Chapter 2 Oh My God!

Nash moved into the school hostel with Tori, getting away from her mother and her rules, to her greatest satisfaction.

Her first days in school were weird, as she had no friends apart from Tori, who spent a lot of time with the annoying Lucas. Spotting Tori from afar, Natasha walked excitedly towards her but stopped in her tracks when she saw Lucas. Did he have to look so smug all the time? Everyone seemed to be staring at him, which further irritated Natasha.

"Natasha Lindsay, are you avoiding me?" Tori exclaimed as Natasha made a swift turn to avoid saying hi.

"Oh, I think she's just excited to see me and is acting up," Lucas muttered, grinning at Natasha. His eyes shone, pissing Natasha off. Did he have to look so good?

Just then she spotted a familiar face heading towards them. Good heavens!

"Oh, Nash!" Meredith said as she rushed to hug her. "It's been ages. I see you are new here. I haven't seen you around before." She turned to see Tori standing next to Lucas and shrugged. It was no secret Meridith still liked Lucas. They were together for two years before she cheated on him with a senior from another university.

"Oh, Meredith! How long has it been? Five? Six years? I have missed you so much," Nash said. They went to secondary school together, and though they belonged to different cliques, they were neighbors and playmates until Meredith and her family moved to another neighborhood.

"I heard you were in Chicago. Why did you return?" Meredith inquired, curious of this new development. From way back, Nash had worked hard to leave for Chicago. So the sudden move was suspicious. Also, this was the second time she had seen Natasha around Lucas, her Lucas. If he wasn't hers, he won't be anyone else's.

"Oh, I just missed home and my parents," Nash expressed, hiding the real reason why she returned. Her mom loved to keep up appearances and would scold Natasha if she spread the news.

"Well, I will see you around then. And a word of advice: mind who you socialize with; some people are wolves in sheep's clothing." Meridith whispered in her ear as she left with her foot soldiers following her around. She was the queen bee and looked down on others at school.

Natasha found the advice weird, wondering who she was referring to, but ignored it as she attended her two lectures for the day.

On Friday after lectures, Tori invited Nash to an all-night party. It was the last place Nash wanted to be, but she didn't want to stay home without Tori, and she also hoped to make some new friends and relax a little, so she tagged along.

After all, her mom wasn't here to control her, and she could have some fun. It was going to be an experience, and Nash was ready to finally breathe.

After high school, Nash had moved to the University of Chicago for her accounting major with a minor in secretarial duties, eager to get away from her parents' constant poking. Her mother was controlling, and she had grown weary of her ways. 2 months ago, her father was diagnosed with cancer, and she returned to spend time with him. She was an only child, and her parents were both well-to-do.

Her mother was a medical doctor and her father a university professor, and they were well connected and respected in her society, so she didn't have much to worry about. She had had no life in secondary school, as her mother planned everything in advance; her mom was a paragon of perfection in their society. Even the school parties she barely attended because of the hideous outfits her mom always picked. This made Natasha an introvert who had a hard time making friends.

Lucas was extremely pleased with himself. Raised by a single mother, he had studied hard all his life while doing odd jobs. As for his father, Lucas always got monosyllabic answers from his mom. He was dead. No matter how he asked, she never said more, and it became a bone of contention between them until her death two years ago. He was popular at the university and aced all his courses. In his first year, he had opted to live off campus to be able to work his side jobs and study, avoiding the school parties. Now he was in his final year and wanted to get good grades, but he had promised Tori he would be at the party tonight. He casually remembered the spitfire he met earlier today. There had been so many like her before, but he never got carried away by their tricks.

As he walked into the party, he spotted his spitfire in a miniskirt with legs to die for and a blazer with Louboutins. Oh, you could smell the money from a mile away. Natasha was her name. They had a lecture together the previous day, and she threw him dangerous stares.

"Hey, Lucas! You made it. Everyone, look who is here!" Tori exclaimed as he walked in, crushing her in a bear hug. They met in their first year at the university and clicked even though they had distinct personalities.

Tori was social, outgoing, and the life of the party; she was not to be trifled with. Her blonde hair was always impeccable, and she had an unbeatable fashion style, so Meridith saw her as competition. Tori was in her final year, like Lucas, with a major in interior design and a minor in fine arts. Since Nash was new, she pulled her to tag along. Rumors had it that Lucas and Tori were lovers, but Tori was discreet about her relationships, so she used their friendship as a distraction. This made her a perpetual enemy for Meredith and her clique.

"Hi, Tori," he said as he pulled her into a bear hug and high-fived the others around. Nash sat in the far corner sipping on her iced tea. She didn't want to come along, but Tori dragged her along, and when Tori was determined, nothing could stop her. She had no say or choice.

The night was filled with booze, drinks, shots, and dancing. Everyone was having the time of their lives. Tori, as usual, disappeared, leaving Nash to sort herself out. Natasha, though timid, loved dancing. Her body never got used to alcohol, but she always loved a good challenge, so she indulged. The night rolled slowly into the early hours of the morning.

The sun filtered through the drapes as Lucas stretched in bed lazily as his head pounded within. Last night had been terrific. One minute they were arguing, and the next minute they were moving to the beat and grinding on each other. He smiled; Natasha seemed timid, but the alcohol brought out the dancer in her. But the other part was blurry. Wait! Lucas woke up with a start as he felt something or someone on the bed.

At the same time Nash stretched in her sleep, and woke up suddenly with a scream falling off the bed