We begin this story like any self-respecting young adult fiction really. I was late to class. I was so late and I'm never late to anything, except maybe the gym. I was rushing to the lecture hall with my cup of coffee and my bag, my breathing rugged and sporadic. When I got to the double doors leading to the lecture hall, I set my coffee and bag down on the floor, pulled down my cropped shirt and counted imaginary cows in my head to slow down my breathing.

University was a good place to discover yourself. It wasn't as controlled as high school, nobody cared about anybody so that meant you had no choice but to grow up and it was a great place to meet the love of your life or so I had heard, but not me. I wasn't here to find love, but I wasn't putting that out in the universe, because I've seen too many movies to realize that when the girl says she's not going to fall in love, she accidentally falls in love.

I picked up my cup of coffee and bag, pushed the doors open and entered. Lady Luck was smiling at me that day, the lecturer wasn't in yet.

"Oh guys look," Hunter Cullen started. He was the type of guy you'd shoot in the face because he was such an annoying prick. He ran his fingers through his silky brown hair then smirked at me. Whenever he smiled, his brown eyes would turn a shade brighter. He was beautiful, yes but so stupid, "it's the old hag." He added, everyone started laughing at me. There was nothing remotely funny about what he said yet people laughed. That boy could threaten to kill the president and people would still laugh to satisfy his stupid ego.

I rolled my eyes as the laughter died down, then started looking for a place to sit. Lady Luck was frowning now, the only empty seat was right next to Hunter Cullen, the idiot.

To be honest, I really didn't enjoy insulting people but Hunter. Ugh, that guy just made me tingle in very terrible places. I hated him so much—and I know what you're thinking, there's a thin line between love and hate. This is not the case. He was a monster, the devil himself and I was the only one who could see it. We had just started lectures a month ago as freshmen. Hunter and I had one class together, physics, and ever since we met in class, we just couldn't stand each other. It was no fault of mine though. He was a jerk, a bad boy, like the ones you mostly see in movies, but never in real life. Everyone in our class just assumed the reason why I hated him so much was because I asked him out and he said no.
 
I walked to the seat beside Hunter. As I was sitting, he whispered something to his friends then they started laughing. I sighed loudly, set my coffee on my desk then took out my book and pen from my bag.

"You're late for class," he said. "Did preying on children while they sleep run a little late than usual?"

I looked at him and forced a wry smile. "I'm not fighting with you today, Hunter. I'm not stupid enough to let you get the best of me."

He chuckled, "you know you shouldn't blame me for your stupidity. You should take it up with your mom and dad."

And there went not letting him get the best of me. I  stood up and poured my coffee all over him then faked a gasp, going far as to taking my delicate hand and putting it on my chest dramatically.

"What the hell!" He yelled in frustration as the class started gasping and laughing in shock.

"Oh my, I am so sorry" I said innocently. "Well, who looks stupid now?" I smiled.

"I'm going to kill you!" He stood, coffee dripping off him. Just then, Mr. McQueen, our lecturer entered. He didn't like Hunter and I very much, which I've no idea why.

"Good mor—" he paused, looking at Hunter then he sighed. He was a chubby man, he pinched his nose and brushed out his dirty blonde hair that had fallen into his wrinkled hazel eyes. "Get out Mr Cullen." He added.

"But—" Hunter started.

"Out now!" Mr McQueen interrupted. Hunter glared at me, his nostrils flared as he walked out of the class. Satisfaction, that was the emotion I was feeling at the moment. "Ms Swan, why don't you go help Mr Cullen get the look of disgust off of him." Mr McQueen said.

"What, but why?" I whined.

"Because Ms Swan, I hate that look on your face," he answered.

"Mr McQueen please," I began to plead. I took my bag and ran to the front of the class. "I'll wash your car for free." I offered.

"I ride a bike to school," he clarified.

"Oh you do, I'm so sorry," I whispered. "The teaching salary is that bad, huh?"

"Out Ms Swan," Mr McQueen repeated. I walked out of the class, my head lowered not in shame but in sadness. I didn't want to miss any class. How was I going to be valedictorian if I kept getting sent out of class. Ugh, the nerve of teachers. I walked to the nearest bathroom and knocked on the boys section, maybe he even left.

"Hey demon, are you okay in there?" I asked, rolling my eyes. I'd rather drown in hot oil than be nice to that guy.

"Why don't you come in and find out," he growled, "you poured hot coffee on me," he added.

