"Your words are razors,
but your lips are the
colour of roses''.
"Allison, I'm telling you he was the most infuriating person I've ever met in my life!''
Lydia was sitting cross legged on her bed, her quilt wrapped around her strawberry blonde head as she wailed at her friend.
Allison was simply smirking at her, folding her clothes into neat piles and placing them into their shared wardrobe.
The brunette had arrived an hour ago, sunkissed and happy as she stepped out the car she had spent weeks in. She had stood at the curb, looking up at the tall, ivy covered building of Princeton. Her father had helped her to her dorm room with her luggage, smiling at his daughter's excitement as they counted the door numbers down the long, busy corridor.
Lydia had almost knocked Allison off of her feet as she opened the door with slight hesitation. Upon seeing her best friend, she had shrieked with happiness; pushing the suitcase out of the girl's hand and throwing herself at her. They had clung to each other, overwhelmed with excitement after missing each other for over a month.
Chris Argent had smiled good naturedly, pushing past the squealing females as he set down the heavy boxes of his daughter's belongings. He had stayed for a little while, catching up with Lydia and asking her how her parents were.
Before he left to start the long journey back to California, he hugged his little girl tightly, telling her to be good and do better. He ruffled Lydia's hair, making the two girls promise to always look out for each other.
With a wave, he left and then, they were on their own.
"Lydia you literally spent fifteen minutes with this guy. And from the sounds of things, you spent the majority of your time staring at his abs'', Allison smothered a laugh when she seen her friend's mouth fall open. Lydia was wearing an expression of total indignation.
"I did not!"
Allison turned back to the pinboard above their shared desk. The long, white table stretched across one wall that provided enough room for both of their laptops, as well as plenty room to study. She stuck her favourite photo of the two of them in the middle, smiling back at their happy faces that had Beacon Hills lake behind them.
Danny had taken it last summer and they both posed for the camera. Their tanned arms were wound around each other and the multi coloured bikini tops they wore clashed horribly.
The brunette grinned upon hearing Lydia scramble off of the bed and march across the room until she was standing beside her. Allison rolled her eyes at her friend, reached past her to grab more Polaroids that she arranged around the other pictures.
Her school books were already stacked in neat piles beside Lydia's in their bookshelf. Lydia was truly glad she was sharing a dorm with Allison. Their little room already looked like home. With each half of it resembling the bedrooms that the girl's both knew so well from back in California, Lydia was becoming comfortable there.
"Lydia, you spent four minutes staring at me all glassy eyed as you described the way the water clung to his chest'', Allison let out a laugh as she spoke. Turning round, she grinned as Lydia turned pink and threw herself back onto her bed. The springs squeaked in protest and they only groaned further as Allison flopped down beside her.
Lydia huffed good naturedly before squirming over on the mattress, allowing her friend room to lie comfortably. Her back pressed against the cool wall and she shivered. She seemed to be constantly cold in this building. The lack of Californian sun wasn't doing her good.
"So, how was your trip? I need the bullet points from at least the last five days, you got cut off when you called on Monday'', Lydia pouted.
A wide smile spread across Allison's face a the mention of her mini holiday and Lydia sighed in relief, grateful that the conversation topic had changed.
The brunette curled closer, her unpacking currently abandoned as she rested her head on her friend's shoulder.
"Well, remember that guy I told you about? The one I met in LA?'' The girl flushed pink, a sure sign of some interesting news to come.
Lydia raised her eyebrows at her friend's gleeful expression, turning onto her side to face her fully face her and hear the story. She blew one of Allison's brunette waves out of her face and nodded.
"So we bumped into each other at that cafe yeah? He was so cute and let me skip ahead of him in the queue. My dad was waiting for me in the car so I only managed to chat with him for a couple of minutes, but Lyd - oh my god - this boy's smile!'' Allison was gushing now, "It pretty much killed me''.
Lydia chuckled and nodded impatiently, already knowing this part of the story. Allison had sent her snapchat from the cafe, food in hand and the boy's retreating figure in the background as she posed wide eyed and grinning. She had drawn little red hearts over her eyes with shaking fingers, making Lydia laugh out loud in her kitchen.
Her mother had frowned and told her spent too much time on her cell phone.
"Anyway, we moved on, travelled through LA and hit Arizona. Would you believe me if I told you we bumped into each other again?''
"Are you kidding me?'' Lydia lifted one side of her lips into a smile.
Allison shook her head excitedly, a huge smile still gracing her lips. She tucked her hair behind her ears and bit back a squeal as she recalled the memory. The childlike excitement on her face made Lydia want to hug her. The strawberry blonde was excited for her friend too, although she was the cynical when it came to love out of the two - it was adorable to see Ally so worked up.
