"Hailey? Hello?" I snapped out of my thoughts. "Are you gonna help me finish or not?" asked my annoying brother holding a box in his hands.

"Yeah yeah" I rolled my eyes sighing a little. 

Today is the day were moving in with our friends. We rented this super cute cabin near college since school starts next week. I had taken most of my clothes out of my closet and was busy packing then into my suitcase. As excited as I was, I couldn't shake the anxiety about leaving my parents, my childhood bedroom, and stepping out of my comfort zone. I was almost done gathering my stuff when loud noises from downstairs pulled my attention away for a moment.

"James! how have you been?" Oh, great. My brothers best friend just arrived.

 He is... hell, how do I put this? Annoying but more than that. He's cocky, arrogant, selfish and snob. I don't like anything about him. I heard him chatting with my parents for a bit before he came upstairs heading to my brothers room.

"Whats up bro?" 

"Came to see where you guys are at. Everyone's been waiting for you." I heard him say. 

Just hearing his voice got on my nerves. And to think, I'm about to move in with him. Having to see his stupid face every day... fantastic. I sighed, closing my suitecase and finishing up by packing the last few things into boxes. That's when I heard footsteps coming my way.

"Hey, princess," he said.

 I looked up and saw James leaning on the doorframe, arms crossed, wearing that smug smirk I despised.

"I told you to stop calling me that," I said, rolling my eyes as I closed the last box. I walked past him, ignoring his chuckle, but the box turned out to be heavier than I expected. 

"Liam?" I called out for my brother, struggling not to drop it. No response. Suddenly, I felt a hand on my shoulder, making me jump slightly and almost lose my grip. Before I could react, James stepped in and grabbed the box from underneath, freeing my arms. I couldn't decide if I was more annoyed or offended. Did he really think I couldn't handle it? Still... I let it go

"I'll take it down. Is that the last of it?" He asked.

I nodded. "Yea all done." 

I followed him downstairs, where I hugged my parents goodbye. Liam did the same, and soon we were piling into the car. I slid into the backseat next to my best friend, Amber, while the guys took the front seats, with James behind the wheel.

"Heyyy" Amber hugged me thightly. "Are you ready for the beginning of the rest of your life?" She asked excitedly.

"Geez someones exited." I laughed rolling my eyes playfully.

For a moment, I spaced out. Starting college soon, it's one of the many things making me anxious. I'll be studying psychology. I want to become a psychologist to help people help themselves.

Amber's a bit like me. She's planning to be a social worker, helping people with addictions get back on track. She's honestly the sweetest person I know. Amber's the glue that holds everyone together, always there to lend a hand or brighten someone's day. She's constantly smiling, and, now that I think about it, I don't think I've ever seen her angry, like, ever.

"Yeah, I mean duh! We get to live together, no parents, no rules,"  she giggled.

"We're still going to establish some ground rules, Amber" Liam said, turning to glance at us with a smile.

"Aww, come on, babe," Amber pouted playfully.

Amber and my brother have been dating for three years now, and honestly, I'm really happy for them. They're adorable together.

I laughed at their little exchange, but as I glanced toward the front, I caught James watching me through the rearview mirror. His expression was unreadable, as always you can never tell what's going on in his head or what he's planning to do next.

Feeling a bit uneasy, I quickly looked away, pretending nothing had happened.

We finally arrived, spotting Emma, my other best friend and her boyfriend, Dylan, waiting impatiently on the front steps. The cabin was stunning, it had a rustic charm that I immediately fell in love with. Emma ran over, wrapping Amber and me in a tight hug while the guys popped open the trunk to unload our stuff.

"Oh my god you guys! I can't believe it! We're all gonna be living together!" Emma squealed as we followed the guys inside. The interior was even better than I imagined. Rustic yet cozy, it felt like something out of a magazine.

"Wow," I muttered.

Before I could fully enjoy the moment, Liam came over and gently pulled me aside, away from the others.

"Okay, so... one thing I forgot to mention," Liam started, scratching the back of his neck.

I frowned, crossing my arms. "What is it?"

"There are only three bedrooms."

"Yeah, so?"

"And... I'd like to share a room with my girlfriend," he added, giving me a pointed look.

"That's great for you guys, finally sharing a room for real." I smiled. "But you had to pull me away from the others just to tell me this?"

"Hailey, think," he said, looking at me seriously.

"Uhhh... you're sharing a room with Amber?" I guessed, still not getting where he was going.

"Yes, and Emma and Dylan probably want to sleep together too," Liam said.

I nodded slowly, then froze as the realization hit me. "Wait... so I'm sleeping with James?!" I accidentally yelled.

Why didn't we figure this out earlier? like before moving in? Liam sighed, shaking his head as he walked back to the others, who were now staring at us.

"Why didn't you defend me? You're becoming a lawyer!" I called after him.

He just chuckled, clearly unfazed. To be fair, he really is going to be a lawyer someday. He's studying hard, and Dad couldn't be prouder. But still, he could've said something. 

"Why the hell didn't you tell me? There's no way I'm sharing a bed with him," I huffed, crossing my arms as I followed him. From the corner of my eye, I saw James smirking at me from across the room. Of course, he heard every word.

"Relax. We thought about it, there are two beds," Liam said. "And I didn't tell you because I knew you'd freak out and wouldn't have come."

I rolled my eyes, letting out a sigh. He's not wrong... at least we're not sharing a bed. Just then, James walked over towards me, leaning down on my shoulder.

"Don't worry, princess. We're going to have a lot of fun," he said with a grin before laughing and walking away.

I rolled my eyes again, holding back a groan.

"I'm sorry we didn't tell you," Amber said, walking up to me with an apologetic look.

"Told you she'd be mad," Emma chimed in, shrugging. 

"It's okay, I guess," I mumbled, shrugging as I made my way to what would now be my bedroom.

The room was cute and spacious, with a bed on each side. I walked in and claimed the one next to the window, dropping my stuff beside it before sitting down.

This is going to be a long year...

James walked in a moment later, flopping onto his bed with an exaggerated whine. The noise drew my attention, and I glanced at him briefly.

James... I still can't believe he's going to be a neurosurgeon one day. Sure, he's super smart and, okay, not bad-looking.. but he's such a handful. Cocky, snobbish, and constantly surrounded by girls. He better not start bringing them back here.

-

Everyone had started unpacking, settling into their spaces and organizing their things. I just finished setting up my part of the room. My fluffy pillow and blanket were in place, my clothes were neatly put away in the drawers, and everything was exactly where it was supposed to be. I glanced over at James's side of the room. Geez. We just moved in, and his space was already a mess. With a sigh, I decided to leave it alone and headed into the living room to join the others.

"SHOOTER!" Emma yelled as I walked in.

Everyone had a shot in front of them, and there was one sitting on the table, waiting for me.

"Come on, Hailey!" Emma urged, grinning from ear to ear. I laughed and sat down on the couch beside my brother and Amber. Grabbing the shooter, I held it up, clinking glasses with everyone before downing it in one go.

Ew, tequila.

I made a face as the burn hit me, but everyone else seemed to be having a blast.

Tonight is going to be a long night...