Frat Stranger

CHAPTER 3

Eleanor's POV

By ten that evening, our dorm room looked like a battlefield. Clothes were everywhere. A pair of shoes sat beside my bed. My makeup bag was open on the desk. Amaya had already changed three times. "Which one?" She stepped out of the bathroom wearing a black dress. I looked at her. "The black one." She frowned. "You didn't even think." "Because it's obviously the black one." She turned toward the mirror. "I knew it." I laughed. "You asked me." "I wanted confirmation." "You're ridiculous." "I know."

She grabbed another pair of earrings. "What about these?" I shook my head. "Those." She smiled. "See? This is why I need you." I turned back toward my own clothes. I had been staring at my wardrobe for nearly twenty minutes. Nothing felt right.

I didn't want to overdress. But I didn't want to look like I'd accidentally walked into a college party wearing clothes meant for class either. Finally, I picked up a sky blue bodycon mini dress. I held it against myself and looked in the mirror. This one.

I changed into it and stepped back toward the mirror. The dress fit perfectly. My long jet black hair had already been styled into loose waves that fell down my back. I ran my fingers through it before grabbing my purse. Amaya looked at me. Her eyes widened. "Okay." I smiled. "What?" "You look really good." "Thanks." She grabbed her phone. "Now we can go."

By eleven, we had arrived. The party was already in full swing. Music blasted from inside the fraternity house, loud enough that I could feel the beat beneath my feet. Students crowded the lawn. Some were dancing. Others stood in groups talking. A few were already stumbling around. I looked at Amaya. "This is what everyone was talking about?" She laughed. "Welcome to freshman year."

We walked inside. The house was even more crowded. Music filled every room. People were laughing, shouting, dancing, taking pictures, and introducing themselves to strangers. I recognized a few faces from campus. Others I'd never seen before. Amaya immediately became comfortable. Of course she did. Within minutes, she was talking to someone she'd apparently met earlier that day. I stood beside her, taking everything in. I wasn't uncomfortable. Just overwhelmed. There were so many people.

Eventually, I realized I was thirsty. "I'm getting a drink." Amaya barely looked at me. "Okay." "Don't disappear." She smiled. "I won't." I should have known better. I made my way toward the kitchen. The crowd was thick, so I carefully squeezed between people.

I was almost at the counter when someone suddenly stepped into my path. I bumped into him. His drink tilted. A small amount splashed onto my dress. I froze. "You've got to be kidding me."

I looked up. The first thing I noticed were his eyes. Brown. Deep brown. They stared back at me for a second. He was tall. Slightly muscular. Dark-haired. He looked exactly like the kind of guy who belonged at a frat party. The kind of guy who knew people noticed him. He glanced at the small stain on my dress. "Sorry." Then he walked away. I stared after him. My mouth actually fell open. "Excuse me?" He didn't turn around. My irritation immediately flared. "Who does he think he is?"

I looked down at my dress. The stain wasn't even that bad. But that wasn't the point. He had bumped into me, spilled his drink on me, apologized like it was nothing, and walked away. I was about to turn around when something strange happened. My entire body suddenly felt hot. I stopped. My heart started beating faster. I couldn't explain it. I looked toward the direction he'd gone. He was still walking away. But something inside me pulled toward him. Hard.

It wasn't normal attraction. At least, I didn't think it was. It felt like recognition. Like I'd known him. Like some part of me had been waiting for him. I frowned. "What is wrong with me?" I had never experienced anything like this. Not even close. I didn't know his name. I'd never seen him before. Yet my body reacted to him as though he were someone I'd known for years. My thoughts became completely scrambled. I couldn't stop staring.

Then someone bumped into me from behind. I snapped out of it. "No." I shook my head. "I'm not doing this." I walked toward the counter. For some weird reason this frat party has a bartender, very bougie huh…."Four shots." I tell the bartender. He looked at me. "Four?" "Yes." He poured them. I picked up the first. I swallowed it quickly. Then the second. By the third, I was already feeling the warmth spread through my chest. The fourth followed. I placed the glass down. "Forget him." I told myself. "He's nobody."

I turned around and searched for Amaya. I finally spotted her. She wasn't alone. She was standing with the same guy she'd been talking to earlier. Except now they were heading toward the exit. I stared. "Amaya!" She looked back. Her eyes widened when she saw me. She mouthed something I couldn't hear over the music.

I pointed toward the door. She laughed. Then she disappeared outside with him. I sighed. Of course.

I pulled out my phone and texted her. I'm going back to the dorm. Her reply came almost immediately. Okayyy Don't wait for me. I shook my head. Typical Amaya. I slipped my phone into my purse and made my way outside. The cool night air hit my skin. I breathed deeply. The strange feeling was still there. That inexplicable pull. That heat. That sense of familiarity.

I looked back at the house. For a moment, I thought I saw him standing near one of the windows. Those brown eyes seemed to find mine through the crowd. My heart skipped. I blinked. He was gone.

I frowned. Maybe I was imagining things. Maybe the drinks had finally started affecting me. I turned away and began walking toward the dorm. I didn't know his name. I didn't know where he lived. I didn't know why my body had reacted to him that way. But as I walked through the quiet campus, one thought followed me all the way back. Who was that guy? And why did meeting him feel less like meeting a stranger… and more like remembering someone I'd somehow forgotten?