Raise Love-4-Sexy Ryderoo
Aria awoke to the dimness of evening.
Her dreams had been chaotic, leaving her in a bit of a sour mood.
The dorm was silent; she rubbed her eyes, propped herself up, and looked around. It seemed everyone else had gone out, leaving her alone. Her phone rang persistently in the desolate emptiness of the room.
She sluggishly felt for her phone, glanced at the caller ID, and snuggled back into her blanket.
"Hmm?" Her voice carried a hint of the huskiness and softness that came with just waking up.
"Airy, how's the packing going? Are you settling in alright? Any issues you can't handle on your own? Are your roommates easy to get along with?"
"No, I'm good. Are you done with your work?" Aria asked in a low voice.
Maya Brooks let out a long sigh, her voice filled with relief: "I was planning to take you around the school when I had time, but I've only just now found a moment to return to the dorm to take a shower. I'm exhausted, and it's so frustrating!"
Aria hugged her blanket and rolled over, unable to hold back a soft chuckle, her tone intimate and relaxed in a way she reserved for no one else: "Everything's good. I just woke up, and my roommates must have gone out for a stroll."
Maya Brooks had been Aria's classmate and best friend from junior high through high school, and their relationship had always been close, though they hadn't seen each other for nearly a year due to Aria's decision to repeat a year. However, they had stayed in touch on Facebook and Instagram, Maya being the only friend Aria had kept in contact with throughout the year.
Maya Brooks was also part of the student council and had been assigned to reception duty today, specifically responsible for guiding new students through registration. She complained to Aria over the phone about the bizarre incidents she encountered throughout the day.
Aria listened with restrained laughter, and after about ten minutes, she finally stopped, seemingly satisfied.
The topic shifted abruptly.
Maya Brooks asked, "Airy, we have a student council gathering tonight. Ryder and Finn Alvarez will both be there. Do you want to come?"
Aria's smile froze for a moment: "…Hmm?"
In high school, Aria had little interaction with Ryder, but she could have a few words with Finn Alvarez; they were in the same class during their senior year, at least on speaking terms.
Ryder had always been in the experimental class, always at the top.
He was the student representative standing on the podium in a white shirt, giving speeches.
He was the unreachable yet coveted dream of every girl's youth, a dream they wished to embrace.
A star in the sky, a moon in the water.
Aria used to be playful, with her grades never quite impressive, yet her friends were all genuine scholars. She was the quintessential underachiever with a passion, somehow mixing with people without a care, and in the end, while everyone else got into good schools, she was the one left behind.
But it was alright.
Efforts are never in vain; this saying never deceives.
"Oh, come on, I haven't seen you in ages. Ignore them, just come and keep me company, okay?"
Maya Brooks' coquetry was irresistible.
Aria pursed her lips, the girl on the phone still pleading softly, and her heart stirred, guided by certain little thoughts, and she agreed in a low voice.
"Okay."
"That's settled then! Get ready and I'll wait for you downstairs at seven-thirty!" There was a pause, followed by an excited cheer.
Aria looked at the call ended screen and slowly opened Instagram.
There were unread messages in the dorm group chat, from half an hour ago.
[Sophie: Ri-Ri, we're going out for a walk. Saw you were asleep, so we didn't call you. Do you need us to bring you dinner? Reply when you wake up.]
[Sophie: @Aria Winslow]
There were a few other casual messages, and Aria hesitated for a moment before replying.
[Aria Winslow: No, thanks, I have plans for tonight.]
Aria first went to the bathroom to freshen up, then pulled out the suitcase from under her bed that she hadn't had the time to properly unpack. The cosmetics in her makeup bag were all packed by her aunt before she left, and everything was very complete.
She hadn't touched these things for nearly a year, and her hands were a bit rusty. After thinking for a moment, she only applied a light makeup, and her lipstick was a peach pink, lightly pressing her lips, full of a youthful girlish vibe.
She changed into a white blouse and short skirt that wouldn't be out of place for such an occasion, and looking at her delicate, fair reflection in the mirror, she curved her lips.
Thinking about seeing him tonight made her a little happy.
When she went downstairs before the appointed time, Maya Brooks was already waiting downstairs. Her eyes lit up when she saw Aria, and she gave her a warm hug.
"Ugh, baby, I've missed you so much!"
Aria was hugged tightly, and the sense of panic from being in an unfamiliar environment dissipated instantly, grounding her and allowing her to fully relax.
Maya Brooks released her, not shy about pinching her soft, fair cheek: "Honestly, did you miss me?"
Aria curved her eyes, smiling softly, "Yes, I've missed you so much."
"That's more like it." Maya Brooks nodded with satisfaction, quickly ruffling her hair, "You're getting prettier after a year apart."
Aria caught her hand, smiling but saying nothing.
Maya Brooks took the opportunity to rub her head a couple more times.
Aria had a pure look; when she didn't smile, her aura was cold, giving off an unapproachable vibe. In Maya Brooks' eyes, she was just a sweet girl.
Well-behaved, not resisting when being teased.
Familiarity would reveal a bit of mischief.
The gathering was set in the bustling heart of Cambridge, Massachusetts. By the time they arrived, the sky was completely dark, with colorful night lights twinkling, creating a sense of lively, intoxicating luxury.
There were many people in the private room, gathered around the coffee table playing games.
Aria discreetly surveyed the room, pausing briefly when her gaze fell on a figure in the corner of the sofa, then nonchalantly looked away.
In the dim corner of the room, shadows fell, the boy's fingertips a speck of crimson, his glass nearly empty, with only a shallow layer left. He lowered his head, his dark, dense eyelashes lowered, his gaze fixed on his phone, seemingly oblivious to the noise around him.
The girl beside him turned her face, giggling as she spoke to him.
He lifted his glass and drained the remainder in one go, his Adam's apple moving up and down with each swallow, casual and languid, with a deadly sex appeal.
Finn Alvarez was the first to notice the movement at the door.
His gaze swept over Maya Brooks and settled on Aria, smiling, "Hey, I was wondering where our princess Lin had gone, turns out she was off kidnapping someone."
Aria nodded at him, her lips curling into a smile as a greeting.
"Finn, who is this beautiful lady?"
"Tsk, haven't seen such a pure young lady in a long time. Finn knows her? Hey... Introduce her to everyone, will you?"
"Don't cause trouble, I won't cover for you if you get hit."
Finn Alvarez glanced at them with a scattered look, flicking his cigarette ash with a smirk, and the joking group closed their mouths, turning back to their own games.
"You old timers, behave yourselves and don't get any ideas about my people," Maya Brooks said with a smile, leading Aria towards a secluded spot.
By a strange coincidence, it was right across from Ryder.
The boy's long legs had nowhere to rest and stretched out casually, occupying the empty space across from him without feeling anything wrong.
Aria thus lowered her eyes to look at him.
He had monolids, with eyelashes long like little brushes.
She once went to the experimental class to find Maya Brooks after school and happened to see him just waking up, his impatient expression a bit dazed. Aria noticed that his monolids turned into a small inner double.
When he suddenly turned to look at her, it made her heart skip a beat, and she had to hastily avert her gaze. She didn't dare to look at him directly, as if being looked at by those lazy, sharp eyes would expose all her little thoughts.
Secret love can turn a person into a coward.
Maya Brooks came over with two glasses of fruit wine, seeing Aria standing still, glanced at Lila Torres who wished to cling to Ryder, let out a cold laugh, and kicked him.
"Didn't you see someone coming?"