Chapter 5 : Welcome Party

*Lily*

I applied the final stroke of mascara as I peered into the mirror, my own reflection surprisingly leaving me satisfied. Even though I wasn't eager to go to this party, now that Rachel and I were getting ready, I was starting to feel the change in the air and in my mood.

Rachel's deft fingers worked through her dark curls, pinning them up with an expertise that belied her casual demeanor.

"Tonight's going to be so much fun," she declared excitedly.

I nodded, adjusting the delicate strap of my black dress, feeling the fabric cling to every contour of my body like a second skin. "I've never been to one of these campus parties before," I confessed, the flutter in my stomach betraying both nerves and exhilaration.

"Seriously? Not even before you got transferred? Ah, Lily..." Rachel sighed when I shook my head at her, fastening an earring with a practiced click.

I was never a popular girl in school, much less in college. Before I got transferred, I was one of those people who always stayed in during the weekends, opting for Netflix and some books instead of going out and getting drunk.

"You've been missing out on a quintessential college experience," she added.

Rachel and I shared a knowing glance in the mirror, and I flashed her a smile before turning away and grabbing my clutch. Our shoes clicked in unison against the wooden floor, serving as a drumroll for the night to come as we headed downstairs.

The path to the frat house was already buzzing, students from all courses and years already drinking and smoking as we all gathered in the campus street. As I watched everyone who joined us in our group walk, Rachel leaned in, her voice a conspiratorial whisper that tickled my ear. "These parties are practically a tradition here. Students organize them, pretty much every month, and the board pretends we're not doing anything wrong at all," she explained with a chuckle.

I smiled at her evident amusement. "Really?"

"Definitely," she affirmed. "Professors and directors? They all turn a blind eye. Some cool professors even join us at the parties sometimes. Can you imagine that?"

I absorbed this revelation, my thoughts spinning. I could definitely not imagine something like that.

"I don't think I can say I do," I mused, the corners of my mouth curling into a half-smile.

Rachel laughed, the sound mingling with the distant thrum of music that began to reach our ears. "I'm sure you're going to love it," she added.

My heart quickened, and I could feel the rush of adrenaline coursing through my veins. This was it—the precipice of something entirely new, a chapter yet to be written. The frat house finally loomed before us, its windows spilling colorful lights onto the lawn.

The moment we crossed the threshold, the world transformed. Bass thumped through the floorboards, sending vibrations up my legs as if the music itself was a living entity eager to claim me. The din of chatter swirled around me, a cacophony of laughter, slurred confessions, and the clink of glasses. Students mingled everywhere—drinking, dancing in each other’s arms, stealing kisses in dimly lit corners.

I now understood why these parties were hidden away from the prying eyes of campus authority; the board would never openly condone such unabashed hedonism within the institution's hallowed halls.

"Wow," I murmured to no one in particular, taking in my surroundings, the sights and sounds washing over me.

"Welcome to the real Elysium University," Rachel beamed, her voice laced with amusement as she looked around.

I began to scan the crowd, finding familiarity in the sea of faces. There were classmates, dorm neighbors, and even the TA from my Cell Biology class, all shedding their academic personas like second skins.

As Rachel leaned closer, her breath tickled my ear with fragments of gossip about some of the wilder attendees. "See that guy over there? Dan? He once streaked across the quad for a dare," she whispered, pointing nonchalantly at a tall, and skinny guy surrounded by a group of giggling admirers.

"Really?" I tried to sound interested, but my attention wandered with so much information and visual distractions.

That's when I caught sight of Adrian. He stood amidst the lively gathering, as if he was a pillar of calm in a storm of youthful exuberance. I watched him engage in conversation with a few guys I recognized from the baseball team, his gestures animated yet somehow measured.

Adrian had the easy charisma of someone who could effortlessly blend into any setting, any group. It was clear now how popular he actually was—a social chameleon, admired and perhaps envied by many.

"Earth to Lily!" Rachel snapped her fingers inches from my face, pulling me back to reality. I blinked and turned to her, my gaze reluctantly peeling away from Adrian's form in the crowd.

"Wha—yes?" My voice sounded distant to my own ears, strangely hollow over the pulsating music.

"What got you so distracted?" she asked, looking around and finally finding the source of my reverie. A playful smirk danced on her lips as if she had caught me doing something perverted. "Ah, of course... He's really something, isn't he?" Rachel mused as if she knew exactly what I had been thinking while watching him.

I hesitated for a split second, feeling the heat rise to my cheeks. "He seems...popular."

"Understatement of the year, Lily," she replied with a knowing smile.

I felt an odd sensation stirring within me—part curiosity, part reluctant admiration. Adrian's reputation had preceded him, but seeing him here, so at ease among his peers, added layers to my understanding of who he might be beyond his obnoxious demeanor.

My mind wrestled with the complexity of my feelings towards him; he was more than just an adversary in class or the source of my irritation—he was a mystery I was beginning to want to unravel.

"Come on, let's get something to drink," Rachel suggested, breaking through my reflections.

Rachel looped her arm through mine and guided us toward the makeshift bar set up at the corner of the room. A fellow student flashed a welcoming smile as we approached, and I recognized him as one of my seniors in Biochemistry.

Rachel leaned in, her voice barely audible over the music, and asked, "What are you in the mood for?"

I shrugged and offered her a soft smile. "Whatever you're having."

Rachel turned to the bar and ordered two vodka cranberries. As we waited for him to prepare our drinks, my eyes scanned the room, and there, in the midst of the swirling crowd, was Louise.

To my surprise, her gaze was already fixed on me, a distinct grimace etched across her face.

"What the hell is her problem?" I turned to Rachel, nodding discreetly in Louise's direction and hoping Rachel would have noticed the same thing I did.

