Wicked Groovy

By Lauren Courcelle

A five-minute crush makes one heck of a momentary impression on a person, but the odds that their paths will cross by happenstance again are slim to none. Persephone Smith remembers her favorite five-minute crush. He was gorgeous and taught her slang only to get off at his T stop and never be seen again. Would she even recognize him if their paths did cross?

Of course, she would.

But what are the odds that a boy from Boston will just be traipsing along the leaf-strewn paths on Vermont U’s campus?

In Persephone’s charmed life? Pretty good. But being distracted from her freshman year of college is the absolute last thing she needs to happen right now. All the better time for a five-minute crush to pop up and throw her plans completely by the wayside.

Join Persephone and her RA, suitemates, fellow first-year students, family, and a couple of long-forgotten faces from the past as she trades in everything associated with her small-town hometown for her big shot at the independence of college life.

Suffice to say, nothing goes according to her plan.

Whether readers selected Wicked Alpha or Wicked Omega as their lead-in to Persephone’s college years, Wicked Groovy picks up the very next day. Welcome to college, intrepid readers.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lauren Courcelle
• Release date: Apr 27, 2020
• ISBN: 9780463475065

Lauren Courcelle

Lauren Courcelle has lived in Vermont all of her life, but if she told you how many years she's been a Vermonter, you'd know how old she is, so don't expect her to admit that! At a young age, she decided she wanted to be a teacher when she grew up. In hindsight, much of her decision was initially based on her tremendous excitement at the idea of being able to write on the chalkboard whenever she wanted! As she matured, or maybe due to the inclusion of many more white boards in classrooms, Lauren realized that the best part about teaching was being able to have a daily impact on students, particularly when inspiring them to become lifelong lovers of literature.For a few years, Lauren left the field of education, to try her hand at something else. When folks would ask her what she missed most about teaching, her response was always, "The kids, and in particular, reading great children's books with the kids!" Having always wanted to write an amazing picture book, in May, 2011, she decided to pursue her dream. Nearly 400 pages later, a chapter book, surprisingly, emerged from her efforts.That book was "Wicked Normal," and Lauren immediately knew that it would become a series, as her characters still had so much more story to tell. Lauren released "Wicked Weird," the second book in the series, less than six months later. The third book, "Wicked Awesome," was published within a year of the first. The fourth book of the series, "Wicked Dramatic," had protagonist, Persephone Smith, embarking on her final year of middle school.Lauren paused Persephone's series to release "unLEASHed," the first book of her first Young Adult series. Although it is a futuristic novel, she hopes it is not a psychic vision of what life will be like some twenty years (or so) from now.On the heels of the release of "unLEASHed," Lauren returned to Persephone's series with Young Adult novels "Wicked Confessions," "Wicked Together," "Wicked Alpha," & "Wicked Omega." She's currently working on the 2nd book in Cordeleya's series (working title: "unGUARDed") and fighting off the urge to spend time right now on the next Persephone book as Imemy's tale needs to be told first! ("Imemy" is a futuristic, YA love story between the narrating protagonist and another teenager told without revealing either's gender, for love is love. Yeah. Be on the lookout for that one!)Lauren continues to reside in Vermont, and in her leisure time, she enjoys knitting scarves, making beaded jewelry, and painting.

Book preview

chapter one

Vermont U

As the pair of cars left my sight en route to the Interstate, I deemed it time to stop waving, for despite our natural powers, the occupants – Mom, Dad, and Brandon – couldn’t see me or my hand through the building that now separated us. Symbolically, it became the first of many geographical features that would gradually come between us, for I now lived in Burlington, at a Vermont U residence hall, while my family’s heads would dream on pillows two states away tonight.

I missed my little brother already.

Sure, I missed the ‘Rents, too, but they’d still be them when I next saw them. Bran, on the other hand, would inevitably grow and change in leaps and bounds. What a blessing to have spent so much time playing at the beach with him this summer! Such cherished memories.

And abruptly, those joyful days had screeched to their end. College now loomed directly ahead of me. First up? August orientation – my repercussion for skipping June’s. Evidently, Vermont U believed I needed to learn a thing or two about the place in order to succeed here.

My cynicism believed otherwise, but I wasn’t in charge… yet.

Prior to the start of said orientation, my sole task was to settle into my dorm room. The ‘Rents had spent the better part of today ensuring that every detail and decoration had already surpassed perfection, but my half of my double still beckoned for my special, personal touch before my roommate arrived on campus. Ergo, I turned away from the road that led to everywhere but here, strode over to the building’s keypad, and entered my code.

An audible click confirmed the lock’s disengagement, and I found myself inside Estentine Middletower, a nondescript, less than charming entry point for my residence hall. My room was in Estentine Lowtower, but I had yet to locate a keypadded entrance directly into my tower, so until I did, I’d need to walk through Estentine Mid.

The sharp left into Estentine Low resulted in no change of scenery whatsoever, but having already spent enough time over here, due to seemingly endless trips from the cars up to my room and back again, moving box after box after big, bulky thing ad nauseum, it had begun to feel… well, not like home, as my home had always been a world of unconditional love whereas a barren, empty tower of cinderblock and metal constituted my current surroundings, but it now successfully stirred up a sensation of familiarity and a slight yearning to be here.

I unpacked my clothes amid no auditory evidence to refute my assumption that I was, presently, the only student in my entire residential complex. Not just in Estentine Lowtower or even Estentine building, in general, but in the entirety of Elleandel. I deigned not to complain as solitude would prove to be a temporary condition. Only too soon, thousands of undergrads would invade the campus. With any luck, some of them would become my friends. If not? Their loss.

