Nice to meet you

Alicia Pov

The party was a 15-minute drive from campus, and since none of us had received our cars yet, we had to rely on Lucas, who had another friend joining us. It was already past 9 pm, and we were waiting in the garage for his friend to arrive.

As we waited, I remembered something and decided to text the group chat.

In Text:

Me: "Wait, actually Saraphina, where's your mom? I haven't seen her since she checked us in."

Emily: "Oh yeah, where is she?"

Saraphina: "She went to an emergency meeting that was last minute. She said she'd be back by tomorrow morning."

Eva: "Is it just me, or is that a little awkward?"

Saraphina: "Like, totally."

Just as I was about to reply, Lucas interrupted. “So, how are you guys liking the campus so far?” he asked, trying to make conversation.

"It's pretty good," Emily replied. "The food is decent, but their bakery desserts are everything."

"I haven’t had a chance to try the desserts yet," Eva said, looking intrigued. "We definitely need to check that out."

"Absolutely," Saraphina agreed. "And the coffee shop near the library is a lifesaver."

I nodded. "Yeah, the campus is beautiful, and the classes seem interesting so far."

Lucas grinned. "Glad to hear it. My friend should be here any minute now."

As if on cue, a sleek black car pulled up, and a guy stepped out, giving us a friendly wave. "Hey, I'm Ethan," he introduced himself with a grin. "Ready to party?"

"Hey Ethan, nice to meet you," said Saraphina , shaking his hand. "Thanks for giving us a ride."

"No problem at all," Ethan replied. "Hop in, let's get this party started!"

We piled into the cars, with Emily, Saraphina, and me going with Lucas, while Eva joined Ethan and Matheo in the other car. At first, it was a bit awkward, but as the conversation progressed, I felt more at ease. The drive to the party was filled with laughter and conversation, making the time fly by. Ethan had a great sense of humor, and it wasn’t long before we were all laughing at his jokes.

In Lucas’s car, the initial tension began to dissipate as Emily and Saraphina started talking about their favorite bakery desserts on campus.

“You guys have to try the chocolate croissants,” Emily gushed. “They’re absolutely divine.”

“Oh, and the lemon tarts!” Saraphina added. “I could eat them every day.”

Lucas chuckled. “I didn’t know you guys were such foodies.”

“We’re more than foodies,” I said, smiling. “We’re dessert connoisseurs.”

Meanwhile, in Ethan’s car, Eva and Matheo were getting to know each other better. Matheo seemed to be in good spirits, his earlier tension gone.

“So, what’s your major, Matheo?” Eva asked, genuinely curious.

“Basketball,” Matheo joked, making Ethan and Eva laugh. “But seriously, I’m studying business. What about you?”

“Psychology,” Eva replied. “I find it fascinating how the mind works.”

Ethan glanced at Matheo in the rearview mirror. “You better watch out, Matheo. She’ll have you all figured out before the night’s over.”

Eva laughed. “I’m not that good yet, but give me a few more semesters.”

The drive seemed to pass in no time at all, and before we knew it, we were pulling up to the party. The house was already buzzing with energy, music spilling out onto the street and people mingling on the lawn.

“Alright, everyone,” Lucas said as we got out of the cars. “Let’s make this a night to remember.”

“Absolutely,” Emily said, her excitement contagious. “Let’s do this.”

With that, we headed into the party, ready to embrace whatever the night had in store for us.

The house was enormous—definitely a mansion, I thought as I stepped inside. The grand entrance led us into a sprawling living room with high ceilings and an open floor plan that seemed to stretch on forever. There was a pool out back, illuminated by underwater lights that gave the water an inviting, ethereal glow. People were already gathered around it, some lounging on the patio furniture while others dipped their feet in the water.

The inside of the mansion was just as impressive. The living room featured plush couches and elegant decor, with a massive flat-screen TV mounted on the wall. A staircase with a beautifully crafted iron railing spiraled up to the second floor, where more rooms and probably more partygoers were.

As we made our way through the living room, the thumping bass of the music grew louder. We followed the sound to find a DJ set up in what looked like a converted ballroom. The lights pulsed in time with the music, casting a kaleidoscope of colors over the dancing crowd.

"Wow, this place is incredible," Emily said, her eyes wide with amazement.

"No kidding," Saraphina agreed. "I’ve never seen anything like it."

Eva turned to me, her excitement mirroring my own. "This is going to be a night to remember, Alicia!"

We navigated through the crowd, finding ourselves at a bar set up in the corner of the ballroom. The bartender was mixing drinks with flair, tossing bottles in the air and catching them behind his back.

"Want a drink?" Lucas asked, leaning in so I could hear him over the music.

"Sure," I replied, smiling. "Why not?"

He ordered a round of drinks for us, and soon we were toasting to the night ahead. The energy in the room was electric, with people dancing and laughing, clearly having the time of their lives.

As we sipped our drinks, Luca and Ethan excused themselves to go say hi to some of their friends. As we were talking, Emily said, “Let’s dance!” and dragged us to the dance floor.

Listen, I love dancing—don’t get me wrong. In my room late at night? Definitely. In public? I’d need more alcohol in my system. Needing to use the bathroom, I said, “Guys, I’ll be back. I need to use the bathroom.”

“I’ll come with you,” said Saraphina.

“It’s okay, don’t worry. I’ll be fast,” I reassured her.

On my way to the bathroom, I saw Eva and Matheo whispering in each other’s ears and laughing at god knows what. They looked kinda cute together. Searching for a bathroom downstairs, I couldn’t find any. I had watched enough movies and read enough books to know not to wander around upstairs in a big mansion by myself.

I was about to ask a stranger where the bathroom was when I saw Lucas and Ethan talking with two other guys. Relieved to see familiar faces, I made my way over to them.

“Hey, guys,” I said, interrupting their conversation. “Do you know where the bathroom is?”

Lucas turned to me with a smile. “Hey, Alicia. Yeah, there’s one upstairs. Come on, I’ll show you.”

“Thanks,” I said, feeling a bit more comfortable with him guiding me. We walked through the crowded living room and up the grand staircase. The party was in full swing, with people chatting and laughing in every corner.

As we reached the top of the stairs, Lucas pointed down a hallway. “It’s the second door on the right. You can’t miss it.”

“Got it. Thanks, Lucas,” I said, heading towards the bathroom.

I thought to myself, how is it possible to have a big ass mansion and no bathroom downstairs? As I walked down the hallway, I couldn't help but notice how quiet it was compared to the lively downstairs. The walls were lined with framed photographs and paintings, giving the space an almost museum-like quality. I quickly found the bathroom, relieved to see it was empty. After finishing up, I washed my hands and took a moment to touch up my makeup.

On my way downstairs, I noticed that my friends were no longer on the dance floor. Instead, they were gathered in a small group, talking animatedly with two other guys. One was a lean blonde with a carefree smile, and the other was a brunette with glasses, who looked exactly like my type. His intellectual vibe and confident demeanor immediately caught my attention.

I approached the group, feeling a mix of curiosity and excitement. Emily spotted me first and waved me over. "Alicia, come meet these guys!"

I smiled and joined them. "Hey, I'm Alicia."

The blonde guy extended his hand with a grin. "I'm Ryan, and this is my friend, Maxime."

Maxime, the brunette, smiled warmly and shook my hand. "Nice to meet you, Alicia."

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