The Unlikely Resident of Room 313

Chapter 4

"Drinks are on the dresser next to the TV," a voice said from beside me. As I turned towards the voice, a whisper of cool air kissed the exposed planes of my back, and I stared up into a glittering pair of deep brown eyes.

Well, hello there.

"Thank you!" I said with my most enthusiastic smile. You want to look friendly, Asteria. Not like you're desperate for a friend. Clearing my throat, I dropped my serial-killer grin. "Uh, thank you. I'll help myself."

The glittering pair of eyes belonged to a tall, amber-skinned boy with curly black hair and a whirlwind smile. Though I was taller than average, I still came up to the middle of his chest. A chest, I quickly noticed, that was nicely sculpted beneath the gray t-shirt he wore. I forbid my eyes to go down any further.

"I'm Trevon," he said, smoothing a hand along the top of his head.

"Asteria."

"That's a beautiful name."

I thanked the dim, deep red lights for concealing the flush of my skin. Trevon escorted me to the drink station set up by a massive flat screen on the other side of the room. I helped myself to a can of seltzer, trying my best not to choke when the overly bubbly concoction tasted like poison in my mouth.

Who willingly drinks these!

Trevon didn't seem to notice. We chatted casually about what brought us to Oracle University, what we hoped to achieve here, and what we wanted to do in the world. He wanted to be a doctor like his father and grandfather. I wasn't sure what I wanted. So I told him about the runaway suitcase in the stairwell. A few others joined in on the conversation. Laughter rippled through the room. The more we spoke, the more I sipped my watered-down-mango-juice seltzer until it didn't taste like poison anymore. In fact, I enjoyed the slightly sour bubbles on my tongue. I wasn't sure if it was me, the room, or the alcohol, but gradually, my skin felt hot. The same heat scorched the back of my throat and my heart peddled faster in my chest. But I didn't mind. I felt lighter. It felt good.

As Trevon's roommate, Lucas, described his summer hiking in the Colorado mountains, I felt a different burn on my skin. The kind that told me I was being watched. I looked up, my eyes scanning the gathering, until a quiver in the shadows made me do a double take. The door to the room slowly swung open, letting more light and shadows in. Roy Teller stood in the threshold, his eyes burning across the distance, and he seemed to find me almost instantly.

"Oh, my God," Zara gasped from a few feet away. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her latch onto Anna's arm for dear life. "That's him."

I took another long gulp of my seltzer and motioned Trevon to grab me another. I was not surprised to find him here. The rest of the room noticed him, too. They parted like the Red Sea when he stepped inside and strode confidently toward the back of the room where Trevon and I stood.

"Teller!" Trevon called, locking hands with the other boy in greeting. "I thought you weren't going to make it!"

"I changed my mind," Roy answered. He wore a black long-sleeved shirt and pants. His presence felt strong, looming over me. Suddenly, the writing on the side of the can in my hand was way too interesting—even in the dark. Wow! Two grams of carbs!

"Fancy seeing you here, sweetheart," Roy said in a low voice. My heart leapt into my throat from the proximity of our bodies, but I didn't step back or pull away. Who did he think he was to try to intimidate me? Roy smiled when I angled my head to look at him.

"I live here," I told him smoothly. "In this dorm. Remember?"

"I remember your room vividly," he practically purred. "How could anyone forget a bed as comfy as yours?"