Thorn (n.h)

II

"We should get back to campus soon," I said dusting salt off my fingertips. "I have to get ready for class tomorrow."

"There's a party at Louis' tomorrow," Paige says crumpling her napkin and tossing it into her basket. Neither of us make a move to get up.

"You really wanna go to that?" I ask raising an eyebrow, we aren't party people. In our two years at college we'd been to one party and it followed a study group.

"I mean, last party before finals," Paige shrugged and looked at the group beside us. I looked too, Niall was with his normal group of friends. His girlfriend sat beside him, practically on his lap. Jesus what was her name?

"Who's going to be there?" I asked turning back to Paige.

"Everyone except us if we don't go!" A grin crept onto her face and it was pretty contagious.

"We'll see," I respond and get to my feet.

"Hey," said a vaguely gruff voice. It wasn't soft but it wasn't entirely friendly either. I look and see it came from a very tattooed man, about my age who was looking at Paige and I, he was friends with Niall and they were all looking at us.

"Hi," I said awkwardly, I wasn't sure if he wanted a conversation or was only being polite. Paige and I make a move for the trash then he speaks again.

"We saw you two looking at us," he spoke, his eyes didn't look incredibly welcoming.

"We were just..." Paige began and trailed off.

"Looking at Niall's tattoos," I finished. The girl who has been his girlfriend as long as I can recall gives me a 'eat shit and die' glare.

"We heard you talk about the party tomorrow and we, well I, was wondering if you actually planned to go." Harry I think his name was. Sure is bossy.

"What's it to you?" I ask setting the trash back on the table.

"Well I figure we can't go it you lame asses are going," he stifled a laugh and I rolled my eyes. The group continued to snicker as we walked away.

I felt embarrassed, mostly because of his attitude but also because of Niall, who knows why.

Paige and I left the restaurant and climbed into her car. "Looks like no party for us tomorrow," she said as she backed out of her parking spot.

"Why can't we go? you wanna chicken out because some jack off said he wouldn't be there if we are?" I asked as I drank more tea. Paige nodded silently as she flipped on her radio. "well, we're going." I added and hummed along to the rock music that poured from the speakers.

~

"Good afternoon class," said my American history teacher the next day. I sat front and center because American history was not my forte and I was not going to slack. "As you all know I do care, atleast a little, for my students," he said as he paced his mini stage in the lecture hall.

The room filled with sighs and movement.

"Therefore, for your final, I would like to pair you all up," now the room was filled with hushed speaking. "I'd like the person with the highest grade in the class to work with the person with the lowest grade. the two will ensure the other passes."

I look around the room and notice everyone is doing the same. I look back to the professor and he's keeping his gaze on somebody.

"I understand that some of you may be facing expulsion if this course is not passed this semester." he was talking directly and indirectly to someone.

I continued to look for who it was, then I realized it.

"Your pairings are posted outside my office. class is dismissed." Everyone stood quickly and left to see who got paired with who.

I told the teacher to have a good day and left too, following the crowd to his office. I and one other person was left to see who our partners were.

There's my name.

Oh.

~

"What's a good party dress?" Paige asks from inside her closet. I shrug and continue looking at my magazine.

"Did you hear me?" Paige asks coming out of the closet with two dresses in hand. One is a gold dress that is shedding glitter allover the carpet. The other is black and seemingly form fitting.

"Black," I say with a smile

"Well what are you wearing?" Paige asks as she goes to her bed and begins undressing.

"We have two hours why are you changing?" I ask, closing the magazine and going to my closet.

"I'm meeting Louis," she said with a smile as she pulled the dress over her hips.

I scrunch my nose, "why?" I continue to move clothes around in my closet. I don't really have anything.

"He asked me to meet him," Paige said, I could hear the smile in her voice.

"When?"

"When did he ask or when do I meet him?" Paige asks as she sits at the vanity mirror.

"Both," I pull a dress out of my closet to look at it but decide against it.

"He asked me during Health. We had free time before our professor got there. I meet him in an hour, we're going to dinner." Paige turns on her curling iron.

"Ooo," I nearly squeal, "fancy you with a date and the fact it's Louis Tomlinson is better." I add and decide on my plum colored dress. it poofs out at the waist and it is perfect for twirling.

"Wanna meet at the coffee shop at say 8:30?" Paige rolls her hair in the iron.

"I guess so," I add and look for my heels.

~

I'm dressed and waiting for Paige. I picked this dress because it would show my arm tattoo but considering it is 53 degrees out I opted to show it off some other time.

My heels are silver and short enough to be comfortable but tall enough for me to worry about killing myself in them. I'd only worn them once and it was to my high school graduation. I nearly broke my neck walking across the stage.

My hair is curled into big waves and my eye shadow matches my dress.

Come on Paige it's freezing.

"ROSE!" I hear a familiar voice yell.

Finally.

Louis is dressed nicely, black jeans, white shirt and a black jacket. "Hi Louis," he greets me with a hug then we start walking.

"I'll take you ladies in my car if that's alright," Louis says as we walk to the parking lot.

"If you're throwing the party why aren't you already there?" I ask, I don't mean to be rude.

"Oh I'm not throwing it, my birthday is over break and my friends thought we'd celebrate now before finals." Louis explained and unlocked his car for us, opening Paige's and my door in one swift motion.

"What a gentleman!" Paige whispers to me as we climb in.

I smile in response but I'm so nervous. I haven't been to a college party before. I'm a sophomore and even I think that's crazy but it's true.

The place where the party is at is pretty secluded from the rest of the world. It's a normal house in a high end neighborhood so the homes aren't very close together. I figure at least .25 of a mile apart. We step out of the car and Paige grabs hold of Louis bicep and I stuff my phone into my bra.

Like it or not, nervous or not, I'll have at least a little fun tonight