American Monster

5 - Addy

Groaning, I slid my finger across the screen of my phone to silence my alarm before blinking my eyes open. My head was thumping with each beat of my heart and I couldn't help but whimper as I turned on my side. I was in my dorm room. But I had no memory of how I'd gotten there.

I shoved from my bed, and gathered my shower supplies, before assessing the damage I'd done the night before in the small mirror on my desk. My eyes had dark circles under them, and my skin was pale. My gaze traveled lower over the shirt I was wearing. I tugged it up to my nose inhaling the scent of a guy. The evening was a blur and I let out a groan. Did I go home with someone? I tugged up the hem and took in the skirt and shirt I'd worn to the party. I was completely dressed, aside from my shoes.

As soon as I cleaned myself up and got some coffee, I was going to hunt down Harper and find out how badly I'd embarrassed myself.

I traipsed down the hallway to the bathroom. It was empty so I found some music on my phone and turned it up before propping it on the sink, allowing the noise to echo around the tiled space as I slipped into a shower stall. I hummed along, sliding under the warm spray, washing away the smell of liquor and smoke from last night's party. I closed my eyes, massaging shampoo into my hair, belting out the lyrics to You Should See Me in a Crown. As the chorus ended the sound of clapping caused me to freeze, not even daring to breathe.

"Who's there?" I called out but there was no response. I quickly turned off the water and wrapped my towel around my middle before slowly swinging open the heavy door to take in Justus leaning back against the sink in slate gray button-down and matching slacks. His eyes met mine and he smirked. "What are you doing?"

"It's a shared bathroom," he replied, sounding almost bored as his eyes dragged down my body. "That's why the individual shower stalls have locks. Unfortunately, they're not soundproof."

I stomped out of the shower and snatched my phone from the sink, turning it off before it could bleed into the next song and embarrassed myself further.

"I was the only one in here. How did you know I was in here anyway?"

"I have my ways," he replied vaguely, the hint of a smirk on his cocky face.

I tightened my towel around myself. "I'm going to call security."

"Go ahead." He jutted his chin out toward my phone. "I'll wait. I'm a patient man."

I narrowed my eyes before calling the RA. I eyed him, dancing from foot to foot as I waited for Dani to answer. She did after four rings, groaning into the receiver.

"Yeah?" she asked before a muffled male voice whispered in the background.

"Um... there is uh... a guy in the bathroom. I was trying to shower –"

Justus held out his hand and I pulled my phone from my ear, holding it out for him.

"Dani, sorry for waking you," he paused before nodding, his eyes locked on mine. "Yeah, I'll take care of it." Another pause. "You too, beautiful. I look forward to it," he rasped before ending the call.

"Unbelievable," I sneered, snatching my phone back from his hand and gathering my things.

"So, did you find him?" he asked, shoving his hands into the pockets of his slacks. "Before the party got raided."

Raided? My face pinched as I struggled to remember what he was talking about. "Find who?" I asked, whipping around to glare at him and causing my damp hair to stick to my face.

"A frat boy with a shoulder to cry on," he replied, a bite to his words. Flashes of us talking on the porch flickered across my mind.

I straightened my spine, my lips twisting up in a smirk. "Maybe," I snapped.