I wake up with a smile on my face. I had my first kiss, and it was with Adam, an actual cute nice guy who wanted to kiss me. I fill Abby in on the details when she wakes up, and she is upset that she slept through the kiss. I tell her that next time, she can watch if it will make her happy.
I go to shower and have quite a pep in my step for someone with morning classes. I almost don't notice someone sneaking out of Warner's room in last night's clothes.
"Emily?" I call out to her, and she stops in her tracks; at first, she looks guilty, but when she sees that it's just me, she smiles.
"Well, I guess the introduction worked?" I joke, gesturing between yesterday's outfit and Warner's door.
"Oh my God, Juliet, best night ever. I LOVE college." She cheers.
After a long shower, I pick out a cute outfit for class. The prelaw program is massive, so it is hard to stand out to any professor. I always sit in the front of the class, hoping that the professors will recognize my face when I visit during their office hours. Warner, however, sits at the back, and I know this because he did the same thing in high school. I don't understand why every annoying jock feels the need to sit at the back as if it makes them cool. If anything, it just makes it harder to hear the teacher talk.
I walk into my tort law class ten minutes early, get out my laptop and open my lecture notes document. Five minutes later, someone sits next to me, and I am shocked to see Emily; she was in a new outfit from this morning.
"I didn't know you were in prelaw."
"Yeah, I am! That's why I wanted the introduction to Warner. I knew he was prelaw too, and that way, we can be a power couple." She looks back when she says this and I assume it is to look back at Warner.
"I am surprised you're not sitting with him then." I joke.
"Well, I was going to until I saw you! I had no idea you were prelaw either, and I would love to be friends. Hoes over, bros" she smiles at me and I'm glad she chose to sit with me.
Once our class starts, I go into focus mode, jotting down all of the talking points onto my document. After the lecture ends, I let out a deep sigh.
"Wanna study tonight? I can come over to your dorm, and I will bring study snacks" Emily starts putting her stuff away, and I can't help but notice she is looking towards the door where Warner is already walking. Something told me the real reason she wanted to come to my dorm wasn't for me.
"Yeah, sure, I will see you then."
She barely acknowledges my acceptance because she is already heading towards the door, following Warner like a lost puppy. Before she can reach him, the professor speaks into the microphone.
"Warner Brooks and Juliet Grayson, could you please stay behind for a second?" Our professor looks straight at me, and I see Warner stop in his tracks. Emily looks annoyed, but Warner smirks when he sees me staring at him.
We both walk up to the professor's desk while the rest of our classmates leave the room.
"Hi, It's nice to meet you guys outside of a lecture. I have read both of your transcripts, and I must say they are quite impressive. It must be nice having someone from the same high school here."
I smile, not able to get words out; luckily, Warner can talk for the both of us. "Thank you, sir. Yes, it is nice to have a familiar face."
"The law society is hosting a thanksgiving dinner this week for our clients from our pro bono cases. Many of these people come from some tough home lives, so we like to host a night for them. Our law students typically help out with cooking and serving at the event but its normally upper years."
We both nod, not understanding where this is going.
"Well, two of our upper years are sick, so we are missing two student spots for cooking. You would also get to attend the event, plus you are helping out the Law society immensely. I figured you two would be the best freshman to ask due to your impressive resumes that are already full of volunteer work."
I was shocked that we were chosen, well, more so Warner. I knew he was smart, but I didn't know he did any volunteering.
"We would love to." I find my voice and give a fake smile to Warner, who looks a little too happy. He is probably thinking of all the new ways to embarrass me at the event in front of the staff.
"Great, I will send you some recipes, and I will see you tomorrow!"
I run out after our goodbyes because I can't deal with awkwardly walking out with Warner. Plus, I need to head to the library as I don't think Emily wants to study with me tonight. She just wants to see Warner.
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After a few hours in the library, I walk into the dorm building a bundle of anxiety. I haven't seen Adam since our kiss, and I have been practicing how to act nonchalantly. I start thinking about the kiss and wonder if it was as good for him as it was for me. I was a virgin with zero experience, what if he thought I was a terrible kisser and ghosted me?
Can you ghost someone you live with?
All of my conversation starters go out the window when I walk into the common room and see Adam sitting with Warner on the couch studying. They both look up at the same time catching me off guard.
"Hey, Emily is going to come over to study if that's okay?" I ask both of them, but it was more directed at Warner since he is the one she wants to see.
"I think I saw enough of her last night, but I wouldn't mind round two." Warner grins at me, and I roll my eyes.
"Ew," I fake gag and walk over to the kitchen to grab a snack. Something light and approved by my mom. I look in the fridge and snag a green apple, but before I can even take a bite, my phone rings with Emily's name displayed across the screen.
"Hey, I am outside your building."
"Oh shit already? Okay, I will buzz you in." I buzz the downstairs door open and Emily waltzes through in an outfit not appropriate for studying. This is exactly why I spent the last few hours at the library. I knew there wouldn't be much studying going on tonight.
"Do you want to study in my room or out here?" I ask her even though I already know the answer.
I go to my room to put my stuff away, and by the time I get back to the common room, Abby has joined the group with a guy from our floor named Winston. Music is playing and it certainly doesn't seem like a calm study session anymore.
"Juliet put your books down let's play a game instead." Emily sits down on Warner's lap instead of the couch seat that is available right next to him.
