The Pursuit of Felicity

{ Chapter 2 }

There isn't much of a social scene at Carrigan State. The academic clubs aren't too inclusive and the campus doesn't have anything interesting to do on weekends. Unless you're 21 and can get into a bar then you're stuck dealing with frat parties and kickbacks, which aren't too bad. It just creates a routine that can get tiring. Take my typical week for example: I endure the stress of classes and work before going out on Friday and then Saturday. If I go to a party, what happens there is up for grabs: I can go home with someone, go home alone, or I can just go to either Rex or Danny's apartment. That's the only variety in my life, so it seems.

So here I am at standing in the kitchen of yet another frat house flirting with a pretty girl, who seems just as interested in me as I am in her. She places one of her hands on my arm when I say something that makes her laugh and I begin to get excited. "You're really funny," she coos as she pushes a red tendril from her face. "I'm going to get something to drink. Do you want anything?"

"No, thanks," I shake my head and she nods. Her curls are pulled back into a slightly messy bun and her green eyes are playful and teasing almost.

"Will you be here when I get back?" she wonders and I give her a quick nod. I spot Gen watching me from across the room and I raise one of my thumbs to signal that we're a go. My friend rolls her eyes, laughs, and returns back to the conversation she's having with the guy in front of her.

It takes a few minutes for the girl, whose name I think is Karla, to return. She's barely a meter away when someone cuts in front of her and advances towards me in a surprisingly fast manner. In a startled and slightly irritated state, I look up at the male figure only to find that it's Cameron. I peer around him and watch Karla frown in dismay as she hesitates before turning back the way she came. It's too loud for me to tell her to wait up so I am left to watch as she disappears into the crowd.

I return to my gaze to the curly haired boy with a sour glare. "Thank you, Cameron," I snap as I raise and drop my hands in a huff.

"Hey, you remembered my name," he cheers with a small smile before catching on to my tone. He glances behind him curiously before returning his large eyed gaze to me. "What'd I do?"

"The girl I was talking to is now lost in the sea of people because you cut in front of her," I retort as I motion to the dancing people behind him.

"You were talking to her?" he asks in slight surprise as he points his thumb behind him.

"Yes," I reiterate with a flat look on my face.

"You were going to play that innocent looking girl?" he gasps teasingly, which gets a furrowed brow from me.

"What?" I grunt as I lean in a bit to encourage him to repeat himself. His grin doesn't waver as he analyzes my expression.

"Were you going to try to play her, too?" he wonders aloud, which causes my head to jump back in pure shock. He catches on to my confusion and explains further. "You have to know that you're a player."

"I'm a what?" I ask him to repeat and he laughs loudly from his place a foot away from me. I stare up at with squinted eyes. If it weren't for the crazy mess he's talking, I would be distracted by how good he looks in the deep red sweater hanging off his shoulders.

"Last Friday night, you did all of that just to sleep with me, right?" he queries with an angled head. I have a feeling he already knows the answer to that question but I'm not going to give him the satisfaction of agreeing.

"H-Huh?" I stammer as I stare up at him. I'm caught off guard at the fact that he's actually calling me out for it. Most people would avoid someone who attempted to play them out of embarrassment or discomfort. However, he's unmoving in his goal of getting me to admit it. His dark brown eyes even search mine with a sense of merriment, as if he's enjoying making me squirm under his interrogation.