Not that I’d allow anyone here to know what they were missing out on. No way. The students of Vermont U would never be privy to the Persephone Smith who had the capacity to use her natural powers to will things to happen. Nope. She stayed back in Pine Hill. Yeah. My past was my past. My future was here. My life was now. And I wasn’t looking back… only forward.

My suite on the second floor of Estentine Low was a programmed suite for aspiring teachers. No, that likely wasn’t my calling, but I had applied to the Soon-to-be-Educators program because I wanted to live with people who were responsible and compassionate, like educators were.

One or two welcome signs hung on each door of the suite’s four dorm rooms. I had already read the names, multiple times, but they didn’t yet mean anything as none of my suitemates were here. I presumed that the girls in the two singles were upperclassmen, whereas I, being a freshman, was relegated to one of the two doubles.

Yuck. I hated the mere concept of a roommate, but Mom had reassured me that they were virtually inevitable in college. However, except for her very first semester, she had managed to skate through her four years as an undergrad without one! And, luckily for me, she had pre-taught me all the tricks she had employed to achieve that feat!

Alas, for the time being, two signs hung from my door. On hot pink paper, Welcome, Persephone Smith! was written in extremely fancy handwriting. The other sign was on neon green paper. Welcome! Apparently, they still hadn’t determined who TBD was. Huh. Maybe, just maybe, I wouldn’t have a roommate? No, I couldn’t get my hopes up. Thousands of students attended Vermont U. Surely, one would live with me… whether I approved of the concept or not.

As soon as I had finished unpacking my clothes, I bravely decided that it was time to log back online. I hadn’t ventured onto social media since… well, since graduation. Yeah. Like over two months ago.

Aww… Gabby had invited me to her annual end-of-summer party. I used to enjoy attending those but, obviously, wouldn’t be there this year. Not even if I had a way to get home to it.

Katrina had posted pictures from her new campus. She was in the midst of some self-discovery week prior to the start of the year, and her adventurous photos were indicative that she was having the time of her life. Good for her, yet better her than me.

Misty had snapped selfies while traveling all over Europe. My nose scrunched as I saw her posed in front of every recognizable tourist trap from England to Italy and all points in between. Maybe I was jealous, but it didn’t really feel like it.

And, of course, just about every other picture on my feed was of Cordeleya. Right. One more person who needed to be blocked. No offense, Deley, but your mother needed to be gone. With a couple clicks, the beautiful cherub’s face stopped disrupting my social media page.

Now, all was, once more, righted in my world.

Before I could message anyone, I heard a knock on my suite door. Upon opening it, I was met with a pair of sparkling, root beer colored eyes belonging to a gorgeous specimen of man whose smile lit up the entire suite. His muscles bulged out of his sleeveless t-shirt and convinced me of his capability to bench press me one-handed. Instinctively, I muttered, I love college, aloud before recognizing that I had, indeed, spoken in an audible manner.

Well, that makes my job a heck of a lot easier, he stated with a subtle smirk. I’m Rox. Estentine Lowtower’s RA. Sorry it took me so long to get over here and welcome you, but they’ve kept us in meetings all day. He rolled his eyes. Anyway, you must be Persephone.

Oh, heavens, this Rox guy was the kind of cute that instantly rendered me incapable of generating reasonable responses.

Wait! College guys weren’t "cute; they were hot," and this one was undeniably hot. Smokin’ hot. Damn hot.

Oh, right. My name. Yup. Seriously, Persephone? That was all you came up with? Not, Damn, you’re hot! How ‘bout givin’ me a campus tour? Nope. I had mustered, Yup. Think, Persephone. Think of something. Anything. Alas, the intense internal pressure upon my wit caused me to blurt out, How’d you know that?

Ugh. Blown opportunity number two.

He grinned. I like to know as much about my residents as I can. Like you. First-year student from Vermont. Named after a Greek goddess. Rooming with TBD. Any idea what TBD’s last name is, or does she prefer just TBD? Are you and she on a first letter basis yet?

I felt compelled to laugh, for this guy was a hoot. And I was good with the fact that his primary job was to bust everyone for breaking the rules as I wouldn’t be drinking, using drugs, or having sex, even though that, oddly enough, wasn’t remotely against the rules in college. I wasn’t going to sneak pets into my dorm room. Or candles. Okay, that statement was a bald-faced lie, but if candles and incense were the worst things I did in college, Rox was a lucky RA to have me in his building. The only reason I was here at Vermont U was to get an education and to learn something, and if you’ve always believed that those two phrases meant the same thing, you’ve been sorely mistaken. TBD and I don’t really talk much, I replied. She keeps to herself.

Oh my gosh. His dimples when he smiled and looked down shyly? So cute! Ugh, there was that adjective again. But yanno what? Screw it. This guy was cute. Period. So, is there any chance I can come into the common area and sit down? Or you can come over to mine? Cuz I’d like to get to chat with you, but it’s kinda awkward standing in the doorway of your suite.

Having nothing to hide, I welcomed him right in. Our common area exemplified the antithesis of homey, complete with the standard issue loveseat, chair, and table found in every suite’s common area. The ‘Rents and I had decided it would be most prudent to not leave my mark outside of my own room until after my other suitemates arrived.

