waste the night [c.h.]

nine

Two weeks had passed and things hadn't changed. They were still terrorizing me whenever I walked outside.

I did everything to avoid the frat house but they were everywhere. 

I got bullied for not having sex with them but girls get bullied for being a slut. Was there some balanced sex number they approved of? Misogyny at it's finest.

I mean, I sleep with them and I'm a whore and if I don't, I'm a prude. There was no winning with men.

Over the past couple weeks, I've set a routine for myself. Go to class, go straight to the dorms and cook up the ramen noodles I had stashed in my dresser. If I didn't hide them Jessie would eat them all when she was drunk. I've seen her eat two big mac meals and two mcflurries when she was wasted. 

Jessie and Calum started spending more time together. I was angry and happy for her. He trashed my reputation, but she's been in love with him since freshmen year, a girl has to shoot her shot sometime.

I wanted to warn her. To tell her that a boy like him only breaks hearts. Shatters whatever dignity she had left. Chews and spits out the love she could feel for anyone ever again.

I should have taken my own advice.

***

I was laying on my bed, facetiming Blake, who I've also grown close to over the past couple weeks. He's the only person I can vent to about my stupid and meaningless feelings that Jessie was too hype and drunk to listen to.

Jessie stumbled through the door, a certain caramel skin boy wrapped around her. 

I quickly told Blake goodbye before hanging up and standing on my feet. 

Calum was holding Jessie up, who was passed out. Her dress had ridden up on her thighs, almost showing her underwear. I went over and took her from him, setting her softly on the bed before taking off her shoes and pulling the covers over her half naked body.

Her lipstick was smudged and so was her eye makeup. Something happened.

I turned to Calum, balling my hands into fists. "What happened?"

He furrowed his eyebrows, running a hand through his hair. "What? Nothing, nothing happen-"

"You really think I'm that stupid?" I scoffed, gesturing to her. "Something happened. Her dress is nearly torn, her makeup smudged to heck, what happened?"

He glanced away from me before shoving his hands into his pockets. "I walked in on her and some guy, you know- getting freaky."

I nodded, gesturing for him to continue. "And?"

"Well, I could tell she was wasted, I couldn't let him basically rape her."

"Oh yeah, alright." I scoffed, rolling my eyes.

"What does that mean?"

I let out a laugh, turning back to my bed. "Nothing, Calum, go home."

"No, not until you tell me what your problem is."

"Are you really that stupid?"

"What? What is it?" He whispered-yelled at me.

"You trashed my reputation, Calum Hood," I scoffed at him, taking a step towards him. "You don't even know what you did. I was invisible. No one saw me. No one. Until you decided to use me as your freshmen bet."

His eyebrows rose, his eyes clearing with realization. 

"Yeah, you have no idea what you did to me," I said, turning my back to him. "I got bullied for not having sex with that guy."

"Alex, look, I-"

"No, save it, really," I shoved him towards the door. "Go home."

"Alex, I-"

He fell against the door, looking back up to me in surprise. A hand flew to my mouth as he regained himself. "Oh crap, I'm sorry I didn't mean to-"

He twisted the knob, nodding at me. "You're right. Sorry. I was just gonna say to make sure that she gets water in the morning, she's usually parched."

I nodded and flopped down on my bed as he shut the door, leaving me and drunk Jessie alone. 

The next day, I approached Calum in business class. He turned to me in surprise. "I'm sorry I exploded on you yesterday, I shouldn't have pushed you like that."

He quickly nodded before taking his seat. "It's fine."

I took my seat beside Michael, sending him a soft smile before pulling out my laptop. 

"What was that?" He whispered to me.

"What was what?"

"You talked to Calum."

I shrugged. "It's fine. Whatever it was is over."

I watched as Calum took his lip between his teeth as he quickly typed on his laptop, not even glancing at the screen. 

His hair was disheveled mess, a styled mess, a beautiful mess. He had small bags underneath his eyes, probably from partying too hard this weekend, his brown eyes drooping with exhaustion. His black shirt was a soft contrast to his caramel skin, goosebumps forming along his chilled skin. His tattoos peaked out of his shirt, matching the same dark shirt.

He was admirable from afar.

He looked soft. Gentle. Harmless.

Little did I know he was about to change my life.