Freshmen Dorms

Seth shot Connor a confused glance. "There's a good way?"

Some girl nearby giggled, overhearing their conversation. She piped up suddenly. "I thought it was obvious. Hey, you're Jake, aren't you?"

Seth glanced over his shoulder. Some petite blond with dark eyes was evidently also waiting for the elevator. She was giving the drenched Jake a studying look.

Seth thought she was familiar but....he leaned over to Connor and muttered, "The one time a girl pays attention to the poor kid is when he's looking like a tsunami victim."

***

Luke and Ashlee were heading up in the shitty elevator. Luke frowned for a second and then blurted, "Did you know Jake, the guy she was faking with, was in juvie for assault?" he asked. "I mean...I just....it kind of worried me from an Evelyn perspective. Seth was evidently in there with him..."

***

Evelyn flashed James another smile and headed out into the hallway, pausing to tuck Nova into her bag. "Oh, crap, my bad."

Jake heard the feminine voice and turned seeing the blond girl, she had known his name and although she was hot, Jake really hoped he wouldn't have to remember her name, "Yeah that's me, what's up?" He asked her smiling.

***

Ashlee's eyes widened as she remembered how Evelyn told her how Jacob had nearly knocked her head off.

Not only was he violent, but he had spent time in juvie?! She knew James had gotten arrested for assualt hell even her own brother did! But both of them hit other guys and were only sentenced to probabtion.

"What?!" Ashlee exclaimed, "Why is she hanging out with such a psycho!"

***

James watched Evelyn tuck Nova into her bag, and although he couldn't really breathe around her he didn't extacly want her to leave yet.

"Are you sure you're not hungry? We don't have much here but if you want you can take Nova back and feed him and..." James swallowed the dry lump in his throat. "And we could go out and get something small or coffee if you're not like super hungry." James asked her he figured she'd probably reject him again but worth a shot.

Very smooth Darko.

Connor snickered and checked the blond out before shrugging. "She ain't all that." Connor said lowly.

"She's cute," Seth said in an equally low voice, elbowing Connor. "Don't be jealous."

The girl shot Jake an unreadable look. "I'm Carrie. Evelyn's friend. And I just have to say, your Miley Cyrus dance routine made that party." She flashed a half-amused smile.

Seth snorted suddenly and tried to pass it off as a sneeze. "Ouch."

***

Luke shrugged gloomily. "I don't freaking know! I'm worried about her though. You know she's really stubborn. What if....something happens and she doesn't let us know because she's too busy trying to keep her tough-girl image going?"

***


Evelyn gnawed her lip and looked down at Nova who was peeking out at her from her bag. "Oh...."

She turned and glanced back at James, meeting his eyes unwillingly.

God damn it, she hated, absolutely hated, being in this position. She'd been in it way too often during high school. It almost sounded like a....no, he wouldn't do that. She felt her heartbeats picking up in panic.

She ran her free hand through her hair, the other clinging protectively to her bag. "Uh..."

He was just being friendly. God damn it all. Evelyn swallowed and then composed herself. She wanted them to be friends, right? "Okay, sure. Walk with me?"

But friends was as far as she'd let this go. And not BFF like Ashlee and Luke. She could never have that with James.

Jake wasn't too sure what Carrie had been talking about but then it hit him when he remembered the video Lola had sent him and he cringed mentally.

She had been right there really was no coming back from that.

"Uh yeah that, I was really drunk. I know you've probably heard that a million times but thanks. I do tend to do my most memorable performances inebriated." Jake laughed.

***

Ashlee wanted to tell Luke about what Jake had almost done to Evelyn, but she wasn't sure if she should or not.

Ashlee sighed crossing her arms over her chest, "Well he better not be crazy and do anything to her and if something does happen I want Ev to tell us." Ashlee said.

***

James couldn't believe that she had actually agreed to go with him.

He grabbed his sweater before leaving, trying not to seem too eager and he walked out into the hall behind her.

"Okay good to go." James told her and closed the door to his suite.

They both started heading down the hall and James decided to text Luke where he'd be.

Hey dude, gettin somethin to eat w/ Ev bbl

Evelyn headed to the stairs, taking them swiftly. She still felt completely panicky over this. Part of her was sort of regretting it already.

And, truth be told, she felt slightly guilty. Which made zero sense.

Nova yipped in her arms and she shushed him. They reached the fifth floor and Evelyn led the way to her suite, unlocking it quietly and settign Nova down as she headed to the kitchen. She picked up and refilled his bowl. Nova dove in the instant she set it down.

