Hearts We Mend To Break (Book I)

.12.

💫GISELLE💫

I WALKED BACK TO the dorms in slow motion, the world moving quickly around me. Once I made it inside, I quickly pulled open my door, finding Sevyn hopping from Maxine's bed and Max tucking herself under her covers. I sat down on my bed, staring off into space, still trying to process what happened with my Rho Chi, or my "Queen", as she wanted to be called. I wanted to call my mom or my aunt, but that would only prove my Queen right. That was a move a privileged person, who thought they deserved special treatment because of their family history, would do. So, I didn't call. I just sat on my bed and daydreamed.

"Giselle, are you ok?" Snapping me out of my daze, Sevyn was standing over me, snapping her fingers in my face.

"I'm fine." My tone was monotonous, lacking enough character to deem my response believable. I blinked a few times before locking my eyes on her. "Everything's fine." I'm not sure if I was trying to convince her or myself. Truth is, I was terrified. I'd witnessed the most embarrassing forms of hazing the last few days and knowing I was going to be on the receiving end in a few hours had me petrified.

We showered, got ready, and laughed a little while Sevyn cracked jokes about our biology professor, whom she believed hit on her a few times before and after class. I begged to differ, feeling like he was only being polite, but Sevyn insisted.

Once we finally made it to the beach party, it was already crowded. There had to be over a hundred students there. They setup a food and drink station where a few people were already indulging in the shots and different choices of grilled food. Further down, there was a volleyball area. It caught my attention immediately with the glow in the dark net and ball. They even added lights to the perimeter that lit up the beach with florescent colors. All-in-all, the setup was phenomenal, and I could tell that memories were going to be made.

"Hey blondie! Hey ladies." Loki approached me from behind, wrapping his arm around my neck and planting a friendly kiss on my cheek. He winked at Sevyn and Max as they grunted in disapproval.

"What's going on, Loki?" Rolling my eyes, I flashed a welcoming smile his way.

"Just glad you finally showed up. Come on! The crew's over here." Loki motioned for us to follow his lead.

Vanessa was dancing circles around Zack when we walked up. Smiles swarmed the group as they looked on and cheered for them. Vanessa was a great dancer, watching her hips swirl and dip as she threw her hair around and snaked her body to the beat. She'd dance circles around me. But I danced to feel free. To escape.

"Hey Sevyn!" Vanessa shouted, running towards Sevyn, ending her soiree prematurely. She jumped into Sevyn's arms as if they were old besties. "Hey Giselle! You look amazing, as always." I didn't get as big of a welcome, but V came to hug me next. She squeezed me tightly and then tapped me on the backside.

"Hey, V!" Returning a smile, I stuck around a little while, listening to her and Sevyn chat about little to nothing. That was until Maxine pulled me to tag along with her.

We greeted everyone else from our regular group; Zack, Angel, and a few girls who came around often. Everyone had their fingers wrapped around a cup filled with their choice of poison. The music was loud, the lights were bright, and a million conversations were going on at once.

"How are you, Angel?" I sat on a log beside him, keeping enough space for at least two bodies. He looked pretty laid back, wearing a hooded sleeveless shirt that showed off his tattoos. Guess that's why I tried my luck. I needed a better response from him than before.