"Toffee Luna! Toffee Luna! Toffee Luna! Wake up!" I was jolted awake by a violent shaking. As a cascade of searing pangs hit me in the head, I lurched awake, moaning. My head pounded, and I clutched it. I took my pillow and curled it around my head, laying it on my face in such a way that it was wrapped around my skull.

"Ah! Shut the hell up! Who the hell is this Toffee Luna? Go away!" I shrieked, exacerbating my excruciating headache. I groaned loudly and stuffed my face further into the pillow.

Ivy yelled out, "Toffee Luna? Are you still drunk? Argh, I was saying Sophronia." Why did she have to be so obnoxious? My entire head is splintering.

Wait a minute, drunk? What drunk?

I yanked the pillow away from my face, letting out a series of groans as I peeked one eye out before closing it firmly.

"Keep the lights out."

"Listen up, Diana's twin version, stop overreacting and come out. It's 4 p.m., for God's sake." That jolted me out of my slumber. 4 p.m.?

I wanted to rip off my head and Ivy's as well. I got up and stretched my limbs, rubbing my eyes groggily.

"Finally! Are you alright?"

Seriously, are you alright?

She had the guts to inquire whether I was all right after she had woken me up.

"I'm perfectly well. Apart from a terrible headache and feeling nauseous, I'm in fantastic shape."

"Okay, okay, okay! No need to be sarcastic, and all. I've kept..." She couldn't conclude because of my scream.

"What the hell is going on here? Where are we?" My surroundings did not resemble those of my dorm. It was a complete 180. Almost everything in the room was black or gray, with contemporary furnishing. My head was throbbing frantically, with blurry pictures from last night, but I couldn't recall anything.

What the hell happened last night? Why the hell am I here? What place is this?

"Do you have any recollection of what happened last night?" With a cocked brow and waves of mirth in her eyes, she inquired.

"No! What happened? Don't tell me I've done something foolish once again!" I groaned as I collapsed on the comfy bed.

Goddammit, my head hurts!

"Well, congratulations; you didn't do anything dumb. You literally went beyond the point of no return in terms of idiocy." Her words slammed down on me like a pail of ice cubes.

"What? What the hell did I do? Why can't I remember anything?" To me, it was all a jumble. I recalled sipping my coke and heading over to Austin, but after that, everything was a blank.

"It's no issue! Here, take a look at this. Whole college has made a gift video for you to help with your hangover."

"Whole college? For me? Why? Was I acting like all Mark Antony last night? Or did I kiss Dwayne Johnson?"

"I'm not sure about any of them, but hey! Why don't you have a look? It will probably assist you in guessing who you kissed and who you killed?" It gave me the creeps.

Oh, my dear good God, just make sure, I haven't done anything silly!

She turned her phone towards me after browsing through the forum on her phone. My eyes literally bulged out of their sockets as I saw my shameful deeds.

"Senior Poker Face!"

"Are you drunk, Fresher?"

"Someone spiked her drink."

"Yeah, some fuckass spiked my drink."

"How much did you drink?"

"I'd just had one can of coke. I swear to God, pinkie swear!"

"C'mon, sit."

"No sitting! Why don't you smile? I mean, all I've seen of you since the first time... I met you is this... this damn poker face, which makes me... want to covet the sins, one of which is... YOU, FUCKING YOU."

"You know there are gesture called smile, chuckle, laugh. Sometimes show it!"

"Always poker face! Like this." I imitated his poker face expression. "What did you say that day? Um... what was that? What the fuck was that? Ah-yeah... I recalled."

"I have my reasons and situations." I prodded his chest and spoke through gritted teeth, "You have plenty of reasons to put your goddamn life on the line, but you don't have a single cause to fucking smile. Tell me, tell me, tell me!"

He lifted me in a bridal state.

"I'm too young to marry. Put me down, Senior Poker Face."

"We're not getting married."

"We're not?"

"We're not."

