It might just be me but the energy outside on the back patio slowly shifts from playful to competitive. 

Zander and Luke have somehow taken the lead on both ends. I remained on Luke's side but my throws have been miserable so far. I can't stop looking at Zander and how he's been staring at Luke and I with laser beam focus the entire time. 

Luke stands next to me and he jumps up and down in happiness when he manages to score a cup. He must be oblivious to Zander's sharp stare but if looks could kill I'm certain Luke would be six feet underground by now.

Everyone else blurs into the background. The rest of us are mere bystanders and Zander leans forward and gulps down the drink with the ping pong ball. The whole thing has transformed into some kind of competition between the two and it's slowly sucking all the fun out of the party. 

Luke told me he doesn't drink during game season but even he hasn't backed down tonight. 

"Luke, you're on a roll today. Aren't you?" Zander chides after finishing his shot of vodka. His cheeks are red and he's unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt, his warm toned skin looking flushed. He catches my stare and I suddenly feel uncomfortable for staring at his chest. 

I look away and then the game continues with everyone of us watching these two footballers completely take over our game. 

It doesn't seem to end and their rivalry only grows stronger with each round. After a while I grow sick of it, feeling like a spectator watching another football match all over again. 

"I need a drink," I murmur and leave my side of the table. 

Luke's too busy concentrating on landing another cup, he simply nods but I notice Zander straighten up, looking like he wants to leave as well. I half expect him to follow me into the house and breathe a sigh of relief when I reach the kitchen, alone. 

I'm feeling extremely thirsty so I grab a bottle of water and finish half of it in one gulp. I catch Stacy by the fridge, her face glued to Eric as they make out passionately under the disco lights. Even though they're doing it out in the open, it feels personal to stand there, staring at them so I walk into the living room, unsure about what to do with myself. 

I have to squeeze through the crowd, the dance floor now more packed that it was before. Someone bumps into me and I quickly apologise. 

"Danielle..." Warner, one of my course mates from E-commerce slurs. He's a transfer student from Belgium and his usually ghostly white skin is currently bright red. He smiles at me drunkenly, his pink cheeks growing redder. 

"Hey Warner," I proceed to move past him but he blocks my path. He's skinny and lanky, it should be easy to push him aside but he's tall. He stands like an impenetrable wall in front of me. 

"Excuse me, I need to go outside." I move to the side, trying to find a way around him but there are so many people surrounding us and he mirrors my movements, blocking my way. 

A small sliver of panic runs down my spine. I'm trying to stay calm but my breathing quickens and I suddenly feel trapped. 

"Come on. Let's have some fun together," He grabs my arm with a sweaty hand and I glare at him, immediately trying to wriggle out of his hold. 

"Warner, let go now. Or I'll..."

"Or you'll what?" Warner leans in and the acrid smell of stale alcohol hits me, making me wince. "Scream? Who's going to hear you under all this noise?" 

My eyes widen in alarm and I look up at him. 

"I just wanna dance. You need to learn how to let loose, Danielle. Don't be so..old school." He moves his hands to my hips and pulls me towards him. 

Our proximity makes me want to throw up. I put my palms on his chest which is also slicked with sweat. Touching him feels disgusting but I try to push him away. I lift my knee trying to kick him where it would definitely hurt but he shifts out of the way. 

Tears cloud my vision. I can't believe this is happening to me. I've heard of horror stories like these happening at frat parties before, I just never imagined it would happen to me. 

"Warner, get off me!" I'm ready to shriek when Zander pushes him away violently. Before I can comprehend what is happening, Luke punches Warner in the face making him fall to the floor. 

The crowd closes in on us, some people unaware of what is going on, others drawing closer to watch the drama. 

My throat constricts, it's suddenly hard to breathe. I feel someone pulling me away from the chaos, the world a swirl of flashing lights and moving bodies. 

I only let out a breath once we're out in the open. I realise we're back at the patio behind the house, over looking the wide open field. 

"Danielle, are you alright?" Zander asks. I'm seated on the steps and he's standing in front of me. He bends lower, studying my face in concern. 

"I'm fine." I finally say after a lingering pause and then look around for the bottle of water I had with me. Must have left it behind on the dance floor. "Do you have any water?" 

He jogs to one of the tables and hands a new unopened bottle to me. 

"Thanks," I say after a few gulps. I feel parched and drained, I really just want to go home and be alone. 

"Did that asshole hurt you? Touch you anywhere inappropriate?" Zander paces back and forth, looking livid. "I swear I'll break his arms." 

"There's no point. He's so drunk, he'll probably forget the whole thing by tomorrow." I say dejectedly and then shudder at the thought of seeing him in class again next week. 

Zander stops and shoots me a pointed look. "It's kind of hard to forget a broken arm, Danielle." 

A reluctant smiles forms on my lips. "But he won't know the reason." 

Even though I'm smiling, the memory of his sweat laden hands on my skin makes me lean forward and cup my head in my hands. What would have happened if Zander and Luke hadn't intervened?

