"Ella?"

The unexpected encounter left Ella momentarily speechless. He didn't seem like the type to spend his tuesday nights at college parties. A loud and rowdy athlete party, no less. She barely knew him though, so manybe he did frequent parties around campus and she just didn't know.

A hint of a smile played on Lysander's lips as he continued to hold her cup. "Didn't expect to see you here," he remarked.

Ella, finally finding her voice, replied, "I could say the same for you. What brings you to this party?"

He glanced around. "These are my people, can't you tell?"

A drunk freshman staggered by them, almost slamming face-first into the wall.

She laughed. "These are your people?"

Lysander chuckled, a low and warm sound that contrasted with the chaos of the party. "Maybe," he glanced at her teasingly. "Or maybe my brother is on the baseball team."

She blinked, comprehending his statement. "What?" she shook her head. "Who?"

He jerked his head over to the front door, where the man that let her and katie into the party stood. "His name is Alex, don't we look alike?"

She frowned, scrutinizing Alex's figure. Alex was of similar height to Lysander, if not taller. He had the same curly black hair and dimpled smile, they did indeed look alike. "Huh, I guess you two do look alike."

"Right?" Lysander said, "He's more athletic than me, obviously."

Ella nodded. Alex was on the baseball team afterall and Lysander never mentioned anything about playing a sport. "So, you two are brothers, but you've got different interests?"

Lysander chuckled. "That's one way to put it. We share some common ground, but our passions lie in different places. Alex is all about baseball, and I'm more into, well, academics."

"Well, there's nothing wrong with that," Ella said, letting out a small laugh. "I'm all about academics too."

Lysander grinned. "I know, that's what I like about you."

Huh?

Before she could comprehend his statement, he turned back toward the bar. "S, were you trying to grab a drink?"

"Oh," Ella forgot that she was supposed to be up here grabbing a drink for Mya. "Actually, i was grabbing a drink for a friend." She surveyed the bar. It didn't look like they had much left. A few bottles of Vodka and cans of beer left. Hopefully, Connor would be back soon. "It doesn't look like they have much though."

Lysander hummed thoughtfully before grabbing a can of what appeared to be some sort of spiced alcohol. "This isn't bad. I've bought a case before at Trader Joe's"

Ella raised a questioning eyebrow. "They have a Trader Joe's here and you shop at it?"

He shrugged. "Quality of food is better."

She couldn't help but laugh. She took the beer from him, tucking it under her arm. "I should bring this back to my friend."

He smiled and nodded, opening his mouth to say something before pausing.

She waited patiently.

"Do you want to, maybe, go upstairs and talk?" He said, almost unsurely. It was a stark contrast from the confident Lysander she'd just bumped into. Yet, that Lysander was a stark contrast from the one she met in Class, so maybe she dididn;t know how he normally acted.

He must have taken her silence as refusal because he immediately backtracked. "God, I'm sorry. That sounds like i'm coming onto you. I promise I'm not I just thought maybe you wanted a quieter place to chat. Not like that. Just... chat."

Ella couldn't help but smile at his flustered explanation. It was endearing, and it added another layer of personality to him.

"Yeah," She said, "Let me just give Mya this drink and we can head upstairs."

As she turned to walk back to ard her friends, she felt Lysander's presence behind her. Ella handed the drink to Mya, who raised an eyebrow at her before smirking knowingly. Ella just rolled her eyes in response.

"Oh wow," Katie said, staring up at Lysander. "I wonder who you're related to." her eyes flicked up to his black curls.

He chuckled. "That obvious?"

Katie shrugged. She seemed to have sobered up a little bit. "I'd say so, but you're waaaay more handsome then him."

Okay, maybe not.

"Katie," Mya chided. "Your girlfriend is right there."

"What?" She defended. "I have eyes. My eyes are telling me that this man is way more handsome than Alex." She looked up at him through her lashes. "Older or younger?"

"Older," Lysander answered immediately. Ella looked over in surprise. Alex and him could have passed for twins. "By two years."

Mya and Katie exchanged glances, sharing a silent conversation. Ella, feeling a bit out of the loop, decided to ;et her friends know where she was heading. "Me and Lysander are going to head upstairs," Rae's eyebrows shot up in alarm. "To talk, nothing else, but talk."

