With loud upbeat music and sweaty bodies was not how Rhiannon wanted to spend her first Friday night in college. It wasn't that she disliked parties, but she would have preferred having a movie marathon in the comfort of her dorm room.
In her cotton pajamas, with her laptop playing her all-time favorite movies, and popcorn so buttery she could have given her health-conscious mother a heart attack. Now that seemed like a comfortable night in. It definitely sounded better than hanging around a bunch of strangers whom she probably would not come across again.
This was the fifth frat party she had been invited to. She had declined to go to the first few parties, but her roommate, whose boyfriend was a second-year and a member of the host fraternity, wouldn't take "No" for an answer this time.
So, there she was, holding a standard red cup of what seemed to be fruit soda that Megan had handed her. She had only taken two sips, knowing it could have been spiked before it reached her hand. It wasn't that she had never drunk any alcoholic beverage before, but she didn't want anyone taking advantage of her drunken state. She knew not all guys would be that douche who couldn't keep it in his pants, but in an unfamiliar setting she had to be careful.
Besides, she was meeting up with her parents the morning after. They would definitely be upset if she meets them with a hangover from the party. Of course, they would understand that they had no control over her actions but that wouldn't stop them from frowning down upon it.
She felt an arm drape across her shoulders and jumped, poised to swat off the stranger until she realized who it was.
"Girl, why are you just standing there?" Megan shouted over the loud music. Her slender frame wasn't heavy as she leaned her weight onto Rhiannon. A few strands of her dyed auburn hair had come out from the neat bun it was in earlier. She didn't look too drunk, which was a relief since Rhiannon would have to be responsible for the girl. "I brought you here to have fun. Go and do that!"
Rhiannon let out an inaudible sigh before responding to her roommate. "Megan, you know this isn't really my scene," she said then, in a lower voice, added, "This isn't exactly my idea of fun."
The other girl made a face as she had heard the last part. "Well, not everyone finds pleasure in reading novels like you do," she muttered, then pouted, "Please, Rhia, at least don't just stand there like a fucking idiot. Talk to someone."
Ignoring the nickname, she gave her roommate an unamused look. "There's no one to talk to," she retorted.
"There is. You're just not looking," countered Megan. She pulled away, taking Rhiannon's soda in her hand and drinking from it. "Now, I came by to tell you not to wait up. I'll be with Charlie, so you don't have to worry about me."
Rhiannon wanted to protest--she was being ditched at a party she didn't even want to attend in the first place--but her roommate had already gone and disappeared into the crowd. She would have taken a gulp of the alcohol-laced drink except it had vanished with the girl. Mumbling swear words under her breath, Rhiannon stormed over to the direction of the house building.
She pushed her way through the crowd, not caring if she was parting couples or friends and getting angry looks. She wanted to go back to the dorm and sleep, knowing the party wouldn't miss one her. She kept going, until she was knocked down to her feet along with a cup of the ice-cold drink. The crowd had loosened, though no one really seemed to mind the accident other than the stranger she had bumped into, or had bumped into her.
"Shit! I'm so sorry," the guy said, holding out his hand to help her up. She took it gratefully. At least he had the decency to apologize and help her up. For a second she had thought something cliche would happen, like he would be an ass and yell at her for not looking at where she was going.
"It's fine," she muttered, though that was the opposite of how she was feeling. Still, he was being a decent human being so she knew she had to do the same. "It was partly my fault, anyway." Looking down at her shirt, she knew it was ruined. It had been a white blouse but now there was a giant blob right in the middle of it. She scowled, pulling the sticky fabric from her skin. Thankfully, none had gotten onto the ripped skinny jeans she was wearing. They were her favorite pair.
"Uh, yeah, sorry about you're shirt."
"It's fine," she repeated. "I was just about to leave the party anyway."
He frowned. "Why? You weren't having fun?" He looked a little offended and she realized that he must have been a member of the frat hosting the party. She almost face-palmed for somehow insulting the host.
"It's not that. It's just..."
"Whoa, you don't have to explain anything," he said, teasing, "It was just a simple 'yes or no' question."
"Uh, yeah. Okay," she muttered. "I should really get going."
"Wait, uh, do you need to change? I can go grab an extra shirt from my room."
"Ah, no. I don't--I wouldn't want to be a bother."
"Nah. It's cool," he insisted, grabbing her wrist and pulling her along. She didn't protest, though she wanted to. They were already inside the house and he seemed determined to let her borrow a shirt. "You can give it back some other time."