She was actualy supposed to give him to Jake today and tomorrow. She didn't feel like seeing the Spaniard right now though.

Especially not with James in tow. Oh hell. No, it's not like I owe him anything. And this isn't anything either.

She straightened up after scratching Nova's head and then rinsed her hands before grabbign a black umbrella from the stand near the door. Her boots were fine. She told James to hold up a minute and ran to her room to grab a scrunchie, quickling combing back her curled hair into a ponytail so it wouldn't look like a jungle.

She stopped herself from applying lipgloss though. That would be going too far.

She returned with her Nova-free bag and wallet and headed for the door. "Let's go. LEX, watch Nova!" she yelled back before stepping outside. She waited for James to exit before pulling the suite door shut and making for the elevator.

***

Luke and Ashlee had gotten off and headed down the seventh floor hall to Luke's suite when he got the text.

His eyes widened and he showed it to Ashlee. "That's progress, huh?"

When they entered the suite, it was deserted.

***

"It got a lot of views on Youtube," Carrie informed Jake, still grinning. Just then, the elevator finally indicated it was headed downwards. It had been rising to the seventh floor.

"What the??" Ashlee read the text again, if anything she was expecting a picture message of Evelyn having murdered James for making a dirty joke.

"Huh you think you know a person." Ashlee snorted.

***

Of course it would be on Youtube, Lola always put his most defining characteristics online for the world to see. Jacob made a mental note to kill Lola later, but there was no need for him to snap at Carrie.

"What can I say, random strangers on the internet love my drunken antics?" Jake laughed to cover his embarrassment and wrath.

***

James walked in silently for a couple of minutes next to Evelyn.

"So any suggestions?" James asked casually.

Evelyn shrugged. "Anywhere not too far? It's still pretty rainy out there," she said. She punched the call button for the elevator and leaned against the wall. "I wonder where Luke and Ashlee went."

She glanced up at the elevator floor panel indicator and groaned. It was heading downwards to the ground floor.

This would take a while.

***

Luke grinned. "As much as I feel good about thier getting along so well....I'm just hoping this doesn't make it harder for James, you know?"

He took off his wet jacket and went to drape it on the shower curtain railing.

***

The elevator doors finally opened and Carrie stepped past Jake to enter it. Seth followed them with Connor. Carrie hit 7 on the CP and glanced enquiringly at them.

"Five," Seth said. "Thanks." She hit 5 on the CP too and the doors closed; the lift began to move shakily.

"Oh, they're hilarious. My friends loved the live performance," Carrie informed Jake.

Ashlee walked in after Luke and decided to hang her jacket on the shower railing too so it could dry.

"Yeah I know what you mean." Ashlee talked to Luke as she walked over to their couch and plopped herself on it drapping her feet over the arm rest, hardly occupying the cushion.

"I just hope they don't kill each other. I was gonna say I hope they go some place like Chuck E. Cheese where they couldn't get a hold of sharp objects, but knowing Ev she'd probably drown James in the ball pit." Ashlee snickered.

***

James nodded, "Yeah I hear ya, um there's that cafe here on campus if you wanna go there?" James suggested, he didn't want to force her to go if she didn't want to, but seemed logical since it was still raining.

***

Jacob raised an eyebrow and looked at Carrie, then Seth then back to her.

How come he hadn't remembered doing that? He remembered olaying Never Have I Ever (for obvious reasons).

But his Miley Cyrus performance was still a little fuzzy even after Lola sent him the video.

"Damn, how gone was I! I hardly remember it. My best friend she sent the video to me too the next day and I still hardly remember doing it." Jake stated.

"You were pretty fucking smashed, bro," Seth said, glancing impatiently at the floor panel. They were past third floor now.

Carrie flipped her long blond hair over ehr shoulder, leaning back against the wall. "So I'm admittedly confused. What the hell's going on with Evelyn and you?" she asked Jake, curiously. "Evelyn's always kind of weird when anyone asks her."

"Of course," Seth interrupted. "Who'd want to admit they were into this guy?" He jabbed his thumb at Jake.

Carrie laughed a little. "Nah, you're cute," she assured Jake. "And I doubt Evelyn really cares what people think of her most of the time. If she likes someone, she lets them know. If she hates them, she's....vocal about it."

***

Luke frowned. He could see Evelyn doing that. "I hope this works out....the right way."

