Fratlas

Day one of college was actually not that exciting.

I'm not sure what I was expecting exactly, but aching legs and a thumping headache was not the one. I mean, the place was a maze. Exactly how did they expect anyone to find their way around it?

I slipped my sneakers off, sipping the prosecco that Laurie handed me and groaned.

"Oh come on. Did you not see the hotties?"

Tam and I exchanged a glance, before Laurie caught us, her expression thunderous.

"What? Oh, like you didn't notice them?"

"Them?" I repeated, stifling a giggle as Tam sniggered beside me. I took a mouthful of fizz before I could say anything more incriminating, and avoided Tams gaze. If anything, she would only make me spit it out with laughter.

Laurie shrugged, scrolling through her phone as she listed the many parties that were taking place the following night, as I groaned in response.

"Tell me how I can't even find my Childhood Studies class and you seem to have already organised your social life for the next semester."

Laurie didn't bat an eyelid, only to sit up straight as she began to get excited.

"Oh my God, tomorrow night there's a salsa class with Oliver Vazquez! Girls. We HAVE to go."

We stared at her blankly, until she waved her hands with frustration.

"Oliver Vazquez?"

More blank expressions.

"Oh God!" she typed away on her phone before turning it towards us, a vision of lustrous black hair and dark brown eyes burned into our retinas until finally Tam sighed.

"Right, so another Latino guy you're into. You want us to come and shake our tush so you can try and bring him back to your shiny new dorm for acts of debauchery and filth?"

Laurie paused, before nodding brightly.

"Yes, that's about it."

"Wonderful. I'm your girl. Fran, there might even be someone for us there."

I rolled my eyes in response, before stretching my limbs out with tiredness. I was pleased Laurie's dorm was big enough for the three of us to sleep in overnight, as I doubt I would've made it home before passing out face down in the street.

Not a good start to college.

The girls continued to talk excitedly, whilst I wondered where they got their energy from. My phone lit up and I saw it was Aubri, my best friend since I could remember.

"Hey," I answered, relaxing when I heard her chirpy voice.

"How was your first day?!" She gushed, and I heard the excitement in her voice. Aubri wasn't starting for another few days, and was still obsessing over the whole affair. I didn't want to spoil it for her, but I had to be honest.

"A little underwhelming, I'll admit. But on the plus side Laurie is dragging us to a Salsa class tomorrow night if you're interested."

I heard her cackle down the phone, and I knew that was a firm no. I envied whatever excuse she had ready.

"Christ no. I couldn't think of anything worse."

I smiled to myself, pleased that she was so beautifully blunt as always.

"But send pics! It will serve a purpose that way."

"You want to laugh at me?"

"Yeah, pretty much. Have you seen Jake or Atlas yet?"

My heart skipped a little at the mention of their names, and I turned away so the other two couldn't hear me.

"No, thank God."

"Ha! You're worried now you're single they're going to hunt you down, and carry you back to their man caves!"

Actually, that didn't sound so bad after all, as long as they didn't want anything more. I sank onto the sofa that was to be my bed for the evening, as I managed to change the subject.

"Will you be coming to any of the parties?" I asked, yawning again as Aubri sighed.

"Yeah, of course. Milton still goes to them with Atlas, except he always comes home after a couple of hours because he is being manhandled by the women there. So he can have a bit of his own medicine, no?"

We laughed then, and we chatted for a while before I ended the call. The girls must've been tired too, because before long Laurie was dishing out our duvets and blowing us air kisses as she went to take her make up off in the bathroom.

"Why does she wear all of that shit? She doesn't need it," grumbled Tam, settling down on the sofa opposite mine. They were on the small side, but it was definitely easier than travelling home and back for nine am.

"I honestly don't know. I think she's beautiful without it."

"She doesn't need fake eyelashes in the day-"

"I can hear you slating me!" Laurie called from the bathroom, as we began to call out excuses. She stomped in moments later, her penguin slippers slapping against the floor as I tried not to laugh.

"Now what?" she huffed, folding her arms as I nodded to the slippers, making Tam scream with laughter.

"You know what, you bitches can fuck off. I'm going to bed."

"Oh Lau, we love you."

"Just not the slippers, right?"

"You're too cute."

"Your asses can sleep outside."

I fell asleep with a smile on my face, sheer exhaustion taking over me before I faced my second day at Eastwood University.