Masked

Violet:

Tattoos. Muscles. Football player. And those eyes-- eyes that swirl with specks of green and brown.

My pencil tapped along my empty paper, as my hand rested upon my right cheek. I was daydreaming again. As always. For the last month it was usually about one thing and one thing only: Roman Vacari, my brother’s hot college best friend.

I couldn’t get him out of my mind. It must be my hormones, or the fact that he’s a junior and I’m only a freshman in college. Or maybe it was the fact that he was hot, like incredibly hot. He was a chiseled slab of man. His muscles were carved like a sculpture, mostly from daily workouts and playing football.

But his body wasn’t the only thing that had me awestruck. His face was just equally as hot, sculpted jawline, along with lush lips and a pair of entrancing eyes that swirled with vivid greens and browns.

But the sound of feet shuffling and books slamming reached my ears, and I realized I had just daydreamed my way through my entire Introduction to classical literature class.

But hey, luckily it was Halloween and I had much more important things to think about besides classical literature. Although, it did help me get through my everyday life, daydreaming that Roman would eventually write me a love poem, or feverish love note. I pictured him one day professing his secret love for me and promising that he’d get my brother’s permission to date me.

But that was just another wild dream of mine.

Roman didn’t think of me like that—and if he did, he didn’t show it, maybe out of respect for my brother or maybe because he had a long line of women waiting to date him, which I’m sure he did.

He was a jock— a football player. What woman wouldn’t want to date him?

People said he was a player, but I never saw it for myself. Maybe he dated women in private.

Either way, there was a fat chance that he’d ever consider dating me. After all I was his best friend’s little sister, 18 years old, barely a woman and a freshman at that.

The other girls were probably a lot more sophisticated than I were, with their perfectly manicured nails, their ability to drink at bars legally, and their ample curves.

I was just growing into my body, sure I had curves but I was still maturing. I wasn’t into painting my nails either, because I had a habit of incessantly biting my nails whenever I got nervous, and that was often around him. And as for the fake ID, I didn’t have one—nor would anyone even believe that I was 21. I was cursed with having a round face.

“What are you thinking about this time?” My best friend Cara asked, pulling me from my incessant thoughts.

I bit the corner of my lip before facing her, pinkness flushing my cheeks. “Nothing,” I shrugged as I shoved the books and notebook into my backpack.

“It didn’t look like nothing,” she smirked, pressing further. Her black hair framed her heart shaped face as her green eyes danced knowingly with mine.

Cara knew better. We’d been best friends since we were 8 years old.

“Nothing important,” I explained as we walked along the hallways. People were hurrying in all directions, it was Halloween after all, and with Halloween meant college parties.

Her eyebrows raised, “Are you day dreaming about Roman again?”

I bit my lip harder, causing blood to form along my bottom lip. Goddamn Cara. She always knew everything. I wasn’t good at hiding it, it probably read all over my face.

“No,” I squeaked out, causing Cara to loudly laugh.

“I knew it! You dirty girl!” she laughed again. “You are obsessed with that boy, you know that right?”

“Ugh,” I heaved out a deep breath before forcing my eyes shut for a moment as Cara and I pushed through the crowded halls then out into the courtyard.

“Admit it— you’re obsessed. You got it bad!” she teased again.

“I don’t want to admit it,” I huffed out again, tucking a strand of blonde hair behind my ear.

“Denial isn’t good, Violet,” she taunted, grinning widely as she did. “I think you should go for it. What’s the worst that could happen?”

“Uhm— what’s the worst that could happen?” I nearly yelled. I reduced my tone to a soft whisper as we walked through the courtyard, “my brother would kill me, literally kill me Cara. Then, oh, there’s the matter of blatant rejection. I don’t think I could handle it. I’d rather just live in fantasy, believing that I may have a chance with him and that he may feel the same way I do.”

“That’s no fun Vi,” she sighed. “But I get it. I still think that’s its worth a shot though.”

“Maybe if I get drunk enough,” I joked.

“Hey, why not tonight?” she pressed.

“I think I’d need to drink an entire bottle of vodka to muster up even an ounce of courage,” I chuckled.

Suddenly, a pair of large hands pressed onto my shoulders with force, causing my body to jolt forward and a loud gasp to dispense from my mouth.

“Fuck, Ben! You nearly made me pee myself!” I yelled, my gaze meeting my brother’s devious one.

