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“So, you went last year?”
“I did. It was sad. They blasted Britney Spears and made us wear nametags.” She shuddered. “And don’t you dare say you like some Britney songs. The last time you told me that, I nearly fainted.”
I sat up, not even attempting to tame my unruly waves. “I have eclectic taste. ‘Toxic’ gives me life.”
Nina crossed her arms. “I leave you alone in New York for one year and my punk rock chick turns into a pop princess.”
I gasped. “Never!”
She nudged her shoulder against mine. “We’re going to have so much fun this year.”
A high-pitched screeching of my cousin’s name came from the hallway before a blonde head poked through the bead curtain hanging in front of our open door.
“You’re here!”
Nina hopped up, pulling the squealing girl into our room and swinging her into a hug.
“Laura!” Nina cried. “I missed your face!”
Laura smacked her backside. “I missed your fine ass!”
Introductions went around, but I already knew who Laura was, even though we’d never met. She’d been Nina’s roommate last year, and the tragically straight object of her affection. My cousin had a tendency to fall for straight girls and get her heart broken every time. Not that she ever told them she’d fallen for them. No, she liked to pine from afar, and Laura had been no different.
From the looks of the hearts in Nina’s eyes, nothing had changed after a summer apart.
“Tell Tals we can’t go to the barbecue in the quad,” she said.
Laura flopped on Nina’s desk chair and propped her Adidas-clad feet up on the desk. “No, we don’t go to those things. Besides, there’s a party at Tino’s tonight. I heard there’s going to be a couple bands playing.”
“Who’s Tino?” I asked.
Laura peered at me from under her shaggy bangs. “Tino is the man. He flunked out of school a couple years ago and lives off campus in this huge old house his rich parents bought him.”
“That’s a rumor,” Nina interjected. “No one knows if he owns that house.”
“And he throws good parties?” I asked.
“Yep. The booze overfloweth, and the music is always lit,” Laura said.
I grinned, excited beyond belief to be going to my first official college party. “I guess we’re going to Tino’s.”
Laura hopped up and clapped. “Yes! But first, I need food. Mozzarella sticks are calling my name.”
The three of us rode the elevator down five floors and started the short walk to the dining hall when I realized I’d left my student ID in the room.
“Crap. I have to go back. Wait for me, okay?” I asked.
I ran back to the dorm and rode the elevator up, finding my ID, which also doubled as my meal plan card, sitting on my dresser. I tucked it in the pocket of my jeans, then paused, checking myself out in the mirror hanging on my closet door.
I tugged my jeans lower on my hips, revealing a little skin between my White Stripes concert T-shirt and waistband. Not as cute as Laura’s tiny halter and low-rise jeans, but passable. My mom would probably faint if she saw me like this, and that thought made me happy. College Tali could show a little skin. There was no one around to tell me I looked indecent.
The elevator took forever to get to my floor. As I waited, two—boys?...men?— came to stand in my periphery. They were talking about another guy and laughing at something that sounded like an inside joke. I kept waiting for someone else to arrive—hopefully another girl—but it didn’t happen. My stomach churned with nerves.
When the elevator doors slid open, I almost didn’t step inside. Upon my hesitation, one of the guys held his arm out, keeping the door open.
“Ladies first,” he said smoothly.
I glanced at him, meeting bright blue eyes and a wide smile that didn’t seem so scary.
