Sweetheart Single

11 | High House

I sleep in Saturday morning. It's just one more check mark to add in the column of things I never do. Sure, 8:27 AM might not seem like a beauty slumber to some, but it felt like one to me.

I blame the dreams. The Shawn-Jake-Harry montage that kept me up most of the night. Oh, this is so bad for a myriad of reasons!

I can't stop thinking about Harry. Meeting him yesterday was a whirlwind. I was having a hard enough time worrying about Jake and Shawn and feeling torn and guilty and distracted from my schoolwork all at once. Now Harry? A mysterious musician that's legit famous? I know I'm just overreacting again. I doubt Harry has any intention of seeing me again. I doubt he even remembers my name.

And it's only going to get worse tonight.

"Tell me you picked another outfit," Nikki says, leaning in my doorway. It strikes me how eerily she looks like Jake when she does that.

"Please," I laugh. "Even I know not to wear sweatpants to a party. Also, it's barely 9 AM."

"Never too early to plan these things." Nikki shakes her head. "Also, I brought my curler wand, so I'll do your hair after lunch."

"Nikki–" I begin.

"No Nikki," she mimics my voice. "It'll take five minutes. Promise."

I roll my eyes, but she already knows I'll give in. I stand in front of my open closet and reach to a dark green waffle-knit. It kind of reminds me of something Jake would wear.

"Drop it." Nikki arrives at my side. Her bracelets jangle as she rifles through my hangers. "Hmm. No. Hard pass."

I laugh nervously, wondering if Nikki will find anything satisfactory.

"I'm sure Tasha's got something slutty we can get you into..." Nikki talks more to herself than to me.

"Hey!" I nudge her. "No sluttiness, thank you."

"Oo, what do we have here?" Nikki finally pulls out an old sweater dress from the far back of my closet. "Yes."

"Nikki, it's a dress! And it's February!"

"Yes. And it's a sweater dress. I love it for you!" She holds it up to me and lets the hanger rest on my chest. "I gotta meet Chloe for a run. Then I'll be back around 2 for your hair."

"Alright," I sigh, smiling as she leaves my dorm.

Secretly, I'm happy I have Nikki to set me down the right path. I'd be lost without her, and I do not want to be lost tonight.

Shawn texted me earlier in the week to ask if I would be at High House. Now I know he was asking if I'd be at this party.

High House is not exactly a frat house –or maybe it used to be –but its name is not because it sits on a small hill behind campus. It's notorious for its weed and infamous for throwing even more infamous parties, like collegiate-level Jay Gatsby parties.

Nikki also let slip that Jake was going. He has made fast friends with some of the shadier students, so it's no surprise. He'll fit right in at High House.

I spend the afternoon eating granola parfaits and listening to new playlists in the lounge with Darren. I focus on his electric blue-pink headphones. Lucy wears them sometimes when she films her vlogs.

Darren's favorite pastime is introducing us to upcoming songs or secret gems he's discovered before they become mainstream. It's truly an art and he has a knack for it. Thanks to Darren, I knew at least three songs last semester before they even became hits on the radio, or streaming platform, or wherever it is kids listen to music now.