"Right," Katie said, practically strewn across her girlfriend's lap. "Talk, like how you and Connor talk."

She could practically feel Lysander's questioning gaze on the side of her face. "Connor and I do not talk."

"Right."

She sighed. "I'll be back."

"Have fun," Katie sang from behind her.

She rolled her eyes. "Please ignore my roommate, she's clearly not sober."

He laughed. "I figured."

Lysander led her upstairs to a less crowded area where the thumping music was muffled, and the atmosphere was more relaxed. A few people were scattered across the hallway chatting or relaxing and a few doors were locked for...various reasons. They finally came to a stop at the end of the corridor.

"I'm not taking you to a bedroom or anything," Lysander explained quickly. "I've just been to this house so many times, and back here they have this little sitting area—like a second living room—and it's pretty cool."

They entered the designated area, finding a quieter space with dimmed lights and comfortable seating. It was a welcomed change from the pulsating energy downstairs. Lysander gestured towards a couple of empty chairs, and they settled in, the distant murmur of the party providing a distant backdrop.

As they began to chat, Ella discovered more about Lysander's interests, his academic pursuits, and the dynamics of his relationship with his brother, Alex. "We're from Omaha, do you know where that is?"

Ella shook her head.

"It's like one of the most populous cities in Nebraska, A lot of students here are either from there or Lincoln." She watched as he took a swig of his drink. "Alex and I grew up in the south side of Omaha, our dad is a Mexican immigrant he met our mom at a small grocery store in our neighborhood."

Ella listened intently, intrigued by the glimpse into Lysander's background. As Lysander spoke about his family and upbringing, Ella found herself drawn into the narrative.

"It was tough in the beginning," he continued, his gaze fixed on some distant memory. "My parents worked hard to make a life for us. Alex and I, we were always close, even when things were difficult. We both got into this college on scholarships. I actually wanted to go to the University of Nebraska Lincoln, but this one was way closer—and cheaper."

Ella nodded. "I also picked my school based on scholarship, so I understand. My family wasn't super well off when I was in high school, it's better now, but well, it hasn't always been that way."

Lysander smiled, a dark curl fell in front of his eyes. She was tempted to brush it out of the way. "So you never did tell me what you were doing at this party."

"Oh," she laughed. "I'm actually here because the Northview baseball team won."

"Pardon?"

"Like," she put her drink down. She'd had a few sips of alcohol and she was feeling a bit lighter than usual. "I promised one of the team members, Connor, wait do you know Connor?" Lysander nodded his head. "Well, I promised him I'd come to the party if they won and he did."

Lysander stayed silent for a moment before speaking. "Is that why Katie was saying stuff about you and Connor...talking?"

Ella rolled her eyes. "Ugh, please not listen to her. She's like convinced that Connor has a thing for me and..." Lysander's expression shifted slightly, his gaze holding a hint of disdain. Ella couldn't help but notice the change and decided to clarify the situation.

"I mean, Connor and I are just friends. Really. Not even. Katie loves to tease, and sometimes it's easier to just go along with it than to argue with her," Ella explained with a small laugh. She didn't know why she felt the need to explain.

"No worries. I understand," He hesitated. "I've just heard things about Connor and well, I guess it doesn't matter if you're not a thing with him."

This was the third time today a cryptid comment about Connor had been brought up. "What do you mean?" She said, hoping Lysander would actually tell her what he meant by his comment

Lysander sighed, running a hand through his dark curls. "It's just... Connor has a bit of a reputation. Not the best one, if you catch my drift. I've heard he's been involved in some messy situations, especially with relationships."

Ella furrowed her brows in confusion. "Messy situations? What are you talking about?"

Lysander leaned back in his chair, his gaze fixed on a distant point. "Rumors, gossip, you know how these things go. Connor's been linked to drama and not the good kind. People say he's a bit... reckless with others' feelings."

Ella felt a mix of emotions, confusion, concern, and maybe even disappointment. She hadn't known Connor that long, but he didn't seem like the type to play around with a girl's feelings, but well she'd only been here for less than two months. Despite that, she felt like something was off.

"I don't know," she said slowly, choosing her words carefully. "I mean, sure, Connor can be a bit unconventional, but I wouldn't say he's intentionally causing harm. I've never seen him treat anyone badly." she paused, frowning. "I've also never seen him bring a girl back to the dorms."