Speaking of, Rox knew the people behind the names on the doors. When he cautiously described them as characters, I decided suite life would be an adventure. Sheri, one of the program directors, had the single on the other end of the suite. Program directors moved into Elleandel tomorrow, so after just one sleep, I’d have my first suitemate. Considering that the nicest thing Rox came up with about Sheri was that she was very teacher, he didn’t seem to be a fan. The other single belonged to Jackie who was going out with Kevin who’d live in Rox’s suite. I giggled when he pointed out that they constantly broke the rule regarding the number of nights they could sleep over in each other’s rooms because the idea that anyone counted such a number kinda boggled my mind and because sleeping in a boy’s room was just an acceptable practice now. Where had college been back when I had needed it? Anyway. TBD and I were the newcomers, obviously, and the girls in the other double, Jenna and Michelle, would be giving Rox gray hairs – his words, not mine, and clearly intended as a joke, for he was way too young for gray hair.

After dossiering so much insider info about my suitemates, Rox, predictably enough, wanted the skinny on me.

What do you want to know? I inquired with a shrug.

Whatever you wanna share. What’d you do over the summer? How do you like your eggs? Boxers or briefs?

I laughed and filled him in on my summer, grateful for the chance to relive those glorious days with Mom, Dad, and Brandon at our spectacular, rented beach house in Maine. Then, before yielding the floor to learn about his summer and who was who in his family, I fielded his other questions, Scrambled, and I prefer to wear panties, thanks.

He looked confused for a moment before figuring out the reference. Okay. Wow. My turn, then. I worked at an amusement park. My family would be my mama and three big sisters. I prefer my eggs cooked as omelets, and boxer briefs manage to do what I need ‘em to do. Dang. Those were some hella personal questions I asked ya, P.

I volleyed, As long as you ask TBD the same ones, I won’t be too offended, with a grin.

Yeah. Rox and I had connected upon first sight, and every nugget of intel we shared further solidified our connection. Next personal topic? Music! Given my insight to the industry, I could talk for days but limited myself to sharing who Dad was and admitting that I loved music, singing, and going to concerts. Turned out that Rox did, too… unless he was simply agreeing with me so I wouldn’t feel homesick. Cuz that maneuver seemed very RA in my opinion.

Oww, my face pained with permagrin. Our conversation came so easily! And… I really liked him. Rox was a crush at first sight!

What’s your favorite food? he wondered.

I like chicken… and steak… and lobster, as long as it’s already all cleaned out and prepared and stuff.

His sparkling smile set the room ablaze in the gleam. "Can I just say how refreshing it is that you are who you are, absolutely unapologetically, with no pretense? You’re gonna have an incredible four years."

I hope so! I admitted.

"Oh, I know so! I get vibes off people. And you’re good vibes, Persephone. You’re all good vibes." I hadn’t even finished blushing before he inquired about my aptitude for adventure. Ha, not much these days. But he wasn’t asking to size up my potential to find trouble on his watch; he just wanted to introduce the concept of us going off campus for dinner tonight as the dining halls wouldn’t open until Friday evening, and we’d be mighty hungry if we didn’t eat until then.

Given that the ‘Rents had procured the most comprehensive meal plan for me and had fully stocked my fridge and milk crates with a shopping spree’s worth of groceries, I was confident that I’d be fed until graduation, but they, evidently, weren’t convinced I’d eat anything, whatsoever, at college. Regardless, I owned plenty of food to get me through Friday… but I wasn’t about to turn down an opportunity to eat off campus with my cute RA! "I’m a bit perplexed as to why you’d think I’d need to be adventurous to go get dinner with you," I admitted.

His smirk got me all tittered again. "Yeah, well, you just wait ‘til you get back from dinner and see if you still feel that way."

I surely should have been the teensiest bit apprehensive about leaving my residence hall with a boy I had only just met, and my ‘rents likely would’ve flipped if they knew we were leaving campus in his car, but Rox knew his way around Burlington, and other than the shopping locales, I didn’t. Besides, college freshmen universally jumped at any chance to eat off campus! Don’t believe me? Literally interview any college freshman and get back to me if they tell you otherwise. And well, Rox was raving about a restaurant with amazing steaks and sides and a to-die-for bread basket that was his choice spot for special dinners, and my first night at college warranted a special dinner, right?

Of course, right!

So, I recklessly tossed aside any caution I should’ve had, locked up my dorm room and suite, and headed downstairs with him. Little did I know, but he drove an SUV (Nice!), and he made fun of that fact. I know I should drive something eco-friendlier or whatever, but… it’s an SUV. I can run over any car that gets in my way. Ya know what I’m sayin’? I giggled nervously because considering we were heading to a steakhouse in an SUV… yeah, I knew exactly what Rox was saying.

Indeed, dinner was amazing, but I couldn’t eat like this every night of college. For one, I’d gain the freshman fifteen by Parents’ Weekend, and for two, I’d be broke as a joke! But the chances that I’d dine off campus on any sort of regular basis were so far remote that I decided right here and now to take advantage of the opportunity any time it arose.

Not my fault if, until the dining halls opened, Rox and I needed to eat off campus for every meal. And, sure, spending that chunk of time away from campus meant that I may have skipped significant portions of orientation, but my RA made me feel extremely oriented to college, including by giving me, on Thursday night – the night before the freshmen moved in en masse – a private and personal tour of the entire campus to ensure I knew right where each of my classes would meet.

At the tour’s conclusion, he brought me up to Vermont U’s best view of the sunset and whispered, I think you’re ready for college, P.

And I was… because he had taken me under his wing this week.