My skin crawls just thinking of it.

"Hey, you okay?" Want me to take you to the campus nurse or something?" Zander sits down next to me. 

I turn to see him looking worried and I don't know why but it makes me laugh. His worry slowly turns to mortification when I laugh for a good few minutes.

"There's no need for that, I'm fine. Thanks for stepping in." I mention quietly. I still hate him but that doesn't mean I'm not grateful for what he did. "He had me trapped. I just couldn't move away." 

He takes a deep breath to calm himself. "It's becoming really hard to refrain from going in and bashing him up, unless Luke's already done so. We hate guys like these. They always get the wrong idea at parties. The word consent doesn't seem to exist when they get drunk."

I run a hand through my hair and lean back, resting my palms on the smooth wooden floor. Behind us the party is still raging, music blaring through the glass panes and half open sliding door. Everyone completely unaware of the predators lurking inside.

"This has happened before?" I ask Zander and he sighs. 

"One of our good friends got molested at a party like this a year ago. She was so traumatised, she transferred to another university."

My lips purse. That's horrible and it such a close call just now, that could have been me.

"Why didn't she press charges?" 

Zander frowns, his dark eyebrows bunching together. "He was her friend , it was dark and she was drunk. Her story would have been easy to pick apart." 

"I hope she's better now." I murmur, unsure of what to say. He's staring pensively at the grass, he must have been close to this girl. 

"Yeah, me too." He agrees quietly. 

This party has been a disaster so far. The only silver lining is that I got Zander away from the red head, meaning he could still be interested and the plan was on. But right now, my revenge is the furthest thing from my mind. All I want to do is get away from here.

I stand up and peer past the open doors into the kitchen, Stacy and Eric are still glued to each other, she'll probably end up at his place tonight. I don't want to ruin her night so I look around for Daphne. 

"Have you seen my friend, Daphne? You know she's about this height," I put out my palm and proceed to describe my friend. 

"You mean her?" Zander grins cheekily as he points to the back of the patio. 

My eyes widen when I see my usually shy friend chatting up a very cute guy from the football team, Josh I think. 

She's smiling and giggling like a school girl with the hugest crush. I've never seen her like this and now it feels wrong to interrupt her night.

"I don't feel like being here anymore. Think I'm going to head back." I tell Zander. 

"I'll walk you home." He says almost immediately and stands up. 

"There's no need..." I raise my hands to wave him off but he quickly interrupts me.

"There's no way I'm letting you walk back by yourself." He fixes me with the most stubborn frown, leaving no room for discussion. 

I have no energy left in me to argue so I just sigh in defeat. "Fine. But be warned, it's going to be a silent, very boring walk." 

He grins again, the dimple in his cheek highlighted by the patio lights. "I have no problem with that." 

I roll my eyes internally. He must really think he has a chance. I quickly tell Daphne and Stacy that I'm leaving, promising to text them when I get back. Both insist on following me back but I force them to stay put, gesturing to Zander as my companion. 

Daphne looks worried but Stacy only winks at me before we leave. 

The cool night air is a welcome reprieve and I look up at the night sky, a vast dark canvas above us. Stars dot the horizon, forming a backdrop over our campus buildings. The whole thing looks like a painting. 

After a while the music fades away, leaving nothing but the sound of our footsteps. 

"Sooo, I know you wanted silence but if you look ahead you can make out the Canis Major constellation." He points up at the sky, towards our far left and I squint, barely making out the stars. "Isn't it beautiful?"

I turn to him and his eyes are lighted up, his face absolutely animated. 

"And over there," He shifts his finger to the right. "That's.."

"Cassiopea," I answer for him and he stares at me in shock. I did my due diligence regarding his obsession for stars but honestly that was a lucky guess, all my constellations are jumbled up. Astronomy is a difficult subject especially since it isn't something I find interesting. 

"How do you..." The stars reflect in his eyes and he's looking at me like I'm a new star he just discovered. "You like astronomy?" 

I shrug, trying to seem nonchalant. "It's just an article I read somewhere. To pass the time."

Zander chuckles. "I don't know many people who pass their time reading NASA articles. You're full of surprises, you know?" 

I remain silent as we reach the entrance to my dorms. 

Zander places his hands in his pockets, looking like he wants to say something. 

I proceed to say goodnight but he speaks suddenly, stopping me. 

"Look, I know this might be bad timing after what happened tonight but I really want to get to know you, Danielle. How about dinner tomorrow night?"

Wow, he really isn't wasting any time of his precious next three months. He's going straight for it but I refuse to be just another statistic, especially since I have him hook, line and sinker right now.

I smile at him demurely. "I want to get to know you too."

If I didn't know any better I'd say my answer surprised him. He beams at me and takes out his phone, ready to arrange our date.

"But you're right. It is bad timing. Let me sleep over it?" I raise my eyebrows and a flicker of disappointment crosses his features. 

He finally nods. "I'll wait for your response then." 

"Thanks again for tonight." I say before I walk away, leaving him by the door and notice he lingers till I reach my floor.