AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Oh, you know, same shit, just a different day,” he says, looking around. “But what about you? How’s Boston treating you?”
“Can’t complain.”
Paul is a pretty outgoing guy, and we always had a good time together. We spent many nights in this house getting shit-faced, trying to out-drink each other.
I always won.
“Let me take your shit, dude. I’ll put it in your old room. No one lives in there yet. Brian has been very selective about who’s going to be our new roommate.” He grabs my bag from my hands and walks up the stairs.
“Nate. My man! You made it!” I turn around and see the only guy in this house who could ever out-drink me, Brian.
“Hey, Brian,” I say as he comes in for a manly hug. “Always good to see you, man.”
He turns away from me and starts making himself a drink of mostly vodka. “You ready to get shit-faced tonight?”
“That’s what I came here for,” I say before chugging down the rest of my drink.
Brian hands me another one and then leads us down the basement stairs where déjà vu hits me. The only light in the room comes from the stringed neon bulbs hanging from the walls. A DJ’s booth is in the corner where a guy blasts shitty mixes from his outdated computer equipment. Couches are grouped in another corner, and a ping pong table resides on the other side reserved for beer pong. People are beginning to fill every square inch of the place.
I follow Brian to the couches and recognize even more faces, including Jessica.
Shit.
Twenty-Three
NATALIE
SARAH KNOCKS ON MY door just as I finish putting on the final touches of makeup.
“Hey, Sarah,” I say, inviting her in. She’s exuding confidence, wearing a tight black miniskirt with an off-the-shoulder silver crop top and a pair of black stiletto heels. Her makeup is over the top but looks incredible. Her dark hair has been pulled back and draped over her slim shoulders. This is what every girl dreams of looking like.
She walks in to give me a hug and starts squealing. “Ah, I am just so excited that we are finally going out together!” She takes a step back and assesses my outfit. “Natalie, this dress looks amazing on you! I wish I had your curves,” she says with an envious pout.
“Really? You don’t think it’s too much?” I ask, looking down at myself.
A few days ago, I was walking to the campus bookstore when a dress in the window display of a local boutique caught my eye. It was front and center, standing out among all the other dresses. The black silk stopped me in my tracks. Well, until I moved my feet into the store to try it on.
When I looked in the mirror, I saw … me.
Or, I mean, I saw the old me. The version of myself that I had been keeping hidden. The one who liked to go out and have fun, making memories with friends. Not the one who locked herself in her room, seeking refuge from her nightmares.
But wearing this dress made me feel …confident. A word I hadn’t felt in a long time.
The hem is shorter than anything I own in my closet, but the sheer sleeves make it feel like there is more fabric to the dress than there actually is. The neckline dips scandalously low, and the cutouts in the bodice reveal more skin than I am used to showing.
I’ve already been trying to think of when I can wear it for Nathan.
“No way, Natalie. You look so hot!” Sarah coats her lips in a layer of vibrant red gloss and then takes a peek in her compact mirror. “Well, are we ready to get this night started?”
A big part of me wants to back out, throw on an oversized T-shirt, and curl up with a good book, but instead, I say, “Let’s do this!”
* * *
Sarah and I are confined to the corner of a bar in a small, shabby pub situated close to our apartment building. This place has a reputation for not checking IDs, and it’s a Friday night, so of course, it’s packed with college students filling almost every seat and space available.
“Umm … what are you drinking?” Sarah asks me, looking at the wine glass in my hand as if it’s a poisonous spider.
“A glass of Chardonnay. Why?” The bartender seemed surprised when I asked for a glass of wine, but I guess, looking around me, they probably don’t get that request often.
