Nikki

It was the hottest party of the entire college school year, an entire weekend—a whole three day long bender at Alex Sterling’s family’s mountaintop manor. The place was like something out of a horror movie—grandiose architecture mixed with modern luxury, surrounded by tall trees that seemed to whisper secrets in the wind. Inside, the lights were dimmed just right and alternative tracks thudded through the speakers hidden somewhere in the walls. The air was thick with the sweet scent of alcohol and the faint musk of weed. Walking through the grand entranceway with Erica on his arm, Nikki felt like he had arrived. Dressed in a cropped hoodie showing off his flat stomach, mini skirt riding up on his round ass every time he took a step, and heeled boots that made his legs look absolutely killer, he owned the room—or so he liked to think. Erica was a vision next to him, her curvy frame wrapped in tight leather and studs that matched her bold personality perfectly. Holy shit, Nikki thought to himself as they moved deeper into the party. This party is gonna be insane! As they approached the drinks table, he cast Erica mischievous grin. "Let's get our drink on, bitch!" He grabbed two cups of tequila punch and handed one to Erica. Raising his own cup, he tapped it against hers and shouted over the music, "To us! For surviving high school hell and making it to the promised land of college where we can finally be ourselves!" They both downed their drinks in unison and laughed. Grabbing herself another solo cup of fruity tequila goodness, Erica flashed Nikki a warm smirk before turning to scan the room for interesting faces. "Alright," she said, tossing her black hair over her shoulder, "let's mingle till your lil' high school heartthrob shows up." Nikki rolled his eyes at her teasing tone but couldn't help but feel a jitter of excitement at the mention of Bạn. He had harbored a crush on his savior turned friend since that fateful day in the bathroom. "Don't start," he warned with a playful swat at her arm. "It's not like that." But his cheeks betrayed him, blushing a deep shade of crimson. The night was young, filled with the promise of debauchery and maybe—just maybe—romance. As the music grew louder and bodies pressed closer together on the dance floor, Nikki allowed himself to indulge in the fantasy that Bạn might see him in a different light tonight. Perhaps, amidst the strobe lights and the haze of smoke machines, something special would happen between them. But for now, he focused on enjoying the moment with Erica, dancing and sipping on drinks as they waited for Bạn to arrive. Every time someone new entered the room, his heart skipped a beat—but alas, none of them were Bạn. Yet.