CHAPTER 1
Shoving a loose strand of her blond hair aside, Sera balanced her books in her arms as she searched for her keys. Finally locating them in her cluttered pocket, she pulled them free and slid them into the lock. Bumping the door open with her hip, she muttered a curse as the force of it knocked her precariously balanced books free.
Impatiently kicking them into the room, Sera slammed the door shut. Scooping everything up, she dumped the pile onto her neatly made bed. Her gaze drifted to her roommate's side of the room. She had to suppress a groan as she took in the disaster area. They had only been back for two weeks, and already Kathleen had managed to make a complete mess of things. Then again, Kathleen had made a mess on her first day back. Pillows, sheets, and blankets were cascading off her bed and spilling onto the hardwood floor. Her desk was overflowing with papers, books, garbage, pens, and markers. Sera had no idea how Kathleen managed to find anything in the clutter, let alone actually accomplish any studying. A poster of a rock band was peeling off the wall above her desk, and the one over her bed was torn and wrinkled. The garbage can next to her bed was overflowing with wadded up papers.
Sera gathered her books and moved toward her desk. Unlike Kathleen, her desk was perfectly neat, with everything in its proper place, and her books sorted in alphabetical order. Kathleen said that she was too uptight, while Sera thought that Kathleen was a complete slob.
The door suddenly burst open. Sera jumped and stifled a frightened cry as it bounced against the wall with a resounding thud. It swung back rapidly, just missing Kathleen as she came bounding into the room. Sera shook her head in disbelief; Kathleen had the energy, and sometimes the capability of causing as much destruction as a tornado. However, unlike a tornado Kathleen never intended to harm anyone, or anything. Sometimes, it just worked out that way.
Sera, who had always been a bit reserved, had been more than a little wary of Kathleen when they had been thrust together freshman year. Sera's concerns about having a horrifying roommate seemed to have come true when she'd first met Kathleen. Kathleen had arrived at the college two days before Sera, and had made her stake on the room first. It had been completely trashed by the time Sera arrived. She had been horrified by the mess in the room, and certain that she had gotten the roommate from Hell.
However, the short, gregarious blond standing in the middle of the mess didn't give her time to be appalled for long. Kathleen had rushed over and hugged her, squealing with enthusiasm about how much fun they were going to have. Sera had been astonished by the embrace, and more than a little afraid of the energy Kathleen exuded. Then, as she had grown to know Kathleen, and started to become accustomed to her overwhelming ability to make everyone around her happier, Sera had become extremely grateful that the college had thrown them together. Kathleen had helped to ease Sera's fears about being away at school with her own excitement about being there. She also had the ability to make friends with an ease that Sera still found astonishing.
The thing that amazed Sera most though, was that Kathleen actually liked her too. Kathleen was outgoing, bubbly, full of fun and adventure. Sera was reserved, scared of new things, and shy but for some reason, Kathleen was willing to put up with her somewhat introverted ways and be her friend anyway. Sera thought it was because Kathleen found her to be a challenge that she planned on mastering. She had been determined to get Sera to be more outgoing, and over the past three years, she had succeeded in many ways.
"Hey sweetie!" Kathleen called, throwing her bag and notebooks on the floor. "I had such a long day! What about you?"
"Long," Sera agreed, slumping onto her bed.
"Uh-oh, I know that look! What's wrong?"
Sera looked up at Kathleen's short figure. She was a little plump, but most of her weight rested in her overwhelming chest. She was wearing a body-hugging white tank top that stretched provocatively over her large breasts. Her short blond hair was pulled into a loose ponytail that was now falling freely around her ears. She had sky blue eyes that always sparkled mischievously. Her nose was small and pert, with a slight slope at the end of it. Her full lips were painted a pristine plum that contrasted prettily with her fair skin.
"Just beat," Sera finally replied. "Glad it's the weekend."
"Oh yeah! There's a party at Omega house tonight, we have to go!"
"I don't know," she replied, standing up and moving to the window.
"Oh, don't you dare do this to me!" Kathleen cried, dramatically throwing herself on the bed. "I'm not going to spend another semester dragging you out. It's the end of September and you haven't been to any parties yet. We've been back for three weeks already. You're going willingly, and you're going to have a good time! I mean it Sera."
Sera knew that it was pointless to argue with her, Kathleen almost always got her way. She was tired and didn't feel like going to a party, but it would do her good to get out of their room, and see people that she hadn't seen since before summer break. Besides, she wasn't in the mood to clean Kathleen's mess tonight, and she knew that she would if she stayed here.
"You're right," she relented.
Kathleen grinned broadly as she bounced eagerly on the balls of her feet. "Honey, I'm always right! You should know that by now."
Sera laughed, some of the tension of the week finally eased out of her. Kathleen always made her feel better. "Omega huh?"
"They're always good for a few laughs," Kathleen replied with a giggle. "Now, come on. It starts at seven so that means I only have three hours to get ready. You have to help me. Then, of course, I'm going to help you."
Sera walked over to Kathleen's overflowing closet. Clothes were falling off the hangers, laying on the floor, and spilling out the door. She didn't know why Kathleen even bothered to unpack, she couldn't find anything in this mess, and her stuff was neater when it was in boxes and suitcases.
"What are we going to wear?" Kathleen pondered while tapping her finger on her lip as she perused the mess before her.
Sera sighed in resignation, but Kathleen chose to ignore it as she pawed her way through the mess. Kathleen was always trying to dress her up. Sometimes she permitted it, other times she put her foot down. She was not the type to put on an abundance of makeup and skimpy clothes. She preferred to dress down, and fade into the background.
"You're going to look spectacular!" Kathleen cried as she pulled clothes from the closet and tossed them across the floor.
***
Sera pulled self-consciously at her clothes as she followed Kathleen toward the frat house. She felt awkward in the midnight blue, midriff-bearing shirt that hugged her upper body. The short black skirt covered her to mid-thigh, but the slit in the right side came up another two inches. Kathleen had bought the outfit without trying it on, and to her dismay she had discovered that it didn't fit her. At least, that's what Kathleen told Sera, but Sera didn't believe her for a minute. It was a little too coincidental that it had fit Sera perfectly.
"Stop that," Kathleen said, slapping her hand away. "You look wonderful!"
"I feel uncomfortable."
"Get used to it. I've been trying for three years to get you to be more sociable and outgoing. This is our final year together and I'm going to succeed."