"What if I don't see you again?" she asked as they walked up the stairs.
He didn't pause but she saw his shoulders rise and fall in a shrug. "Then keep it."
"The name's Connor, by the way," he said, introducing himself, "Connor Stoll." There was a mischievous glint in his eyes as he said his name. It was more playful than sinister, which helped her relax. After all, he was still a stranger. Who knew what he was planning when they arrive in his room?
"You know, you're lucky it's me you bumped into. Anyone else and they probably won't be as nice."
"Really?"
"No," he deadpanned, stopping in front one of the rooms. "And, you should probably keep a close eye on your jewelry." He held up a familiar silver charm bracelet and she gasped as she snatched it from him. "Sorry. Force of habit," he said, as if that were some great excuse. "But, just so you know, I don't usually give them back."
She stared blankly at him. What the fuck?Did he just confess to being a thief?She shook her head. He was probably only kidding. No one would be so open about that. Brushing it off as a joke, she continued to follow him.
They stopped in front of a door and Connor opened it, gesturing inside. "So, here we are... uh..." He trailed off, looking curiously at her. It took a moment for her to realize he was asking for a name.
"Rhiannon," she supplied.
"Rhiannon? Like, the song?" he inquired.
She nodded, smiling. Not only was she named after the song, but her parents--her mother especially--was fond of literature and named her after the literary character. It just so happened that her parents were also a fan of the band with a song entitled "Rhiannon". She wasn't a fan of Fleetwood Mac but she was attached to the song, if only for her namesake.
He went and turned on the lights of the room. "Cool," Connor muttered, "So, I'm not getting a last name?"
She shrugged. "If we bump into each other again," she said as she walked in. She felt at ease when he didn't close the door behind them. He walked over to one of the dressers, pulling out an orange shirt at first. She thought he might offer that shirt but then he tossed it back inside and grabbed the other shirt that had been underneath it. She shrugged, thinking that he may not have wanted to lend that particular shirt.
"Here you go," he mumbled, tossing the gray shirt in her direction. She caught it before it could hit her face.
"You can change in here," he said. "Just, uh, come out when you're done."
"There aren't any cameras in here, right?"
"What? Why would--" Realization dawned on him and he shook his head with wide eyes. "No, there aren't. I swear. I'm not--you know..."
She nodded, choosing to believe him. He walked out of the room, his cheeks dusted a shade of red, to let her change. There was a soft click and she heard his voice tell her that she could lock the door if she wanted to. She did so, before facing the window. She closed the blinds before making a quick sweep across the room.
Okay, so maybe she couldn't believe him one-hundred percent.
There was nothing suspicious inside the bedroom. It looked like a standard college student bedroom, though a bit messier considering it had only been the first week. There were two beds, one for Connor and another for his roommate. One side was considerably cleaner than the other. The one with the made up bed seemed to be Connor's, she guessed, since there were a few photos of him taped to the wall.
After making sure that there was no way anyone could sneak a peak, she pulled of the stained blouse, using the dry parts to alleviate the sticky feeling on her skin. It had even gotten onto her bra but she decided to keep it on. The shirt he had given her was surprisingly not as big on her as she thought it would be, though she still had to bunch up the bottom part and tie it into a knot to make it look presentable. Looking in the mirror, she guessed was Connor's roommates, she thought she looked okay.
She unlocked the door and swung it open, revealing Connor waiting on the other side. "Everything good?" he asked and she nodded in confirmation. "Great. So, uh, there's somewhere I have to be so, I guess I'll see you around."
"Uh, yeah." They went their separate ways as they reached the bottom of the stairs. She didn't look to see where he was going as she made her way out of the frat house.
She was standing right by the front gate, just a few feet away from a couple making out by the bushes. It was dark, and it was little past eleven o'clock, if she had to guess. She could be accurate when it came to the time at night, something that she thought was pretty cool. It was a talent that she hadn't shared with anyone, thinking they wouldn't believe her if she said anything.
Unfortunately, that talent did not including sensing the figure stalking behind her.
The walk back to her dorm shouldn't have taken too long. Her dormitory wasn't too far away, and it had only taken a few minutes, maybe ten, to walk to the frat house. Finding her way back shouldn't be a big deal. She remembered which way to go.
Rhiannon had never really been afraid of the dark, not even when she was walking alone at night. There was never any reason to be afraid in the small town she had grown up in. She had grown accustomed to friendly neighbors and kind strangers. What difference could a new environment make?
