The Tuition Fee

Chapter 9: New Year's, Year 1

Alina

"Does this look okay? How's my butt?" I laughed at Marissa from the end of my bed, throwing a pillow at her. 

"You look fine, Mar. Reese will love it." She was in a tight leather skirt and tights with an off the shoulder sweater that exposed her neck and collarbones. She looked flawless, as always. She'd flown down to stay with me for the New Year's and would be coming back to campus with me next week. My parents were elated to be meeting the girl I spent so much time talking about. My mom took to Marissa right away, pulling out the old baby book and everything. 

Tonight for New Year's we were going over to Reese's lake house with him and Nathaniel. There was apparently going to be some other people they knew from a high school, and some Britton baseball players Reese knew. I was as nervous as I was on Halloween night to be around all those people, and I spun the fake wedding ring on my finger so much I was afraid I would drill it right into my skin. 

My parents, on the other hand, just wanted me to have fun. I'd gotten my exam results back and was pleased to announce I'd made the President's List on my first go. All A's, straight across the board. I'd texted Nathaniel to ask what he got, but I never got a response so I left it at that. We'd barely spoken since the Crew's Keep party, which was fine by me. The less said the better. 

"What are you going to wear?" She asked, turning to me from examining herself in the mirror. 

I looked down at my jeans and pale blue sweater I'd bought from a thrift shop at Britton when the weather turned cold. I was comfortable and warm and I thought I looked just fine. I wasn't trying to impress anyone there, I was literally just going for Marissa. "This, why?" 

She sighed and flopped down on the bed next to me. "You need to look hot! You need to show these people the hot you! Like from the Christmas party." My cheeks immediately got warm and I buried my face in a pillow. I had of course told Marissa what happened in the foyer, and got promptly smacked for my "complete and utter inability to recognize what was right in front of me, you daft bimbo." Her words. 

"I'm going like this Mar, I have nothing else. I'll straighten my hair, put on some makeup, and urge the clock to go faster until I can leave whatever post-high school hellish nightmare Nathaniel is going to drag me into," I spit. I rolled over and sat up, running a hand through my hair. I knew there were going to be girls there Nathaniel had hooked up with in high school, before, during, and after our fake-engagement. And I knew he was going to flaunt them around and I was going to be stuck there because I refused to leave Marissa. Reese had promised me no drama but no one could control Nathaniel but Nathaniel. Not even his mother, who in herself was a force to be reckoned with (and sent me a lovely cashmere scarf for Christmas I planned on wearing tonight). 

"Oh, hop off it Lins. It's going to be fine. Music, champagne, fireworks, it'll be fun!" She poked my shoulder and I grimaced and moved over to my desk that served as a makeshift vanity. I plugged in my straightener and turned back around to face my best friend. 

"If he doesn't pull shit, I won't." 

She rolled her eyes and grabbed her phone as it buzzed. She swiped across the screen and a grin spread across her face and her fingers started flying as she responded to who I assume could only have been Reese. I waited patiently for her to finish before turning back to me, all serious. 

"I don't understand you two. Why are you even roommates in the first place?" she asked. I immediately started spinning the ring on my finger, biting my lip. Marissa didn't follow either me or Nathaniel on any social media because she didn't have any. When she asked about the ring, I had lied and told her it was my grandmother's and it only fit on that finger. She'd asked me before why Nathaniel and I were roommates and I made something up about random selection. But Marissa was too observant for her own good, and too invested in love stories, both fictional and real. She knew there was something up with us, and I just didn't know how to tell her.