***

Evelyn studied James for a moment and then groaned loudly, pushing herself off the wall and walking over to him. She reached up and placed both hands on his shoulders, staring him in the eye and tryng to ignore the close contact. "You're officially weirding me out! Where's the smartmouthed jackass I used to know? Since when do you cater to my every whim? Stop being a docile cow, Darkass!" She gave him a slight shake.

"Me too." Ashlee agreed, frowning as well.

***

Although since when did James do anything rational or handle things the right way?

He did for about twenty minutes, all until Evelyn had her hands on his shoulders and all he could see was those pretty green eyes.

James couldn't handle it anymore, he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her into him closing the space between them and kissing her passionately.



Boy did Jake know about that part of her, he smacked Seth's thumb away, and cast Carrie a glance.

"Let's just say this whole situation with me and Evelyn was weird." Jake told her because he honestly couldn't think of a better way.

Just then the elevator dinged and the doors opened, and Jake's jaw dropped.

He looked back at Carrie and said, "I guess we both knew she was very verbal."

Luke sat down near Ashlee and stretched his legs out. "Hey, wanna play Scrabble?" he asked her suddenly. "I brought it along for those horrible long days I foresaw in New York."

***

Evelyn had not been expecting this. She'd kind of been under the impression that James was barely tolerating her and trying to force himself to enjoy her company, hence why he'd asked her for coffee.

So she was simply frozen for one, no, several, long seconds.

But whatever sparks she might have felt before were now drowned out because she was suddenly remembering Jake kissing her in the bathroom. She was simply so shocked right now, she couldn't even feel the guilt for a moment.

She heard the elevator doors ding open and it snapped her out of her frozen state. Then the guilt hit and she shoved James away from her, though not as hard as she'd aimed to.

It didn't feel right at all. This realization stunned her as she met James' blue eyes, feeling her own fill up with tears (yet again!)

And then it just got worse. "I guess we both knew she was very verbal," Jake's familiar, sneering voice said.

Evelyn felt like she'd been kicked in the stomach; she swung around, suddenly finding it hard to breathe, and met his dark eyes just feet away. He, Carrie (what the hell was she doing there?), Seth and Connor were staring at her and James.

Seth's blue eyes were wide but he said nothing. Carrie frowned but otherwise didn't look too dismayed. She wasn't aware of Evelyn's messed up lovelife.

But it wasn't them or Connor whose opinion Evelyn cared about. It was Jake's. And yet, she shouldn't. He'd said it himself, told her to go find another guy, right? Which translated, for her, to him saying, "I don't give a fuck what you do". As much as that had hurt...

"'Sup, James?" Seth asked, breaking the tense air as he flashed James a smile and stepped out of the lift.

Ashlee had dozed off a bit and opened one eye at Luke, "Huh? No thanks." She couldn't help being sleepy on days like this she always liked napping.

***
James opened his eyes after Evelyn had pushed him away, part of him wondered why she did? But the rest of his sanity was screaming at him? Why would did he go two steps back the second he moved an inch forward?

He didn't acknowledge Seth or anyone for that fact. James looked at Evelyn, and just decided to leave. He went to through the stairwell and left the rest there.

Jake watched James take off, he caught James' expression before he left and the guy looked pretty terrible. He didn't blame James though. As for Jake, well he didn't know quite how he felt about this.

Its not like he could be jealous, him and Evelyn were hardly a "real couple" or friends nonetheless. Sure they kissed a few times, and made out in the bathroom, but hey Jake had made out or gone further with other girls.

Jake had no reason to feel jealous or hurt because they weren't in a real relationship and the only thing that linked them was Nova.

Jacob's dark eyes, gazed at her green ones she looked ready to cry. Jake didn't know why, but he stepped forward and stood in front of Evelyn, taking a deep breath he wrapped his arms around her and gave her a hug. He held her next to him for a couple of seconds really unsure of why he did and pulled away.

Jacob pat her on the shoulder and said low enough where she could hear, "Everything will be alright."

Then Jake made his way past Evelyn and walked down the hall.

Seth and Connor had headed silently down the hall, with Jake following them. Seth stuck his hands in his pockets, not realizing Jake had stopped. Carrie had gone up to the seventh floor.

Seth just really hated drama. He wasn't going to say a single thing about this and he shot Connor a look that implied "be silent or we'll never get out of this". He reached his suite, leaving Connor to his, and went inside.

Lucifer bounded over to scold him for forgetting his food again.

Evelyn, meanwhile, was completely bewildered. Not to mention wet. She stared after Jake, having no idea what the hell he'd just said to her.

