“Jennah!” Emme is calling my name. “Jennah!” I must have fallen asleep. She is shaking my shoulder, “Jennah, are we being that boring that you feel a nap is necessary? At least don’t snore!” She is laughing at me.
“I don’t snore!” I say back hitting her arms away from me. “I was just resting my eyes and thinking of last New Years’ Eve when I found out Harry liked me.” I am feeling drunk like I was then. I hope I won’t pass out again. That would be very embarrassing and make me seem like I cannot control myself. “What I night that was!”
“Oh tell us!” Two sisters Valerie and Tamar are sitting with us dorm girls. They seem interested in hearing a good story about me. They look like I am about to tell them I got them tickets to their favourite boy band concert. The dorm girls already know some of the story as it came up when we were staying up late one night talking about boys. The looks on their faces are giving me the idea not to tell them.
I am not so sure I should. It was a good night, but so much happened and I don’t want them to judge me from my behaviour from that night. So, I just smile at Valerie and Tamar then I say with confidence in my voice, “It is a long story and I hope to share it with you as sisters.” They smile really big smiles back at me. I made the right choice. It was the correct answer. It shows that I can keep secrets and that I am smart enough to know where to talk and where not to talk. Sharing intimate details in a Fraternity chapter room at a big party is not a good idea, as anyone could listen in on our conversation.
We get talking about classes and profs, and other such topics about school, when Emme leans over and whispers in my ear, “Do you see that?” she motions over her shoulder at the doorway. “Don’t look so obviously, but he is doing it again.”
I give her a questioning look, “Who is doing what again?”
Emme smirks and says, “He is watching you as he is walking through the room, but he is making out like he is looking for something or someone else.” She giggles but covers her mouth so he won’t see that he has been caught. “He has been through the room three or four times all ready, I am not sure when he started though.” Her blue eyes are full of mischief. She knows what he is doing. “He is looking at you, Jennah and checking you out.” When I hear her words I instantly blush. I wonder who is checking me out.
I slowly look over to the doorway to see Liam Payne standing there with a bottle of wine in his hand. I remember earlier. He was intently looking at me with his brown puppy dog eyes when we met. I was thinking of Harry, but Liam did get my attention and I did feel something from his gaze. He is looking at the sisters sitting on the other end of the couch.
I look away from him. But not without noticing first that his hair looks perfectly arranged to stand up in the front of his head. How I can see his muscles through his bright shirt and skinny jeans. I blush more.
I am careful to look past him and wave to one of the new rush girls I just met, Taylor. But my eyes swayed over again and looked into his just for two seconds. His face turned on a smile as our eyes met again. Is he blushing too? No. It must be the lighting. I quickly look away.
“Taylor,” I say to the tall blond skinny girl with blue eyes and red lipstick. “Come over and sit with us. We were just talking about what is happening for the next rush event.” She walks over. Liam looks me in the eyes again. He taps his right hand on his right thigh three times. He looks at the sisters sitting on the couch, smiles and leaves the room. I wonder... what that was all about. What was he doing anyway?
“Well,” Tamar, the beautiful Pi sister with skin like chocolate and a body which shows she loves athletics. (I am a bit jealous of how well her body looks in her bright neon dress, which looks like it is an abstract painting) She begins to say, “Jennah you have been marked.” Valerie just grins at me. “Good Choice Liam,” she says almost to herself.
The girls all look at her and I do too. Valerie and Tamar are smiling these knowing grins and look like they might just burst with what they are pointedly not telling us.
All my worries are back, the knot in my stomach is bigger than it was before. “What do you mean I am marked?” My confidence is gone. My voice sounds a little shaky. I am looking back and forth between the two sisters. My face is showing worry, they can tell.
The two sisters just put up their hands without saying anything look at each other, smile, then get up and walk out of the room for us rush to figure this one out for ourselves.
Emme just starts laughing loudly. I think she knows what is going on. Audrey jumps on her. Literally she jumps on her and lands on Emme’s lap.
Audrey starts to talk face to face with Emme, “Tell us all you know! Right now! I heard that Owen has marked me too. But he didn’t say anything to me. I overheard him when he was talking to another brother. He said don’t look at her. I have her marked. He tapped his thigh. Looked at one of the sisters standing by him and then looked over at me.”
