Aubrey and I decided to take this day as an opportunity to relax, before going out. We moved in yesterday, but didn't go out. We just wanted to rest. She traveled a long way here, and I was exhausted from the unpacking.
"Kiari" Aubrey called in a sing-song tone. I looked up from the boxes that I was unpacking to see her standing in the doorway. "There's a party tonight. You should come with me."
She knew that I wasn't much of a partygoer. This was something we'd discussed long ago, before we decided to be roommates. She was cool with it, just like I was cool with her being a literal party animal.
"And I know that you don't usually like to party, but it's freshman week. Come on" she begged. Honestly, I didn't mind going out. It would allow me to make friends. Michigan is a long way from Texas, so I had nobody here.
I shrugged. "Okay."
She squealed in excitement; quite loudly, might I add. "It's starting at 10. I'll have one of my homeboys take us. I think he's going anyway."
I just nodded, continuing to unpack my boxes. I had about another four hours before I would need to start getting ready. She walked back to her room, which only demanded that she pivoted. We decorated the common area last night with a fur rug, a tapestry, and LED lights around the walls and behind the television that my dad and her grandfather hung for us yesterday. The bathroom was also completely decorated. There wasn't much in there: a bath rug, a shower curtain, and counter decorations. My room, however, was the hard part.
Being that I was in no rush to unpack, I had been living out of boxes. I didn't mind doing it for a bit longer, but it would be nice to have a nicely decorated bedroom. I'd bought myself a bunch of neutral colored decorations for my room.
While hanging up the circular mirror I bought from Urban Outfitters, my phone began ringing, pausing the Summer Walker I'd been listening to all morning.
javi.
Trying my best to mask my excitement, I answered the FaceTime call.
"Wrong person" I jokingly asked. I hadn't spoken to Javi in nearly three months. Although we decided being together wasn't the best for us, we agreed to remain friends, so I knew that he wouldn't be able to talk for a while.
"Nah, I know who I called. I sent you letters" he confessed. Though my heart fluttered, my eyebrows furrowed. I'd never received a letter from Javi.
"Sorry, wrong bitch."
He only kissed his teeth dismissing my statement. We continued to catch up a bit more. He told me about his life in South Dakota and the friends that he met. Even his girl friend, Mya, who happened to visit his room during our call.
We talked more about my move back to Texas and the summer I spent with my family. I gave him a tour of my dorm, while Aubrey went to get us lunch from the dining hall.
After spending nearly two hours joking around and catching up, we decided to end the call.
"And don't be a fucking stranger, Lainey."
Once Javi learned my middle name, he insisted on calling me Lainey. I liked it. It was his. He was the only one who called me that.
I giggled and agreed, dismissing the conversation. A smile lingered on my face after ending the call.
"Here you go, smiley bitch."
Aubrey had gotten us wings from the wing place inside of one of our dining halls. Not much was open on campus, considering that school hadn't officially started.
I just laughed and thanked her, going to sit in the common area beside her. We began discussing our outfits for the night, while Netflix played in the background.
"Girl. It's going to be hot. The niggas are going to be out. You need to pull out the shorts" she said, rejecting my plans to wear ripped jeans.
She knew of Javi, but she'd advised me to explore. "We're in college now, Kiari" she'd told me everyday over the summer when I mentioned Javi.
While we ate and talked, we would catch parts of The Circle that fully grasped our attention. Once I'd finished eating, I got up to go back into my room. There wasn't much left to unpack, but I truly didn't feel it anymore. I needed to start getting ready soon anyway.
Looking through my wardrobe, my only goal was to not stand out too much. I wanted to blend in. Something that didn't scream 'freshman'. I decided to simply put on all black: black halter top, black denim shorts, black slip on vans. My hair wasn't difficult to style. Jenelle had a friend that could do braids, so she'd gotten my hair put into knotless braids for me.
Knowing that it would be hot and dark, makeup wasn't a thought in my head. I already had my eyebrows and eyelashes done before moving into my dorm, so I didn't even bother. Lipgloss would do just fine.
The time arrived for us to leave. I made sure that my deodorant was fresh and my lipgloss was in hand. I didn't have a purse or anything that I felt comfortable taking into a party, so I can just stuff it in my shirt or something. Aubrey had a small wristlet where she kept our room key. "Come on, Kiari. CJ is outside."
CJ was Aubrey's hometown friend. He was a bit older than us, but he was still a Texas State student. I followed her out, bumping into someone in the hallway. I apologized to the girl and her friend that I'd recognized from Instagram, surprised that they lived in this dorm as well. Noted.
We reached the lobby, walking out to the black BMW that I assumed belonged to CJ. Once we reached the car, Aubrey opened the back door, noticing two people already in the car.
"Hey y'all" Aubrey greeted in a sing song tone. I gave a simple, timid hi followed by a small wave.
"Wassup" the boys both said. "This my nigga, Dee" the passenger, who I'm assuming is CJ, followed up.
"Hey, I'm Aubrey. This is my best friend, Kiari."
Best friend.
"Wassup" the driver said again, turning onto a main road. The ride was smooth. The music played as Aubrey and CJ caught up a bit. Sometimes Dee and I would laugh at things that they'd say.
About 15 minutes later, Siri told us that we'd arrived at our destination. It was at an apartment complex. Dee parked the car and we all got out. They were both pretty tall compared to the frames of Aubrey and I. We all walked side by side up to the apartment door, Aubrey and CJ in the middle.
When we walked in, the music was loud and the air foggy. Everyone danced in the packed out living room, some girls twerking as the song changed. There were bottles on the counter, and you could clearly identify who was drunk.
While we were walking, some people stepped between us, making me completely lose Aubrey and CJ. Luckily, Dee was walking behind me and he could see over people's heads. I turned to him and he nodded forward, placing his hand on the small of my back to guide me towards Aubrey.
"Come on, bitch" Aubrey yelled into my ear, once we reached them. She grabbed my hand and we moved more towards the middle, where she began twerking as we sang along to the music together.