"I was walking around the National Forest - I took loads of photos! I'll have to show you th- Ow!'' Allison frowned as Lydia gave her a quick slap on the arm, urging her to continue the story.
"God, sorry - okay. So, my dad was sitting at visitor centre, complaining about bugs, so I went off on my own. Literally twenty minutes later I see LA cafe guy sitting at the lake'', Allison sighed, staring at the ceiling, "I swear, we looked up at the same time''.
Lydia scoffed, rolling her friend out of her bed in protest. Allison giggled, letting herself be evacuated from Lydia's no romance zone. She tumbled gently to the floor, sitting there happily whilst she rested her chin on the edge of the mattress.
"We sat for hours, just talking and getting to know each other. His name is Scott and he's so sweet. He told me I had a cute nose''.
Lydia looked puzzled but didn't question the strange compliment. Instead, she laughed as Allison scrunched up her elfin features and grinned. She looked so happy, Lydia didn't dare burst her bubble.
"Want to hear the best part of the story?''
"Naturally'', Lydia flicked her long hair over her shoulder as she lay on her stomach, her head cradled in her hands as she waited with growing impatience.
When the brunette stayed silent and merely let her smile grow to a ridiculous size, Lydia thumped on the mattress and whined.
"Ally!'' She dragged out the last syllable of her friend's name for maximum effect.
Allison bounded from the floor and threw herself back onto Lydia's bed, ignoring the other girl's groan as she landed on her legs.
"He goes here!''
"What?'' Lydia's shocked reply was muffled, her lips pressed into the pillow as Allison tried not to squeal in her ear.
"He goes to this school! He's a sophomore, here! In Princeton!'' She added, just in case Lydia hadn't grasped her meaning yet.
"It's like it's fate, I swear'', Allison fell back into the bed beside a skeptical Lydia.
"I'm sure it is babe'', Lydia kept her expression neutral and she patted the other girl's hand in a motherly fashion.
Allison sat up, leaning on her elbows to look at her friend. She raised her eyebrows and tried to look stern but failed completely when the smile she tried to hide kept erupting onto her lips.
"I'm surprised you're such a cynic about love and romance when you're in your current position…''
Lydia squirmed under the brunettes knowing gaze and she answered her statement with silence. Avoiding Allison's stare altogether, she rolled out of bed and let her feet hit the floor. Picking up the last of her shoes, she placed them in the open wardrobe. Her back faced her friend and she remained quiet until Allison got the hint.
"Right. Let's get Danny, I'm starving''.
Lydia let out a sigh of relief, dropping the shoes into the wardrobe and closing the door. Turning round, she shot her friend a grateful smile and grabbed a sweater to pair with her shorts.
Allison smiled back, but with concern in her eyes, she opened the door and waited for Lydia to follow her out.
Quickly brushing out her long hair, Lydia grabbed her purse from her desk and quickly looked down at her cell. Seeing five flashing messages and two voicemails - all from the same person - she ignored it, shoving it into her drawer and walking out the door.
"So you're telling me you travelled across like, nine states, and met the same gorgeous guy in two of them?'' Danny speared his pasta with his fork, raising his eyebrows at Allison who simply beamed and nodded.
"And then if you're life isn't great enough, he tells you he attends the same school you were accepted to, four months before?''
Allison nodded excitedly again, her chocolate brown waves bouncing with the movement.
The boy looked across the table at Lydia as if to say, 'can you believe this shit?' Lydia simply shrugged with a half smile. She was toying with her bottle cap, watching spin it on the table top as she tried to avoid the majority of the conversation. She knew where this would lead to.
"So are you hanging out with him again?'' Danny prompted and wiggled his eyebrows.
Allison rolled her eyes as the boy laughed, popping a fry into his mouth. She was well aware what Danny meant when he 'hung out with someone'.
"We exchanged numbers and he told me to give him a call when I was settled - so yeah", she beamed, pink in the cheeks, "I guess I'll give him a call tonight''.
Danny turned on the girl who was inspecting the lunch board menu behind him with great interest. The main cafe hall was large and surrounded by brick walls. Intricately carved mouldings trimmed the ceiling and huge, brass chandeliers hung from the arches above them. The long tables and bustling chatter of students clashed with the extravagant decor but Lydia liked the contrast.
Princeton was pretty, she had decided.
"So, my Miss Lydia'', Danny crooned, "How's your love life holding up? Missing your man yet?''
Lydia cringed inside but placed a neutral expression on her face that she was well practiced at. She let her lips curls up and her green eyes shone fondly at her friend.
"I called him when I arrived, told him I was here'', she shrugged, "I've been too busy getting things sorted you know, haven't had time to call him again''.
Allison was picking at her burger as she listened to her friend speak. Deciding not to say anything, she shot Danny a warning glance that he chose to ignore.
