them.
“I'll see you around.”
Then he disappeared into the crowd.
Maya stood completely still.
Elena looked at her.
“What?”
Maya slowly turned.
“You knew his name.”
“I heard you say it.”
“You said, ‘I know.’”
“I did.”
“You said it before I introduced you.”
Elena's face changed.
For the first time, she realized exactly how that must have sounded.
“I—”
Maya stared at her.
Then she started laughing.
Elena pushed her shoulder.
“Stop.”
“You knew his name!”
“I heard you talking about him all afternoon!”
“You knew his name.”
“Maya.”
Maya laughed harder.
And somewhere behind them, across the crowd, Ethan looked back.
His eyes found Elena.
This time, he didn't look away immediately.
Elena didn't notice.
But Maya did.
And the smile slowly disappeared from Maya's face.
She looked from Ethan to Elena.
Then back at Ethan.
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