How (Not) To Date A Jock
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Megan Blake
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How (Not) To Attend A Party
EMILY
Why was she here?
The fraternity house was crammed past its limit, yet they kept shoving new people inside, squishing them like sardines. The musicâs volume had reached a deafening level, and everything she touched was sticky or wet; she was not sure which one she preferred.
Alcohol was flowing left and right, red cups were being passed around like candies, and people were getting louder as they drank more. Nobody was paying attention to where they were going and simply bumped into each other, elbows digging into ribs and hands slapping everywhere.
This was not her scene.
She made a point to avoid parties, and she had managed to stick to it this long. She had her schooling that required all of her attention, and this was not a distraction that she needed or even enjoyed.
The humidity of the summer caused the air itself to stick to her skin on top of everyoneâs layer of sweat.
âEmily,â warned Tracy as she glared at her friend. âPlease try to have some fun.â
The day before college.
That was when Emilyâs boyfriend decided to end their relationship. That led to Emily living a very sheltered life during her first semester, forgoing all of the experiences one should have when they move on to college.
Apparently, Tracy was done waiting for her to get over it, as she would so lovingly put it. Monday would mark the beginning of their second semester, and Tracy said she refused to let her best friend waste away for another moment because, according to her, Emily saying she disliked parties wasnât a valid reason since she had never been to one.
But she didnât need to go to know. She knew she didnât like them. She was more of the introvert type.
âIt might be fun.â
She doubted that. âTracy, canât we just go back to the dorm?â
âEmily, if I see you sit on that damn blue chair one more time, I will lose it.â
âButââ
âTwo hours.â
âWhat?â
âIf after two hours youâre still this desperate to go, weâll leave.â Emily was about to speak, but Tracy stopped her by raising her hand to silence her. âBut you have to try. Really try.â
Emily rolled her eyes. âFine.â The only reason she was even agreeing to this was Tracy. Her friend had been there for her through highs and lows, and wellâshe probably owed her that much.
Victory flowing through her blood, Tracy displayed a large smile. She turned around until she spotted the table she was looking for: the alcohol. She grabbed two red cups and handed one to Emily while keeping the other for herself.
âDrink up.â
âTracy,â she protested.
âAh-ah-ah!â she warned with a judgy finger pointed at Emily. âYou said you would.â
âNeed I remind you I failed my physical and drinking isnât going to help me?â
As luck would have it, her kinesiology program required her to pass a physical aptitude test. Emily failed the running part. Why was this necessary? Why did they have to torture her?
So, she had until the end of the semester. Make-or-break.
âSeriously? Chips and staying in your bed is awesome for your health, but the drink is the deal breaker? Come on. You canât use Cole or school to get out of things.â
Emily sighed as she stared at the weirdly pinkish liquid swirling inside her plastic cup. The last months had left a bitter taste in her mouthâthe breakup, the start of school, the broken dreams.
They were supposed to get an apartment together, near the school, and then suddenly, Emily had found herself with nowhere to go. Tracy had luckily gotten a room alone on campus and offered to share with her, saving her butt.
Cole had been her first and only boyfriend. Everyone had always gone on and on about how they were supposed to go the distance⌠Then he blindsided her and dumped her.
She had seen him once or twice since, butâhe was fine. And she struggled to be normal in his presence after they spent five years together only for it to end like that.
Part of her thought, maybe if she gave him space, maybe if she let him be, they would find their way back to each other. So, Emily used that mindset to avoid the dating scene altogether.
Yes, she was a coward.
The moment Tracy had said the word frat, she had said no. Fortunately, it was not Coleâs frat, and she hoped that meant he would be nowhere to be seen. Wasnât there supposed to be rivalry between fraternities?
She hoped so.
âOne sip.â
And one it was.
She brought the rim to her lips, the taste already disgusting her, but she did not stop. She allowed the liquid to burn her throat as it made its way down, and she grimaced the whole time.
One down.
A gazillion to go.
âItâll be fun.â
That remained to be proven.
Minutes turned into nearly two hours, and despite the loud music, Tracyâs fruitless attempts, and the drinks⌠Emilyâs level of fun had not risen any higher. Her head had gotten a lot woozier, but except for that, she was not feeling at ease.
No, instead she found herself angry. It was not as though she was attempting to be a lurker in the corner, butâthis whole party made her realize that all she had was Tracy. She did not know anyoneâshe had never been to one of these parties before.
People shouted words, played games, greeted each otherâand she was not part of it. Her first semester had involved her locking herself away in her room. Even Tracy knew half the people present, and she was not even a party girl.
Everybody had been busy making a life for themselves and socializing, and she had beenâalone.