"The long distance thing isn't working for you, is it babe?'' Danny stated bluntly, but his smile was sympathetic.
Lydia faltered and her lips couldn't grasp the words she wanted to say. Not the true words anyway.
"It'll be fine, I mean - it's great'', she waved her soda bottle around erratically, "It's not even been three days, right?''
"Honey, three days without knowing your every move? Jackson will be having an aneurysm - OW!''
Danny glared at Allison who was mouthing angry words at him, quick and fast. Lydia dropped her head into her hands, rubbing her temples.
She was aware of her boyfriend's possessive tendencies, everyone was. Including her two best friends. Jackson Whitmore was Beacon Hills' star lacrosse player, the guy who drove a lamborghini to school and the same boy who chose Lydia to be his girlfriend three years ago.
She remembered when he had asked her out on a date one Friday after school. She had been sixteen and had only managed to nod dumbly. He told her he would pick her up at seven; the rest was history.
Jackson was staying in California to attend Stanford on a lacrosse scholarship. He had urged her to apply there too, and she had. In fact, she'd been accepted. Lydia had been accepted to all the schools that she had applied to.
When she decided that she wanted to go to Princeton, it was for many reasons. She didn't explain them all to her boyfriend though, some she kept silent, tucked away with her biggest fears and her quiet emotions. They had argued that night, one of many fights to come over the summer before term began.
Lydia had cried as Jackson pulled the car over four blocks from her home, demanding she got out. He had yelled at her, telling her she obviously didn't care about their relationship as much as he did.
She walked past her house, going straight to Allison's and using her spare key to slip through the door. When Allison let her curl into bed with her, the girl didn't even asked what had happened, what was said. And when Jackson called Lydia an hour later, she kept silent as she watched her friend pick up the phone and blurt out apologies and 'I love you's'.
The day that she left for the airport, Lydia's mom patted her on the shoulder, trying not to crease her dress as she hugged her only child goodbye. She left after that, waving as she looked down at her cell, promising to see her at thanksgiving.
Jackson had exchanged an awkward goodbye with Danny, who then stood back with Lydia's luggage to let the two have some privacy.
Lydia hugged the boy, sniffling a little as she eyed the large plane outside the floor to ceiling windows. Suitcases were being loaded into the cargo hold and the tannoy overhead was calling their flight number.
"Call me when you land, okay? And when you get to your dorm?'' Jackson frowned down at her, not convinced she was listening to him.
"Lydia?''
"What? Yeah, of course. I'll call you when I land'', she smiled, but it was tired and it faltered quickly. Her boyfriend didn't notice.
"Call me everyday. And stay away from all those freshman parties, they're stupid'', he grimaced. His lip turned up into a sneer as he pulled at the neckline of her t-shirt, tugging it higher.
Lydia could hear Danny tutting behind them. She had nodded before she stopped, placing a hand on Jackson's arm. She softened her eyes as she met his gaze, smiling hopefully at the boy.
"Jackson, you know I can't call you everyday - I'll have classes and homework and-''
"But you can check in every night, Lydia'', he frowned as if she had said the wrong thing. Had she?
"Well, I shouldn't have to 'check in'. We'll have nothing left to talk about if we speak every day'', she laughed a little, the sound not reaching her eyes. Jackson didn't crack a smile.
"I'll need a chance to meet new people, experience new things…''
"You mean meet new guys?'' Jackson raised an eyebrow, his lips drawn tightly.
"God, Jackson, no!'', Lydia sighed in exasperation, "How many times do I have to tell you?''
"I knew you should have came to Stanford with me'', he complained. The boy wrenched his arm away from Lydia's soft hold. She winced at the sharp action.
"Jackson…''
"Why are you even leaving now anyway? Classes don't start for another three days, are you that desperate to get rid of me?''
Lydia had closed her eyes and counted to three at that point. When she opened them, she plastered a bright and easy smile on her lips.
"Jackson, it's a seven hour flight, I'm moving across the country - it's a big deal! I want to get settled, know where my classes are before I have to find them on the first day and-''
Jackson had only rolled his eyes at her, stepping backwards with his hands shoved into pockets.
"Your flight's boarding'', his eyes were cold and when he walked away he threw his last words over his shoulder, "Call me tonight''.
She was silent that entire journey, pretending to sleep as she lay her head on Danny's shoulder and tried not to tear up as she stroked her hand soothingly.
"He's not that bad", Lydia tried to joke, her voice sounding weaker than she wanted it to.
Danny only shrugged, dropping the conversation topic as Allison eyed him warningly. The girl halved the cupcake she'd bought, sliding the bright pink icing towards Lydia with a smile.
She accepted it with a grin, knowing that Ally was trying to make her feel better. She loved that girl so -
"Have you told Danny about the half naked guy you flirted with in the bathroom yet?"
