Freshmen Dorms

"Miami, actually."Alexis said smoothly, managing to ignore the slight uncomfortableness she felt at first. His height almost felt off- but that might have been because she was used to hanging around Sasquatches all the time, Joel back in Ashcreek, and then Luke and James.

Jacob laughed, "What do you imply that we start, oh drunken friend of mine?"

***

"Hell yeah more than lucky, I've been here only an hour and I've already scored about fifteen numbers, god it feels good to be back." James beamed.

Ashlee glanced to see Evelyn dancing right behind them tensing a bit hoping she wouldn't come over there.

"Ah, so you're used to beaches then?" Brett asked Alexis sympathetically. He let go of her hair almost instantly, picking up on her discomfort.

***

Evelyn felt slightly dizzy. She shook her head as she stopped dancing with some unnamed guy. He was actually pretty decent at footwork. She told him she was going to get a drink, firmly refusing his offer to get them for her - God knew what he might put in them - and then paused when he asked for ehr number.

"I'm just casually dating right now," she said, stressing "casual".

He assured her he wasn't looking for a hookup or a long-term thing either. She gave him her number and then went to the kitchenette's fridge.

***

Seth's eyes caught Evelyn bending over to peer into the fridge. She stumbled a little and Seth thought she might be drunk. "There's that girl. She's hot man, I say so try her. In fact," he sat up, fumbling for his wallet. "I'll bet you fifty you couldn't get her on a date. She's already doped up."

***

Luke sighed with relief as Evelyn vanished from sight. "Wow, that's great man," he said sincerely. He was a bit preoccupied trying to figure out emergency plans should Evelyn suddenly turn up to talk to Ashlee.

Alexis smiled more relaxed now. "Quite."She said, looking him up and down some in a casual way. "What part of Britain are you from?"

"Blackburn," Brett replied. He smiled and elaborated. "It's a little hick town. So I have to say NY is rather frightful in a way to me. I mean, I've been to London often, don't get me wrong, but the Big Apple is still different. Or maybe my accent makes people treat me strangely." He tilted his head, a brief flash of annoyance flashing through his eyes at some memory.

"No, I'm sure that New York must be much different from London. Different cultures and attitude setting, you know?"Alexis said as she put her hands in her jacket pockets, looking up at Brett.

Brett nodded. "It is. But in a way, it's the usual capitalist crowd, all out for money and disregarding all else, you know?"

Alexis smirked slightly. "Isn't it like that in all cities?"She said, tilting her head to the side a bit.

Brett smiled down at her. "You're right, even my little hick town, as the Americans call it, was just like that. We didn't have any of that community feeling that they talk about. So what are you doing in NY? More city living is your thing?"

"Dude she already hates me, and her friend will probably murder me if I talk to her, but you know what fine I feel a bit adventurous, but I'm still taking your money even if she denies me." Jacob said getting up and going over to Evelyn.

Jacob got up and straightened his shirt, and walked over to where Evelyn was and flashed a smile, "Hey there Red, you're looking pretty good tonight."

***

"Yeah! So how about you dude, met any girls that caught your eye?" He nudged Luke.

"Yes, most definitely."Alexis said, smiling some. "I was living in a "hick town" before this also and it made me want to go back anywhere with loud noises and rude people again- as odd as that sounds."She laughed a bit.

Luke threw an amused glance at Ashlee. "Yeah, because I'm totally the type to go up to a girl and get a number successfully."

***

Seth smirked and texted Jake quickly, hoping he'd get it before the redhead replied. "Dude, if u dont get a date, at lest get a punch out of her n $50 is urs."

***

Evelyn straightened swiftly, giving herself whiplash, and winced, brushing her hair out of her eyes. Because of this, she didn't see who she was talking to at all. "Uh...thank you?"

***

Brett grinned at Alexis' smile. "You don't smile a lot, do you, love?"

Alexis blushed and tugged some hair behind her ear, showing her red stud earrings. "No, truthfully, I'm not a smiler."

Jacob was about to answer to Evelyn when he felt his phone vibrate, he looked down and read the message from Seth and simply responded, "Fuck u dude.

He looked at Evelyn, "So I saw you dancing out there too, you're pretty damn good. Do you wanna dance, or we could just talk." He suggested, trying not to freak her out since she already thought he was an angry creep.

***

James snickered, "Dude you totally could, girls have been eying you for most of the night, you just don't approach them."

"I agree with the James, you could get girls you just don't approach them, then again James you have no room to talk girls approach you far more than you approach them." Ashlee pointed out.

James gasped almost offended by that statement, "They do not!"

Just like that a girl had approached James and tapped him on the shoulder, he turned and saw the cute girl smiling at him, "Hey there, I saw you from across the room and was wondering if you wanted to dance?" She smiled at him.

James grinned, "Sure, why not?"

The girl slid her arm through James and he turned back to Luke and Ashlee saying a bit hurried, "Okay maybe they do but who cares!"

Ashlee giggled shaking her head, "Can you believe your friend?"

James wrapped his arms around the girls waist, and she slinked her arms around his neck the both of them dancing.

Luke rolled his eyes, but laughed as James and the girl left to dance. "Why would they look at me when they have this jerk snagging the limelight?"

***

Brett raised an eyebrow. "You know, smiling is an exellent way of keeping yourself healthy."

***

Evelyn brushed her curly bangs out of her eyes. She was too winded to dance. "Um--" She froze, emerald-green eyes locking on Jake's dark ones. "You!"