Lysander frowned. "You're in the same dorm hall as him?"

She sighed. "It's a long story, but yes. And I've never seen him bring anyone home before.

Lysander raised an eyebrow, studying her reaction. "Look, I'm not trying to stir up drama. It's just something I heard, and I thought you should know." He gulped down the rest of his drink. He wasn't drunk, but it was clear he was slightly tipsy. "Maybe he keeps things on the down-low. People have different sides, you know?"

Ella stayed silent. She wasn't sure why this conversation bothered her so much. They weren't dating, Connor was barely even her friend. He was just someone who she kept running into on campus. A really attractive someone. Also, if Connor was actually a player, like Lysander said than why would Katie seem to be actively trying to get the two of them to be alone together? It just didn't make sense.

"Ella?" Lysander questioned, snapping her out of her thoughts. He gazed at her with concern, the dim light casting shadows on his face.

"Sorry," she said, shaking off the troubling thoughts. She stared down the empty cup in her hands. "I guess I'm just a bit out of it."

They continued chatting, delving into lighter topics, and Ella found herself getting more comfortable with Lysander. The party downstairs was still in full swing, the music now a distant thump, and the atmosphere in their secluded space was relaxed.

Eventually, Ella glanced at her watch, realizing how late it had become. "I should probably head back downstairs. My friends might be wondering where I am."

Lysander looked disappointed but nodded. "Sure, I get it. I'll walk you down?"

"Yeah," she agreed, standing up. "I'd like that."

They made their way downstairs, rejoining the lively party atmosphere. Ella found her friends in the midst of the crowd, and Katie gave her a sly grin.

"Spill," Katie demanded. Ella glanced down at the water in her hand. Obviously, someone had gotten her to sober up.

Ella rolled her eyes. "We just talked, Katie. Nothing exciting."

Katie raised an eyebrow. "Just talked? Well, he looks at you like you're the most fascinating person in the room. I'm surprised all you did was talk, but knowing you I'm not too surprised." her roommate glanced over to the kitchen. "Someone's been looking for you for the past thirty minutes." She said lowly, smirking behind her cup.

Ella followed Katie's gaze and spotted Connor making his way through the crowd toward them. He looked relieved when he saw her.

"There you are," he said, a grin spreading across his face. "I was starting to think you left the party while I was gone." He gestured towards the new unopened packs of drinks stacked by the kitchen door. "It took a while for me to get these all inside."

"Sorry, I got caught up in a conversation upstairs," Ella explained.

Connor's eyes flickered to Lysander, who Ella realized was still standing behind her, and for a moment, a subtle tension hung in the air.

Lysander, however, seemed unfazed.

"Connor, this is Lysander. Lysander, meet Connor," Ella introduced, trying to diffuse any potential awkwardness.

The two men exchanged nods and brief pleasantries. "I know who he is," Connor said, shaking the curly-haired man's hand tightly. "Hernadez's brother, right?"

Lysander nodded. "Yep." he turned to Ella, "I'll leave you to it, then. See you in class, Ella."

He gave Ella a small smile and a quick side hug before disappearing into the crowd.

As Lysander walked away, Katie leaned in with a mischievous grin. "He's cute, too. You've got options, girl."

Ella groaned. She glanced over at Connor who seemed to be studying her reaction with an unreadable expression. He met her eyes and sent her his usual grin. "Want a drink?"

Ella nodded before stopping herself. Lysander and Marcurio's words rolled around in her head. "Actually, I might call it a night I'm not feeling too great."

Concern flashed across Connor's face. "Are you okay? Do you need me to get you home?"

"No, no," Ella assured him, appreciating his genuine concern. "I just think I overdid it a bit. I'll grab a cab or something. Thanks for offering, though." She looked over at Kaite, who had managed to worm her way back into the crowd of people. "Can you make sure she gets a cab though? Or that she gets home safe with Rae and Mya?"

"Alright," he said, still looking a bit worried. "Take it easy, Ella. And if you need anything, don't hesitate to ask."

She smiled gratefully. "I will. Thanks, Connor. See you around."

With that, Ella made her way toward the exit, navigating through the dissipating crowd. She called an uber and settled into the backseat, feeling a mix of exhaustion and the effects of the night catching up with her.