Lydia was going to kill her. She glared at the brunette, sighing as she saw Danny out of her peripheral vision. He had straightened up in his chair with wide eyes and pursed lips. He leant forward, waiting for the gossip.
"It's not what it sounds like", Lydia ground out, she stared at Allison with contempt and the girl simply grinned in return, licking the icing from the cupcake with more enthusiasm than necessary.
Lydia turned to Danny with a placating smile, hoping to calm him down from the bomb that Allison had just dropped.
"Danny, she's exaggerating".
Allison shook her head and laughed at Lydia's expression. She was not happy.
She tugged on Danny's shirt sleeve, gaining his attention as they both leaned over the table. Allison whispered dramatically, recalling Lydia's story and fanning her cheeks with her hand.
Danny lapped it up.
"So he was only in a towel and Lydia practically jumped into his arms -"
"We only bumped into each other, for fu -"
"And then they start arguing right, all passionate and up in each other's faces, grinding all over the place and shit-"
"No we fucking didn't-"
Danny was howling by this point, shaking his head in a completely insincere apology as Lydia stared at them both with a deadpan expression. She quickly realised it would be easier for her to wait on them finishing.
She scanned the room and attempted to ignore the way Allison described the strangers glistening body and perfectly messy hair. This was starting to sound like a bad romance novel.
She scoffed and rolled her eyes when she tried to tell their friend that Lydia almost dragged him into a shower stall.
Unlikely, she thought.
It was when Danny was grinning from ear to ear and Allison was miming out God knows what, that Lydia saw him.
She froze and grabbed Allison's arm, stopping her in her movements. A boy with familiar dark hair crossed the hall, weaving in between tables with long, graceful strides. He was as tall as Lydia remembered and his lean muscles could just be seen underneath his white t shirt.
"Lydia, you're bright red and you look like you're about to die", Danny stage whispered.
Allison was looking at her friend curiously and she was about to question it before she followed Lydia's eye-line.
Two boys were standing at the till, ordering food and chatting among themselves. One was blonde with short hair that curled slightly, his smile was mischievous and the dimples on his cheeks only reinforced that. The other looked an awfully lot like the boy Lydia had described to her that morning.
Grinning like she had just won the lottery, Allison turned slowly in her seat until she faced her best friend.
"That's him right there, isn't it?"
"Where?!" Danny practically yelped standing up slightly. Lydia turned beetroot, slapping his arm as she attempted to duck behind a hysterical Allison.
Allison grabbed her friend as she tried to stay upright and control her laughter. The three of them eyed the boys at the counter and Danny let out a low whistle.
"Lydia, get your cute little ass over there and go talk to him", the boy ordered her with a pointed finger.
Lydia looked mortified at the idea, "No!", she yelped, "Not a chance in hell. He's an ass, I wanted to murder him within the first five minutes of meeting him".
Allison scoffed, "That just means you actually have chemistry! You know, you argue with someone 'cause you actually want to rip their clothes off!''
Danny cackled along with her as Lydia just shook her head and prayed for better friends.
"Are we forgetting that I'm in a relationship?" She demanded, eyeing each friend with one delicately arched eyebrow.
Neither of them had the conscience to look guilty.
"We're just saying, keep your options open!" Allison told her brightly, "And you obviously think he's hot''.
"Whatever", Lydia mumbled. She chose to not delve further into that conversation again. Jackson wasn't something she wanted to discuss right now.
"Besides, he was only in the freaking bathroom to hook up in the first place! He's probably got a new girl in his bed every week", Lydia scrunched her nose up at the notion.
Danny smirked and Lydia could practically see the dirty thoughts floating through his head.
"That's something I wouldn't say no to", he winked, "did you get his name?"
"He said it was Stiles. I mean, what the hell is a Stiles?", Lydia huffed, hating how this asshole that taken over their conversation.
"Stiles is the guy who you want in your bed''.
"Allison, please…''
"Stiles is the guy who's going to be your new plaything''.
"What is wrong with you?''
Despite her annoyance, Lydia's eyes followed his movements as the chatter faded into silence. He walked through the tables with lunch in hand. Every now and then, he broke off his conversation with his friend to say hi to a girl, or wink to a cluster who called out to him.
He looked just as good fully dressed as he did half naked. His eyes looked darker today, more chocolate than gold. Lydia frowned at her own thoughts - concerned that this was something she took notice of.
The boy oozed easy confidence and he seemed to know half of the student population; there was no way he was a freshman. Lydia was suddenly filled with curiosity for this boy.
Out of nowhere, his eyes darted to her direction, as if something there had called out to him. Lydia spun in her seat, her heart beating at a sickeningly fast pace. She ducked her head slightly, hoping to blend in with the crowds. Allison simply smirked knowingly, finishing her cupcake with the satisfaction of being completely right.