As we walked back to Elleandel, he explained that other freshmen weren’t counting down the hours until they could move in tomorrow but until they’d be at the frat parties tomorrow night. Between writing them up and making sure they didn’t wind up dead, they’d keep him busy all weekend. I couldn’t help but think back to being wheeled through the hospital from the bad shit at that party in high school, but it, too, was part of my past that I had no intention of sharing with anyone at Vermont U… not even Rox.

I found myself picking up my pace because I wanted to escape this conversation and pronto, and I could… just as soon as we reached my suite, but we still weren’t walking fast enough as Rox found ample time to assert, Well, just consider yourself lucky that you haven’t lost anyone to alcoholism or an alcohol-related fatality, P.

Yep, I was seriously over his assumptions about me, so I snarled, "You know what, Rox? You don’t actually know that about me!" Cuz it was offensive! No, I wasn’t willing to say certain names ever again, but I had known people in high school who had gone to rehab and who had died in an alleged drunk driving accident. So, to treat me like a sheltered goody-goody who didn’t know jack all about booze really pissed me off.

"I’m sorry. You just didn’t really seem to care about the dangers–"

"Yeah, well, just because I don’t waste my breath spouting facts doesn’t mean it’s never impacted me. Don’t assume things about me, Rox." Having finally reached Estentine Lowtower, I marched upstairs.

Okay, P. Got it, he stated. I’ll be more PC next time.

Yanno what? I didn’t give a shit if he was PC; I just didn’t want him to be an asshole! I grumbled, Whatever. See ya tomorrow. Have fun wrangling the frosh, and headed into my suite, locked the door, and locked myself inside my room for the night.

Well… that was my plan…

My phone rang. I knew the number, and given that only a few, extremely select people on the entire planet even possessed my digits, the recognition meant I wanted to talk to… well, the caller.

Yellow, I answered with a grin.

"Yellow, yeah, I have a pizza here for a Miss Pee Ess," the voice I had once thought I’d never hear again and, recently, believed I wouldn’t hear again for a circumstance that had been entirely my fault because – well, let’s not get into that – joked. "But considering I’m staring at an ugly, gray, locked metal door, thinkin’ it must’ve been a crank call?"

"Oh my gosh, you’re here?" I gasped, realizing from the vivid description that he must’ve been calling from just outside my suite! I bounded from my bed, sprinted to the suite door, and threw it open.

Sure enough, there he was, looking every bit as gorgeous as he had when he had first graced my notice upon entering the Diversity Middle School auditorium eons ago… Jesse Kingsley.

Sorry if you were hoping for an actual pizza, P.S., but I was just being a smartass, he explained as he hugged me. Pity the boy was gay because he gave hugs that made a girl feel properly hugged. I supposed they’d also made boys feel properly hugged, too. Lucky boys.

Oh my gosh, you don’t hate me? I gasped as our hug continued.

For what? he mumbled into my hair.

For Saturday night?

Why would I hate you for Saturday night?

I pulled back just enough to look into his eyes. Damn, I could get lost in them and never ask for directions. "Cuz I’m not supposed to kiss you. Only, I forgot and thought you’d hate me now, and I don’t want you to hate me cuz I really need us to be friends. Especially now, given that you’re one of like three people I even know here in Burlington, and like– I paused to keep the words that desperately wanted to pour out – I love you, and I don’t love the other people I know here!" – within my mouth because it’d be wrong to admit that truth to him.

He smirked. My turn? I nodded because it would be best if he immediately said something so that I wouldn’t say anything more. "Did I kiss you back on Saturday night? Um, yeah, he had, so I nodded again. Therefore, you didn’t do anything wrong, P.S.."

His valiant attempt to make me feel better had failed. I leaned my forehead on his shoulder and whined, Then, why did it feel wrong?

"That one is on you cuz I, in all honesty, don’t know."

Our hug had reached the critical point of having distinctly gone on for too long, so rather than continue standing awkwardly in the doorway of my suite, I invited him in because I didn’t want him to leave, and we, frankly, needed to get caught up on everything that had gone on since we had last spoken.

Speaking of, now that the shock of Jesse Kingsley!? has worn off for you, let me explain that everything happening now came as a direct result of my efforts to resurrect him way back in May. Yeah. The resurrection had worked; only, Jesse’s fury at me for the horrible things I had said about him in death… and quite possibly for having run over his feet when he had been alive (though he had yet to admit that)… had caused him to go directly to Maine upon his resurrection rather than to first check in with me in Pine Hill to let me know my efforts had succeeded. Yeah. Under any other circumstance, I would’ve wanted to kill him for not telling me he was alive, but my joy in discovering that he was, indeed, alive had caused me to instantly forgive him.

Maybe I was growing up. Maybe I was just glad Jesse would, too.

But our paths had crossed in Maine, and over the summer, we had worked through our animosity. After all, I now understood that he hadn’t been a liar all along but had been exploring the coming out process and had planned to go public as Travis Pillsbury’s date to Senior Ball but had wound up dead in a car accident before getting there.

For the record, he hadn’t been drinking and driving.

And he still hadn’t consumed alcohol because he was only twenty.

And he believed he had been murdered that night!

But who would kill Jesse Kingsley? Your guess was as good as mine, but my top suspect was a name I no longer uttered. The why? Kingsley had always been a threat to him… and was the only guy he had ever felt threatened by. Only, Kingsley wasn’t into me, and my number one suspect was married now. So… maybe he didn’t do it.

Jes surprised me by pulling me into his lap on the couch. Not gonna lie, I loved snuggling up to him. Even now. He was just warm and comforting and… home. So, didja get a boyfriend yet? he teased me.

