Scarlet

 

A week had gone by, and I’d only seen Lucien in class. Every Wednesday and Friday, we sat together in Professor Davidson’s class and chatted. Sometimes we were flirtatious, and other times, we were just friendly.

Seeing him was by far the best part of my day, but I wondered if he was ever going to ask me out again. I was desperate for another kiss, and my daydreams were spinning wildly out of control.

When we said goodbye that Friday, I lingered for a few seconds, hoping he might ask me out for the weekend. He didn’t. He just smiled and walked away, leaving me alone to walk to my final class of the day.

It was a Literature course that I found interesting. There were only about ten people in the class, and I learned everyone’s name quickly, but I hadn’t spoken to them. Making friends wasn’t my forte. Being homeschooled most of my life prohibited me from learning certain social skills. At NYU, I felt shy and awkward.

The class went by quickly. There was a lively debate about Pride and Prejudice, in which I finally voiced my opinion. It was the first time I spoke in class, and I was happy with myself.

Pride and Prejudice wasn’t my usual brand of romance novel, but I’d read it countless times and felt I could converse intelligently. My professor seemed pleased with my responses, and when class ended, the guy who sat two rows away from me walked over to me with a smile. He stopped in front of my desk, and I tried to remember his name.

“Hi,” he said. “That was a great discussion, don’t you think?”

“Yeah,” I said. “It was.”

“I’m Bryan,” he said, holding his hand out to me. I shook it politely. “You’re Scarlet, right?”

“I am.” I smiled.

I was surprised that he remembered my name. My cheeks felt warm as he continued to smile down at me. He wasn’t as attractive as Lucien, but he was good-looking in a dumb-guy-with-a-dream sort of way. His eyes were bright blue and very pretty. He had a round, boyish face that made him seem trustworthy.

“So,” he said. “I’m in the Delta Pi fraternity. Have you heard of it?”

“Actually, I have,” I said. “My friend Lucien is your President, I think.”

“Lucien Wolfe?” he asked.

“Yeah,” I smiled.

“Lucien’s a great guy,” Bryan nodded. “He’s probably the best president we’ve had in a long time.”

I couldn’t tell if Bryan was being sincere, but I chose to trust him. His eyes were soft when he spoke, but his tone seemed strained. If I didn’t know any better, I would’ve thought he was jealous that I mentioned Lucien. I was oddly flattered.

“He’s cool,” I said, shrugging as if I didn’t really care.

In truth, I was still very much interested in Lucien, but Bryan seemed close to asking me out. I didn’t know if I was attracted to him. He seemed nice, and I was determined to experience new things at NYU. I knew I wouldn’t say no if he asked me out.

“Well,” Bryan said. “We’re having a party tomorrow night at the house, and I wanted to see if you would come. It’ll be really fun and totally low-key. The perfect introduction to the Deltas.”

Bryan’s invitation brought a smile to my face. I was happy that my instinct was correct, but I was also excited about the party. This was finally an opportunity to meet new people and set myself free a little bit. I would be able to drink and dance. It sounded like fun, but I also knew it would be a chance to see Lucien outside of class.

“Sure,” I said with a grin. “I’ll be there.”

“Awesome!” Bryan smiled back. “Well, I’ll see you there.”

“See you there,” I repeated.

Bryan waved and walked away, leaving me to pack up my things slowly.

I didn’t realize the girl who sat beside me was still in the room until Bryan was already gone. As I tucked my notebook and my copy of Pride and Prejudice safely into my bag, I caught her eye and saw that she was watching me.

I smiled nervously and looked away. I knew her name was Lexie, but we hadn’t yet spoken. She seemed eager to talk to me now.

“Listen,” she said, her tone serious. I glanced around the room to find that we were the only two left. “I know we don’t know each other, but that party is not a good idea.”

“Your name is Lexie, right?” I asked, not paying attention to her warning.

“Yes,” she nodded, clearly impatient. “And you’re Scarlet. It’s nice to meet you.”

“You too,” I said, trying to smile.

She continued to watch me closely, and I quickly became uncomfortable. With a nervous smile, I pushed myself to my feet and made my way out into the hallway. Lexie followed me closely. I glanced at her, letting her know it was okay to talk to me.

“I’m sorry to be so pushy,” she said. Her tone was softer this time, more kind. “I just… You’re new here, right?”

“I am,” I nodded. “This is my first semester.”

“You seem really sweet,” she said sincerely. “But you also seem kind of innocent. I don’t mean that as an insult, just an observation.”

She wasn’t wrong, but I didn’t appreciate her bluntness. Lexie seemed like a good person, but she was being pushy, and I didn’t understand why. Bryan invited me to a frat party, it wasn’t the end of the world.

She was starting to get on my nerves as she followed me outside. We walked together until we reached a coffee cart. I stopped to buy a latte, and Lexie got herself something too.

“It’s just a party,” I said when we both had our coffees. “I mean, it’s not a big deal.”

