"Bree you can't seriously still be working on that?" Aubrey was sprawled out on her bed, half a dozen textbooks encircling her. It was the end of her sophomore year, and she was determined to finish at the top of all her classes. She scribbled furiously into her notebook, barely glancing up at the pouting redhead in front of her.

"I've got to get this done by Tuesday, Chloe. Slackers don't get into law school."

"Can't you take a break?" Chloe whined. She reached for the textbook Aubrey was currently looking through and snapped it shut.

"Hey! Chloe."

"Pleeeease? There's a party happening at Mark's place," Chloe persisted. "You can't do homework forever." Aubrey sighed and rolled over onto her back. Chloe was staring at her – and how on Earth could you even resist those big puppy-dog eyes? She'd only just met Chloe this year, but her roommate could be seriously adorable.

"Alright, fine. Although I know I'm going to regret it tomorrow." Chloe squealed with delight and pulled Aubrey up to her feet.

"I knew you'd come around!" Aubrey rolled her eyes, but couldn't help smiling. Yes, sophomore-Aubrey was far less intense than senior-Aubrey.

Chloe drove to Mark's place in her beat-up Cadillac; Mark Thompson was a senior and lived in a rental just outside of the campus. Chloe, being the upbeat socialite she was, was greeted warmly at the door. Aubrey tried to smile, but she felt horribly awkward as she followed Chloe into the house. It was packed with people, most of them more than a little drunk. She was already regretting her decision to come; the music was too loud, there were too many people, and she hadn't spotted anyone she knew yet other than Chloe.

"Come on, silly," Chloe called, dragging her by the wrist. Her friend had already managed to find a red cup containing some sketchy alcoholic beverage. Chloe snagged another cup and offered it to Aubrey.

"Want some?"

"Uh… What is it?" Aubrey had to shout to be heard over the loud drum of the bass.

"Jiggle-juice, Bree," Chloe said, waggling her eyebrows and laughing. She'd already downed her whole glass. She rolled her eyes as Aubrey crinkled her nose. "I don't know, but it's good! Here." She shoved the cup into Aubrey's hands and danced away, leaving the blonde to her own defences.

The night went on for far too long. Aubrey attempted to make conversation with a couple of guys; most of them went to Barden, but other than that, she had little in common with any of them. She considered having a couple drinks, but then decided against it; she didn't trust anyone in this place, and so the more sober she was, the better. Plus, someone had to drive them home at the end of the night – and from the looks of it, it was definitely not going to be Chloe. The redhead had disappeared a little while ago after packing in a couple more drinks, and Aubrey hadn't seen her since. She tried not to be irritated at Chloe for ditching her, but more than anything, Aubrey really just wanted to go back to their dorm.

At around midnight, after sitting alone on the couch for a little while, Aubrey decided to go look for Chloe. The downstairs area was still packed, and Chloe was nowhere to be seen. The bathroom was on the upper level of the house, and so Aubrey squeezed through the throng of people and began to make her way up the stairs.

There was a bedroom at the end of the hall, the door open just a crack. Aubrey could make out the faint sound of Chloe's voice, and she breathed a sigh of relief. She walked to the bedroom and peered through the crack. Chloe was on the bed, squirming, her arms pinned above her by a guy with a mop of brown hair – Mark Thompson.

"Stop, please, stop," she kept on saying as she tried to remove herself from underneath him.

"Shh, baby, I know you want some. Stop fighting it, okay? Yeah, that's it." Chloe let out a sob as he nuzzled her neck.

"What the hell are you doing?" Aubrey swung open the door and Mark scrambled to get off of Chloe. Anger burned deep within Aubrey's veins, tinting her cheeks a fiery red. Before she could stop herself, her fist was flying towards Mark's face. She felt a sharp pain surge through her hand as it made contact with Mark's nose, and then she was pulling Chloe off of the bed.

"Ow," Mark hissed, holding his nose with one hand. He glared at Aubrey. "Why you little bi-"

"Don't you ever come near her again, do you hear?" Aubrey interrupted. She took Chloe's hand and dragged her out of the bedroom. They pushed through the crowd and were out the door in a matter of seconds.

"Come on, Chlo, let's get you out of here," Aubrey murmured, unlocking Chloe's car and hopping into the driver's seat. She sped all the way home, her hand on Chloe's the whole way, and then pulled the trembling redhead inside their dorm.

"Chloe, oh Chloe, are you okay? Did he hurt you?" Chloe pressed her lips together and shook her head. Her eyes met Aubrey's and she began to sob.

"Oh, sweetheart." Aubrey pulled her into a hug, her heart breaking as Chloe's body shook, the sobs threatening to overwhelm her. "It's okay, now, it's okay. I've got you. You're safe now." She stroked Chloe's tangle of red waves with one hand, using the other to rub small circles on her friend's back. Aubrey could smell the vanilla from her shampoo, the sweet scent contrasting the sour smell of beer.

"Do you want to talk about what happened?" Aubrey asked carefully.

"I was going… And h-he… And then he… But I c-c-couldn't be-because," she sobbed into Aubrey's shoulder, her breaths short and labored. Aubrey squeezed her tighter.

"Sh, it's okay, we don't have to talk about it. Just breathe, okay? Breathe." Chloe hiccupped, but eventually managed to get her breathing to slow. Aubrey let her go and she whimpered slightly.

"I'm just going to get your pajamas, okay? Stay here." Aubrey managed to find her a fresh pair of pajamas, and Chloe went into the bathroom to change. Aubrey got dressed, wiping the sleep from her eyes with the back of her hand. She hadn't realized how exhausted she was; glancing at the clock on her bedside table, she saw that it was almost one in the morning.

Chloe came out of the bathroom, her eyes puffy and red. Aubrey patted the bed beside her. "Why don't you sleep with me tonight?" Chloe nodded, crawling in next to her friend. Aubrey turned and wrapped her arms around Chloe, soaking in the warmth that the redhead provided. And they stayed this way the whole night, a tangle of arms and legs, safe and content in each other's arms.