"Okay I'm not just gonna stand here and listen to you accuse me of something I clearly did." I defended myself. He walked out from the bathroom, wearing a new shirt but his brown hair was still wet. "You almost look human." I smiled then he scoffed. "Where did you get the shirt?"

"People like me," he said.

"The only reason why people like you is because you're dumb," I said as I pointed to how terribly he had buttoned his shirt. "I guess you weren't burdened with an overabundance of schooling."

A small chuckle escaped before he could suppress it. "Fix it," he said.

"I'm not one of those sleazy women that do everything you say."

"You wish you were."

I squinted my eyes maliciously at him. "I pray the chocolate chips in your cookies always turn out to be raisins."

He smirked, it was a triumphant and mischievous all at once. That look of pure, malevolent glee. "I love raisins," he whispered.

I rolled my eyes and scoffed at him. He followed suit, making him look ridiculously funny. I tried not to smile in front of him so I turned around and walked away, smiling and shaking my head simultaneously.

Since I couldn't go back to class, the library was a better option. I walked to the library and took a romance novel and began to read. It was about a billionaire who had paid his hot maid to be the mother of his child. It was terrible in every way but so good. I get that people say they hate cliché stories but in actuality, people still enjoyed all the cliché romance novels and movies because cliché was safe. You knew the plot before you even began reading, you knew the characters, and the plot twists weren't all that twisted. Cliché was safe and people liked safe.

I got a call from Vanessa not long after that, telling me to meet her outside the law faculty. After reading three more chapters of the book, I walked to the place we were supposed to meet and waited for her class to end. Vanessa Jones was my best friend. I didn't remember a time we were not best friends. Our mothers were best friends, as well as our grandmothers and our grandmothers' mothers. Vanessa was the craziest person you'd ever meet but boy, she knew how to lift my spirits and make me smile.
 

"Alex!" Vanessa came running from her faculty. She was tall, sleek and her hair fell just above her shoulders. She looked like a model and she dressed like it too. "Class went on forever but—"

"Let me guess, your professor was hot."

"Not really, all of them are chubby losers," she said. "Wanna go get something to eat?"

"Oh yeah, I'm starving. I also need another coffee. I had to vanquish a demon with my first one." I explained then she arched an eyebrow.

"Right." she nodded in confusion. "So there's this party tonight at the Alpha Lambda Phi frat house. We should go."

"Nessa, I don't think—"

"Please. You never lemme do anything fun."

"Your idea of fun mostly involves a chainsaw."

"Yeah." she smiled dreamily then I shook my head, "come on Alex. Just this once."

"Okay fine but just this once—"

"This once."

"And if this get out of hand, we leave."

"We leave."

*

"Chug, Chug, Chug!" the crowd roared as I gulped down an entire mug of alcohol. This was my third one and I was going to throw up anytime soon. I never drink but that night, someone had dared me and I always walk away from a dare but not from Hunter Cullen.

"Your turn sucker," I said, trying to not to fall. I blinked my dizziness away, shaking my head vigorously as I watched him pick up the mug. He didn't look drunk, which was surprising because the mugs were huge or maybe it was just me who couldn't keep my alcohol down.

"This is one is for you." he winked at me.

I snarled at him. "Choke on that."

"Chug! Chug! Chug!" The crowd roared again. Hunter blocked his nose with his fingers then gulped down the alcohol. I was drunk and I never got myself drank....oops, I mean drank....no, I mean drunk.

Whenever I drank, something bad happened. Like when I turned eighteen, Nessa forced me to a party and we ended up burning the party house down. To be fair, I thought the lighter was a dandelion.

"Give it up Swan, you look so gross," he stated, stumbling back then I laughed. Aha! He too was drunk.

"I'm gonna throw up." I whispered to Nessa.

"Don't you dare give up," she whispered back. "Chug! Chug! Chug!" She started, throwing her fist in the air, causing another uproar

"No, I can't," I whispered, trying my best to hold the alcohol down.

"No she can't," Rory repeated. Rory McIlroy was Hunter's best friend. An idiot just like Hunter, you could lose fifty percent of your IQ just by staring at him. "Pay up, losers," he added in a high pitched voice. He was drunk himself.

"Screw you. I don't have money." Nessa retorted then I fell. Yep, I fell asleep on the floor at a party in a dirty frat house and that's all I remember. The scent of alcohol, sweat and my dignity slowly draining out of me.