Temptation | HS AU

Chapter 1

After a semester abroad, the last thing Nora felt like doing was going to an American frat party.

She had spent the semester in Germany going to clubs and house parties, weird bars and day drinking at festivals. All she wanted was a pint of good beer, a cute boy to flirt with in her horrifically bad German, and go home and curl up in her double bed. Now she was back home going to a beginning of semester frat party where there would be shit beer, she wouldn't be "the cute American girl," and she was back to the Twin-XL life. It was the weekend before school started, so she knew it would be crazy—no one had work to do, no one was stressed, and everyone was desperate to be back at school and away from their families.

But Maddy wanted her to go, and so she was going.

"You're going to drink these boys under the table!" Maddy called to her from their bathroom where she was curling her hair. "We're going to play rage cage, I've already decided."

"I hate rage cage," Nora lied. She loved it and she knew it. "Abroad changed me!"

A bootie came flying in her direction, and Nora caught it before tossing it back to Maddy. "You're a shit liar."

She took another sip of the drink she had mixed, some decent vodka and Fresca, her secret weapon of a mixer. "Who are you going after tonight again?"

Since Nora had left Maddy had decided she was in love with the boys of Delta Sigma. They were mostly the international boys who didn't seem like they'd be the frat type and were so hot you couldn't tear your eyes away from them. Also, apparently their parties were insane. "His name's Liam," she said, "and he was quite possibly the most gorgeous boy on earth."

"What's his instagram again?"

She read out a handle from memory, and Nora typed the handle into her phone as she took another sip. She scrolled through the photos, most of which appeared to be from frat parties, with the occasional more artsy photo of him and friends. They appeared to be on actual film, which was interesting for frat boy. "Is he a photographer?"

"No, why?"

"These photos looked like they're on actual film," she replied. Nora clicked on one and it's a photo of him, but she noticed he had tagged someone. Someone with the handle @harry_styles. She clicked on the name and was immediately entranced. Based on his bio, he was their year at school, but she had never heard of the kid before. He also appeared to be British. She scrolled through his photos, all taken on film, and gorgeous. Some were of landscapes, but most were portraits of people doing simple and mundane things. He was incredibly talented. "Some kid named Harry takes them," Nora told her.

"Oh, I think he was friends with Liam. I've seen them before." Maddy strutted out of the bathroom and striked a pose, perfectly curled hair bouncing behind her head as she shook it. "Like?"

"Love." Maddy was wearing a snakeskin bodysuit, ripped black jeans, and heeled booties, and she looked incredible as usual. "Now what the fuck am I going to wear?"

"Good lord, you will be the death of me someday, Nora Tate."

The party was in full swing when they arrive. They weaved their way through the crowds on the front lawn, Maddy jabbering in her ear about how hot this Liam kid is. Nora simply nodded along, thankful for the vodka coursing through her veins, because the amount she did not want to be there was pretty high.

The lights were low and the music was loud when they opened the door, the smell of sweat and cheap beer hitting her immediately. Ah yes, this was why she left America.