My alarm obnoxiously beeped beside me, causing me to stifle a yawn as I forcefully opened my eyes. My eyes felt like they were glued together by an invisible force.

I got out of my bed and a slight chill in the air had every hair on my body standing, making me miss the comfort of my mattress. Truth be told I was exhausted. I stretched out my body and heard my bones crack, delightfully. I was only nineteen but I was feeling fifty-one.

Blake had me working extra shifts before university started. Blake was a cynical man that believed the universe owed him something. He was never nice to the staff at El Royal and if he showed any signs of being nice it was mistaken for sarcasm.

The customer's at El Royal was intolerable. Rich men and women were equally the same. The woman treated me like a slave, sending me back into the kitchen to reheat food that I just served, because it was not hot enough or because their salad was 'too moist.'

The men stared at me without an ounce of shame, letting their eyes linger longer than necessary. While their significant others were right next to them clinging onto their arm for dear life and sending me nasty scowls.

Even though I went through moist salads and perverted men. I wasn't ready for my first day at university.

I walked out of my bedroom and the sound of music filled my ears, chasing away every thought that had taken up residence in my head. I already knew who the culprit disturbing my morning peace was.

Himari loved music and she sang every morning. Actually, she sang whenever she felt like it. We had two bathrooms, but unfortunately, the shower faucet broke in one and we had to manage with sharing one bathroom until we could replace the faucet.

I tried the bathroom door and it was locked. "Blaire get out of there it's been two hours!" Himari shouted while coming out of her room. Himari was already dressed in a grey lace top and black skinny jeans. Her dark long hair was tied up into a high ponytail and she had a light layer of makeup on her face which brought out her beautiful brown eyes.

The bathroom door finally opened and our jaws dropped. Blaire had a floral pink scarf wrapped around the bottom half of her face, covering her mouth and nose. She was wearing denim skinny jeans and she had a white vest on.

"Blaire?" Himari gawked.

"Don't ask okay," Blaire's voice came out hoarse and her eyes were glossy as if she had been crying.

Before I could ask what happened she pushed past me and went into her bedroom closing the door behind her. "What happened to her?" I asked Himari and she shrugged.

"Your guess is as good as mine."

I had two minds about going after Blaire and getting the truth out of her. "I'll be downstairs having breakfast," Himari said, walking to the end of the hallway. I took one last look at Blaire's closed bedroom door and decided to give her space.

I closed the bathroom door behind me and took a look at myself in the oval-shaped mirror that hung on the wall. I had bags under my eyes and my hair looked as if something was living in it.

I reached for the toothpaste and my toothbrush so that I could brush my teeth. I couldn't help but stare at my ghastly reflection in the mirror while I brushed my teeth.

Could I handle having a part-time job while juggling my studies if I already look like the walking dead? I've only been working at El Royal for a week. I wasn't about to quit before I got started so I pushed away all slivers of doubt.

Feeling inspired I gargled my mouth and removed my clothes to take a shower. I got into the shower and let the water wash over me as I tried to come up with a plan to survive this year.

I had a life plan. Study, work, and take care of my mother, that was it. It was going to be me and her forever because I had no intention of getting married and having children. She of course knew this and strongly disagreed.

I put a generous amount of shampoo into my hair and began to massage it into my scalp. My hair was a force to be reckoned with. It's alive and it has a mind of its own and doesn't take nicely to me trying to tame it.

After my thorough shower, I dried myself off and wrapped a towel around my body so that I could walk back to my room.

I took three steps out of the bathroom door when I saw a guy in a leather jacket standing in the hallway. He turned to look at me, his messy hair falling into his eyes. Without a word I shrieked and ran back into the bathroom slamming the door shut.

"Sorry Liz," he said while chuckling.

"Callum, what are you doing here?" I asked feeling embarrassed and he sighed.

"I came to check on Blaire she hasn't answered any of my texts or calls."

"Go away!" I heard Blaire's voice boom loudly.

"Blaire, baby please just open up and tell me what's wrong?"