No, not yet, I dismissed with a nervous giggle. Cuz, yes, I had a crush, but a crush wasn’t a boyfriend. "Did you get a boyfriend yet?"

P.S.! For the millionth time, I’m not looking for a boyfriend!

Because you already know what you want; you just have to wait for a few more things to fall into place first, I recited. Cuz he had said it so often, but I kinda dismissed it as meaning he hadn’t found anyone to turn his head away from whoever he had set his sights on.

Well, yeah, he agreed. "And I’ve seen some recent evidence that the tides are turning in my favor, so… hopefully, those things fall into place soon. I nodded because I wanted that for him, too. I have a hunch that this is going to be a really good year for us, P.S.." He wrapped me so tightly into him that it felt like we were one person, but given what he had just said, we kinda, sorta were.

I hope so, too, Jes, I noted, nose to nose, eyes darting between his eyes and lips. I wanted to kiss him, but that’d be wrong, and tonight, I caught myself in time. I probably should turn in. I wriggled away from him, scared that if I didn’t break our connection right now, I’d forget to. But thanks for coming over, and don’t be a stranger.

P.S., wait, he whined, reaching for me.

But I had already opened the suite door to let him out. "I’m sorry, Jes, it’s just that whenever we’re together, it’s really hard for me to remember that you’re gay."

He neared where I stood, noting, "Just remember you’re the only one here who has said that."

I rolled my eyes. "Of course, you remember you’re gay, Jesse."

Ooh! He got right up in my face. Uh, swoon. Again, only one saying it. He placed his hand under my chin, raised my face towards his, and landed a kiss on my lips. "Oops, was that wrong?" I shook my head before recalling that it was and adjusted my head to nod. Exactly. Goodnight, P.S.. With that, he left the suite.

I threw the heavy door open and followed him. Jes! I can’t play this game with you!

He smiled back at me. "We’re not playing a game, P.S.. It is what it is, and it’s exactly what it looks like. His grin grew. G’night."

As I returned to my sanctuary, locking each door as I passed, I pondered what it looked like. Frankly? That Jesse Kingsley intended to retreat into the closet here at Vermont U. Which not only made no sense but also wasn’t a masquerade I wanted to be involved with.

Though having a for-show-only boyfriend would make focusing on my schoolwork easier as I wouldn’t have any of the emotional upheaval of an actual relationship. But I couldn’t merely appear to be involved with Jesse cuz my heart wanted the whole kit and caboodle with him.

But that core truth was just another sliver of Persephone that nobody at Vermont U would ever be privy to.

chapter two

Fresh Faced Frosh

The influx of frosh onto campus didn’t impact my suite. Sheri had been here all week but had been so caught up in program director stuff and teaching stuff that she hadn’t introduced herself yet, and in all honesty, I hadn’t felt like taking the initiative on that one. There were like 10,000 students at Vermont U. If a stuck-up teacher bitch girl didn’t want to be my friend, I didn’t feel like using an ounce of energy on her either.

Holing myself up in my suite, or even more preferably in my room, was not any way to lay the groundwork for lasting friendships (or even temporary ones), and if I was spending four years of my life here, I’d need to get along with someone. Calculating that everybody would likely check in with the RA at one point or another today, I wandered over to Rox’s suite to hang out.

Hey, P! Bet you’re glad you’re not dealing with moving in today! Rox greeted me before jumping up from the couch where he was playing videogames to give me a hug. Let me introduce you to some people. He led me down the hallway of his suite to the double on the end and knocked on the open door. Hey, guys! You need to meet Persephone! She lives across the hall in an all girls’ suite, so you might want to get along with her.

Cue college boys. The taller one, introduced as Cal, was apparently here on a basketball scholarship and was built just like the guy that came to mind at the words: redheaded basketball player.

Ha ha! We got ourselves another ginger! Holler! he exclaimed before trying to get me to give him a high five. I looked up at his hand, way over my head, and rolled my eyes without attempting to reach up.

But then, Rox shocked me by grabbing me from behind and lifting me up so I could reach. Despite my kicking and squirming, he set me down with extreme gentleness. What the hell was that? I asked him.

I was just helping you high five him, he explained.

"Well, I could’ve kneed him in the nuts and high fived him when he doubled over, but I didn’t. Don’t ever grab me from behind. Ever!"

I stormed out before my introduction to Cal’s roommate, but given his scruffy facial hair and brand-name flannel shirt, I already knew that guy – not personally, of course, but the type. Mom had cautioned me about the overabundance of crunchy, hipster yuppies in Burlington, and I didn’t see a need to meet any of them. No offense, Cal’s roomie.

I retreated to my suite, locked the door behind me, ignored the immediate pounding on said door, and hid away in my room.

So, this was college. Great.

About an hour later, the knock came from my door. Knowing I had locked the suite, I was curious to know who was there.

Lo and behold, Cal’s roommate. Hi, I’m Vin. You left without meeting me, which is a shame, cuz you’re the hottest girl on the floor. When he smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkled.

Yeah, I remained unimpressed. "Hi, Vin, though that can’t really be your name because then you and Cal would be CalVin. Or VinCal."

He shook his head disapprovingly. As I thought. You’re a lesbian. That explains it.

See, I knew from the jump that I didn’t like Vin. Not one iota from the moment I saw his scruffy beard and expensive flannel shirt. Didn’t like him. Not because he thought I was a lesbian, which anyone who knew me knew simply wasn’t true, but because he was so quick to assume he knew a damned thing about me when he didn’t.