"All right, then!"

Then he turned to face Senior Chase, who wore a knowing smirk on his face.

"I'm taking her over to our place."

"Sure thing, bro! If you want, I won't even come today."

"Hold your horses, bro, and take the keys. Shit, where are my keys? I kept them."

"I already have."

"Fuck! They're perfect for each other."

Everything dawned on me as my eyes skimmed through my extremely embarrassing acts. Me calling him poker face, him lifting me, me luring, kissing, dozing in his embrace, and me humiliating myself.

"Hold on!"

"You're such an alluring sin that I'd love to commit every fucking time."

Everyone had a shocked expression on their faces, but I couldn't see Senior Aylwin's, who left the place with me in his embrace without a second thought.

As the recollections of night flooded through my mind, I sank back into the bed, shoving my face into the pillow. I wished for the ground to swallow me whole or for a Godzilla to consume me. The headache was gone because I was about to have a brain hemorrhage. I was humiliated by my own folly. The entire college had watched that awful, and idiotic scene. Senior Poker... Ugh! No-no! Senior Aylwin?

What would he think of me? A random hormonal girl who can't even keep herself together. I screwed up everything this time, and I botched it badly. How the hell am I going to face everyone?

"So, I assume you've remembered everything. Regardless, the medicine is there. Don't forget to take it. Drink this lemon water first, it will help you. Take a bath, then tidy up yourself with a new set of clothes kept in the bathroom. Even Sybill Trelawney looks better than you." As I hurled pillows at her, she raced away, laughing.

"Sophronia Jasper, I want all the details."

Let's see what this day has in store for me.

"Much better! So... about last night... You, and Senior Aylwin... huh?"

"One more word, Ivy, and I vow on unborn pupas of butterfly, I'll behead you." As I ruffled my wet hair, she laughed. To my joy, my hangover was gone. I felt like a normal person again, yet the wave of humiliation lingered. I was in his room, had showered in his bathroom, was dressed in his hoodie, and was about to confront him.

"By the way, you look hot in Senior Poker Face's hoodie, and..."

"IVY JUST SHUT UP!" That made her laugh even harder. Even without drinking, I concluded that she was inebriated. But I couldn't say I disagree with what she said.

"Aw, someone's blushing."

"One word. RUN!" She bolted across the room, and I chased after her like a crazy-wild animal.

"Wait till I catch you, Morris!"

"Good luck doing that, Jasper!"

She dashed past the side table and sprang onto the bed, while I remained on the floor, ready to pounce at any moment. When I made a step to the right, she took a step to the left, and vice versa. I mounted the bed without hesitation, while she made a step to the right, intending to leap off, but my wrist clocked her foot. Alas! With a thud, she fell flat on her face on the bed. I encircled her, playfully smacking her repeatedly as she attempted to block me with her hands. We continued to laugh till our stomachs ached.

"Great entertainers, aren't you?" We were instantly silenced by a voice. Our heads jerked towards him as we saw him standing at the door with a perfectly arched brow.

Just a fantastic start!

We both sprang out of bed, mortified at having been caught. Wasn't the last night's incident sufficient for the Almighty? I wasn't prepared to confront him, but life was not on my side.

By the way, when is it?

"When you're done playing Tom and Jerry, then join us down." I didn't dare to look him in the eyes.

"Um... yes, you're right.... I guess, Senior Chase is calling me. So, I guess I'd better get going. You know... umm... bye!" Ivy rushed by us, winking at me as she went.

Why can't I hear it, for the love of All things holy? Unless you're a vampire, of course.

In his presence, all of my brain cells had shut down. I felt jittery as hell. Silence after silence flowed between us, and the sound of shoes tapping on the immaculate white floor just contributed to the mounting tension.

Oh, they are my shoes! Shit!