Blaire and Callum started dating a week ago. I'm starting to wonder if her sudden outburst this morning was because of him. "Is Blaire upset because of you?" I heard Himari voice my concerns and I took a step away from the door. Himari was no fairy princess. She wouldn't hesitate to throw Callum through this very door.

"Easy there Karate kid," I heard a different voice say.

"Stay out of this Beckett," I heard Himari reprimand him.

"I wouldn't do anything to upset Blaire," Callum said, in outrage.

I only spoke to Beckett one other time after Callum's party. He wanted to know where I disappeared to that night and I lied to him telling him I went home early because I wasn't feeling well. I wasn't comfortable letting anyone else know what happened to me that night.

I could hear mumbling coming from the other side of the door and it sounded like Blaire's voice. I needed to get out of the bathroom and both boys seemed like they had no intention of leaving any time soon."Hey, guys could you like please close your eyes so that I could walk to my bedroom."

"Hey Liz," I heard Beckett say and I ran a hand down my face from embarrassment.

"We'll close our eyes, Liz," Callum said.

I let out a breath and turned the door handle to see both boys turned around facing the wall while Himari stood in the middle of them. I rushed to my bedroom door and fumbled with the handle. Finally, the door opened and I got into the room and closed the door. "Thank you," I yelled and I heard both boys chuckle.

I rummaged through my drawers and found a red New York Yankee's hoody and grey sweatpants. I changed into the clothes and began to blow dry my hair. Once my hair was dry I pushed it all back and put it into a ponytail.

Two knocks came on my door and I pulled it open to find Beckett standing at the entrance with a whimsical look on his face. He was wearing a white t-shirt and black cargo pants. "Can I come in?" he asked and I moved aside to let him in.

"New York Yankee's, you like baseball?" He asked.

"Yeah," I said and walked to my desk to grab my books.

"Me too," he said awkwardly." I haven't seen you around much," he said after a moment of silence.

"I've been busy."

"You don't talk much do you?" He asked, a small smile playing on his lips.

"I don't talk much to strangers," I retorted and a sly grin took over his facial features.

"You don't talk much to strangers but you let them in your bedroom," he countered and he had this mischievous glint in his eye.

"Touchè," I said with a neutral expression on my face.

"I wouldn't say we strangers we have spoken an entire three times now," he said with a playful roll of his eyes.

"Acquaintances then," I said and he laughed.

"That's better than being strangers."

Beckett seemed like a nice guy, but all guys are nice guys at first. It just takes a little time for their inner demon to surface. When it comes to the opposite gender I tend to push them away. Boys are a distraction. A distraction I didn't need.

"You ready to go?" Himari popped her head into my room.

"Yeah." I packed all my books into my bag and put my bag on my shoulders.

Beckett walked out of my room first and I closed the door behind myself "Is Blaire coming?" I asked and Himari shook her head. "Do you know what happened to her?"

"She won't tell us. She said it's not important," Himari shrugged and we followed her downstairs.

When we reached the bottom of the stairs we found Callum sitting on the couch. "Well I guess she'll tell us when she is ready," he said and stood.

Himari grabbed her keys from the vanity bowl and both boys exited the house. There was a white Hyundai parked in the driveway which belonged to one of the guys.

"I think it would make more sense if you came with me Liz," Beckett said.

"And why is that may I ask?"

"Because we have the same classes," he pointed out and Himari and I shared a look. My eyes pleading with her to try and come up with an excuse for me.

"That's a great idea," Himari suddenly said and my eyes widened.

"It's settled then. You got yourself a carpool buddy," Callum chimed in. "I'll go with Himi then," he said and walked to Himari's car.

I sent Himari a nasty look while she sent me a wink and a small wave. Beckett opened the passenger door for me. "This way madam," he said, doing a small bow and looking up at me through his eyelashes.

This was going to be a long car ride. I got into the car and watched as Beckett jogged around the car to the driver's side. He opened the door and got in. He put his seat belt on and turned to look at me.

"Can I help you?" I asked trying to look away from his intense stare.