***

Seth snickered at Jake's message. He glanced around and spotted his friend, deciding to watch them as he got up and made his way around the dance floor. He spotted Lola's dark head nearby and decided to have some fun of his own. Walking up behind her, he adopted a thick French accent and wrapped his arms around her shoulders so she couldn't turn around. "Ma belle femme, have we had ze pleasurrre of meeting?" His voice was heavily disguised to match a friend of his, some rich kid named Jean who was half-French.

Alexis raised an curious eyebrow. "How does that work?"She asked, simply to keep conversation going as she played with her hair some.

"Aww Luke, don't be such a puppy you could snatch just as many girls as him, he's just confident you need to be more confident is all." Ashlee encouraged him.

***

"I know funny running into you here huh? Yes we only got off on the same elevator, listen I know you hate me but I figured I try and make it up to you for being such an ass earlier." Jake tried to get that out as fast as he could, cause he could feel her green eyes practically burning through his dark eyes.

***

Lola's nose was hit by the sudden stench of alcohol and she coughed, the guy whose name had forgotten piped up, "Um who the hell is this?"

She tried to turn to face him but clearly Mr. French Bread, had a strong grip on her shoulders preventing her from turning around, "Um no, but judging by the smell of your breath I don't want to meet you, get your hands off me! Lola said firmly trying to pry the dirtball off of her.

Brett grinned wider, showing his excellent set of teeth. "You age gracefully, for one, and for another, dahling," his British accent came through thickly, "if you can smile in a time when circumstances demand you cry, it'll keep you sane."

***

"Her beau," Seth said to the idiot Lola was talking to. Seth flashed him a menacing smile that she wouldn't see, over Lola's head. Seth wondered what Lola would make of this.

***

Luke shrugged. He glanced around uncomfortably, unhappiness evident on his face. "Eh, I'd rather go back to the house and play video games or something. Getting drunk and hooking up is not my thing. But James won't leave." His eyes widened mournfully.

***

I should slap him, was going through Evelyn's head as she eyed the guy before her. SHe tilted her head. No, I'm a bigger person now. I can forgive, even if he does remind me of Ja--whatever.

"Fine," she said, leaning over to the boy so he could hear her over the music. She held out her hand. "Evelyn."

Alexis gnawed at her bottom lip to hide a smile. "Well... Thank you for that different insight on smiling."She said sincerely as she gave the room a once over.

"Hey listen I don't wanna mess with your girl." The guy said leaving Lola.

"Wait a minute! I don't even know who the hell this guy is!!" Lola exclaimed watching the guy leave as she tried to break free of the jerk's grip, "Ugh! Let me go you jackass." She said stomping on his foot hoping that would break his grip on her.

***

"Hey I'm not saying getting drunk, if you've noticed James is sober, although he's acting like he's high, don't be such a hermit Luke." She responded.

***

Score.

Jacob thought, he took her hand and shook it and sad loudly over the music so he could hear her too, "I'm Jacob, you can call me Jake though if you'd like, so you from around here Evelyn?"

Brett smiled again. "Do you want to dah-nce, Alexis?"

***

Seth swore loud enough to wake up the Pope of Denmark as he dropped his arms and pulled away from Lola, forgetting to conceal his voice. "What the hell, do you wear knives down there?" he demanded, dropping the accent.

***

Luke shrugged, looking around once more. His gaze lingered for a moment on Alexis. "Who's that dude? She got a boyfriend?" he asked Ashlee curiously. He'd noticed for a while that she'd been talking to the dude and Alexis usually didn't talk to anyone.

***

Evelyn gave Jake the same fake smile she often gave out. She took her hand back swiftly. "No, Seattle. So I'm kind of adjusting to this and loving it so far. Yourself?" She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and glanced behind Jake to where Ashlee and Luke stood.

"Sorry to be a downer, but I'm not much of a dancer at parties- My friend dragged me into it earlier."Alexis said, crossing her arms. She gave this guy 2 more minutes or so before he got bored and moved on.

Ashlee shrugged looking at the cute red-headed guy, "I don't know but he's pretty cute, I'd talk to him if Alexis hadn't snagged him." She said giving him a good once over.

***

"From here actually, well born in Spain and raised here, but yeah I love it here, there is always something to do here. Washington huh? Does it rain as much as they say it does over there?" Jacob asked her.

***

Lola recognized the voice and made about forty disgusted faces as she turned to face Seth, "Yeah I do, to destroy idiots like you! What the hell is your problem?!"

Brett's face fell some. "Oh, well," he glanced around and then back at Alexis, "Maybe we could have coffee or something later? I mean, in case I don't see you around because I don't want to occupy all your time and I do want to dance, admittedly," he said sheepishly.

***

Luke felt a stab of annoyance but he wasn't sure why. "Mmh," he murmured. He glanced around and saw Evelyn talking to some dark-haired guy. He sighed. "I'm ognna grab a snack or something. I'm kind of hungry."

As he walked, he spotted a familiar face. That girl from the store...what was her name, Lila?

He subconsciously made his way to her and realized she was in the middle of a spat.

***


Seth grinned down at Lola drunkenly. "That was hilarious. I was bored. Add up, Lassie?" he slurred.

***

Evelyn shrugged one shoulder. "It does. It's an excellent excuse for all the people committing suicide there - the rain drowned them," she said easily. Her eyes appraised Jake. If she were being honest, he was downright handsome. It made it all the more fun. And she hadn't really bothered to take notice of anyone since James. She cringed and pulled her mind away from those painful blue eyes in her memory.

Alexis hid a cringe at his look of disappointment. "A coffee later sounds great."She made her herself give him a real smile to try and make up for disappointing him.