Okay, so I had identified him as a crunchy, hipster yuppy the moment I had seen him, but he was one! And now, his high-horsed, self-pretentious self, viewed himself as better than me and needed to be knocked down a few pegs. So, brilliant Vin, what gave it away?

Well, Rox is pacing around the suite trippin’ cuz of that whole ‘don’t grab me, asshole’ thing you did over at our room, and Cal and I were telling him it’s because you hate men.

Nope, I just hated Vin. And somewhere in your divinity you decided it would be remotely in the realm of okay to disturb me when I was in my room in order to harass me about my sexuality? Pointing to the door for effect, I screamed, Get the hell out of my suite!

I don’t have anything against lesbians! he defensively explained.

Well, I have a thing against closed-minded, ignorant assholes who come over to my home to harass me. So, get the fuck out! I put my hand on my hip, scowled at him, and must’ve looked amply serious, for he turned and skulked away. I closed my door, locked it, and flopped onto my bed. Less than five hours of having other freshmen on campus, I had already been labeled as the quintessential lesbian.

So much for me ever having a love life here in college.

Another knock on my door. Persephone, Rox’s voice pleaded. "I know you’re in there, and I’m not stalking you. I just want to talk. Please? I’d like to come in. I won’t write you up for any pets, booze, or drugs that I see in your room. Honest!" My eyes rolled, even though nobody witnessed the movement, but I let him in.

He timidly ventured, Okay, I don’t know what Vin was thinking, but his behavior towards you was not okay and is not acceptable at Vermont U. Sexual orientation is one’s own business and isn’t to be speculated upon by others. So, if you would like to file a complaint about his behavior, I will happily help you out there.

Grateful to be in the right, I smirked. "Thanks. But I don’t really care if close-minded CalVin think I like girls. I don’t like Vin, and Cal didn’t impress me either. So, unless they know some worthwhile guy who’ll believe their stupidity, which would kinda make him not a worthwhile guy at all, I don’t actually give an iota of a shit what that asshole is saying or thinking about me. I noticed that Rox was progressively smiling more throughout my diatribe. What?" I asked him.

He shook his head. "Nada. Oh, and before I forget, I am sorry that I grabbed you earlier. I get that it was way over the line and freaked you out, and that wasn’t what I was going for. He looked down at his feet. I was just all ‘Oh, hell no,’ when Cal was doing the ‘I’ll hold my hand way up high so the girl has to jump and look foolish and bounce all over the place givin’ me some sort of cheap thrill cuz I can’t get a quality girl on my own merit’ thing."

Now, I progressively smiled. "Okay, I’ll give you that I overreacted, and I have my reasons, that I’d rather not get into, but considering you’re the only nice person I’ve met here so far, I’m over it."

He flashed an incredulous glare. "Girl, if you think I’m nice, we gotta get you out more. I’ve never been described as nice like ever. Except maybe by Mama’s friends. ‘Oh, your boy, Rox, is such a nice boy, Grace. Why don’t he have a good girl?’ He shook his head. I dunno. Maybe cuz I already know all the girls from back home?"

For Rox, back home meant Boston and not the touristy part. Since he aspired for more than his neighborhood could offer him, he had busted his ass to graduate from high school a year early and escape it. Evidently, many people didn’t have the same opportunity, and he deemed himself truly blessed and believed that the stars had aligned for him. It shocked me that his family disapproved of his decision to come to Vermont because if he wanted to go to school in Vermont, shouldn’t his family support his decision? Regardless, he had done what he had needed to do to secure the future he wanted.

So, yeah, he was only eighteen and felt he had missed out on all the perks of being a senior in high school. I joked with him that, in all honesty, he hadn’t missed anything except for, maybe, the prom night cliché.

My comment caused him to smirk and look bashfully at his hands, so I looked at his hands, too. They were completely the opposite of mine. His were nice, big, dark, strong, manly hands. Mine were tiny, pale, dainty, and pointless. I had never done a stitch of hard work in my life and hadn’t had some difficult circumstance to overcome, yet Rox had juggled work and school while looking over his shoulder to make sure the traps of home didn’t hold him back. I yearned to hold his hand, as if to transfer myself to him through the touch. To give him a glimpse of how someone who had grown up in my shoes lived. To give him something to hang onto on all the days that weren’t easy.

And I wanted to feel his hand in mine. His hands looked so protective, and I just needed to feel safe, whole, and not alone… once again.

I think I’ll be okay if I didn’t get to do the prom night thing, yanno? he remarked. Uh, yeah. Something told me that Rox was just fine without the prom night cliché. If for nothing else, but because I was.

I went to my senior prom with my best friend’s husband, I blurted out. Fuck! Why had I said that? Now, I’d owe him an explanation! Should’ve shut up while you were ahead, Persephone!

He turned to look at me with confusion. "You didn’t have a prom date?" Well, I did, until he dumped me to go with the boy he liked. His incredulous look didn’t fade. That’s not a prom date. That’s a friend doin’ a solid. You didn’t have a boyfriend? I shook my head, for as of prom, I did not have a boyfriend. What the hell is wrong with Vermont guys? If you went out dancin’ in Boston, the men would be all up on you. No joke. As in, ‘Here’s a stick, P. Good luck fighting ‘em all off.’

You wouldn’t help me fight them off? I playfully inquired.

"Oh! No, see, the stick would be so you could sort through the ones that I allowed anywhere within your vicinity! I’d have already ensured that the players, dogs, and trash that are wholly unworthy of your airspace were sent packin’ already."

