"Hey, Ash! What took you so long?" Richie, one of Ashley's former make outs-turned friend tossed a beer her way.
"The slut's boyfriend was over so I had to wait until they... finished." She shuddered in disgust. Macie's boyfriend was cute, but the thought of anyone messing around with her made her sick.
"Gotcha, thanks for that image now too. Appreciate it." Ashley smiles, twisting the cap off her beer and chugging the whole thing.
"Damn girl, trying to catch up?"
"Don't ask dude." Alex understands exactly what happened, it's not the first time.
"Ash, meet Aiden. He's in a few of my classes and he lives in the other wing I decided to invite him based on his musical tastes."
"Ha, you mean he has everything under the sun and then some?" Ashley laughs knowing Alex is similar in that his computer is full of music she's never heard of and some that she has.
"He seems cool. I'll have to investigate." Ashley smirks.
Ashley finds out that her and Aiden share a class together and that he's also going to school for Communications.
"Ash, we're low on soda, here's five bucks can you run up to the vending machine?"
"Yes sir, want to come with Aiden?" The two of them head to the vending machine and grab a few twenty ounce pepsi's out of the machine. As they get back to Alex's floor they see the RA's in the doorway of their party room.
"And this is the part where we walk on the other side of the hallway and go hang out in the lounge to talk like we aren't a part of this party." Luckily for them the dorms were split down the middle by the bathrooms so they could sneak by without being suspicious. The RA's come by the lounge and one of them recognizes Ashley from a class, which distracts them enough to not ask about the party down the hall.
"How do you do that?" Aiden asks, trying to catch his breath from the inner panic attack he was having.
"I don't know, talk to them, act as if I haven't been drinking, it helps that you are here so I'm not talking to myself." She smiles and when they hear the RA's leave they head back to the party.
"What the fuck happened?"
"Dumbass Lucas down the hall left the fucking door open right before the RA's came down, we're all on probation." Alex was fuming and everyone in the room was awkwardly quiet.
"Well, i guess this party is over. See you guys later?"
In the months following Ashley started spending a lot of time with Aiden. He gave her a lot of new music to listen to, and they realized they had a lot in common. Aiden tried really hard to get Ashley to be his girlfriend, but she never allowed it to happen, distancing herself when she noticed he was getting too clingy.
"Alex I don't know what to do with this kid. He's a great guy but holy crap is he annoying! He doesn't know how to just be friends with a girl without wanting it to become something super sexual."
"Have you messed around with him?"
"Nothing different than usual." They laugh at the simplicity of her statement knowing that she's not exactly innocent.
"Well, here's your problem, Me, Richie and the boys down here know how you work and are cool with it, Aiden never really seemed like a genius in that department. No worries you'll be alright."
"I guess, i kind of blew up at him and we aren't really talking right now."
"What'd you say to him?" He laughs, hot tempered Ashley is never one to mess with.
"Well, basically I told him he's a dick and needs to chill out. Things aren't going to happen the way he wants and if he wants to be friends with me he better start understanding that. You know... in not so many, um, nice words"
"Nice work! I'm starting to really dislike that kid anyway. So, winter break is coming, you sticking around? I might have some parties at my parents house while they're gone if you're interested."
"Naw, I have to be home with the family." Ashley rolls her eyes in annoyance.
"Hit me up when you get back and we'll party it up."