My brother was always a jokester, he thought scaring me was fun, especially since I was already jumpy as it was. I hated scary movies, despised them, and every year for Halloween I chose a cute costume instead of a scarier one. When we were younger Ben used to hide in the bushes and jump out at me, hoping to scare me during every waking moment. Seems like nothing changed, he still loved to make me jump. He always thought it was funny. Then I’d cry, or pee myself, and then my mother would scold him. Eventually I stopped peeing myself luckily, but the crying never completely went away. I was a scaredy cat.

“Still easy to scare huh, sis?” Ben laughed.

I narrowed my eyes upon him, and twisted my lips into a scowl.

I was so preoccupied with Ben, that I almost didn’t feel Cara tugging softly on my shirt sleeve, trying to get my attention.

My gaze trailed from Ben’s devious one to the same pair of eyes I had just finished day dreaming about. Roman’s.

He offered me a small wave, his gaze retreating back to Ben’s, but even as fleeting as it was, I could’ve swore he glanced at my chest for a moment.

But I must’ve been imagining things. I was sex crazed and amped up with hormones at the mere sight of him.

“Got any crazy plans tonight, Vi?” Ben asked, causing my gaze to shift back towards his. “What about you Cara?” He raised his eyebrows, winking at Cara.

“Gross, leave my best friend alone!” I replied, pressing Cara into a hug and sticking out my tongue at Ben.

“Seriously though, what’s your plans for tonight? What fraternity asshole do I have to beat up for inviting you to a party?” Ben pried, causing my gaze to shift towards Roman’s. His gaze was focused on mine, waiting for my response.

“I don’t know—Cara has some parties in mind,” I deferred to her, hoping Ben would stop asking me.

I loved this time of the year—- the fall that was. Halloween parties weren’t my favorite pastime but Cara would drag me to one regardless.

“We have a few parties in mind,” Cara shrugged, her gaze connected with Ben’s. I could’ve swore the two were checking out each other.

“Alpha Epsilon Pi and Alpha Phi Alpha, who knows maybe we’ll even head over to Alpha Tau Omega’s party,” she winked at Ben.

God, these two were unbearable. It’s like they were secretly hoping to bone each other. I couldn’t imagine my best friend and my brother together. Ew. No.

I gave Cara a look of disapproval which she shrugged off.

Ben laughed again, “well I’ll be at Alpha Tau Omega, most of the team is part of that frat.”

“Oh, we didn’t know,” I rolled my eyes at him.

“I’m trying to convince Roman to come out, but he’s adamant on staying in again,” Ben chimed, it was his soft attempt at pressuring Roman. He was always passive aggressive that way.

Roman’s gaze was focused on the sidewalk as we walked along.

“C’mon man,” Ben continued. “You can’t stay in again this year— unless you got something else going on,” Ben raised his eyebrows, waiting for Roman to respond.

My breath hitched, as I waited for him to respond. I was waiting for the inevitable, to learn that Roman was interested in women, and not gay. Then I’d finally have to accept the harsh reality that he was not interested in me.

That knowledge would break my heart into two— along with ruin all my future daydreams.

I needed to remain ignorant. I did not want to know about his sexual life, though I’m sure he had one.

What woman wouldn’t want to see all 6 foot 4 of his chiseled body naked? That would be a crime itself.

Instead, Roman didn’t respond. He ignored Ben’s comments, which drove me even further with madness. I began thinking the worst. I was always a disaster thinker anyways. Now images floated through my mind of Roman’s cock thrusting inside a pretty brunette cheerleader, and all night long.

PLEASE MAKE IT GO AWAY! I begged my mind.

Luckily, it did. The image soon disappeared as Ben wrapped me into a hug.

“We’ll I’m off Vi. Goodbye Cara! Hope I see you guys at the party, so I can fight off the creeps!” Ben called out as he headed off through the field towards his dorm. Roman followed in his tow, his gaze met mine again before he waved and stated, “be safe tonight.”

I repeated his words in my head on a loop. Be safe tonight. How fucking sweet. God, was he beautiful.

“Maybe, just maybe your daydreaming is paying off,” Cara stated, causing my gaze to whip towards hers. “Be safe tonight,” Cara mocked in a deeper tone.

“Oh shut up!” I laughed, smacking her right arm.

“See you at 9?” Cara replied. “I’ll bring the refreshments! Vodka, vodka, and extra vodka!” she laughed loudly. She waved before she skipped away towards her dorm.

“See you at 9!” I called out before pulling the door to my dorm building open then hauling my ass towards my dorm room.

Luckily, my roommate was going to be out of the dorm all day, she was pre gaming with her boyfriend before the parties. So, I had my dorm all to myself, to daydream feverishly about the way Roman’s gaze fixated on mine, and the way his words swarmed in my mind. Be safe tonight.

I shall. I shall be safe, Roman.