"Do you trust me?" he asked in seriousness causing me to look at him in confusion.

"I don't even know you dude."

"Exactly and yet you trust me with your life."

"What are you talking about?"

"Can you please put your seatbelt on?"

"So that's what all of that was for?" I asked and he nodded.

Himari hooted and stuck her head out her window. "Move your car for crying out loud Beckett!" She yelled and Beckett put down the window.

"Sorry," he yelled and she rolled her eyes and put her head back into the car.

Beckett started the car and backed out of the driveway. I had my driver's license. I had got it straight after I graduated from high school. I just needed a car, but until I could find one. I guess I would be taking the bus.

Taking the bus wasn't that bad. I got to interact with different people every day. I took the bus every day to work. Himari and Blaire offered to drive me multiple times but I refused. I needed to be independent and that meant I couldn't rely on anyone.

"So do you like music?" Beckett suddenly asked bringing me out of my thoughts.

"Who doesn't like music?" I replied. He shrugged and turned his attention back to the road, clearing his throat.

He turned on the radio and the music was loud enough to hear but soft enough to allow me to think."Hey, listen did I do something to make you not like me?" He asked and my eyes widened.

"No."

His eyebrows furrowed as he turned to look at me. Confusion clear on his face. "Then why don't you like me?"

"What makes you think I don't like you?"

"Well, you shut down every attempt of a conversation I try to have with you." I let out a breath and shut my eyes tightly. I didn't mean to offend Beckett. It was nothing personal. "How about we be friends?" He suggested. "I'm a pretty likable guy and if we spend more time together you're bound to like me that's for sure," he said, quite cockily.

I thought for a second. He is just asking to be friends. I didn't have to overthink it. "Sure." A smile that could put the sunrise to shame formed on his face and his eyes lit up as if he had a galaxy of stars behind them. He stuck out his hand for me to shake and I sighed taking it hesitantly at first.

"So what classes do we have first?" He asked and I rolled my eyes.

"Oh, so that's why you want to be friends so I can be your walking talking schedule."

"What," he said in shock and I couldn't help the giggle that escaped my lips.

"Fine you caught me," he said sarcastically.

"English," I finally said and he nodded. Soon we were out of the housing complex and joining the traffic.

"It looks like we going to be stuck here for a while," he said, surveying the long line of cars in front of us and next to us.

"So what do you do in your spare time?" he asked.

"I work."

"Where?"

"Inquisitive are we?" I teased and he smirked.

"Is that any way to talk to a friend?"

"El Royal," I said with a roll of my eyes. Is he always going to be pulling out the friend card on me?

"That fancy place down in Broadway where all the rich people go to schmooze?" he asked already knowing the answer.

"That's the one." He didn't say anything about it after that but a sound of contentment left his lips.

"So what do you do in your spare time?" I asked him since he was so curious about what I do.

"I race," he said with a smile.

"Like drag racing?"

"Yeah, but with motorcycles," he said surprising me.

"Isn't that kind of dangerous?"

"I live for adrenaline. I'll take you some time," he smirked.

Traffic started to move again and Beckett spent most of the time telling me about how he couldn't wait to graduate and earn enough money so that he could buy the fastest motorcycle in the world.

I told him that it would be kind of hilarious to see a fully accomplished lawyer drag racing and he laughed telling me that being a lawyer wasn't his choice and that he was just fulfilling his mother's wishes.

The car pulled up to the campus gates and I couldn't help but gulp. Beckett's constant talking had proved to be a useful distraction. He drove up to the sign that said student parking and began looking for a parking spot.

Finally, he found a parking space, parked the car, and switched off the engine. Silence immediately filled the car because of the absence of the engine and radio. Even Beckett seemed to be lost in thought that he didn't utter a word. Excited students rushed past the car and then reality hit me like the L train. I wasn't going to fit in.

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A/N

Thank you guys for reading, commenting, and voting thus far.

So what do you think Blaire is so upset about???

Also, what do you think about Liz's new carpool buddy Beckett???

Feel free to comment your thoughts;)

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