The First to Fall ⚢

𝐟𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧 • 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐚

When I get back to my room, I have about half an hour before Sasha is supposed to pick me up. She texts that she's excited and I can feel anxiety prick my skin as the time nears closer and closer. There's a gust of nerves that washes over me when she texts that she's on her way and I try to keep my composure but I can feel Aspen's worried eyes on my back.

"You sure you're ready to—"

"I'll be fine," I tell her. Every time I look at her, I'm reminded of last night, and it's too exhausting to think about that right now. Would I even be feeling like this if it happened with anyone else? Would I be this crazy about it if it were Norah or Opal who helped me, or is it simply the fact that it was Aspen?

A few more minutes pass by and it feels like only seconds when there's a knock at the front door of our dorm. Norah yells out from her room that Sasha's here, using the most obnoxiously flirty voice that makes my skin continue to crawl in fear. But when I open the door to Sasha's smiling face, something about her aura calms me down just the slightest.

Her long, stark red hair is half up with thin pieces falling in front of her face, and her eyes are lit up with excitement. She has on a long patterned skirt with a slit in the side, paired with a black tube top and a black, faux leather jacket. Her white ankle socks go perfectly with her black platform low-tops and it's clear that she knows how to style herself.

"Hey, gorgeous," she says with a grin. "You ready?"

"Yeah!" I accept even though it doesn't feel like the whole truth. Nonetheless, I shut the door and lock it behind me, stuffing my keys in my pocket as we start walking together.

"You look amazing," Sasha tells me, nudging my arm. She's only a couple of inches shorter than me but her confidence makes up for that.

"Thank you," I say, suddenly remembering Aspen's flirting advice. "You don't look too bad yourself."

She shrugs. "I was aiming for phenomenal, but that works too."

I laugh her off, because I really hope she's just joking and that I didn't just offend her, and she smiles warmly at me.

"I'm glad you asked me out," I tell her as we approach her car. It's a cherry red Nissan with dark feminine decor scattered around inside. It's very fitting, considering Sasha is filled with dark feminine energy.

"Yeah? I'm glad," she says, opening me door for me. "I was worried you were one of those girls who are only interested in other girls when they're drunk."

She shuts the door and greets me on the driver's side. I shake my head in response. "I mean, I was pretty sure I was straight up until I met you at that party, so..."

"No way. Really?"

I nod, my cheeks feeling warm. Why does my body's first reaction always have to be blushing?

"I made you question your sexuality without even touching you?" Sasha asks. Her question makes me squirm in my seat a little. "That's a new record for me."

Her wording throws me off. The way she says it's a record for her as if I'm a trophy to be won or a challenge to be tackled. It comes out weird and I almost want to take it as a red flag but I'm just hoping she misspoke and doesn't actually think that way. Maybe she's just as nervous as I am and doesn't know all of the right things to say in the moment.

I put my seatbelt on and Sasha asks me what I like to listen to as she scrolls on her phone to find the right playlist. I tell her I like everything, which I know doesn't help but it's true. She smiles and starts playing a mix of pop and R&B as she pulls her own seatbelt on and starts to reverse out of her parking spot.