Love doesn't have to be hard

Chapter 2: Frat Party

Steph finally talked Tessa into going to the frat party. Tessa is a little nervous and dresses like she is going to church. 

Steph smiles at her, and they go to the party. They walk in and get some drinks. She can tell how nervous Tessa is. 

They each get a drink, and Tessa turns it down. They walk into the living room, and that's where their friends are. 

They join them, and Tessa sees the annoying boy who was in her room the other day with a chick sitting in his lap. She takes a seat next to this really cute guy. 

"Hi, I'm Zed."

"I'm Tessa. It's nice to meet you."

"What's your major, Tessa?"

"I'm thinking business, maybe economics."

"Cool, very cool."

Jace, the townie, offers her a drink. "Come on, do it." He taunts.

"Oh my god, Steph, where did you find this girl?" Molly says.

"No one's talking to you," Zed states.  

They start playing truth or dare. Molly had already learned that Tessa was a virgin. Molly dares Tessa to kiss Hardin. She doesn't feel comfortable because she is dating Noah. So she gets up and walks away. 

"Hardin Scott got rejected."

"I like this girl," Zed stated.

"Shut up, Molly. I bet I can take her virginity."

"I bet you can't, Scott," Zed says. 

"Okay, bet you and me three months or less. I bet I will make her fall in love with me, take her virginity, and then turn it off."

"Okay, you're on. No cheating either, Scott."

"Deal." 

The next week, Hardin takes her to his favorite spot. He gets her to swim, and then he rubs on her body. This is their first sexual encounter. He fingers her, and they make out. 

He keeps his space, and Tessa is tired of the way he is acting. One minute, he is kissing her. The next, he acts like she isn't even there. He's so hot and cold.

Zed sees her on campus, walks over, and starts talking to her. "Hey, Tessa, how have you been?"

"Good, and you?"

"Good as well. So, Tessa, do you, um, have any plans tonight?"

"No, not really, just to study." 

"Cool. I was wondering if maybe you wanted to go out to dinner and a movie?"

"That's sweet, Zed, but I have a boyfriend."

"I know just as friends. I would never make a move on someone in a relationship."

"Okay, then yeah, that sounds great. That's very nice of you. Much better than Hardin, who has kissed me and tried other things even tho he knows I have a boyfriend."

"Hardin doesn't care who he hurts. Great, I will pick you up at seven."

"See you then."

"Bye, Tessa."

"Bye, Zed." She returns to her dorm to take a shower and start getting ready. She grabs her clothes and toiletry bag and then goes to the communal showers.

Once she is showered, she gets dressed. She brushes her hair and her teeth. She returned to her room, and Hardin was sitting on Steph's bed. 

"What are you doing in here?"

"Waiting for you, Tessa. Got a hot date tonight with your boyfriend?"

"No, and it's not a date. I am going to dinner and a movie with Zed as friends."

"Dinner and a movie sounds like a date to me. What would your preppy boyfriend think?"

"Noah, trusts me. What happened between us was a mistake, and it never should have happened. I am going to tell Noah about everything when he comes to visit next weekend."

"Please don't tell him about us because there is no us. I don't date; I fuck around and have fun."

"I'm going to tell him about the kiss and the lake. I am also going to tell him about going out with Zed. If he decides to end it, then at least I was honest with him."

"Well, you can kiss your future as Mrs. Cardigan goodbye. I would be very careful with Zed; maybe his intentions aren't as pure as you would hope." He gets up and walks out the door. 

She sits there thinking back to his words. She knows he is lying. Hardin is nothing but trouble and rude. Zed has been nothing but sweet to me.  

She walks out front to wait on Zed right before it is time to meet. She sees him pull up in his truck, and he jumps out and opens the door for her.

"Hey, Tessa. You look very beautiful tonight?" He smiles; she is wearing a pair of blue jeans and a red dress shirt. It is very form fitting and looks very sexy. 

"Thanks, you look very handsome as well." She eyes his black skinny jeans, white t-shirt, cutoff jean jacket, and white tennis shoes. He does look very handsome.  

He hands her a Lilly off the seat, "Sorry, this is for you."

"Thank you. I love Lillies. They are my favorite flower."

"You are very welcome, and I know." He smiles at her, and her heart races. 

He pulls up at a casual cafe-style restaurant where they enjoy their dinner. They laugh and joke around. Zed keeps stealing her fries, and she threatens to kill him with her fork, and he laughs.

The movie they saw was so cheesy, but they both enjoyed it. They spent the entire movie laughing so hard. She felt so at ease with Zed; he was much easier to get along with than Hardin.          

He pulled up and dropped her off; she was nervous he was going to kiss her, but instead, he kissed her hand. "Goodnight, Tessa."

"Goodnight, Zed; thank you for a wonderful evening." He watched her walk to the door, then waved and drove away. 

Tessa smiled as she walked to her dorm room. When she arrived at her door, she saw Hardin sitting by her door. His eyes looked bloodshot, and she wasn't sure if he was drunk or high.

"What are you doing here, Hardin?"

"I came to see you. Did you have fun on your date with Zed?"

"It wasn't a date, and yes, we had fun. You need to go back to your house. You can't be sitting out here in our halls." 

"Tessa, I don't like you going out with Zed. It bothers me, and I don't know why, but it does."

"Well, Hardin, I am sorry it bothers you, but it is my life, and I will see who I feel like seeing and be friends with whoever I choose."

"You're right. I can't tell you who to go out with and who to be friends with, but I can tell you I don't like it. I know Zed seems sweet and all, but you don't really know him."

"No, I don't know him, but I am getting to know him. He has been very respectful of me and hasn't made a single move on me. He knows I am dating Noah and respects that, unlike you. I don't know you either, which was our problem."  

"Okay, I'm just warning you."

"Thanks for the warning, but I like to make my own decisions about people. Are you drunk or high?"  

"No, my allergies are bothering me from so much smoke in the house. See you around." He walked off, and she just stood there watching him.