Chasing you | ✓

Chapter 8 - Want a drink?

The houses on Greek Row were enormous.

As I walked along the street to find Beta Psi Delta, I passed houses that were each bigger than the next. Some of them looked brand new, with amazing architectural details such as columns and arches and large patios.

I thought it would be easy to find the fraternity house, but it turned out that there was more than one fraternity hosting a party tonight.

It didn't make it easier that most of the houses had Greek signs on them that looked more like hieroglyphics than actual letters.

When I finally came across a house with music coming from the backyard and with the symbols BΨD on the front, I guessed I had come to the right place.

There was a guy at the door, checking my name against the Facebook attendance list.

"Welcome in," he said, allowing me to step past him.

The entryway was huge, with a giant wooden staircase leading upstairs. Two guys were walking down from it while heatedly discussing something. They disappeared through a doorway and I followed them.

The lounge was even bigger than the entrance and was crowded with people. I could barely hear the loud music over people's chatter. When I heard a clacking sound and a triumphant call, I noticed that there was a pool table in the room. I hadn't seen it at first due to the amount of people.

"Want a drink?" a girl asked behind me.

I turned to find a tall girl holding out a red cup to me. Her brown hair was pulled back in a ponytail that went all the way down to her hips. Her dress was short and black, and her hair almost went closer to the floor than her dress.

I shook my head. "No thanks, I don't really drink."

The girl's smile widened.

"Dance major, right? I get it, I don't usually drink either. I only do it when there's a bash or a mixer, and even then I only drink vodka seltzers to reduce the calories. I'm Maya, by the way."

"I'm Allie, nice to meet you."

I watched as Maya took a big gulp of the red cup in her other hand.

"How did you know I was a dance major?"

Maya frowned. "Aren't most people here tonight?"

I felt the heat seep into my cheeks. "Oh right. I forgot."

"You're so sweet!" Maya laughed. "But it also seemed really obvious. You're slim, have good posture and you don't drink, which means you take your dancing seriously."

I was about to explain that my lack of drinking had nothing to do with dancing—because I wasn't serious about dancing anymore—but I stopped myself. Trying to explain that would only bring on a bunch of uncomfortable questions.

"Doesn't everyone?" I asked instead. I didn't understand why anyone would actively decide to major in dancing at college if they weren't serious about making it as a professional dancer.

Maya shook her head. "No, sweetie."

She took a scan around the room before her eyes landed back on me.

"But having a drink once in a while doesn't make you a bad person or a bad dancer."

I eyed the second red cup, still in Maya's hand.

"Vodka and seltzer?" I asked.

I had been to a couple of parties in high school, but I wasn't a big fan of drinking. I didn't understand the allure of drinking yourself into a blackout every weekend.

Nowadays, I was even less inclined to drink than before. Alcohol had become a symbol of danger to me. It only led to bad things.

"Vodka, cranberry seltzer and a bit of lime," Maya said, offering me the cup again.

This time, I accepted it. Consequences be damned.

"Thanks."

I took a sip of the drink and it was more pleasant than I thought it would be. It was unexpectedly fruity.

"There's more where that came from, in the punch bowl in the kitchen," Maya said in an amused voice.

"You know I'm not twenty one, right?"

Maya leaned her head to the side, narrowing her eyes.

"We're at a frat house. I could bet you that most people here aren't twenty one yet. Heck, what makes you think I am?"

I laughed. "Fair enough."

There was a moment of silence between us. I took the opportunity to glance around the large common room that seemed to be getting more and more packed even though a lot of people seemed to be taking the party outdoors.

"So, are you interested in rushing?" Maya asked suddenly.

I had to stop myself from gaping. I hadn't even realized that Maya was a sorority girl. I didn't know why the thought hadn't occurred to me. Maya had just seemed so normal, and sorority girls always seemed so... upbeat.

"Uh, not really," I replied honestly, letting out a nervous laughter. "Don't get me wrong, I'm sure it's great. I'm just not sure that I'm the sorority type."

It wasn't a lie, it just wasn't the whole truth. 

Maya nodded. "That's fair, not everyone is."

She paused and looked at me through the corner of her eye.

"Honestly, I didn't think I was either before I joined. Now I couldn't imagine any other place where I could possibly feel more at home."

I raised my eyebrows in surprise. "Really?"

"Really." Maya nodded, her long ponytail bouncing back and forth. "I had a lot of prejudice about sororities before I joined. I didn't think I fit the type. But the truth is that every girl is different. What makes us what we are is the fact that we are all sisters and we support each other. I've never had that kind of support before, not even from my own family. Especially not from my family. The fact that half of our sisters at Kap Dee are dancers makes us so much closer. It's part of our legacy."

She sighed sweetly.

"We have already recruited for the fall semester, but if you were interested in Greek life, we also do winter rush here at Wattford University."

She gave me a wink and I had to laugh.

"Have a look around our brother house," Maya said. "Talk to people, mingle and try to have fun. You never know, you might like it more than you think."

She suddenly waved at a girl across the room, a big grin on her face. Then she looked back at me.

"Don't be a stranger, okay? Come say hi before you leave."

I took her advice and made my way around the house. People had set up a beer pong table in the kitchen and a large group of people had gathered around it.

When I was about to head back to the common room, I suddenly became aware of voices coming from the top of the stairs.

I glanced up but I couldn't see anyone there.

I looked around me to see if anyone else had heard them, but no one was looking in my direction.

When I heard more strange noises, I headed upstairs.

~ ~ ~

~A/N~
Hope you're enjoying the story so far!

In case you've missed it, I have now changed to three updates a week instead of two! I've been feeling really motivated and excited to write this story lately, which is why I'm very much ahead of schedule on the chapters. I will continue with updates at this ratio for as long as I'm ahead.

So from here on, see you TUESDAY, FRIDAY and SUNDAY! :D

(Oh and I changed the cover image again because I'm indecisive like that. Let me know if you like it!)