Sway Me (book 1)

Chapter One- Party Animal

Chapter One- Party Animal
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I made my way out of the school library. I had just returned the books I had used for the just-concluded end-of-session exams. Since the exams were already over, there was no need to hoard them up in my room and end up forgetting to return them before I went for the school break, which might cause my borrowing privileges to be suspended.

Giulia had already blown up my phone with several text messages, and I was yet to respond to any. I was not ignoring her, but she could be quite persistent.

I ordered a cab and returned to the apartment where I stayed with Giulia. She had suggested I accompany her to Italy for the break, and I was yet to decide if I was going to go. I still had a week to decide, and the trip was in two weeks' time. I wasn't sure if Giulia was even giving me a choice in the entire matter, but she was subtly not showing it.

She had already made me apply for a declaration of presence, but she claimed that it was my decision to get on a plane with her when that day comes. This was a girl that I am quite certain has already booked my flight ticket. How did she expect me to turn that down?

I might have little say in the whole Italy trip, but tonight's party was a must. I had no say in this one, and I had no right to complain tonight. I had managed to slip out of all the parties this semester, not because my grades were slipping. On the contrary, I had no difficulty with studying and getting good grades. I have never had. Rather, it was because those night college parties were not my scene. But I had turned down too many parties this semester, and I made a promise that I would not turn down the last one after the school exams, and that was the present one happening tonight.

Giulia was a party animal. She had always been, for as long as I have known her. She was an extremely intelligent girl, and I admired how she wonderfully balanced her studies and social life. But I guess that was just Giulia. She loved social events, and she lived for the party. As a matter of fact, we met for the first time at the first college party I had attended. It was her first as well, but she was a natural that night. I would not have guessed that given a million chances.

At that time, I was giving the whole social life thing a try since I had excelled in high school. But there was Giulia, looking perfect, acting like she had been partying her whole life. She did not look one bit like a freshman when she danced her heart out at Cole Saunders' Freshman party, which, in fact, was attended mainly by sophomores and seniors, but the theme welcomed newcomers.

It was surprising that I even got an invite to begin with, but Cole Saunders seemed to be fixated on me that certain day we met outside of my class hall. He was retaking the class I was attending that Monday morning around eight, and we were both late for it.

He made small talk while we waited outside the door of the class. I was waiting, but I was not sure that he was. My best guess was that he was trying to keep me company, more like make a pass at me, but not in an offensive way.

He was a smooth talker, and he spoke nicely, so I indulged him. He was a pretty attractive guy. He had that hot next-door neighbor look, and he looked like he was engrossed in some kind of sport at that time, which I later learned was that he played for the university football team.

I was kind of athletic myself. I spent some time on the girls' volleyball team when I was in high school. I was good, but I was not great like that. I know I should give myself a little bit of credit, but it did not bother me because I knew that I could not be great at everything. I was great academically, to begin with.

I did push myself to be better, though. I helped my school win state championships as co-captain when I was in my finals, but I single-handedly decided not to pursue volleyball as my career. One thing I loved more than volleyball was becoming an engineer. I was fascinated by how things were built, and my father inspired that fascination. He too was an engineer, majoring in the mechanical aspects, and that was what I was majoring in as well.