The Will To

F I V E (cretins)

Reid hadn't lied. It was the biggest frat party so far this year.

Greek Row was teeming with drunken imbeciles. The weather was chilly, but said imbeciles still hung outside talking, drinking, and causing a ruckus as Nola and I marched by with our arms tightly crossed. I figured they must all be enclosed by a blanket of alcohol to endure the night air; I was wearing a jacket (probably the only one among hundreds) and my teeth were still chattering.

Two guys were playing catch with a football, and one was going long rather horrendously in a stumbling mess across the yard. He missed by about ten feet, and instead the ball pegged a woman chatting with a group in the back of the head. The guy started laughing and she started screaming.

"I guess life really does imitate art," I remarked to Nola who rubbed her hands over her arms while sighing as she said, "Will, don't be snarky while walking through a modern masterpiece. It's unbecoming."

I tucked my chin to contain a laugh.

Nola's sorority was meeting at the Alpha Sigma Phi house tonight. Apparently, nearly all the frats were hosting parties, which ultimately meant that the entire university's female population was invited to attend. This was typical with frat parties, as a bunch of sweaty dudes drinking and dancing together apparently got old quickly. And, as Nola and I approached the frat house, I could safely say many of the women had accepted the invitation.

I scanned the lawn of the frat house before Nola and I entered, happy to see it was uneventful apart from a few people sipping drinks.

What felt like a wall of noise and heat hit me as we stepped through the front door. The Alpha Sigma Phi house was packed, and all its occupants were crammed inside the front common room. Music was blaring through the room of chatting people, and the body heat made it seem like I was stepping into a sauna. But I wasn't easily fooled. This was no trip to the spa.

"How is this even enjoyable for anyone?" I nearly yelled at Nola as we threaded through the mass.

"It's the biggest party of the year, Will, come on," she yelled while ducking to avoid being rammed in the face by a guy who swung his arm through the air after successfully flipping his cup. Cheering erupted all around us.

Flip cup would be the death of me one day.

Nola made it to the back of the room and found a space that wasn't crawling with cretins. I exhaled once I pressed my back to the wall and slipped out of my jacket.

"Will this work while you're on the hunt?" Nola asked.

After performing a chef's kiss, I ran my fingers through my hair. Crowded rooms weren't my favorite, but I'd suffered many others before. Plus, the back wall kept me removed from the majority of the chaos.

"Reid should be here at some point tonight. You know, if you feel the need for a distraction."

I folded my arms across my chest and said, "Reid'll be the one getting distracted."

Nola lifted her hand and imitated holding an invisible glass. I lifted mine and we pretended to cheers each other.

"Come get me if things get out of hand," Nola said. "Okay?"

Despite the number of parties I'd tagged along on with Nola, I never needed to involve her. I could handle things on my own, and she knew that. But I appreciated her sentiment.

"Yeah, yeah," I said and she smiled, but it quickly faltered after she spotted something in the distance.

"Dammit," she hissed. "That woman is not human. You heard it from me first. How'd she find me so quickly?"