I got into my room and I couldn't get that dark stranger out of my head. I clutched my necklace which was an orange calcite in the shape of a tear drop. I couldn't help but wonder what about him was so familiar and why was so I so flustered. I sighed. I heard a shuffling noise by the door and saw a blue piece of fly though the space between the floor and the door. I picked up and it was a flyer 4th floor meeting and pizza party 6pm common room. Attendance was mandatory. The nerves where building up inside me. Something was coming but I wasn't sure what. Usually I had a good instinct, the sight, my dad used to say. I could tell immediately if a situation was going to have a positive or negative outcome and throughout high school it was a very handy gift. I wondered what it was about this place that made my sight hard to see.

I looked at the clock on the cable box it said 4:15. I had an hour and 45 minutes to relax and get ready. I walked over to the bathroom and shut the door and looked into the full length mirror. My brownish red hair was piled on top of my head in a messy knot. I had on capri jeans, red converse and a white guinea tea that was filthy from the move in. I was horrified that this tall stranger saw me like this. I sighed and shook my head. I needed to get him out of my mind if I was going to have a good time tonight and attempt to make new friends. Making new friends made me nervous as I was friendly with everyone but those who knew me well shared my secret. I never shared my secret with a non-witch before and I never would.

I got in the shower and washed my nerves and worries away. When I was done I wrapped a fluffy towel around me and one on my hair and went to my closet. I needed to look cute but casual. I shook my head to try to get that stone cold face out of my mind. I don't even know why I was stressing over someone I never even spoke to. Besides there was good possibility he wasn't even on my floor if he even lived in this dorm at all. For all I know he could be someone's brother or boyfriend. I ignored that thought as I chose my favorite pair of jeans, a gray tank top under a tight fitted black v-neck tee and gray flip flops. I went back into the bathroom and brushed out my hair and it smelled like rosemary and mint . I scrunched a little product in it and let it hang down to the middle of my back. I brushed my face with a little bronzer to even my tanned face and added a little glitter powder to give my face a glow. I put on a very light coat of silver shadow, black eye liner, and mascara and daubed my lips in a pixie pink gloss. I took a small bottle of jasmine oil off the shelf dotted a little on my wrists and behind my ears. I checked myself in the mirror and I looked cute and friendly ready to take on a room full of college freshmen.

