It is very weird being inside the house in daylight. The place pretty much looks like a trash can, with streamers and plastic cups littering every surface. It also looks very empty, nothing in sight besides the evidence of last night. Where is everyone? Then I realise that most people would be going to orientation at the campus – an introductory presentation for students at the beginning of each year. Spencer mentioned it this morning, though he didn’t think it would be necessary for him to go – he already knows all the rules and regulations.
I pass each room in searches for my friends, noticing how the sunlight catches on the gold embroidery carved into the beautiful French Doors. I don’t know why I am so intrigued and awed by these doors. Maybe because they look so perfectly out of place at a college frat house. The white curtains flit open to reveal the view of the campus. The house is in a perfect location, really: a reasonable distance from the campus but still holds a breathtaking view of the hill leading towards it. I wish I could just sit at that seat again and stare at what I hope to become mine in less than a year’s time. I follow the circle of rooms through to the front door again before continuing my pursuit upstairs.
I have to step over a few people that are sprawled out on the steps and along the corridor, passed out. I don’t know how anyone could think this stuff is fun. I am glad I didn’t drunk much and left early to be with Spencer. I would have hated to turn out like this, bruised and battered the next day.
The corridors seem to travel forever and I feel like I’m in a maze. I just start opening doors that aren’t locked to peek in and see if I can spot the unruly hair or porcelain skin of my friends. I hate to appear intrusive, but I have no other option. Both of them aren’t answering their cells, leading me to the conclusion that their phones have died. Mine isn’t very far away from that either. 7%, and dropping. 6%.
I open a door towards the end of the hallway and am welcomed and relieved by Dani’s hair poking out from under a bed sheet. I am even more relived that the person next to her is Liam, not someone else. As long as I know she is here, it’s okay. I’ll leave her to sleep and wait downstairs for her to wake. Willa and Dani are joined at the hip, so I have no doubts that Willa is somewhere inside this mansion as well.
As I walk down the stairs I hear what sounds like someone cleaning up. How thoughtful that someone would help clean up, such a decent, kind person…
“Hey, freckles.” He says. Something that sounds like a groan mixed with a scoff escapes my mouth, and I roll my eyes and scowl. His dimples deepen as he suppresses a grin.
“What do you want, Harry?” I say flatly, walking past him to sit on a stool by the kitchen bench.
“You remember my name, that’s cute. What’s yours again?”
I don’t even know this guy, why is he being so rude to me? I’ve talked to him two or three times and he is already the most uncouth person I have ever met. I cannot tell if he is somewhat joking or being completely serious, and that frustrates me. I can always read people, their minds, what they’re thinking. It’s obvious that we will not get along.
“Are you hungry?” He surprises me by asking. I whip my head up to find him staring at me, holding two different cereal boxes. He has green eyes.
“Um, muesli, thanks?” I stumble, trying to accustom to his change of mood. Maybe he was just joking? Maybe we can be friends.
He is amused by my bewilderment as he pours milk into two bowls full of muesli. He slices a banana onto both and drizzles honey over the top.
I can hear the clatter of heels approaching the kitchen. They belong to a tall girl, dressed in a tight black dress. It is obvious she slept here, considering her hair is a little messy, but other than that it’s as if her complexion remained untouched the whole night.
She rears the counter toward Harry and I notice the back of her dress is totally unzipped, revealing a back full of colour. She has tattoos. I wonder how old she is, she looks at least five years older than me.
As I reach for one of the bowls of cereal Harry has just prepared, he quickly scoops up both. “I made you breakfast, babe.” He hands one of the bowls to the girl who flips her long brown hair over her shoulder before grabbing the bowl.
My hand is still outstretched across the counter for the bowl. My mouth is wide open and I look like a total idiot. Harry’s eyes dart to me and the corners of his mouth begin to turn upward. Some kind of muffled noise escapes my lips and I quickly pull my hand away. Tears prick at my tears and I struggle to keep my emotions at bay. I am so caught off guard by Harry’s act, so overwhelmed. I thought that he had had a change of heart? That maybe we could be friends, or at least civil acquaintances on the occasion that we may meet again. And the way he grins when he insults me rattles me. He is in his complete humours, feeding off my reactions to give him some sort of sick satisfaction. I cannot comprehend how rude this boy is, this boy I’ve known for less than twelve hours that seems to have a wicked aversion towards me. I do not plan on coming back to this house, though I would have liked to have left on good terms.
Harry and this woman begin to talk about their plans for the day. I hear Harry suggesting things for them to do in the city, but his ideas are rejected.
“I actually think I might head off…” The woman trails off.
“Oh”, Harry goes quiet for a moment.
“Yeah. Well, you have my number”, she says with no conviction. I can tell by the tone of her voice that she has no interest of seeing him again.
“Oh, Janice, don’t think you’re that important”, he begins, trying to get the upper hand in the argument. “I have many other numbers, and frankly I don’t think your mediocre abilities will make the top ten. Hell, five.”
She begins to yell back at him and then they are completely shouting at each other in front of me. By this point, I think they have forgotten I’m here. She grabs her clutch from the kitchen bench and begins to walk to the front door, still spitting insults at Harry.
Not wanting to seem nosey, I remain facing towards the kitchen until I hear the door slam shut. I am torn between what to do: leave the room to go find Dani and Willa, or stay here with Harry. I’ll take Willa’s annoyance at me waking her than Harry’s hurtful words any day. As I stand and make my way to the stairs, Harry clears his throat behind me.
“Sorry”, he says almost inaudibly.
“For what, Harry?” I turn on my heels toward him. His eyes flicker.
“For… for… for letting you hear that. I bet you loved that, didn’t you? Watching my ass getting handed to me on a silver platter?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about”, I say. What is he talking about?
“Oh, please. You are such a prude, I can tell you loved seeing a guy with tattoos and lip piercings get rejected”, he steps towards me, closing the space between us. I hadn’t actually noticed he had facial piercings. I can see the ink swirling down both his arms but I hadn’t took attention to the two bottom lip piercings he has on the right side of his mouth.
“Stop looking at me”, he snaps.
I sigh. “Goodbye, Harry.”
“Bye, freckles.”