Rachel shrugged, equally puzzled. "Who knows? I think she has a problem with everyone who is pretty. Envious much?" Rachel grabbed our drinks from the counter and handed me a cup. "Drink up!" she added with a playful grin.

With a nod, I brought the cup to my lips, the cool tang of citrus vodka mingling with the sweetness of cranberry sliding easily down my throat, settling into a warm, buzzing sensation in my stomach. I welcomed it, the liquid courage diffusing through my veins, and I immediately forgot about Louise and her pathetic hostility towards me.

"Come on, let's show them how it's done!" Rachel shouted, tugging me onto the dance floor.

I laughed, allowing the pulsating beats to infiltrate my senses, to dictate the sway of my hips and the throw of my arms. The world around me became a blur of colors and movement, and for a few minutes, I lost myself in the sheer joy of music until I felt it—an intense gaze that seemed to stroke my skin like a physical touch.

Hesitation crept in, and mid-twirl, my eyes sought out the source, drawn inexorably across the room.

Adrian Sterling had his eyes locked on me, watching me dance from a distance. But the look on his face wasn't presumptuous or disdainful. No, it was something else—interest, curiosity, perhaps even admiration. That was enough to send a surge of unexpected confidence rippling through me. I straightened up, meeting his stare unflinchingly.

For a split second, I allowed myself to wonder what he must be thinking. Why did it seem like he was drawn to me the same way I felt when he was in the room? Why did it look like Adrian was actually enjoying watching me from afar?

Ironically, it didn’t feel creepy or weird to have him staring at me like that. If anything, it only made me have dirty thoughts I shouldn't be having about him. It was disconcerting how much I found myself wanting to know if he was thinking the same things I was.

I firmly told myself not to read too much into it. After all, our interactions had been anything but friendly. Yet, the way his eyes lingered, refusing to release me from their hold, made me feel a connection that I couldn't deny. It was a magnetism that defied logic, that made my skin prickle with awareness and my pulse quicken.

The air around me felt charged, every beat of the music pulsing through my veins like a second heartbeat. The intensity of his gaze was unyielding, and it felt as though we were the only two people in this sea of bodies, isolated in our silent conversation.

What could it mean? Was I misreading this? Was alcohol already having an effect on me? I had barely had one drink.

'Keep dancing, Lily,' I thought to myself, trying to focus on the here and now, pushing away the questions that buzzed at the back of my mind. 'Just keep dancing.'

"Want to go and grab another drink now?" Rachel's voice was distant, a lifeline back to reality.

"In a minute," I shouted back, unsure if I trusted myself to move now. My feet were rooted to the spot, unable to break away from Adrian's magnetic pull.

With each moment that passed, the connection between us layered itself with a new intensity. It was confusing and exhilarating all at once, and I could feel the lines blurring—the lines I had drawn so firmly in my mind about who Adrian Sterling was and who he was supposed to be to me.

My heart raced, betraying my resolve as I caught the slight tilt of his head, the faintest hint of a smile playing on his lips. It was as if he knew the internal struggle waging war inside me, and it only added to his allure.

For a fleeting moment, the thrill of the unknown tempted me to step closer, to cross the invisible line and see where this tension would lead. Yet, I hesitated, fear and uncertainty anchoring me in place. I was torn, caught in the gravity of something I wasn't sure I wanted to escape.

"Double shots, everyone!" someone announced, and the spell was momentarily broken when Rachel's hand tugged at me, pushing me toward the bar again with eagerness and hurry.

I blinked, the world rushing back into focus as I was dragged through the crowd.

"Come on, Lily!" Rachel encouraged me, turning to me and laughing.

***

Rachel and I were perched on the edge of an overstuffed couch, our knees brushing as we tilted back our heads to finish off yet another round of double shots. The liquid fire traced a path down my throat, igniting a warmth that spread through my limbs and coaxed a laugh from between my lips.

At that moment, the front door swung open with a flourish, heralding the arrival of none other than Professor Alan Reynolds. He was our Microbiology professor–a young and charismatic guy. Not to mention cute–too cute to be a professor.

Alan was a vision amidst the chaos, his dark hair artfully tousled and glasses perched precariously on the bridge of his nose. He had this geek vibe that only added to his smart-casual style, and I felt myself momentarily distracted by him.

The crowd parted for him like he was some kind of academic messiah, their warm greetings washing over him in a wave of adulation.

Rachel tossed her dark curly hair back as if Alan could see her. "The guy is so cute, isn’t he? Such a pity he's a professor."

I nodded, still focused on the commotion before us.

"I heard a rumor about him having a fling with a student once," Rachel added, her voice lowering in a suspenseful tone. "But I suppose that's all it was, a rumor."

"Seriously?" I asked, a bit surprised, observing how the professor seemed to attract a lot of female attention as he casually strolled among the crowd, cheerfully greeting some students. There was an ease about him, a charisma that seemed to draw people in.

Rachel confirmed with a nod, her curls bouncing beside me. "You know how people love to talk. I wouldn't judge the girl though. I can't say I wouldn't do the same if he hit on me." She grinned, nudging me playfully with her elbow.

"Seeing him here makes the rumors make more sense though, don't you think?" I quipped. "It wouldn't be that crazy to think he had a thing with a student while attending these parties."

"You have a point there," she ceded.

Professor Reynolds was undeniably charming, and if the whispers were true, perhaps dangerously so. Even if he managed to get his way with students without being held accountable for it, I could never be one to indulge such a thing. Especially after discovering the existence of the Order of Elysium.

If I wanted to stay off their radar, being noted by a professor was definitely not the way to do it.

But luck didn’t seem to be on my side tonight.