She kind of wished she'd reacted better to James. She hadn't meant to hurt him. She'd just kind of freaked.

Guilt nipped at her again. I freaking hate this feeling.

"Easy for you to say," she snapped quietly as Jake walked off. She didn't care if he heard. It wasn't fair that he could feel nothing whatsoever. Evelyn rubbed at her wet eyes and turned around to head back to her suite.

Back to negative square one with James then.

Jacob stopped momentarily hearing Evelyn's words, what was easy for him to say everything was alright?

He didn't want to argue with her because he didn't know what to say, and honestly he did care. It bothered him seeing James and Evelyn and it bugged the hell out of him having to pretend his feelings for Evelyn didn't exist.

Jake just cast a quick glance back and kept going, he entered their suite closing the door behind him.

Jake went to his room to change into dry clothes and came back out and sat on the couch and took out his phone to distract himself.

Rosemary headed into the dorm building, humming quietly to herself as she headed for the elevator, having planned to see if Alexis wanted to hang out or something- it got kinda lonely at her apartment and the person she shared with was really creepy... She frowned at this thought and shook it off, heading into the elevator and hit the floor number.

Evelyn had reached her room and was now seated on her bed, her damp hoodie off, glaring unseeingly at her law textbook. She felt so completely frozen up right now, she couldn't even think straight.

To get rid of this mind block, she got up and padded barefoot to Alexis' room, leaning in the slightly-ajar doorway and knocking. Nova squeezed in past her to yank playfully at Alexis' nearest pair of Converse.

"Hey, Lex, what're you up to?" Evelyn asked, pushing open the door a little further so Nova wouldn't be stuck in the gap.

***

Seth spralwed on the couch lazily, not thinking over what he'd just seen, but instead wondering what they could have for dinner.

He glanced up at Jake when he finally walked in. "You have anything specific in mind for dinner?"

***

Luke had left Ashlee asleep to go to hsi room and get a start on his built-up homework. He idly wondered what James would be back.

"Stop." Alexis scolded Nova quickly and pulled her converse away, and put it out of his reach. "Rosemary's coming over to hang, if that's okay."She replied, looking up at Evelyn now.

Evelyn shrugged. It didn't really matter to her either way. She bent and scooped up the rampant puppy, holding him to her so he wouldn't chew out anything else. "So I just saw the three idiots down the hall come back. All soaked to the bone." Nova squirmed in her arms.

"I hope they catch pneumonia and die. Especially Seth." Alexis said bluntly, fixing her top.

Rosemary headed to Evelyn and Alexis' dorm and knocked.

Evelyn stifled a smile at Alexis' blatant hatred for Seth. She felt marginally better. "I have to get even with Connor before he dies though," she said seriously. "That turd's annoyed me too much to get away this easily."

She glanced over her shoulder as a knock sounded. "Hang on."

She headed down the hall wiht Nova in her arms and pulled open the door. Nova barked madly and Evelyn shushed him.

SHe glanced up. "Oh, hey, Rose. C'mon in."

She stood aside to let her in. "Lex, Rose is here!" she called, shutting the door behind her.

Alexis got up and headed out to them. "Hey Rose."She smiled.

Rose smiled at htem both. "Hey Lex, Ev."She said, putting her bag down after stepping in and shutting the door behind her.

"Oh and Evelyn, you probably won't get a way to get back at Connor, hardly anything bothers him." Alexis said, leaning against the wall.

"Not true." Rose interjected quickly. "I have plenty of stuff against him."

Evelyn, who had turned to head for her room, stoped and went as alert as a bloodhound on a hunt. She spun back around, eyes widening. "Say what now?" A smile begna to grow at the corners of her mouth. "You do?"

Rosemary grinned and nodded, before starting to name off down the list. "His middle name is Ashley, he used to play Barbie Dolls with me and Lex, only it wasn't Ken, he used to play tea party and dress up with us, he'd SCREAM for his momma if she left a room without him when he was little. He has a soft spot for any animals, obviously. He probably cried when Frankie left- drunk or not. I dumped him, not the other way around and he had asked ME out. The girl who took his virginity is now missing like three teeth and has four children."

Evelyn mentally noted this down and went over it again, turning to lean against the wall. "Oh?"

Already, her saner mind was telling her, You don't want to do what you're thinking about doing. Connor would kill you. He already hates you enough!

Evelyn dismissed caution to the winds and said, "What else?" hoping she didn't come off too eager.