Chatoyant College Book 2: Initiates

Chapter 37: Party Animals Redux

At ten minutes to eight, Corrie looked up at the clock and closed her book.

"I'm going to change," she said. "It's almost time for the party and I want to look cute. I doubt I'll find anything in the next ten minutes, anyway."

Dawn and Edie closed their books, too. "Do you think I should change?" Edie asked doubtfully.

Corrie shrugged, already looking through her closet. "If you want. I don't think it's like a formal occasion or anything."

"You should wear your new clothes that you bought last week!" said Dawn enthusiastically. "You want to impress those theater lesbians, don't you?"

Edie laughed reluctantly. "I suppose so."

Corrie changed from her customary jeans and T-shirt into a sleeveless blue flowered dress, then turned to see that Edie had taken Dawn's advice; she wasn't as dressed up as Corrie was, but she looked much better in her well-fitting jeans and green empire waist shirt. "You look cute," Corrie said with a grin, sitting down to strap on her high-heeled sandals.

"Thanks," Edie said, self-consciously smoothing the shirt over her stomach. "Where are we going?"

"One of the dorms, I guess." Corrie found a small purse with a strap that went with her dress and began fitting her ID and a few other essentials into it. "Byron said he'd meet us downstairs. Okay, ready to go?"

"I guess so."

Dawn stood up too. "Why don't I walk with you? I'd like to at least see Byron."

"Are you really worried?" Corrie asked. She wasn't upset about Dawn wanting to see Byron, just surprised that she did.

"Yes! I wouldn't be if it weren't for Roe's vision, but I don't think we can trust anyone. Besides, I want to meet this guy you keep going on about."

"Oh, all right." Corrie locked the door, and they all walked downstairs; Corrie was sure to keep a hand on the railing as she walked, since the last thing she wanted to do was fall down the stairs due to her shoes.

Byron was already in the entrance hallway when they reached it. "Hi!" said Corrie, hurrying over (and not falling), unable to suppress a grin at the sight of him. He was wearing long khaki shorts and a tight-fitting shirt that showed off his muscles. "We're not late, are we?"

"No, I was early." He took her arm gently by the elbow and leaned in to kiss her on the cheek. "You look lovely."

"Thanks!" she said with a slight giggle. "You look good too. Um, this is my friend Edie, who I told you about. And this is Dawn, my other friend--she just wanted to meet you."

He let go of Corrie to stick his hand out toward them. "Nice to meet you."

They both shook his hand. "Nice to meet you, too," said Dawn, smiling. Corrie caught her eye and she nodded. Corrie sighed with relief. "Okay, Rico's probably wondering where I am, so I'll see you later," she said, giving a wave and turning to go back up the steps.

"Shall we go, then?" said Byron.

"Certainly," Corrie replied. They left the dorm and started walking, taking one of the paths heading north. "Neither of us has ever been to a college party before," Corrie said, trying to draw Edie into the conversation and make her feel included despite the fact that Byron plainly only had eyes for Corrie.

Byron laughed. "I didn't think so--you're both freshmen, right? Well, it's probably different than the parties you're used to, but you don't need to worry. We're very laid back. It's not really so much a party as a bunch of people, mostly theater majors, all hanging out in the same place. We don't even drink much usually, though there's always something to drink if you want it."

"Glad to hear it," said Edie quietly--she was trying to smile, but she still looked anxious.

Byron finally glanced at her and smiled sympathetically. "Hey, don't worry so much. You're going to be very popular, I can tell." Edie didn't look like she liked that idea much; Corrie gave her an encouraging grin. Moments later, Byron changed directions abruptly, making Corrie stumble. "Are you all right?" he asked, grasping her arm.

"Yes, just surprised--where are we going?" They had stepped off the path, moving away from the dorm she had thought they'd been aiming for.

He pointed ahead of them. "Just a little way into the woods."

Corrie and Edie both stopped walking, making Byron stop too. "We can't go into the woods!" Corrie said, trying to keep the panic out of her voice. Had Dawn been right not to trust Byron? She wanted to--she really wanted to--but he was leading her to where the faeries lived. Dawn had said he wasn't a faerie, but what if his glamour was as much better than Professor Lal's as hers was better than the faeries in the woods'? Then it might be strong enough for Dawn to be unable to see through it.

He laughed, though a little less heartily than he had when they had told him they'd never been to a college party before. "You bought that fairy tale they spin us about not going into the woods?" Corrie caught Edie's eyes and knew they were both thinking the same thing. Neither wanted to take another step. Byron continued, "It's really not dangerous. Not if you stay close to the campus. It's true that the college doesn't own the whole woods--some friends of mine ran into the owners of the part past here hunting, and it wasn't pleasant--but they do own a fair way in, and as long as you don't go too far in no one cares."

Corrie relaxed marginally. That fit with what she remembered from going to rescue Annie--there had been a part of the woods that was safe and a part that wasn't. "I don't know..." she said slowly.

Byron let go of her arm and looked at her seriously. "Look, it's really just a cool place to hang out. If you're really freaked out by going into the woods we can go do something else. Maybe I'll show you where we hang out during the day sometime. But I won't force you to go in if you don't want to."

Corrie reached into her purse surreptitiously and closed her hands around her keys. Nothing changed; Byron didn't look any different and she didn't feel any different. She knew it might not mean anything, since the keys didn't work on Professor Lal, but she didn't feel as though she was being charmed. He could have tried harder to get her into the woods, but he wasn't. And Dawn had seemed completely comfortable with letting them go with him. She looked at Edie. "I think it's okay."

Edie nodded slowly. She didn't say anything, but both of them knew that they would keep one eye on each other and the other eye out for faeries. Corrie turned back to Byron and smiled, letting go of her keys. "All right, lead the way."