But the faint thud of shoes hitting the pavement behind her caused goosebumps to rise on her forearms. On campus, where she had not been staying at for that long yet, the unfamiliar sensation of fear crept into her thoughts.
She quickened her steps, slightly as to not notify her stalker of her alerted state. With shaky fingers, she felt for her cellphone in her pocket. She pulled out the device, gripping it tightly, and her fingers hovered over the screen as she unlocked it.
The hand on her shoulder made startled her and she jumped, spinning around as a shrill sound cut through the air. It took a moment for her to realize that it had been her screaming.
"Shit! I didn't mean to scare you," the stranger said, holding his hands up as if to show that he meant no harm.
"Don't sneak up on people like that!" she scolded, holding a hand over her chest as if to steady her racing heart. Recovering from the surprise, Rhiannon could make out the appearance of the guy. He looked like a college student, maybe a junior or a senior. Couldn't have been much older than her.
He chuckled, despite the situation. "Sorry. I was just going to ask if you wanted company," he said, "I mean, it's dark and you're alone. And you're a girl--"
"What does that have to do with anything?" She cocked an eyebrow, challenging him. Being a girl didn't mean she couldn't protect herself. She knew basic taekwondo, having been forced to take lessons to ease her parents mind on sending her out of their quiet little town.
He crossed his arms, shrugging. "Nothing, I guess," he said. She saw the seemingly amused expression on his face and scowled. "But it's better to be careful. You never know what kind of creep could be lurking around at night."
"Well, I can't exactly trust you either," she retorted, "I mean, you were stalking me earlier."
He shrugged. "I wouldn't call it stalking," he said. "I saw you leaving the party and thought I could walk you back home."
She snorted. "So, this is you trying to hit on girls," she said, feeling herself relax a bit more. "Does this usually work?"
"I don't know. It's my first time," he admitted. "Is it working?"
"Well, you haven't knocked me out and killed me yet, so it's relatively okay," she joked. "You're not going to do that, right? I have 911 on speed dial, just so you know."
He laughed. "I swear, I'm not," he said. "I'm Sebastian. Seb, for short." He held out his hand and she reached out to shake it.
"I'm Rhiannon," she introduced. "I don't really have a nickname."
"That's fine. You're name's perfect the way it is," he said. "It's... beautiful."
His response brought a flutter in her stomach and she smiled back. "Thanks," she said. With an unexpected bout of confidence, she found herself saying, "You know, you get extra points if you can guess the origin of my name."
He might have raised an eyebrow, but Rhiannon would not have noticed. "Oh, really? How much time can you give me?"
Rhiannon thought for a moment. She wasn't really expecting him to take her up on that challenge, but he was. "How about a day?"
Seb shrugged. "That would only be possible if I can guarantee that we'll see each other tomorrow."
Though he hadn't said it outright, she had gotten the hint. Or, at least, she thought she had. "Are you asking me out on a date?"
He laughed lightly. "If that's what you want to call it, then yes."
She thanked the heavens above that it was nighttime and that the blush on her cheeks wouldn't have been as visible. "Well, then I guess ot's a date." Looking off to the distance, she made a mental note to get some advice from Megan. Her roommate would definitely know how to help her.
Speak of the devil...
Rhiannon's phone chimed, notifying her of a message she received. It was from Megan, asking where she was. Typing a quick reply, teasing her roommate with the small detail that she was with a guy, and sent the text.
The reply came as fast as lightning, causing a giggle to escape her lips as she read the response.
"Something funny?" Seb asked, taking back her attention.
She shook her head. "Just something my roommate sent."
He shrugged. "So, are you heading back to your dorm? I could walk with you." Rubbing at the back of his neck, he added, "I mean, if you're okay with it." Rhiannon nodded.
The walk had taken longer than it should have. It may have had to do with them passing by the dorm a few times, going back and forth along the sidewalk. Neither of them really wanted to part ways.
It was past two in the morning, as an exhausted Megan was being carried by her boyfriend to the front steps of the dorm building, when Rhiannon decided to call it a night. She bid farewell to Seb and took the responsibility of getting her roommate up the stairs. That task had looked easy at first but she found herself struggling to keep them both upright. She managed to get her roommate to the elevator when the latter decided she wasn't going to fall face first to the floor. Rhiannon tried not to curse out loud.
They had reached their room, Megan rushing over to their mini-fridge to grab a bottle of water. Rhiannon shut the door, locking it, and did not hesitate to just strip off her skinny jeans and dive under the soft covers of her bed. She heard Megan's faint "Good night," before drifting off to sleep.