Fall Semester

The heated air of the late summer Friday night had a bead of sweat rolling down her neck as she bobbed her head to the booming bass in the distance. She dabs at the perspiration with the back of her hand before glancing up to scan the crowded street. Not finding anyone familiar, she sighs.

"Dammit, Dez...." Alana mumbles as she pulled her phone from her back pocket. She leaned against the hood of her car, texting frantically as groups of inebriated students strolled by her.

One of them cuts his eyes towards her, scanning her curves appreciatively as he passed. The glint in his eye makes her frown at him and lift her arm to cross over her exposed tummy beneath her tube top.

Not that she was shy or self-conscious.

That guy was just gross.

She scoffs as he turned away and continued with his friends to cross the street, heading in the same direction as many others.

The lawn of the frat house was swarmed with people standing around with drinks in their hands. Many of them laughed and horsed around drunkenly while others danced amongst their little circles, recording each other and taking pictures.

The music from inside could not only be heard but felt across the street where Alana was parked. The warm night air swirled with untamed energy and it made her heart thump with excitement and anxiety.

She normally wouldn't be going to a party like this, let alone on her own. She'd at least pull up with a friend or two. But tonight she was told that someone would be meeting her there. A certain someone who up until 64 minutes ago was actively texting her back.

The blue bubble encompassing her text remains marked as 'delivered' and she stared hopefully at the screen as it suddenly switched to 'read'. Her heart fluttered involuntarily as the ellipses chat bubble pops up and idles on the screen.

Then it goes away.

Son of a bitch.

Her brow creases and she lets out a huff of frustration before abandoning that message thread to open another, quickly typing a text to someone more likely to respond.

She expected nothing less from her suitemate. Most that knew of Alana and Desmond Wilde's history shared the same sentiments.

Dez was bae though.

He was her first in MANY things and they'd known each other most of their lives. Being from the same neighborhood, Dez and Alana saw each other through many phases of life. From puberty to graduation, infatuation to love, conflicts, and breakups.

Many...many...MANY breakups. And yet...here they were 7 years later and still rocking.

So it seemed.

Alana reopens Dez's messages and begins typing a very explicit and threatening message when she catches movement in her peripheral.

"Damn you fine.." an exaggeratedly deep voice speaks to her.

She hears him before she sees him and just before sending her text, a honey tanned hand reaches out to flick her arm playfully and Alana's neck snaps up to look this audaciously touchy stranger in the face before cussing him out. 

He was taller than she was but not by too much, just enough for his warm brown eyes to have to drop to match hers. His feather blonde hair laid over his forehead in soft curls that billowed out over his boyish face and his plump lips spread in a smile that instantly puts Alana at ease.

She sighs before rolling her eyes.

"Jimin....boy...Don't you ever walk up on me like that.." she punches him in the ribs softly and Jimin laughs at her expression.

"Girl what the hell you doing out here by yourself.." he says through a chuckle, flashing his perfect smile again. Alana does a quick scan of Jimin's attire, a white tank accented by a thin silver chain beneath a colorful flannel that hung off from one of his shoulders. Jimin tucks a hand in the front pocket of his distressed jeans and leans against the window of Alana's car.

"About to whoop your ass, is what. Don't do me like that." she wrinkles her nose cutely, rolling her eyes, and Jimin can't help but laugh again.

"You weren't gonna do shit, Lil spooky ass..." he grins as he shakes his curly bangs from his eyes. Alana scoffs as he moved to hip bump her, making her scoot over and make room for him on the hood of her car. He folds his arms over his chest and leans against her.

"But naw foreal...why are you out here? " he asks again, squinting at her phone screen. Alana quickly taps the side button, locking her phone and stashing it in the back pocket of her jeans.

"Getting stood up apparently..." she mumbles. Jimin's brows shoot up.

"By who?" he exclaims, his dramatic tone making Alana grunt humorously and shake her head.

"Doesn't matter...I shouldn't have expected much from him after this long..." she sighs somberly, folding her arms over her chest. Jimin pulls his bottom lip between his teeth and regarded her with empathy. He shifts his position on the hood, turning his body to face Alana. His curly hair hangs from his crown as he tilted his head, beckoning her to look over at him with those smoldering eyes.

"You want some advice?" he asks after a beat as Alana looks over.

Park motherfucking Jimin.

The third-year dance major with a wicked sense of style and flirty disposition. Popular amongst pretty much everyone since it was damn near impossible to resist the urge to stare at him. He had zero issues with getting people to like him. But he and Alana met at freshman orientation last year, where he led the tour of the fine arts building. He was so charismatic and enthusiastic about telling his group about his major and all of the different programs available to join. Not that anyone was really listening though.

Jimin was fine. Very fine.

Alana flutters her lashes a few times, lessening the heat of his sparkling gaze.

"Sure...I think?" she responds cautiously.

"Only busters flake. Stop fucking with busters. You too fine for that. Ok?" he says sharply with a less than friendly expression. Something Jimin was also known for. His duality. The ability to go from cute to sexy or casual to serious in seconds.

Jimin lifts a brow expectantly, waiting for Alana to respond.

"Can you not do that?" she exhales with a short laugh and Jimin frowns. He leans back up, straightening his posture.

"Do what?"

"Say something semi- profound while looking like you want to eat me simultaneously.." she responds. Jimins hard expression switches and his wide eyes nearly disappear as he laughed.

"Was that an offer Lana?" he chuckles. It tapers off smoothly as he bit his lip, scanning the girl beside him slyly. But knowing he was playing, Alana gives him a playful shove on the shoulder.

"Shut up. Anyway...who you here with?" she effectively changes the subject, not wanting to indulge Jimin or his flirty shenanigans. Not that the idea of entertaining a specimen like him wouldn't be worth her while.

She was already involved. Kinda.

Jimin barely reacts to her gentle rejection as he answered.

"Crew....they're inside though. I just came out here for my lighter." he tilts his head towards the house overflowing with people. He lifts his hand to flash the neon green BIC lighter stashed in his palm.

"Where YOU should be instead of standing out here looking all sad and raggedy.." he adds with a gentle nudge in her side, making her giggle.

"Raggedy? So now I'm raggedy..but you're the one just staring at my..." Alana pauses at the discovery of Jimin eyeballing her again. His gaze hovered over her cleavage distractedly. She shoves his shoulder again and Jimin acts as if he was just pulled from a deep state of hypnosis.

"Huh? Say what?" he blinks dramatically for a few seconds until Alana's laugh has him smiling again.

"You're so nasty dude..." she giggles and Jimin just shrugs with a bashful smile.

"Mmmhmm, what else is new. " Jimin hums in agreement as he pushed himself off of the car and turns to Alana with another sly smile, offering his hand to her.

"C'mon girl..." Jimin tuts his head back towards the house again, tugging Alana away from her car with very little effort, making her stand and stagger forward.

As if she could resist that face anyway.