I giggled. Dammit, having a crush on Rox was not part of my plan. I was here to get an education. Not to have a hormone kick that made me sweat my RA. I mean, seriously? An RA! I might have been a square sort of kid, but even I knew that in college, you stayed away from the RAs because they lived to make life miserable. You sure as hell didn’t want to get with one. What the hell was wrong with me?

"Is it seriously ten of three already? he inquired, looking at my clock. I shrugged. My clock was right. He could tell time. Presumably, his question was rhetorical. We gotta get to the lounge for the ‘Welcome, Freshmen!’ meeting. I rolled my eyes. Yeah, see, that’s not right. You aren’t supposed to be all cynical about the ‘Welcome, Freshmen!’ meeting cuz you haven’t been to one yet. I went to mine last year. So, I get to be cynical… but I gotta run this thing."

Will there be food? I optimistically inquired.

He looked me in the eyes, and I swore I must have gasped to catch my breath. I’m so sorry. I totally spaced on bringing you to lunch today. Dining halls open at five. We’ll be done with the ‘Welcome, Freshmen!’ meeting in time to go, if you want company.

Can’t imagine I’ll know anyone else by five o’clock that will steal me away from you, Rox, I confessed. I think you’ve got yourself a little resident shadow for a while this year.

"Not that I mind, but you’re gonna be great here. You’re gonna love it… eventually. And once the rest of the girls in your suite move in, I have a feeling I won’t have a dinner buddy for long."

Yeah, no, I hated that idea. Cuz I wanted to be Rox’s dinner buddy for like the next four – well, three – years. But I knew I needed other friends, too, and I kinda, sorta sucked at friendships. I mean, back home, I had one true friend… Gabby Kingsley. But otherwise? The girls were fair-weather, judgmental bitches, and the boys were never my friends. So, evidently, I’d need to make my friends at college.

Ergo, I’d attend my Welcome, Freshmen! meeting with the person who had become my first best friend at Vermont U… my RA, Rox.

chapter three

Two Truths and a Lie

Picture this. A college lounge filled with a bunch of seventeen and eighteen-year-olds who had just moved into their dorm awaiting the fresh hell known as the Welcome, Freshmen! meeting. Yeah. Two hours of icebreakers and lectures about residence hall rules. Ugh! And even though I was in like flint with Rox, I needed to go, too? Why exactly had I struck up a friendship with our RA again?

Oh, right – because he was so damned cute. Son of a biscuit.

Ready for my visual first impressions of everybody? Yeah, no, neither was I, but since I was supposed to attempt to build meaningful friendships among this lot, you’re getting them whether you want ‘em or not, just like I did. So, as TBD was still a no-show, I remained the only frosh in my suite. Rox’s suite had CalVin, who we already knew. Don’t ask me what program their suite was cuz I still couldn’t tell ya. I knew Rox was unprogrammed but that was because he was our assigned RA. Anyway, the third suite on our floor, another Soon-to-be Educators’ suite, next to Rox’s suite, housed four freshmen girls.

If I was supposed to be friends with them, that was a lost cause as they were clearly the girls I had avoided like a plague in high school. Two were those beautiful blonde bombshells who were too sweet to be true, and the other two were as crunchy as Vin but lacked stubble on their faces. They did possess the requisite designer flannel shirts. Yeah, insert eyeroll at the cliché that was the student body of Vermont U.

The third floor of Estentine Lowtower housed the Science Fiction program, including two freshmen boys and two freshmen girls in the suite directly above mine and an additional four freshmen boys in some combination of the two other upstairs suites.

The freshmen of the Science Fiction program were clearly the freaks of their high schools. I recognize that I filled the role of Red Clover’s freak, but my freakiness paled in comparison to these full-fledged freaks. My judgment wasn’t based on the girls’ uber weird piercings (as in, not in any of the normal places, but like one seemingly had one through her cheekbone, and the other had one from her eyebrow to her ear cartilage) nor on their multi-colored hair (one with florescent hues and the other’s rainbow locks) nor because they were wearing short, plaid skirts, knee-high socks, schoolgirl blouses, and saddle shoes. Nope. It hinged on the fact that they were clearly having sex right there on the lounge’s couch as we all arrived for the Welcome, Freshmen! meeting. Yeah. And they weren’t embarrassed about it. They just kept on going like we weren’t even here.

Universe! What the hell were you thinking in introducing this motley crew of misfits into my orbit? The only thing I could decipher that we all had in common was that we were freshmen at Vermont U. Otherwise? Nada. Nope. The six other freshmen girls and eight freshmen boys in Estentine Lowtower were not remotely even a little bit like me. Apparently, the Universe still loved to fuck with me and knew how desperate I was to make a new friend here at school. I mean, seriously, Universe? Couldn’t you have thrown me a bone of a kindred spirit around here? Well, I supposed I had already connected with one kindred spirit in my tower… Rox. But he was our RA!

Oh my gosh! Rox had to go over and speak to the girls on the couch to get them to stop their antics. Holy humiliating! Yet, they weren’t shy about it at all! But we’re roommates, the neon-haired one admitted with a giggle. So, we’re just bonding.

The fun’s in our room tonight. Room 322, her roomie broadcast.

I watched in horror as the boys in the lounge made mental note of their room number. Blech! And just when I didn’t expect it to get any worse, the boys from their suite joined their suitemates on the couch.

