falling || H.S.

Chapter 1

She felt her body being pushed around, but not the individual hands and fingers that she knew gripped her arms.

The high from the pregame, as her new friends called it, put her in a good headspace. Not too drunk, where she was falling all over the place, but enough to not care about how sweaty she and everyone else was.

Her roommate and the friends they met during their Orientation that day were clearly more experienced with alcohol and partying than she was. It was obvious. They barely grimaced as shots slid down their throats. It seemed as if they almost enjoyed the feeling. Eve didn't think she'd ever get to the point where vodka didn't taste like rubbing alcohol. She didn't know if she wanted to, either. She hated the taste, but didn't mind taking shots as long as she could have a chaser.

Sure, she had been drunk before, in high school, but rarely ever had shots. Beer, as gross as it is, was her and her friends drink of choice. Good enough to get them drunk without throwing up, and easy enough to convince her friends' moms to get them.

The thought of beer brought her to memories of her friends she had to part with the night before. Leaving for a college that was at least four hours from all of her friends didn't go over well. They sobbed till everyone's parents told them how late it was getting. During move-in, Eve was distracted enough that she didn't think of them, but now it was hitting her. She wouldn't see her best friends until Thanksgiving, which was three months away. Her breath got stuck in her throat, and a few tears welled in her eyes.

Olivia, Eve's roommate, caught her eyes from a group over, and motioned Eve to join them. This brought Eve out of her thoughts.

Eve, barely escaping the arms that threatened to pull her body in every direction, made her way to Olivia.

Olivia seemed nice enough. She was beautiful, and funny, but seemed way out of Eve's friend league. Eve was the kind of person that was careful about who she befriended. Never let herself become the girl surrounded by people she didn't see herself in. She did care about being liked and having some level of notoriety among others but wouldn't compromise who she was to do so.

Olivia's blue Hawaiian Punch concoction being poured onto her leg pulled Eve out of her thoughts.

"Shit, Liv."

"Oh god, Eve. I'm sorry, boo. This guy bumped me." She threw her thumb back, without looking, at the college student responsible for Eve's now-blue skirt.

"It's fine. I'm just sticky," Eve pulled her eyes from her skirt and looked for the so-called culprit.

Her eyes fell on a tall, oh so tall, curly haired boy. He almost resembled Ansel Elgort, or Nick Jonas. He had that classical attractiveness to him. 

His eyes were green; she could see that much. He had the kind of eyes that make eyes such a special feature. She could tell within a second of seeing him that his eyes were special. They held a certain softness, as they were lit with happiness. One of his friends must've just said something funny. His smile, teeth showing, made Eve's chest seize up, and breath catch. He was captivating.

What felt like hours of watching him was actually a second. One fateful second, where she was being pulled from her spot in the middle of the frat house living room to him.

Her mind caught up to her body seconds too late.

Olivia was talking to him, and she was just standing there not saying anything, regardless of the fact that Liv brought her over to him to introduce them.

It turned out that Liv and these guys went to high school together. Liv oh-so-candidly pointed out that the captivating man's friend took her virginity as a means of introduction. It was clear it wasn't a big deal as everyone in the group laughed it off.