Audrey is explaining, “He didn’t know I could hear what saying.” She has a quizzical look on her face. She has a realization, you can tell by the look on her face. “Oh. I didn’t hear him say it. We were downstairs at the party. I read his lips!” Audrey is quite excited now. “Emme, what do you know? I can tell you know. So tell us!”
All the rush girls, Taylor, Rebecca, Avery, Audrey, Joelle and Me are looking at Emme. We are sitting on the couch or standing close in front of her with our faces close to hers. She is laughing still. She is laughing so hard, no more sound is coming out. Just her chest moving indicates that she is still laughing at us. She has her hands around her belly. She gasps for breath and then slowing starts to stop laughing.
“You should see your faces!! You girls look so funny! Are you not smart enough to figure this out for yourselves?” Emme really is having fun with stringing us along. Rebecca ends up hitting her quite seriously in the arm. “Ow! Rebecca! That was not fair! I have Audrey sitting on me.”
“Tell us now or you are getting a harder one,” Rebecca is not fooling around. “I know that two guys have marked me.” I don’t know how she knows it is two. She doesn’t say either. She looks worried too.
Emme just starts laughing again. Some brothers are in the room looking at what is going on in their chapter room with the new rush. They know what is happening. One of them comes over. I think his name was Stacen. He says, “Emme, I want you to come meet a friend of mine over in the other room. I think he knows your Dad.” He knows she knows and is about to be forced to tell us.
Emme stops laughing, pushes Audrey off of her lap. Looks at all of us, shrugs her shoulders with a little fake frown on her face, and stands up, then pulls her dress back down to her knees. “I wish I could tell you ladies... But I have to go... Being a double legacy has its privileges but also downsides too.” She pretends like this is a big deal, when it is not. “Duty calls! Must go out and put on the good... Daddy’s little girl act.” She says pretending she is way too cute, with her fingers in her imaginary dimples.
The girls all make a ugh sound. “I will come with you Emme!” I say quickly, “I am your date tonight remember?” I fake smile at her and Stacen. I don’t want to be without her in this house now. Not with Liam decided. So much for having a boyfriend to protect me, I think. I walk over to where they are now both standing. Leaving the girls on the couch to discuss what just happened.
I want to be beside Emme. She knows what is going on here. For sure I know that. She said that she would keep me safe and make sure I would go home with her. I am worried. Whatever Liam just marked me for and whatever the other girls are marked for I don’t want to find out tonight. I am not so sure it won’t happen tonight. Whatever it is I hope Harry won’t be jealous or angry. Maybe it is just a game. They were all smiling. But there is something serious about this too. I just know it.
Liam’s POV
I just need to mark her. My hands are getting all sweaty, so I rub them on my pants. I know this is the first party, I really shouldn’t, but I need to do it. I can’t let one of the other brothers do it. I know no one else has yet. I have heard about the other rush all ready. I know they are not all marked yet, just Audrey and Taylor, they don’t know. And Rebecca has two! That might cause some trouble. No one has dared to mark Emme yet though. Why they are waiting? She is fit to be sure. I have to do it so the sisters see but not so obvious Jennah sees. Why am I waiting? It is just the first step. I should go upstairs and do it now. They are in the chapter room talking with Tamar and Valerie. It’s a perfect time.
Oh, I will just take some wine with me in case I chicken out. I know I am a Jr. Brother so I get first dibs but that is not helping either. I could offer them some wine like nothing is going on.
I walk into the chapter room. There are a lot of people in here so I am a bit hidden from them, I see the girls talking on the couches. I look over at Jennah. I quickly look back at the ground. I feel like a stalker all of a sudden. Phew. She has her eyes closed. It doesn’t look like I have been noticed by anyone. More chance for me to build up some balls to get this step done. I look back at them.
Her eyes are still closed. Damn, bad timing. Is she passed out? She did have some drinks. No. She is not passed out. The other girls would be reacting differently if she was. She must be thinking or resting. I walk through the room and into the meeting room and through the kitchen. I wait in the hallway uncertain as to what to do now. I see people talking in the hallway. It is a great first party. The place is packed. Three levels of the house are full. No one notices me just standing here thinking.
What should I do now? Think Liam. Should I go over and offer them some wine and hope Jennah wakes up? Should I just wait and talk with another girl? Mark someone else? Um...Emme is very cute too. Maybe she is too cute. She is out of my league that Emme. No. No. No. I have to mark Jennah I know it. When our eyes met tonight for the first time, I know Jennah has that One Thing. I don’t know what it is. I just know I need to talk with her more without being in competition with my brothers.