“I know,” she said. “I’m sure it won’t be, but since you’re new, I just thought I should warn you.”

“About what?” I asked.

“Delta Pi,” she answered simply.

“What about them?” I asked.

She hesitated for a fraction of a second, her eyes searching mine. Lexie had deep grey eyes that were unlike any I’d seen before. Her short blonde hair was cut in a pixie cut that made her look slightly edgy. She was pretty, but not in an obvious way. I got the feeling that she wrote poetry or played the guitar.

“They just don’t have the best reputation,” she explained. “You wouldn’t know, but they’re notorious for being the bad boys on campus.”

“Are you sure?” I asked. Lucien didn’t seem like a bad boy, and Bryan seemed even less the type. “The guys I know from Delta seem okay.”

“How many do you know?” she asked.

“Just two,” I admitted. “But they’re both really sweet.”

“I’m sure,” Lexie said, but she sounded anything but. “I just wanted you to know what you’re getting yourself into. Obviously, it’s up to you if you go or not, but I thought you should have all the information first.”

“Thanks,” I said with a smile.

I meant it. At first, Lexie annoyed me, but the more we talked, the more I began to appreciate her. She was honest in a refreshing way. I got the sense that she really was just trying to help me out. She didn’t want to impose her opinions on me, but she felt an obligation. It was nice, in a weird way.

“No problem,” she shrugged. “Us girls have to stick together, you know?”

“I do,” I smiled.

It was nice to have a fellow female to talk to. We found a bench and sat down to enjoy our coffee. We were both done with classes for the day, so we spent a few hours just sitting and talking.

I found out that Lexie was from Boston and moved to the city when she was just seventeen. She started college early, but she took a couple years off to travel around Europe. She was twenty-two and about to graduate.

From the way she spoke, she was worldly and extremely smart. I was happy we met. Finally making a friend on campus felt amazing. It was different than with Lucien or Bryan. They were both sweet and slightly flirtatious, but I wondered about their intentions. With Lexie, it was just fun.

“Listen,” I said after a couple hours of talking. “You should come with me tomorrow.”

“Hell no,” Lexie said. “Didn’t I just tell you how much I hate Delta Pi?”

“I know,” I said. “But that’s why you should come. I told you, I was a horribly sheltered child. I have literally no social experience. I could use a babysitter.”

“Nope,” Lexie said. “I like you, Scarlet, but there is no way I will set foot in that house. Not a chance in hell.”

“Fine,” I said.

“Are you still going to go?” Lexie asked.

She wasn’t pushing me one way or the other, but her eyes were anxious as she waited for my answer. I knew what she wanted to hear. She wanted me to say I wouldn’t step foot in that house either, but I couldn’t promise her that. Aside from the fact that I already told Bryan I would go, I wanted to see Lucien again. I knew he would be at the party, and I hoped I might even be able to get another kiss out of him.

“I’ll think about it,” I promised her, but I knew I wouldn’t.

She was my new friend, and I wanted to make her feel better, but I was excited about the party. It would be my first ever frat party. There was certain to be a ton of people, and I was eager to make new friends.

Now that Lexie and I had met, I felt less lonely. I knew I would have at least one friend on campus, but more couldn’t hurt. Even if Lucien didn’t pay attention to me at all tomorrow night, at least I could use the party as a way to meet new people.

“You’re totally gonna go,” Lexie sighed.

“What?” I asked, surprised that she could see right through me.

“You’re practically drooling with excitement,” she teased.

“I am excited to see Lucien,” I admitted.

“Lucien Wolfe?” she asked.

“Yeah,” I nodded. “He was actually the first person I met here. Him and his friend Adam. They were on my plane from France.”

“Wow,” she said. “That’s an interesting introduction.”

“They’re nice,” I defended.

“They can be,” she said. “But they’re Deltas. Worse, Lucien is their leader.”

“President,” I corrected.

“Whatever,” she said. “Just be careful.”

“I will,” I said, using the same tone I always used with my mother.

Lexie rolled her eyes. She could tell I was just placating her, but she didn’t care. We’d only just become friends, but I already felt like I could be myself with her. She was worried, without being judgmental, which was a nice change of pace.

With my mom, it was all judgement all the time. Lexie just wanted me to be safe.

We said goodbye, and I headed back to my grandmother’s house. As I thought about our time together, I smiled. Lexie was my first real friend in New York. Lucien was great, but he was my crush more than my friend.

With Lexie, I could see us bonding more and more over time. I had a feeling we would share a lot of memories together, and I couldn’t wait. I hadn’t had a lot of friends back in Paris, and I hoped that by meeting Lexie, that would all change now.

Her warning about the frat party weighed on me, but I tried to relax. The party would be fun. Enjoyable. It was just going to be a night of reckless abandon, but I wouldn’t do anything stupid.

I knew Lexie’s warning was well-meant. She was being a friend. Still, I couldn’t pass up the chance to experience something new.