Erin
Levi was swaying, clearly tipsy. Her waist twisted gracefully at the loud thumping music, but even when she was drunk, her steps were lithe, her eyes were still focused, but red rimmed.
"Bro, why're you not drinking?" Lucas asked, slapping my back. His gaze drifted to where mine was drawn to, and a knowing smirk was spreading all over his face:
"I see…"
Muttering something like "never mind," I looked as Levi looked up to me, a small smile playing on her lips. Everything around me drowned into murky hues, I could only see her gliding forward. To me.
"Wanna dance?" She said, her voice breathy. I nodded, as if in a trance.
The music started.
I spun her away, then pulled her back toward me. We were an almost perfect dancing team, I realized with surprise. We could predict each other's movements, glide with each other's bodies. Somehow Levi could tell which way I would step by the cadence of my breath and I could hers by the tightening of her fingers around mine.
"Not bad. I never knew-"her melodic voice lilted, her words half slurred. My gaze dropped to her lips, oh- Erin Laurent, Are you drunk too?
I swallowed. "Never knew what?"
"Nothing," She said, looking like a toddler caught red handed from stealing cookies from the cookie jar.
I couldn't help but tuck a lose strand behind her ear. A lovely flush coloured her cheeks.
Levi's dark waves of hair were wildly tousled; when she drew me near her, I could smell the faint rosewater spice of her perfume.
The song ended. Levi laid intoxicatingly pillant in my arms, her chest rising and falling rapidly.
Just then, my phone vibrated:
—
Dad:
I'm waiting.
—
Heaving a sigh, I pocketed back my phone.
"Can we dance again?" She asked suddenly.
My lips brushed her neck. She stiffened, before relaxing again. "You need rest, Lev." I whispered, clinging to this moment. A moment where I can be a normal boy.
"Goodnight Levi." Her eyes fluttered open.
"Night Erin," She said, and now I look at her again, half shadowed, she looked familiar. A memory surfaced in my mind. I tried to grasp it, but it flitted away.
"I'll take you back to the dorms," I said, now shrugging off my coat and wrapping it around her.
—-
Levi pov
I woke up with a headache threatening to split my skull into half. I looked around, and the familiar wall greeted me. At least I didn't wake up in an unknown bed.
That dream was-
"Care to explain what on Earth were you thinking?" Lynn screamed, banging the door open. Her already high pitched voice amplified in my mind, and I had to screw my eyes shut, waiting for the vigorous vibration in my head to go away.
"Well? Did you turn deaf too?" She asked pointedly. "The hazards of drinking..." she trailed off when she saw me looking alarmed.
"I-I," I said, then cutting off sharply as the events of yesterday tumbled down in my mind. She gave me an exasperated look that said what?
"Dancing with Erin wasn't a dream?!" I screamed ten times louder.
"Ladies and gentleman," she boomed dramatically, "She finally caught up,"
"What!" I shrieked again. I was started to develop the same habit as Lynn.
"I nearly kissed my best friend's murderer?!" I hollered.
"Thank you for staring the obvious, Levvers," Lynn said, her voice dripping with heavy sarcasm. "But then, I have good news. Your foolishness paid off,"
"Pray tell," I said dryly.
"So apparently he liked you enough to dance with you, I've heard he turns down almost every girl." She paused, as though waiting for a dramatic effect.
"I'm listening,"
Obviously satisfied with my response, she said:
"Then that means you have successfully gained his trust without doing anything. Congratulations. Which leads you to the next level: be friends with him, make conversation with him, and see what top secret he leaks out,"
I made a mock salute motion.
And there goes the legendary Profound Art of Male Species 1.0 by Levi Hart. Cue the dramatic music.
—-
I winced as peals of laughter echoed in the classroom.
"Hangover?" Erin asked, setting his bag down.
I smiled wryly, "It's getting better now, though this morning was a total mess." Pausing for a bit, I added, "Thank you for taking me back by the way."
"No worries," he moved his arm gingerly, flinching ever so fleetingly as he did so.
"Bad fall? I'd guess it's not a bruise though, judging from your movement. More like a wound." I said. He looked mildly surprised.
"You're quite the observant one," he mused, "I fell from a tree, that's why."
He took a sideway glance at me, then poked my nose.
I squealed, batting his hands away. He chuckled, and poked it multiple times.
I jutted out my lips, puffing up my cheeks. "Must. Protect. Nose!"
"D'aww. Aren't you cuuuute," he dragged the 'cute' longer, and I blushed.
"Nooooo!" I screeched.
"May I ask is happening at the back?" The teacher asked, eyeing us warily.
We fell into fits of giggles.
——
I zipped over to the stairs, deciding to visit Erin before I crashed into two figures. I looked up.
"Slow down, Usain Bolt," Emma said, giggling.
"Where are you headed?" Izzy asked.
"Uh... a friend's dorm."
The two shot each other a dubious look.
"At the boys' level, huh?" Emma remarked, raising her eyebrows.
I flushed without needing to pretend.
"Busted..." Izzy whispered, grinning like a maniac.
"C'mon, let's go to our dorm," Izzy suggested, taking hold of Emma's hand. "Drag Levvers with us as well, I have a few questions to ask her."
"How did the Meet Fest go?" Emma asked.
"Well...a brown haired guy danced with me...and then dumped me halfway..."
"What?" Emma exploded, rising from her sprawl on Izzy's mattress. "Who was it?"
"Uh..." I mumbled, unwilling to disclose Kieran's identity. "I... think it might've been....Alaric." Alaric was one of the brown haired guys on my level.
I had bluffed. I immediately felt a rush of remorse.
"That little..." Izzy growled, jumping up from her bed.
I watched as Emma dragged Izzy with her down to the boys' level, assumingly to murder a certain Alaric. I followed, curious to see how it might turn out.
***
"Hello, this is the DIMWIT EXTERMINATION COMPANY," Izzy hollered, kicking open the door.
I was surprised the hinges didn't give way.
"WHAT ARE YOU-" Alaric bawled, wrapped in a mountain of thick blankets.
I stifled my snickers.