“I‘ve tried playing it cool but when I am looking at you. I can’t ever be brave cause you make my heart race.” Where did this song in my head come from? It is exactly how I felt when I looked at Jennah when she came in the door this evening. I was playing it cool, and to be sure my heart was racing when I was taking her around.
Weird, where is this song coming from? Oh yeah! I was driving my little sister to her Gymnastics class, she loves that band One Direction I think. More comes into my mind as I walk into the room again and notice that Jennah is awake now. Thank GOD! She is talking with Emme and the girls. She doesn’t see me looking at her, but some of the other girls do.
“Shot me out of the sky! You’re my kryptonite. You keep making me weak... yeah... frozen and can’t breathe.” Yeah! This is exactly how it feels. Like I am flying yet being held down tight. I can’t breathe to speak. Good thing I don’t have to. Not for step one. I keep walking, but I look at her.
I think back to earlier when we were downstairs dancing. Well... I was dancing in the group, I couldn’t ask her to just dance with me. Man, this is going to be harder than I thought. I am not brave. C’mon Liam! You can do this!!
“Something’s got to give now. Cause I’m dying just to make you see, that I need you here with me now. Cause you’ve got that one thing.” This is really weird that this song is so perfect for this moment. I need to get my sister to listen to something else though. I shouldn’t have this song in my head. I should be thinking of how I am going to get this thing done. Tamar and Valerie know me, so it will be easy to get their attention without the rush seeing too. They are not to know what is going on yet.
I can’t get this song out of my head. I think I have walked through the room completely, twice now. I am starting to look suspicious. Come on Liam Just do it already! I think about Jennah. I want these thoughts about me and her out of my head. I want her in my arms instead. I don’t know what it is, but I need that one thing and Jennah’s got that one thing. I feel like I am climbing the walls, but that she won’t notice me at all. Liam get yourself together! Don’t go out of your mind! You’ve only seen this girl tonight.
“Something’s got to give now. Cause I’m dying just to know your name. And I need you here with me now. Cause you’ve got that one thing! Get out of my mind and come on come in to my life. I don’t know what it is but you’ve got that one thing.” I guess the song in my head is right. Three times a charm is what they say. I gather my thoughts to the task ahead of me.
I go back to the chapter room and stand in the doorway. I wait... I see Valerie nudge Tamar. They know what I am doing. I try to look like I am just standing there. Not doing anything. I look at the sisters. I need to do it now, before my chance is gone.
I see Jennah wave at Taylor coming from behind me. When Taylor is just beside me I reach my right hand down to tap my thigh but I stop. I look over at Jennah sitting there, listening to her beautiful voice encourage Taylor to join her group of girls.
I lock eyes again with Jennah, “Shot me out of the sky!” Is exactly how I feel! My hand has a mind of its own now and taps three times on my thigh. I break our stare. I look over at the sisters to be sure they got what I did. I feel heat rising in my cheeks. I don’t want the girls to see this reaction. So I smile and turn to leave the doorway.
I did it! Liam you did it! Whoa! I need to get some cool air outside. That was such a rush to my head. I need to calm down. I can’t do anything else about this tonight, the rules are clear I have to wait. I am glad it as Tamar and Valerie. They know me so well. I think I hear Tamar say, “Jennah you have been marked.” Why did she say that? Now it will be harder for me to talk with her, to do the next step. Tamar had to break the rule I guess. Emme would know the game anyway. Well, I have a bigger challenge ahead of me now.
It is cooler outside on the front steps of the house. The September breeze smells of autumn. My cheeks are cooling from the blush I just had. My head is clearing from the song that was there. I am starting to plan how to do the next step with Jennah. I know I got time. But something needles at me. I think I better act fast.
I hear someone whistling. I look down the street in the direction the noise is coming from. I see my best friend Niall walking home from his Fraternity/ Sorority mixer. I am sad to think he is not my brother, in my Fraternity, but that is how it goes sometimes.
Our fathers were in this same Fraternity. That is how we know each other him and I. We have been friends since the day we were born, we are only two weeks apart, you know. But he decided he needed to prove himself. He didn't want to be accepted on his father's legacy. He wanted to join Gamma Rho.This is the one thing we have different. We are brothers anyway.
I smile and wave as he gets closer to me. “Hey! Niall! What’s up dude?”