A/N: Probably would've updated sooner, but I've been reading The Host. I love it! And some like…monsoon landed like…right over my house. I feel like I'm neglecting my stories so much. It makes meh sad. :( Forgive me, won't you? Ok, then. Btw, there's a special little side-story in the bottom a/n. On with the chapter!
"Alice, where are my brown ballet flats?!" I shouted down the stairs, rummaging aimlessly through my closet for my favorite shoes, the ones that would match my outfit perfectly.
"Did you check under the bed?" Cole asked from our desk, doing some online shopping, I presume.
"Of course I did. I've checked everywhere. Unless someone's eaten them, someone's borrowed them." I paused and looked around the room, hands on my hips. "And if that someone doesn't return them in under a minute, they'll be eating grilled cheese sandwiches by force!" I shouted to the air in general.
I huffed, and threw myself on the large, unmade bed. While I lay there, the door opened, an unknown sister of mine dropping the shoes, and closed quickly. I shook my head, rolling my eyes, and slipped my feet into the flats. I walked silently to the desk, and leaned down to place a chaste kiss on Cole's bare shoulder. He shivered at the touch.
"You shouldn't do that sort of thing when you have to leave so soon," he purred, pulling me around into his lap. "Where are you and Alice off to anyway?"
"We're taking a campus tour at Brown." I smiled at him warmly.
He grimaced. "Do you really think that's such a good idea? I mean, do you really think the odds are in our favor?"
"Hey, someone in this family needs to stay positive. What kind of family will win a fight with such a pessimistic demeanor?" I bounced up, snatching my purse off the vanity. "I'll be back tonight. Love you!" I called, closing the door.
"Love you, too," he called back, laughing softly.
"Are you finally ready?" Alice sighed exasperatedly. "I've been waiting forever. Can we get going now?"
"Yes, Alice, we can go now. By the way, who had my shoes?" I stared her, hoping to force an answer from her with my glare.
Her eyes shifted nervously, and I could see Bella tense in the corner of my eye. "Bella did it!" she exclaimed, pointing an accusatory finger at our sister.
"Please don't be mad, Ayden. They just matched the dress I wore last night so well. Come on, it was my anniversary." Her eyes were pleading for forgiveness.
"Alright, alright. But you just wait until April Fool's Day next year." I flashed her a wicked smirk, and she cringed a little at the thought. "Come on, Alice, we better go."
We walked slowly to the Porsche. I begged Alice to let me drive, but she stubbornly refused.
"Come on, just this once?" I wagered, using my puppy eyes. "I've never gotten to drive your car."
"We could take yours if you like. You can drive it," she replied, her always perky smile perfectly in place.
"Fine. We'll take the Infiniti, then." I smirked proudly as I unclicked the seatbelt and opened the door.
Alice sat, mouth agape, in the driver's seat. She composed herself after a moment, and began pouting as she stomped to my car. I kept my tight smirk in place as she made a show of throwing her purse to the floorboard and buckling her seatbelt. To add to her aggravation, I blasted 90s grunge music all throughout our drive. She never spoke, but I laughed heartily whenever I caught her glare.
She jumped out of the car quicker than I liked when we arrived at the campus. I laughed, but recovered quickly and jogged to keep up with her as she stomped off toward the admissions office. We walked silently, but I could tell that her temper was cooling down, and by the time she opened the door ahead of me, her friendly smile was as pronounced as ever.
"Welcome to Brown University, how can I help you ladies today?" the elder brunette receptionist asked when we stepped into the spacious front office. "Do you have a meeting with the dean?"
"Actually, we're interested in possibly taking a campus tour. My sister, here," Alice paused, gesturing toward me with a wave of her slender hand. "will be attending in the fall."
"Yes, of course. Let me get you a map here," she muttered, shuffling all the papers on her desk around. "Ahh, here. Now, we don't offer guided tours on Sundays, but you girls are free to look around, find the best routes to some classes, and if you're interested, you can take a look around one of the dorms. Just come back and see me if you have any questions." She smiled at us, and went back to her work on her computer, dismissing us.
We returned our smiles, and turned to leave, walking back out into the scorching heat. We dawdled on the sidewalk for a few moments, looking over the map together.
"Ooh!" Alice squealed. "Let's go to the dorms first!" Before I could take a breath, Alice was dragging me across the campus to the first dorm she spotted.
It didn't take us very long to decide that on-campus housing was not a good option. Never having lived on campus, Alice was just as surprised as I was to find drunken students lying in the halls and half-way into rooms, still hung over from the parties of the previous night.
"Aay," one blonde male slurred, stirring from his slumber and eyeing us as we retreated. "How you two doin'? Hey, dn't run, I'm juss lookin' for a good time." He held up his hands, one still holding a liquor bottle, as a sign of surrender.
"Sorry," I laughed. "Start looking elsewhere."
He fell back down and rolled over, falling back into unconsciousness.
Our following stops included all my classes. It was easy enough to find the quickest way from one to the other. Every morning would start in the small on-campus coffee shop, where I could sit and read for an hour before my first class. From there, I hadn't a far walk to my calculus class. After that, though, would be a challenge. Following calculus, I had a photography class on the opposite side of the campus. We figured I could make it on time if I ran through the surrounding wooded areas. Things simmered down again after that; I would walk leisurely to the adjacent building for my American Literature class. My next class didn't start for an hour, and I could take that time to run to my car and switch out the books I was carrying.
I felt like a character in Georgia Rule.
"Ugh, I want to go home. The thought of school makes me so sick right now. That high school had to be just about the worst one out there, huh?"
"Yeah," Alice agreed. "It wasn't my favorite, by far."
"Can we go home, though? This whole environment just makes me so depressed right now." Ahh, that melodramatic teenager feeling again.
"Sure. I'm feeling shop-y anyway." She clapped her hands excitedly, and we nearly ran back to the Infiniti.
On the way, though, we ran straight into a blockade. Lauren stood there, staring me down angrily.
"Ayden. Hale."
"Lauren…God, I don't remember your last name." I turned to whisper to Alice. "What is that bitch's last name?" She shrugged.
"How've you been? You seen to have recovered well from your horrible loss."
"You seem even better—never effected from the start." I smirked while she grimaced in return.
"Cute. I guess you'll be here this fall, too, huh?"
"No, I just wanted to sit around campus and sulk about how I wish I'd gotten in."
"Even cuter, you little bitch. Guess I'll see you around." She stalked past us, being sure she bumped my shoulder on her way.
I smiled when I thought I heard a crack.
A/N: I'm really, really sorry it's so short. Oh, my God you don't know how sorry I am. :( I've been baking cookies all day, some huge storm sent me back to the stone ages for nearly a day. Ugh! But, the next chapter will be longer, I promise, and then comes the big fight! Mini story time! To tell the story, here's Robert Pattinson! Oh, and when you read any fangirl parts, just imagine their voices sound like Myrtle from The Goblet of Fire. :D
Robert: Ello.
Harry Potter fangirls: -Sigh- Hello, Cedric.
Twilight fangirls: -Hiss- Hello, Edward.
Robert: Uhh, ello, ladies.
Mixed fangirls: -Sigh- Hello, Cedward.
Robert: Alright, who wants to hear a story?
All fangirls: Okay, is it a long story? If it is, I suggest a nice bubble bath to start. Anyone got a screeching golden egg?