The Forgotten Angel ✔️

Chapter 1: Kindle the Flame

Anyone could see the flashing rainbow lights from the sidewalk. They just had to look up. The lights jutted out of a third story window like laser beams, and they swayed like tree branches in a calm breeze. As one got closer to the window, the bass increased. It sounded muffled from the outside, but once inside the music was blaring loud. Voices fought to be heard over the loud dance music that people jumped to like kangaroos. Almost everyone was holding a red solo cup. Some managed to keep their cups, foaming to the top with beer, from spilling over on themselves while their bodies jumped uncontrollably.

Welcome to O2, an apartment style living suite at The Catholic University of America (CUA) that was just stripped of its title as the newest dorm on campus with the recent opening of O3. However, the residents of O2 will proudly pronounce that they have what O3 lacks, a history of good parties, good people, and good memories...at least as far back as a few years—before the people with those memories set off to make new memories of their own.

Walking down the long corridor to suite 311 were three suitemates who gawked at every inch of the building as if they had just stepped into Buckingham Palace on an official state visit.

One of them, a large fella who was built like the foundations of a skyscraper to bear the height and weight it will have to hold up for years, pressed his face against the window of a door, "Bro check it out! Each floor has its own lounge with a pool table, foosball, table tennis, and...is that air hockey! Oh, we gotta play that before we leave."

"But Alex, you'll be too drunk to beat anyone anyway," spoke his suitemate Gio. Gio was the physical opposite of Alex. Gio had color on his skin; Alex was pale with red scorch marks across his face—still cherry red from the outside cold air. Gio could hide behind a grain of rice; Alex couldn't hide behind a small truck. Gio relied on his brains to get through life; Alex relied on his strength and baby face to soar through his.

"Can't we just play before the party?" A third voice mumbled from behind the both of them. The other two laughed.

Alex slapped his friend's back and almost dislodged his lung, "Ah Luke, you're a noob to this so I'll cut you some slack alright. The party has already started."

"But you said it didn't start till ten and it's 9:55."

"Well," Gio cut in. "The invite was for eight, but no one shows up on time for a party. This isn't class or an interview. Most people arrive about an hour or two late. Listen...you hear that?"

Luke tuned his ear to the dance music muffled down the hall, the roaring voices, and the clanging of glass bottles, "I hear it."

"That means the party has started, and we better get in, unless Alex here will be left with the light beer."

"And you know how crappy light beer is," Alex said. "Now that tastes like piss."

"It all tastes like piss to me," Luke said. "Should we even drink? You know, we're only Freshmen."

"Oh no," Alex grabbed Luke by the collar. "You're drinking with us. Forget the air hockey, we need to get you buzzed."

"I can't imagine how Luke will be like when he's buzzed," Gio said. "Loud and obnoxious? Flirty?" Gio danced like an exotic dancer behind Luke's back. Luke elbowed himself free and Gio flinched back. "Oof, maybe he's a rager."

"I'm not getting drunk," Luke asserted.

"Yes you are," Alex towered over him. "Otherwise you'll make us look bad. I had to pull some strings to get into this party. Seniors don't invite freshers to parties just like that."

"Look Luke, just have a couple of drinks. It'll be fun," Gio gestured towards the door as the music grew louder. "I was just like you before my first party in September. You need to just let loose a little. You're only gonna be in college once, and you won't remember those two-page papers you did for philosophy on Aristotle's primary causes, but you will remember your first party."