Straight to the bottom

4

Amelia POV

"The days passed, and everything was going smoothly. Jennifer and I still had our plans to visit the chapel and pray on Sunday. I didn't have many friends, except for my roommates and Salish, as I tended to ignore others who only wanted to talk to me because of my wealthy father.

On Saturday, I had a math class, so I took an early bath, getting used to the routine despite the presence of others. Jennifer and Emily were still asleep, while Rohini was chatting on her phone and smiling foolishly. "Who's got you so engrossed?" I asked.

Rohini looked up, still grinning. "This guy from class. We've just met, but he's cute." She showed me his picture. I raised an eyebrow. "Holy cow, he's got a strong presence!"

Rohini nodded enthusiastically. "I know, right? His name is Issac. He's black, and his voice is deep... I'm totally smitten."

I chuckled. "Okay, okay, don't make me fall in love with your crush."

Rohini corrected me, her smile still plastered on her face. "Boyfriend, actually."

I raised an eyebrow. "Since when?"

Rohini giggled. "He asked me overnight. Can't believe I got a boyfriend before you bitches!" We both burst out laughing, and I headed off to class.

I got to class and the professor wasn't around, so I took advantage of the situation. I sat at the front, put my earplugs in, and started listening to 'Irreplaceable' by Beyoncé. That's when four people walked up to me, Ryder being one of them - that annoying guy who always thought he was God's gift to women. ''Hey babe,'' Ryder said, plopping down beside me, his friends joining in. ''This is Isaac, and you know Sophia and Mia,''he added, like I was supposed to care.

Isaac, the same guy who asked Rohini out, looked just like the picture she showed me - tall, dark, and handsome. I gave him a once-over before turning back to Ryder. ''Okay, so?'' I said, not bothering to hide my disinterest.

"We're having an exclusive party tomorrow and we want you to be there" Mia said and I laughed. "No, sorry can't do" I said. "It's gonna be fun and lit" Sophia said.

"No" I said, about to leave, then Ryder held my hands and kissed me passionately - my fucking first kiss. His lips crushed mine, sending shivers down my spine. The gentle pressure, the softness of his lips, and the sweetness of his breath left me breathless. "I'll send u the address, 9am in the morning" Ryder said, and I nodded, still reeling from the kiss. He left with Isaac, leaving me with the girls. "So you can't wear this, you need to look like your father's wealth" Sophia said.

"I'm not really into fashion," I said, trying to brush off their suggestions. But Mia wouldn't let up. "From the shy look on your face after the kiss with Ryder, I'm sure you might like him. He likes girls who are revealing, not too nerdy. And who knows, the professor might not even show up, so let's go shopping!" she said, persistence in her voice.

I initially declined, but they eventually wore me down. "This isn't high school anymore; I need to dress like a college girl," I thought to myself. So, I agreed to go shopping with them.

At the mall, they picked out clothes and shoes for themselves, but for me, they chose an overwhelming amount of revealing clothes, shoes, makeup, and bags. When it was time to pay, they "forgot" their purses at home and promised to reimburse me the next day. They even suggested I ask my dad to buy me a car so I wouldn't have to walk in the hot sun. I felt used, like they had taken advantage of me to pay for their shopping spree.

Back at the dorm, I met up with the girls, who were busy studying. Rohini dropped my shopping bag, spilling its contents everywhere. "WTF?" Jennifer shouted. "What's all this for?" Emily asked, eyeing the revealing clothes.

I quickly came up with a lie. "My dad sent them through his PA." But Jennifer wasn't interested in the clothes. "Whatever, our plan is tomorrow," she said. "What plan?" I asked, playing dumb. "Chapel, remember? 9 am tomorrow, we're going," she said, storming out of the room.