I glanced at the clock and it was 10 of. I grabbed my keys and headed down to the common area. Kids were already starting to file in through the door. When I got to the door I was greeted by tall guy with long sandy blond hair that was pulled back into a pony tail. He had green eyes and freckles that specked his nose and cheeks. He was wearing a pucca shell necklace a white wrinkled t-shirt khaki cargo shorts and flip flops. "Hi my name is Brett. I'm your RA" "Hi Brett" I smiled "I'm Amanda." "Nice to meet you, Amanda." Brett handed me a piece of paper and a pen. "Please write down your name and room number put in the box on the table and take a seat" he instructed. I took the paper and pen and wrote Amanda Morris Room 402. Walked over to the table placed the paper in the box and took a seat on one of the cushy couches. I looked around and almost laughed out loud. Almost everyone in the room looked as nervous as I felt. There were a few people talking to each other and I assumed those were roommates. A short girl with dark curly sat down next to me. "Hi Im Aliie" she said nervously. "Amanda" I smiled. "Where are you from?" she asked "New Mexico and you?" I replied. "wow that's far!" I laughed "Not far enough" I mumbled. "I'm from Rhode Island." She responded. We talked for a few minutes and she was cool. She had gray eyes and was wearing black capri jeans and a red tank top. We had very similar taste in music and when I told her I was a physics major she got really excited. "Oh my gosh me too! I wonder if we have any of the same classes." Just then Brett cleared his throat from the front of the room. "Hello 4th floor my name is Brett Rodgers and I am your RA. What that means is I'm here to make this a safe and fun place to live" he smiled. "I'm not a hard ass. The rules are simple noise levels must be kept to a minimal after 10PM Sunday-Thursday nights. No stealing. No fist fighting and no streaking" the room laughed. I knew I was going to like Brett. "University rules are that I do mandatory random room checks throughout the semester. So make sure you have good hiding places folks" Allie smiled "is this guy for real?" she whispered I chucked. "No drinking in the dorms. And I will deny this if it ever is repeated if I don't see it and I can't smell it then it you didn't do it." There were some hoots from the room. "Most RA's are probably playing some kind of get to you know game, however, that's not my style. I'm just going to have you go around and say three things your name where you are from and your major and when everyone is done I will explain where the pizzas are" I didn't even realize there was no pizza anywhere and we were supposed to be having a pizza party. The introductions started by the window where I happen to be sitting. "Hi I'm Allie Ford from road island and I'm a physics major." She said "Amanda Morris, New Mexico and I'm majoring in physics with a minor in engineering" most of the people around me looked impressed. The introductions took a while there were 42 people on our floor. There was a tall chubby girl named Molly Smith who was theater major, the was a tall red headed guy named jack Anderson who was an English major, Stephanie Cohen was pre-med, Then there was Steve Wilcox he was tall with light brown hair and blue eyes he was a criminal justice major. Then from the back of the room I head the deepest, sexiest voice I have ever heard. "Nick Armstrong, Massachusetts, majoring in mechanical engineering with a minor in physics" my head shot around and there he was that tall dark stranger and he finally had a name. Nick. He noticed me looking at him and a small smile flashed across his face and quickly left. "Is that that everyone?" Brett asked and I focused my attention back to him. "OK so I said I wasn't going to play any getting to know you games. What we are going to do is an open room pizza party. I am going to pick 10 names from this box. If your name is drawn 2 pizzas will be delivered to your door. You open your door and keep it open and everyone is supposed to go into each open room and introduce themselves. Once your pizza has been finished, you close your door and go looking for the other rooms that are open. " Everyone looked around in excitement. "This is different" I said to Allie. "Sounds so fun" she said. I knew I was going to like her. "Pizzas will be delivered in n half hour. I suggest everyone go back to their rooms and make sure it's presentable" he laughed. Allie and I walked towards the door and we were just chit chatting When I heard a voice behind me say "nice tat" I looked to see nick passing by and then I looked down to my write wrist where my tattoo of a crescent moon with the points facing up was. "Who is that?" allie asked wide eyed. "Still trying to figure that out" I admitted. We walked to our rooms which were only a few doors away. I went into my room and looked around. It looked neat enough. I noticed my book of shadows on my desk so I took that and slid it between my mattress and box spring. I snapped my fingers and my I-pod went on. I went into the center of the room and thought Candle burn bright really hard and pushed that thought through my mind and the dozen candles I had scattered around my room lit all at once giving the room a nice glow. I wanted a nice ambiance in here in case my name was picked. Just as I finished my thought there was a knock on the door. I opened it and there was Brett holding 2 boxes of pizzas, 2 bottles of soda and a stack of paper plates and red cups. "Congratulations Amanda you are a host! Open your door in 15 minutes!" he handed me the pizza and left closing the door behind him. I started to get really nervous. I put the pizza down on my little coffee table with the plates. I moved my laptop from my desk into the bottom drawer and put the soda and cups on top. Brett didn't give me napkins so I grabbed a roll of paper towels from the top of the closet and put it on the coffee table. My nerves were shot. I had to host this shindig and all I could think about was Nick. What was that tone of voice he used when talking about my tattoo and what the heck was it that was so familiar about him? I needed to relax and I remembered Brett's word "if I can't see it or smell it" and I remember the raid I did on my dad's liquor cabinet the night before we left. I went into the back of my shoe holder behind my shoes and pulled out the first bottle I could feel. Captain Morgan Rum. I took a red cup poured some rum in and then poured soda in the cup. I stirred it with a spoon, put the bottle of rum in the cabinet in the bathroom that way if I need another it would be accessible. I saw that it was time to open the door so I opened my door and sat and on my love seat. I was worried that no one would come this far down the hallway and that I would be stuck here with this pizza all night. I took another sip of my drink to take the edge off. "You got picked" I heard an excited voice say. It was Allie and she was with Molly. "Hi Molly I'm Amanda" I traduced myself. "Hi Amanda cool room!" she said looking around. I smiled proudly "thanks" "Please have some pizza" "nervous are we?" Allie asked. "Just a little" I admitted. We chatted for a few minutes and 2 new people entered my room. It was Stephanie and jack. Molly and Allie left shortly after the other 2 came in and I promised I would find them later. I finished my drink and didn't even have a buzz. I poured some cola into my cup and casually chatted with Steph and Jack. They were really nice and friendly. I was liking college. They left and my room was empty again. Good time to add some rum to my drink. I rushed into the bathroom quickly poured some rum in the cup stirred it with my finger and left the bathroom to hear a familiar voice that cause my stomach to flutter "is anyone in here?" It was Nick.