Ruby has other ideas.
“Get up.”
“I don’t wanna,” I say, sounding like a two-year-old.
“You’re going.”
“Ruby…”
“Don’t start with me, Cassie. It’s our first college party, and you’re going if I have to drag you there by your hair. Judging by your face when you walked in the door, you seriously need to get laid.”
I roll my eyes. I wish I was the sort of girl who could solve her problems with white-hot animal sex. But considering my V-card is well and truly valid and flirting isn’t exactly my forte, the best I can hope for is to not have a completely sucky time.
“I think the only person getting laid tonight will be you, Ruby.”
She throws up her hands. “Cassie, you’re gorgeous. You could have any guy you wanted if you just showed a bit of confidence.”
“Yeah, right.”
“Promise me you’ll make a move tonight.”
I laugh. “I don’t think you understand. I have no moves. I’m move-less. I exist in a vacuum of moves.”
She sets her mouth in such a way that I know I won’t be winning an argument with her any time soon. “Do I need to remind you that you’re an actor? Act like you know what the fuck you’re doing. Now, get your ass into something sexy and let’s go.”
I don’t really own anything sexy, so I settle for my tightest jeans and a low-cut sweater that makes my boobs look great. I even put on some makeup and do my hair. Ruby shrugs her approval.
Half an hour later we’re pulling up to a huge house on a wide street.
“Whoa, who lives here?” Ruby asks as she slams the cab door.
“Jack Avery shares it with two other boys from my class. Lucas and Connor.”
“Connor?” she says, raising an eyebrow. “That’s the guy I met on the first day?”
“Yeah.”
“He was cute. Any chemistry there?”
I smile when I think about how attentive Connor has been. “He hugs me a lot.”
“Well, there you go,” she says, as if all my problems are solved. “Make a move on him.”
I shrug, because even though I like Connor, I don’t know if I like Connor.
“Listen,” she says, “I’m not asking you to walk down the aisle with him and squeeze out loud, chubby babies. Just have some fun. Make out. It’s not going to kill you.”
“Isn’t the boy supposed to make the first move?”
“Dammit, Cass, stop being such a pussy. Look, I’ll even sweeten the deal. If you get up the balls to make out with a boy tonight, I’ll do your laundry for a month.”
She has my attention. Our building has one ancient washing machine that takes more than an hour to go through its cycle, so laundry day can be a major time suck.
“Fine. I can’t promise I’m not going to be awkward and embarrassing, but I’ll try, okay?”
She smiles and pulls me toward the noisy house. “Good enough.”
There are people talking and laughing on the front lawn. It looks like most of the freshman class has shown up.
I prepare to conjure a personality.
“Come on,” Ruby says as she tugs me into the mess of people. “You need a drink.”
“I don’t drink.”
“You do now.” She grabs two bright green test tubes from a girl with a tray. “Two or three of these, and you’ll be tackling boys and ripping off their shirts.”
Despite doubting her prediction, forty-five minutes and three test tubes later, I’m leaning against a wall feeling frisky. I bounce my head to the beat as Ruby dances with a group of boys all desperate to impress her. She’s flirting with a few of them, but one—a tall, well-built guy who’s also in her tech course—is getting special attention. He leans down to whisper something to her. She glances at me and raises her eyebrows before taking his hand and going outside to the terrace.
She makes it look so easy.
Okay, fine. I can do this. Find cute boy. Chat with cute boy. Be charming. Suck on his face.
Panic shivers through me.
Goddammit.
I go down the hallway in search of the bathroom, the one party safe haven where it’s acceptable to be alone.
Before I can find it, I spy Holt standing in the doorway to the kitchen.
What the hell is he doing here?
He leans down and talks to the short, pretty girl by his side.
He has a girlfriend?
Of course he does. Someone as attractive as he is probably has dozens of women throwing themselves at his stupid, large, clown feet.
I feel myself blush, fast and hot, and I don’t like it.
The alcohol has made me slow, and before I can pretend I don’t see him, he’s walking toward me with his hand on the girl’s back. She’s smiling like she knows me.
“Hey, Cassie,” she says. She does look familiar, but my brain is murky. “I’m Elissa. I’m in theater tech with Ruby.”
“Oh, right. Hey, Elissa.” She’d been talking to Ruby the other day in our semiotics class. Pretty face. Doe eyes.
I glance at Holt, and my face burns when I see that he’s staring at my boobs. He quickly makes it back up to my face and clears his throat.
“Taylor,” he says and nods.
“Holt.” I try not to let my brain acknowledge how annoyingly handsome he looks in his dark jeans and blue button-down with the sleeves rolled up.
Forearms. Nice.