Page 107 of The Second Kiss
The frat house is a red-brick building with a white balcony over the front door. A group of guys stand on the balcony with drinks in their hands. “Welcome, freshmen!” they call out. Kendra and Nichole look up and wave.
The air pulses with music as we get closer. I’m already freaking out. I wonder if I can leave now and come back for Kendra and Nichole later. When I hesitate, Nichole pushes me towards the door.
The guy who answers the door is shorter than I am, but he’s cute. He has dark hair that falls in waves over his ears. “Hello, ladies. Welcome to Phi Gamma Delta. I will be your host this evening. If there is anything I can do to make your stay more enjoyable, please let me know. He bows low and kisses Nichole’s hand.
“Nice to meet you,” Nichole says. “I’m Nichole, this is Kendra, and this is Jess.”
“The open bar is right this way, ladies.” We follow him into the main room. It’s crowded. The music is so loud that it’s impossible to talk. Nichole and Kendra each pick a drink fromthe fridge in the back of the room, but I can't make myself take anything, not even water.
I look around, but there isn't anywhere to sit. “Now what do we do?” I yell above the music.
“Mingle, meet guys. Dance. Have Fun!” Nichole says. She’s already heading to the middle of the floor. Kendra pushes me out onto the floor with them.
A guy with dark hair and blue eyes dances next to me. “Eric,” he says.
“Jess,” I reply.
He puts out his hand, and we shake hands in the middle of the floor.
“So, what’s your major?” he yells over the music.
“Nursing—well, right now I’m just doing generals and prerequisites for nursing.” I yell back.
He moves closer; I guess so I can hear him. “So you're taking anatomy?”
“Anatomy, chemistry, a few other classes.”
“Wow,” he grins. “Anatomy and chemistry are two of my favorite subjects.”
I’m not sure if he’s serious or if that’s supposed to be some kind of pickup line. I step backward, and run into the girl behind me.
Eric moves closer, so his body is almost against mine. “So you’re a freshman?”
“Yeah,” I answer. I’m feeling claustrophobic. Every time I move, I run into someone else. “Excuse me.” I say as I trip backwards against another guy.
He reaches to steady me. “No worries.”
I pull away. The room is too crowded. The people are too close. I take a couple of deep breaths. Eric puts his hand on my wrist. “You want to get out of here? We could go somewhere quieter.”
I jerk back. “No!” It sounds loud, even in the noisy room. People turn around and look at me.
Eric steps back, his hands up. “Hey, I just wanted to talk.”
I back away and hit a wall of bodies. I’m freaking out. Waves of nausea hit me. I keep backing up. People are staring, talking about me, a sea of laughing faces.
“Jess,” Kendra pushes through the crowd to grab my hand. She pulls me to the side of the room, kicks somebody out of a chair in the corner, and makes me sit down. “Put your head between your knees,” she orders.
I lean forward and take a couple of deep breaths. My face feels hot. I think I’m going to pass out, or throw up, maybe both.
“This might help.” Eric, the boy from the dance floor, is holding a glass of something fizzy. “It’s club soda.”
“Thanks,” Kendra takes the drink from him. “Drink this,” she says to me.
I shake my head. “I can’t.”
“Is she always this paranoid?” Eric looks at me like I’ve lost it.
“Sorry,” Kendra says. “She’s been through a lot. She needs fresh air. Eric, can you help me get her up?”
