Heart As Cold As Ice | 18+ | ✓

01: alondra

"He's staring at you, oh my god!" Pritchett yelps, grabbing onto my arm tightly. It's her fault we're at this bar to begin with.

I roll my eyes and order another beer, thanking God that I decided to get a fake ID a few months ago. Not really sure if that's something I should necessarily be thanking God for, but I will anyways. The beer tastes like watered down piss, but it's better than standing here sober while my cousin and best friend, Cora Pritchett, attempts to get over her piece of shit ex-boyfriend I'm sure she'll get back together with tomorrow.

I push the thought aside and smile at her, nudging her shoulder gently. "He's staring at you, hot stuff. Go talk to him." I can't think of his name, but I do know that he's always flocked by the girls in the lecture hall of the class we share and would be the perfect rebound for Pritchett.

Pritchett scoffs, "As if. Why don't you go talk to him?"

"Because I don't want to. Tonight is about you."

"Al, it's also about getting you out of your comfort zone. Let's be realistic, that guy is out of both of our comfort zones. You should start giving guys a chance again instead of making judgement based on how hot they are."

I take a long drink of my beer; she doesn't normally push me on this topic. "Because guys like him are nothing but trouble. I mean Jesus Pritchett, just look at the guy. I bet he's had everything handed to him in life. You're hot enough to pull ones that look like him. Except you choose to go after losers like Eli."

"Oh I'm looking at him," She muses, ignoring my comment about Eli. They're so going to get back together tomorrow. I steal a glance over at the table he and a few other guys are sitting at. His mouth quirk upwards once we make eye contact and I grimace.

"Can I get two shots of vodka?" I ask the bartender when I turn back around. Pritchett's right, tonight is also about getting me out of my comfort zone. Except this whole place is out of my comfort zone.

I wanted to go to school in Texas, not stay in fucking Minnesota.

I can hear my mom's voice in my head though, 'Free college is better than your first choice Alondra. Go there with an open mind. You could end up having the best time!'

Open mind my ass.

They have no idea why I wanted to leave. That'd require them being present in my life.

I tilt my head back to take the shot when Pritchett nudges me, causing some of it to spill into my mouth before I'm ready. "He's coming over here!"

The liquor burns as it hits the wrong part of my throat and I cough trying to clear it as she looks at me confused, completely having missed what just happened. "What's wrong with you?" She hisses as the guy we've been talking about leans on the bar next to us. I wipe my chin dry with a napkin.

"Can I buy you ladies a drink?" His voice is smooth and confident and I can see Pritchett practically melt.

"No thanks," I say at the same time Pritchett says yes.

She glares at me, "Al, be nice!"

I paste a sickly sweet smile on my face, "No thank you."

Then he has the nerve to laugh. What a prick. "Well Al, that was certainly nicer. What are you guys drinking?" He asks, rewording his question in a different way.

"Vodka soda," Pritchett replies happily and I sigh.

"IPA." I admit reluctantly.

He looks amused and runs a hand through his chestnut colored hair, mussing it up in a perfectly imperfect way. I resist the way that simple movement causes my stomach to flip flop, ignoring my brain telling it to cut that shit out. The way he carries himself is dangerous, full of self assuredness. He's too much like my past mistakes.