Alright, let’s get this ‘Welcome, Freshmen!’ meeting underway, Rox announced over the ensuing racket. The girls separated, sitting in their suitemates’ laps rather than stay on top of each other. I’m Rox. I’m your RA. I know that makes me highly despised cuz it’s not cool to like the RA, but I’m hopeful we can work together to make it a good year rather than just avoid each other because you view me as the bad guy. I’m wicked understanding and compassionate to huge problems, so if you’ve got any, come to me, and we’ll get it worked out for you. I’m a sophomore here at Vermont U, double majoring in biology and psychology, with a double minor in philosophy and urban studies. I’m from Boston, so I love Boston’s sports teams, and I love everything else about Vermont. When I’m not doing schoolwork, which is pretty much never, I like to play videogames, watch movies, and since the rule in Vermont is that I have to mention something outdoorsy, I like to go kayaking, but I don’t own one. Now, we’re gonna play two truths and a lie to get to know each other better. Persephone, you go first.

I wanted to shoot him. Picking me to go first on a getting to know each other game? Ugh. But I knew he was desperate for participation, so I opted to participate. I haven’t been home since the morning after graduation. My favorite color is, I paused, peeking to see what color I was wearing. Pink. Pink. And I have a two-year-old brother.

The numbskulls in my tower didn’t have a clue. Except Rox. "What is your favorite color?" he pressed.

"Ah, I didn’t choose to share that, now, did I?" I teased him.

Cal’s three statements were: I can touch the rim of a basketball hoop. I can slam dunk. And I crochet. Gee. Shocker that he had never crocheted.

Vin’s were: I’m lookin’ for a girlfriend. I’m lookin’ for good weed. And I’ve never had any alcohol, ever. Are we surprised that he was dumb enough to admit he likes to drink liquor? Ugh. I hated these people!

Blonde girl number one from the 210s suite: My name is Ina. My name is Jenna. My dog’s name is McKenna. Well, her name was Ina. I hoped there wouldn’t be a test on this crap.

Her roommate had teeny purple braids throughout her hair. I like teaching little kids. I want to be an art teacher. I teach swimming lessons. Turned out she hated little kids. Oh, and her name was Fuchsia. Yeah, I doubted that, too, but it was her claim to fame.

Blonde number two, named Taylor, offered, I scored a perfect score on my SATs. I got accepted into every college I applied to. I came here because my boyfriend goes here. Turned out that he wasn’t her boyfriend; he was her fiancé. Therefore, "Sorry, boys, I’m taken!" Yawn. Snooze.

Her roommate was Tawny. I’ve never shaved my legs. I’m a vegan. I puke on people who eat meat. Apparently, she had shaved her legs exactly once, when she was fourteen, and had regretted it ever since.

Up next, the upstairs girls. Rain, the rainbow-haired one, came up with: I never kissed a girl before today. I love having sex. And I’ll sleep with any of you who show up at Room 322 tonight. Turned out that Rain told three truths because apparently Rain was an idiot.

Her newfound lover was Metty, short for Metamorphosis. I sleep naked. I wear glasses. I eat with chopsticks. She actually ate with a stainless-steel straw. Oh my gosh! Make the freak parade stop! Ugh!

What’ve we got left? Six boys from the Science Fiction program? Um. Yeah. I can’t even re-quote them all. Their names were: Sven, David S. – to be known as Schubert, David R. – to be known as Roosevelt, Glen – who goes by Yam, Artie, and Paul. Ready to do their collective two truths and a lie? Okay, here goes. One, they’ve never gotten laid. Two, they were never going to get laid. Three, they lived in some weird fantasy world where all they did was play games all the time. Yeah, that was what I gathered from every last one of their turns. The lie being that they won’t get laid, of course, because apparently, they all planned to go to Rain and Metty’s room tonight.

About this time, I mentally checked out of the meeting. I knew if I stared at Rox while he was talking, I’d wind up blushing or swooning or something, so I stared out the window at the encroaching darkness that would signal dinner time. "Okay, it’s five, and I wanna invite y’all to head on over to the dining hall with me, but you gotta have your own meal cards though cuz I ain’t payin’ like ten bucks each for that crap. Everyone chuckled. I mean, it’s not bad. It’s just not ten bucks good, either. So, ask everyone back home for gift cards for local restaurants, and have a good year! Oh, and to make sure there’s no excuse for risky behaviors this semester, help yourselves!" Rox put a huge – and I do mean, ginormous! – bowl of condoms onto the table, which emptied within seconds, and happy, sexual college kids poured forth from the lounge in a race upstairs. Probably to Room 322. Yuck, but… good for them.

Since I planned to go over to the dining hall with Rox, I hung out in the lounge as he cleaned up. I think that went as well as can be expected for such dull and chronically unappealing material, he summarized.

Teal, I revealed.

He looked at me and smirked. Yet, you’re wearing pink.

Pink looks good on me.

I’m sure teal does, too, with you being a redhead.

Yeah, most colors do. I’ve got Mom’s complexion.

Me too, he boasted, rubbing the back of his hand on his cheeks.

I grinned. Your mama must be a beautiful lady, Rox.

He nodded. Thanks. She is. She’s the best. She sacrificed everything for me.

Goes with the territory. If you have a kid, you want the best for them. And you’ll do whatever it takes to get it.

I agree, he noted. And since you’re probably not planning to have kids in the next four years, if you still need some condoms, I do have RA connections to get you as many as you need.

I’m all set, I scoffed, aware that he meant well, but knowing I wouldn’t be using the condoms I already owned before they expired. Nope. Sex was not remotely on my radar at all. Don’t get me wrong. I wanted to kiss Rox’s lips so badly that I could taste him from across the room, but he was a crush. And having a crush was good… and healthy.

Do you want a baby? he pried.

Not right now. He looked at me with