When In Doubt - Freshman Year

Chapter 5

Eden

"Guys and gals, I don't know about all of you, but I'm pretty fucked up," Eden had drawled as she'd felt herself melt out of the beanbag chair. The four of them: her, Jenna, Zach and Alex had played a drinking game along with Hercules, and there'd been a lot of rules to whenever they'd had to take a sip: whenever Pain and Panic transformed, every time Hades had lost his cool or was the fabulous, sassy bitch he was loved for, every time the muses narrated or broke out in song and dance, and every time Phil got angry—usually about something Hercules had done.

Needless to say, they'd all gotten extremely shit-faced. All except for Zach, of course. He'd amusedly watched them all slowly unravel as the movie had gone on.

Jenna had been one second away from passing out on her couch, but she'd still giggled along with Eden at everything after they'd shared a total of three glasses of wine together.

Alex's head swayed like he'd struggled to be able to keep it balanced up right. "God, I'd be so easy to take advantage of right now." 

"Ugh, I totally hear you, Rosé makes me slutty." Eden yawned while she'd attempted to stand up. She'd given up halfway through, and just rolled around on the floor like a drunken log. Jenna and Alex laughed at her as they'd watched her struggle. Zach, ever the gentleman, had actually stood up to help her out.

"Well, at least someone was able to help me." Eden scolded the other two.

Alex rolled his eyes. "Honey, I can barely even help myself right now." He'd stood up, surprisingly without much effort. Jenna, on the other hand, was out for the count. Eden had already heard snores beneath her arm that was draped over her face.

Eden shrugged off her cardigan to fan herself. "It is so hot in here; are you guys hot too? I feel like it's super-hot in here."

"So take off all yo' clothes!" Alex shook his hips and sang the hit song by Nelly.

"Actually, I'm pretty warm too. Did you guys want to go outside to cool off?" Zach suggested.

Eden had immediately agreed; anything to get out of the heat that'd accumulated in that small, cramped dorm room. They'd quietly left Jenna to keep sleeping, but opened her window a crack to air out the room as the others went to go outside.

Eden had enjoyed the cool, late summer breeze on her skin as they'd exited HKMC, and did a little twirl of joy like she was Snow White dancing through the forest.

"You guys, have you ever just looked at where you are in life, and you're just so happy, so blissed out, that it makes you think anything is possible?" Eden wondered aloud. "Like, it makes you look forward to what could happen next?"

Alex threw her a look. "Eden, did you smoke something earlier too, or do you just naturally turn into a Disney princess when you're drunk?"

"No, I don't know...I'm just so happy!" Eden admitted as they'd all stood in front of the glass doors at the entrance of HKMC. "We're in college, our lives are just beginning, and so many good things have happened already. Maybe I'm just high on life right now, or I'm just a happy drunk?"

"C'mon guys, let's go this way," Zach had tried to usher them away from the building; it was way past ten o'clock, so quiet hours had officially started, and RA's had begun to patrol the halls to keep peace inside their building. The three of them didn't need to get busted that first weekend because they'd been too loud out front of their dorm of all places.

"Okay Zach!" Eden smiled. "You're so smart, I wish I was as smart as you." She'd messed with his hair before she'd skipped down the concrete walkway towards the quad. Alex's model strut had made an appearance as he'd caught up with them, refusing to run or jog to get anywhere.