I'm halfway through unpacking one of my suitcases when I hear the faint jingle of keys at the door. I hold my breath as it slowly creaks open.

"Hey roommate, I'm Skylar," the girl squeals, rushing towards me. Without warning, she embraces me in a giant bear hug. Her thin, frail arms wrap tightly around my upper body. A powerful scent of vanilla overpowers me. I can taste it in my mouth with each inhale of breath.

After several long awkward minutes, she releases me, stepping back a few inches. I pay close attention to her while her eyes scan up and down my entire body. She's studying me, taking in my features. I do the same.

I'm surprised by her appearance Not at all what I was expecting. I thought for sure, she was going to, be one of those girls who hated everyone. The ones who walk around with smug looks, talking down on everyone, belittling them. Overall, someone who acts better than everyone else. There were a couple of girls like that back home. They were dressed in all black with facial piercings and tattoos. The main thing I remember was that they never smiled. I only saw them speak to each other, never to anyone outside their little clique. Most people avoided them as much as the group pretended the rest of the world didn't exist. To my surprise, she isn't anything like that. She seems genuinely sweet.

On top of the fact she has a pleasant personality so far, she is drop-dead gorgeous. Her shiny straight jet black hair falls right below her shoulders. The ends curl slightly towards her jaw, helping to shape her face. Compared to me, her skin is on the paler side. It's smooth and flawless, like a porcelain doll.

A tight black suede mini skirt hugs her wide hips. The black halter top she's wearing barely covers her large, firm breast. She completes her outfit with black fishnet stockings, which disappear, into a pair of black laced combat boots.

Her most unique feature is her eyes. They're piercing blue with a small hint of darkness residing in them.

"It's nice to meet you, I'm Bex." I smile back, trying to hide that I am super intimidated by her beauty. I'm almost in a trance, following her with my eyes as she walks over to her nightstand. She carries herself with such ease. Each step appears as though she is prancing through a bed of clouds. Her arm holds her breast snugly while bending down to open the drawer. Rummaging through it you can hear various objects clanging around.

"I hope you don't mind. I like to smoke sometimes. It helps me concentrate and eases my nerves," she says, retrieving a blunt before closing the drawer. "You can hit it if you want?" she asks. A sly grin spreads across her face, showing her perfectly straight white teeth. Using her free hand she fishes a small pink lighter from her bra. It clicks twice before the flame erupts, lighting the end. How can someone look so graceful sitting there, smoking weed? A large dark cloud of smoke escapes her lips while she exhales, before offering it to me.

I haven't touched any drugs in years. It wasn't like I was a hard-core druggie, but I did enjoy being high. Whether it was marijuana or pills, I even dabbled in cocaine a few times. I wasn't shy. This led to some of my past actions. Which in turn, gave me the reputation I have.

I worked hard to get sober. It was a long painful struggle, and still is every day. Addiction runs deep in my family. Many of my distant relatives are addicts or in recovery. If I hadn't changed my life when I did, I don't know where I would be today. Maybe dead or strung out on harder substances. The group of people I chose to be around was not the best. Starting over from scratch nearly killed me.

The smell of weed fills my nostrils making the temptation harder to ignore. My body wants to smoke, but my mind is conflicted. My self-consciousness, on the other hand, is screaming no. It keeps reminding me that this is my second chance. I can finally prove everyone wrong, especially the ones who doubted me.

"Um...., no, thanks, but go ahead. It's fine. It doesn't bother me," I tell her, unsure if I am giving her permission or trying to convince myself. Tearing my eyes away from her I go back unpacking.

"Ok, cool. Also, an FYI if you ever need to borrow the room and want some privacy, let me know. My girlfriend has an apartment a few streets over. So I'll be there a lot. I can't wait for you to meet her," she squeals, dropping onto her bed, and inhaling another deep hit. She exhales a cloud of smoke, reabsorbing it up through her nostrils.

A few years ago I would have jumped at getting high with her. Now I'm sitting here wishing I had a different roommate, preferably one that doesn't smoke weed. It sucks because she is such a great person but I know myself. Temptation is not my friend. It never has been. I don't know if I am strong enough for this. The smell wafts over to where I'm shoving socks into the drawer. This is going to be harder than I thought.

A loud banging on the door interrupts my thoughts.

"It's probably my brother. He forgot his keys in my purse earlier," she complains, butting the blunt into a small pink ashtray. Thankfully, neither my mom nor April had seen it earlier. I can imagine the lecture I would have gotten.

"Come in. I have to find them. Give me a second," she hollers to whoever is on the other side of the door. A man replies something urging her to hurry

"Hayden, this is Bex. Girl, this is my brother, Hayden," she said while introducing us, my back facing them. I look up at the exact moment he walks in. Our eyes lock, sending a jolt of electricity through my body.

The first thing I notice is his eyes. He has the same crystal blue eyes as his sister. Only his are a tad darker with a hint of mystery to them. I could get lost in them, trying to unlock their secrets. I can tell that he's trouble, especially for me. Bad boys are my weakness.

His dark hair is wild and free. The front falls into place above his eyes, almost hiding them. This alone adds another layer of mystery to him. I can't help imagining running my fingers through his silky hair. It looks so tempting, so soft.

Tattoos cover almost every inch of his exposed skin. When you compare him to the jocks, we saw earlier he does not look like your typical college student. Most of his ink is black, with a few colored ones hidden amongst them. I watch as he uses his hand to push his hair back. Each piece falls right back into place. A large red rose is tattooed on the outside of his hand. Small words are written below it, too, tiny to make out.

A plain white tee covers the rest of his body. More tattoos inch their way up his collarbone from beneath his shirt. Black denim jeans hug his slim, yet muscular waist. He's wearing a pair of boots that resemble his sisters. His is more of a low-cut style, whereas hers is more high-top.You can see their family resemblance including their high cheekbones and flawless skin.

Moisture glistens on his dark red lips. He licks them randomly, keeping them moist and full of color. He stays silent, giving me a quick nod before turning his attention towards Sky.

"Hurry up. I haven't got all day to wait for you. We had this conversation over text. You should have already found my keys an hour ago. I have things to do," He snaps.

"Here ass, whatever whore you have waiting will still be there. I'm sure of it," she smirks, dropping his keys into his outstretched hand.

"I'll see you later at the bonfire, right?" he asks, ignoring her previous remark.

"Yeah, I wouldn't miss it. Free booze duh," she laughs. Without waiting for a response, she shoves him backward out the door. He barely has time to move out of the way before it slams shut.

"You're going tonight aren't you?" she asks me, sitting back on her bed.

"I doubt it. I don't know anyone," I stammer.

"Perfect reason for you to go. I can introduce you to my friends. I know they will love you," she beams, flipping over onto her stomach. Her knees bent behind her, kicking her feet back and forth in the air. "We're going to be best friends," she smiles.

It's already after two-thirty by the time I glance at the clock. I have to jump up and gather all my things, shoving them into my bag.

"You will have fun. I promise," she says, unwrapping a piece of gum, and popping it into her mouth.

"We'll see. I'll meet you back here after my orientation," I reply with a nervous grin.

After dousing myself with perfume, I snatch my bag up. In my mind, I'm mentally trying to picture the campus map. I wish I had studied it more. But April wouldn't shut up, and I needed to escape her. I should have enough time to make it across campus. Hopefully, I think to myself as I rush out the door.