When Ginny finally made it back to her dorm, all she wanted was to sink into bed and let the world fall away.
Everything felt heavy—her bag, her limbs, her very thoughts.
The familiar clutter of their small room was comforting and, somehow, a glaring reminder of all she'd left undone. The desk was buried beneath a jumble of textbooks, hers and her roommate's, Evie Patel, and their shared bulletin board was peppered with sticky notes: reminders in Ginny's scrawled handwriting and little sketches Evie had doodled in idle moments.
Evie was already there, cross-legged on her bed with a highlighter in one hand, her thick black hair spilling messily over her shoulders. She looked up as Ginny stumbled in, her gaze flicking with concern and curiosity.
"You wanna talk about it?" Evie asked with a sly smile, marking her place in the book. "I'm guessing the presentation didn't exactly spark joy."
Ginny dropped her bag by the door and collapsed onto her bed, staring at the ceiling. "If by 'didn't go well,' you mean completely imploded, then yeah. It went just fine."
Evie tilted her head, studying Ginny with that sharp, perceptive gaze that always seemed to peel back layers, one by one.
"Honestly, Ginny, you're too hard on yourself. Half the class probably didn't even understand what you were talking about."
"Yeah, well, neither did I," Ginny muttered, embarrassment prickling under her skin. "And to top it off, now I have Lucy Bellinger trailing me, trying to drag me into some 'big case' she's working on. Apparently, she thinks she can help with my project. Doesn't that sound a little… weird?"
Evie's brow rose, interest sparking in her eyes. "Wait. Lucy Bellinger? The one who thinks she's Woodward and Bernstein rolled into one?"
Ginny laughed despite herself.
"Yeah, that's the one. She's determined; I'll give her that much."
Evie went quiet, thoughtful, before she spoke again.
"Maybe it's not such a bad thing," she murmured, folding her arms. "Maybe she sees something in you that you're missing."
Ginny blinked, surprised. "What do you mean?"
"Your problem isn't the project itself, Ginny. It's your connection to it. You don't actually… love it."
Ginny's lips parted, the words catching her off guard.
"It's a solid project—technically."
"Yes, technically," Evie agreed, tilting her head. "But there's a saying. People can love something to the point of invention. They can love an idea so much that they build it into something that transcends the bare minimum, something that has a life of its own. But you? You don't love this. You're just… doing it."
Ginny sighed... she's not wrong.
Evie watched her closely, then a sly grin spread across her face as she hopped off her bed, opening their cramped closet.
"You need a distraction," she said, rummaging through the clothes crammed onto hangers. "Something to clear your head."
"Uh, what?"
Before Ginny could make sense of it, a dress came flying through the air, landing squarely across her face. She pulled it off, holding the soft fabric up, staring in bewilderment.
"Out. We're going out," Evie said with a decisive nod, eyes sparkling. "There's a party at one of the sororities, and it'll be perfect. You can forget about class, projects, everything—for one night, just exist. Breathe."
Ginny eyed the dress, a simple navy blue with thin straps and a flowing skirt that brushed just above the knee. Definitely a step up from her usual jeans and sweaters.
She glanced over at Evie, who looked back with a raised brow, as if daring her to argue.
"Come on, Ginny." Evie crossed her arms, grinning. "One night out. I swear, if you hate it, I'll let you bail after an hour."
A part of her wanted to say no.
But another part, the part that was tired of living on autopilot, whispered yes.
Ginny sighed, holding the dress up against her shoulders.
"Fine. One hour. Then I'm out."
Evie clapped, triumphant.
"Deal. Now get changed, and I'll handle your makeup."
With a faint smile, Ginny slipped into the dress, feeling the soft fabric drape over her shoulders. Evie handed her a pair of earrings—delicate silver drops that caught the light just right—and then, after a few careful dabs of makeup, stepped back to admire her work.
"Sometimes," Evie murmured, perfecting Ginny's eyeliner with a steady hand, "It's good to look in the mirror and see someone new."
When they finally headed out, the night air was cool and hazy, brushing against their skin. Evie walked beside her, practically bouncing with excitement, her voice a rapid stream of energy.
"Okay, so we got a few new transfers in my quantum mechanics class," she was saying, "And I'm telling you, Ginny, these guys are geniuses. One of them solved this theorem in five minutes flat. Five minutes! I mean, the professor's jaw hit the floor."
"Only you, Evie, would be thrilled about that. I'd probably start avoiding them out of pure spite."
Evie grinned, nudging her playfully. "Don't pretend you're not a genius, too. It's all different flavors of brilliance."
"Right," Ginny said, shaking her head. "Like crime rate prediction systems are the new frontier of academic rockstardom."
Evie laughed, nudging her, "Hey, we all have our calling. Mine's definitely theoretical science, but yours… yours could be anything if you'd let it."
The music pulsed from inside the sorority house, the beat vibrating through the ground beneath their feet. Strings of lights glowed across the lawn, casting a warm, inviting light over the crowd gathered outside.
Evie grabbed Ginny's hand, pulling her in without a second thought.
"Come on," Evie said, flashing Ginny an excited smile. "Let's get you socializing."
They wove through the clusters of people, and almost immediately, Evie began introducing her around. Ginny smiled politely, already feeling a bit out of place. She recognized some faces from campus, people who seemed vaguely familiar.
Then, as always, the questions started.
"Hey, Ginny!" one guy called, raising his cup in a half-toast. "Where are the twins tonight? Don't tell me they're missing the party of the semester?"
Ginny gave a polite shrug, suppressing a sigh. "They had other plans."
Evie caught her expression and pressed a drink into her hand, giving her arm a quick squeeze.
"Forget about them," she said with a gentle smile. "Tonight's about you."
Ginny took a sip, tasting something fruity and fizzy. It wasn't particularly strong, but it did loosen her nerves a bit. She knew Evie would be another story, though, so she kept a careful eye on her friend, noting how her drink was already almost gone as she chat with a few friends, her usual high energy magnetic, drawing people in.
Then, to Ginny's surprise, Evie turned back and grabbed her hand again.
"Dance with me!"
Evie laughed, tugging her onto the makeshift dance floor where students were swaying to the beat. The music thumped around them, drowning out all other sounds, the bass pounding in her chest.
Evie lifted her arms, moving to the rhythm with a carefree grace, and Ginny found herself smiling, letting go for a moment as they danced. It felt like shaking off the weight of the day, the tension melting away as she lost herself in the music.
Then she felt it—someone close behind her.
A warm hand slipped around her waist, pulling her back into a solid chest. Her breath caught, and she twisted around, her heart skipping as she looked up.
A tall guy stood behind her, dark hair framing his face and a small, confident smirk on his lips. His eyes held a playful gleam, like he'd known she'd be surprised.
Ginny didn't recognize him.
She glanced at Evie, eyebrows raised in question, but Evie only winked, a mischievous smile playing on her lips.
"You need a distraction, Ginny. This is your night."
Then, with a laugh, Evie stepped back, leaving Ginny alone with the stranger on the crowded dance floor.