Rose's POV:
Were we late or something?
With the way everything was set up—the lights glowing warmly, the tables overflowing with pizzas, chips, dips, and a massive bowl of fruit punch (which, let's be real, never just contains fruit punch)—it definitely looked like a party had been in full swing here.
But something was off.
The place was a wreck, like a stampede had torn through, leaving a battlefield of red plastic cups and discarded napkins in its wake.
There were clear signs that a party had happened, but the strangest thing was… no people.
Where the hell was everybody?
A chill crawled up my spine. I didn't know what was going on, but something about this entire scene felt eerie.
The energy, the lingering buzz of movement—it was like walking into an abandoned carnival, where laughter had been sucked out of the air, leaving only the ghosts of sound behind.
The logical side of me screamed to leave, to turn around and walk right back out the door, but against my better judgment, my feet moved forward.
I wasn't about to go snooping around someone else's house like a total creep, but maybe just a quick peek to see if—
A large archway entrance to the right caught my eye.
It led to a spacious open room, but unlike the rest of the house, it was cloaked in complete darkness.
Everything in me said, bad idea, bad idea, bad idea—and yet, like the comical character in a horror movie who makes the worst possible decision, I walked in.
The second I stepped across the threshold, a blinding light exploded around me.
I flinched, my heart slamming into my ribs, my hands flying up to shield my eyes. My pulse pounded as I struggled to adjust to the sudden brightness.
Beyond the illuminated circle where I stood, everything else remained hidden in the shadows, the contrast making it impossible to see further into the room.
I was just about to call out—because, seriously, what the hell?—when a deafening chorus of voices erupted from all around me.
"WELCOME!!"
The lights switched on completely, revealing what had to be at least half the student body crammed into the space.
Noise filled every inch of the air—cheers, laughter, drunken shouts—and in the middle of it all, standing in front of a crowd of partygoers, was Leo, holding a microphone with that damn charming grin plastered on his face.
My stomach did a little somersault.
I didn't even realize I was holding my breath until he locked eyes with me. His expression was warm, almost electric, and the moment stretched longer than it should have.
"Welcome to our dear old town, and welcome to Lake Erie College's first homecoming party!" His voice boomed through the speakers, sending another round of cheers through the room.
And then, as if on cue, the music exploded through the massive speakers, shaking the walls and making the floors vibrate beneath my feet.
I barely registered the people around me, too caught up in the strange undercurrent I had felt ever since stepping inside.
If Leo hadn't been in my direct line of sight, pinning me with that confident gaze, I might have actually looked around and tried to figure out what was bothering me so much.