At this point, she could not tell the difference between her regret and the bitterness that came with the amount of alcohol she drank.
She felt bad.
To top it off?
Now she had lost Tracy.
It had taken Emily nearly twenty minutes simply to locate a bathroom, and during that time, her friend had slipped away from her. The quicker she found her, the faster they would be out of there.
If Tracy wanted to remain, she would not argue, but she had to get out of there. She was uncomfortable, out of her element, andâand she felt like a moron.
And yes, Tracy had been right about these parties.
She could see the appeal; she honestly could.
But that only worked for someone who had many friends and a social life.
It did not apply to her.
Yes, it was one hundred percent her fault. But, really, she didnât know how people did it. She didnât have the thing that allowed her to approach people with ease. Was that her fault?
Maybe.
Her eyes darted into the room, trying to locate her best friend, searching every head for a dark-haired ponytail and a shiny white skirt. Unfortunately for her, she found a different kind of shiny.
Red hair. Her heart stopped beating, time froze, and while her throat clammed up, her toes curled. Her gaze darted as she clutched her hand; it was him. Everything around her stopped moving except for the image of him walking inâwith someone.
Someone that was not her.
His hand was wrapped around a girlâs fingers, the red fingernails sticking out. She had porcelain skin, perfect long blond hair framing her face, and piercing brown eyes.
He had a girlfriend. Butâhe had not been ready. He wanted to live his life freely, see the worldâ
He did not want her.
It was not about the world. It was not about finding himself and knowing what college was all about.
All that was a load of crap.
It was about her.
Her heart dropped to her stomach while her mouth slacked. Her eyes were void of any emotions as she found herself voiceless, not even able to form tears. She needed to get out of there.
She did not care how, she only knew she needed to flee the scene before she was found out. She began walking backward, her back hitting different people. He was staying by the door; she could not make her escape.
He would see her, and if he saw her, she would die. She was a hunted deer trapped with no escape. She could run away. No, she could not. If she ran, she would attract his attention, and he mightâŚhe might say her name, he might chase her downâŚand she could not.
Not right now.
She watched as he turned his headâand she panicked.
âYo, Cole.â
Oh forâ he was coming her way. Many ideas flashed through her mind, but none of them would work.
âHey, watch it.â
She reacted to the voice since this time the comment was directed at her. She was unable to see the speakerâs face but took notice of his brown hair as he looked away from her and resumed his conversation with his friends, the incident now past him.
He was near a wall.
A wall could work.
Walls were good for hiding.
Hidingâshe could hide.
Her brain was struggling to form a full idea, the alcohol slowing her down. She was scattered, only focusing on the present moment and trying to figure out a way out of this impossible situation.
Anything was better than facing Cole. Emily did not think twice about it as she grabbed the guyâs arm and tugged him in her direction.
âWhatââ
âIâm really sorry,â she slurred out. Wow, what happened to her speech? âI justâmy ex is here. And I canât. Iâhelp me.â She could feel the tears pooling in her eyes.
The alcohol affected her brain, and she could not make a clearer sentence than this. She hoped it would be enough.
It was all the warning he received before she grabbed the hem of his blue T-shirt and crashed her lips onto his. At first, he felt tense against her body, and her small hands kept the cotton fabric tightly held as though to prevent him from fleeing.
After a beat, she felt him relax, which helped her do the same. It was insane; she was insane. His large hands found her hips, and he gripped her firmly before she felt the wall against her back. He backed them into the corner, his tall frame towering over her as he took control of the kiss.
His lips moved smoothly against hers, washing away the taste of alcohol from her mouth. Warmth radiated from him, increasing the feeling of buzz she experienced from the alcohol.
It felt like he was crushing her with his much larger body as his tongue wrapped around hers.
Her cheeks turned red, her body became like lava, and she found herself leaning her head back as his hands moved upward, squeezing her hips. Dizzy. That was the word.
For a moment, it all stopped: the party, the incoming doom.
The kiss lasted a few more moments until finally, she felt him pull away from her, leaving her lips glistening and swollen. Her eyes were half-lidded as she tried to make out his face, taking notice of his blue eyes.
As she did so, she saw the blond hair far behind his head. He had gone past herâand he had not noticed her. The sight of Cole walking away gave her a cold return to reality.
âThanks.â
It was all she had time to say before she dashed away from his view. She bumped into a few peopleâand objectsâon her way out, but she made it. Tracy be damned, she would text her.
Never again.
As she walked away from the front door, she wiped her lips with the back of her handâthey were still moist from previous ministrations.
She had kissed a stranger.
Scratch that.
She had kissed someone for the first time since Cole.