She is the one who asked me to study and now she was trying to make it seem like I brought my books out because I felt like it. I was starting to doubt whether I wanted to be friends with Emily.
Then I hear the scariest sentence for a virgin to ever hear. "How about a game of never have I ever?" Emily slides her hand on Warner's thigh and I try to look away. It feels like she is marking her territory. Warner on the other hand isn't giving much away.
Maybe I can escape now and nobody will notice. Whilst the five of them form a sort of circle on the couches and chairs I take a few steps back and turn towards my door.
"Juliet, you can't leave now this is the fun part! Come sit next to me" Abby pulls me to the ground next to her.
I am too afraid to even look at the people around me, I wish I could rig it and not answer a single question. When I finally grow the balls to look up I see that Warner and Adam are both looking right at me. I must look nervous.
"Okay everyone put five fingers up and put your finger down if you have done it. I will start, never have I ever...cheated." Emily surveys the room after her turn and of course, the only person to put their finger down is Warner. Emily doesn't look too happy about that one.
I feel my anxiety getting worse and worse, my chest feels tight. I don't want to look like a loser who hasn't done anything but I can't lie because Warner will know.
The guy from our floor named Winston goes next "Never have I ever hooked up with two different people in the same night."
This time multiple people put their fingers down including Winston, Emily and Warner. To my surprise, all of Adam's fingers stay up, which makes me feel a bit better.
"My turn! Never have I ever had a crush on someone in this room." Abby nudges me, making me want to hide immediately. She probably thinks she is helping but I can feel my face heating up and my stomach twisting in knots.
I don't know where to look so I look at my safest bet which is Adam. Right as I look at him he looks back and slowly puts his finger down looking right at me. I maintain eye contact and put my finger down as well.
"Ouuu there are a lot of fingers down considering there are only 6 of us in this room. Does anybody have anything to say?" Emily's voice brings my attention back to her on Warner's lap. Both of them have a finger down but Warner is looking between Adam and me.
When nobody says anything Emily continues "Okay fine then I have one, never have I ever kissed anyone in this room." She puts her own finger down which I think defeats the point of the game but I don't think that was the point of her question. She stares at Adam and me with a smirk on her face. This is not how I wanted everyone to find out Adam and I kissed...everyone as in Warner.
He has a smile on his face until he sees Adam's finger slowly go down, followed by mine. After that his face is stoic, I don't know why I was nervous to tell him. Maybe because Adam is his best friend and I don't want him to think I am going to cramp his style.
Emily, on the other hand, is ecstatic, she claps her hands and grins.
"I am done with this game." Warner lightly pushes Emily off of him and walks out of the room and down the hallway to his own room. I can't help but feel like it is my fault he is annoyed. I should've told him, I obviously didn't owe him anything but I guess he was weirded out. Emily seems to think it is my fault too because she shoots me a look that says 'go get him back here.'
"Me too I need to study." I follow Warner out but instead of going to my room I quicken my pace and grab onto his jacket.
"Hey what's wrong." I pull his jacket for him to face me but he doesn't move.
"Nothing is wrong Jules." he doesn't even look at me.
"Well you seem mad so I just wanted to make sure-" I stop talking when he finally looks at me.
"Last time I checked you are the one who is mad at me. I haven't forgotten what you said to me in my car Jules. I get it I'm the bad guy, right? I'm embarrassed of you." he says flatly.
I try to stand my ground but it is hard when he is a whole foot taller than me. I don't know what to say to defend myself because I was mad, I thought he didn't want me at the party but after hearing what it was really about I was glad he didn't.
"I was an ass in high school and I am still an ass now I get it."
I look up at him, trying to hide the surprise on my face at his admission. "Well, I am not gonna refute that statement."
"Look." He pauses for a second, finding the two magic words. "I'm sorry."
I could almost faint hearing those words come out of his mouth. I needed to check the ceiling for cameras in case I was being punked. I was harsh right away and might have judged him a little too quickly, maybe Warner has changed for the better. He was never one of the cruel ones in high school it was his friends but he still joined in on the teasing as a kid. I felt like he knew I didn't belong and judged me, however, he had never actually said that to my face.
I look from one of his eyes down to his lips and back to his other eye. I don't mean to keep looking at his lips but I can't help it. I saw on tik tok that it was a flirting method and I almost gasp when I realize I was doing it to Warner.
"Don't do that." I can see Warner's hand clench on the doorframe.
"Don't do what? I was just coming to check up on you guys!" Emily stands in between us making me step back away from Warner.
Warner looks annoyed and doesn't even try to hide it.
"Can I talk to Juliet for a second?" she has a sweet smile on her face but something tells me that she isn't happy.
Warner looks conflicted but nods and goes into his room. As soon as the door shuts behind him Emily's entire face changes. "What do you think you are doing?" she grabs my arm so hard it hurts and drags me down the hallway.
"Me? Nothing, I was just talking to Warner I-"
"It didn't look like just talking. I thought we were friends and here you are trying to take Warner behind my back. You already have Adam you don't need both of them." Her grip on my arm only tightens with each word. What the hell was wrong with this girl?
"I don't want Warner." I can only manage a few words because I am scared. Scared of the 5-foot girl in front of me who has some serious crazy eyes going on.
So much for new girlfriends.
"Good, and even if you did I know a guy like Warner would never be with a girl like you." Her words cut deep and when she finally lets me go and walks away back down to Warner's room I stay in place.