Chapter 1 - 1

College parties weren’t my idea of fun - my mom says i should enjoy the atmosphere while i’m here, and maybe she’s right but there’s other things i find far more enticing than drinking awful tasting liquid and tasting it again but even worse when i throw it all up. The music thumping so loudly it feels like somebody turned a muffle filter on, but a cheap and awful one.

The common room of my dorm was packed, and just a few measly meters away laid my comfortable and relatively soundproofed solo dorm. Of course, that would involve attempting to get past my best friend Sam, and that would probably end in me being dared to down beer after beer… And i just hate the taste.

“What a party,” Sam chuckled as he collapsed onto the beige couch next to me. I had the perfect view of the room; the other couches, the pool table, the kitchen, the filled corridor - everything allowed me to be observant.

“For you maybe.” I shrugged. Sam rolled his eyes, “It could be as enjoyable for you too Valentijn, if you didn’t just submit yourself to sitting and moping all night.” I just grunted in response, Sam was right. The problem is that i just didn’t socialise much, most people don’t go out of their way to befriend the chubby nerd.

“Fine then.” With a fake smile, i got off the couch and began to walk around the party, unsure of what i was really even wanting to achieve.

But then i saw her - Rosalia. Slim yet curvy and somehow still juicy, her face so beautiful it looked like it was carved by the gods itself. But it wasn’t her striking body or beauty that made her so desirable to everyone, she was always kind, gracious and her intelligence and humor were unmatched. I had spoken to her maybe twice for school-related things, but she never looked down on me or anyone. She wasn’t embarrassed to talk to the fat guy, maybe the fact she treated my like anyone else is what made me so attracted to her in a way…

The flashing lights and loud noise, or maybe the beer in my hand, felt like they were almost charging me now. A bout of confidence kicked in, and i waved at her from across the room. She smiled warmly and waved back, her bouncy blonde hair falling off her shoulders and down her perfect back.

Before i could even process what was going on, she was walking away from her friends and towards me. “Hey Val!” She beamed. I hated that nickname but coming from her it get like gold.

“Oh hey!” My voice solid, definitely feeling that it was the beer that gave me the shot of confidence. “I don’t usually see you at the dorm parties.” She was clutching a canned cocktail, but she seemed like she hadn’t even had a drink. “Yeah well,” i chuckled “i guess i have other ideas of fun.”

Rosalia cocked her head to the side and bit her lip. “I get what you mean. Me too actually.” She grabbed my hand, instantly she began leading us through the crowd. My brows knitted together, confused as to what was happening but the burst of confidence enough to not really mind.