I instantly stopped tapping and summoned all of my confidence to confront him. It was a case of now or never. Instead of blurting out — 'Hey Senior Aylwin, whatever occurred last night was merely in the heat of the moment. I can't control my jumping estrogen and progesterone, and your lips were the only weapon that can. So, as a ravenous lioness I was... it just happened. Never mind, let's forget! Or, we can do it more often.'

Yeah, and don't forget to include this at the end: 'If you want to toss me out of your house, there's no need to drag me; merely tell me which way to go. Last night, I lost my senses; my legs are still intact.'

"I assume, Ivy is calling me. I should leave," I muttered, storming out without waiting for his reaction.

"Ah, see who decided to grace us with her presence." Senior Chase's voice had a hint of mockery in it, which I picked up on.

"Hey!" I greeted, rather shyly.

"Interesting night, wasn't it?" I averted my sight, embarrassed to have held his.

Sure, have fun tormenting me!

I looked for Ivy, but she was nowhere to be found. I was curious about her whereabouts. "She's using the bathroom." I nodded as he responded to my thoughts. I took a few moments to absorb in my surroundings. It was the living room, with a glass table in the center, and a black sofa set around it. From the wall painting to the velvety-furry doormats, everything was in dark colors. Regardless, it was simply... lovely.

"Bro loves dark colors." He served me with a platter of pancakes and waffles, which I gladly accepted. Given how hungry I was, I devoured them in no time.

"You're the first female to set foot on this dark monastery." That took me by surprise. I kept a wary watch on him, seeing his amusement.

"No girl has ever come here! Seriously, as if no one?" An amused smile tugged at his lips as he shook his head.

"Well, that's new! Girls practically throw themselves on you guys. This does not make any sense. It's just.... incomprehensible."

"Instead of asking questions, you should be honored, Hazel eyes. Bro didn't even acknowledge the presence of females. He allowed you to kiss him, and carried you here... my, my, my! My sacred vocation on this planet has been completed, oh good gracious." He brushed his faux tears away and closed his eyes, as if in deep concentration. My mouth was full of giggles, and I couldn't stop them.

"Does your brother have gynophobia or something?" He chuckled at me and shook his head in disbelief.

"No, of course not! Why would you think so? He barely even talks to males; he prefers his privacy, and girls may be too clinging at times." I coughed a bit too loudly, causing him to realize his blunder. He raised his hand in surrender, "Hey, hey, tiger, chill out! Exceptions are there."

Ivy soon joined us, and we continued conversing for a bit until Ivy had to go for a phone call from her parents, leaving Senior Chase and me alone.

"I figured, you two live together, correct?"

"Yeah!"

"Dorms?" He walked to the fridge and returned with cans of coke. He handed it to me. I approached it with caution, performing a full body check on the can to ensure its safety. I had no desire for a repetition of that night's show.

"It's not spiked." He opened his can with a chuckle.

"We left our dorms."

"Why?"

"Because, he wanted his privacy."

"How long have you known him? Has he always been like way?" I had a long list of questions for him to answer, but I knew I'd have to wait for the appropriate moment.

"Interested in Senior Poker Face, huh?" I rolled my eyes as he mocked me again, chuckling.

"We were both dormmates. I vividly recall our first day in college. When the door opened and bro walked in, I was halfway through organizing my stuff. I was expecting him to say hello or at the very least smile, but all I got was a brief glance. I figured maybe he's unhappy leaving his family or something." He chuckled to himself, continuing, "I tried to, you know, talk to him, but all he gave me was a word or a nod." He shook his head and sipped his drink every now and again.

"Our classes began gradually, and the days went by. We were mostly having formal talks, and I understood he was confining himself to his own detriment. He was the most emotionless and stoic person I'd ever seen in my life. Senior Poker Face, as you call him!" We shared a chuckle. "During that moment, I realized that I wasn't the only fucked up soul on the planet; he was far worse. But, unlike others, he was honest, always saved my sorry ass, and assisted me when I was in at my low points." His words were genuine and overflowing with admiration and respect.

"Hey! Boys have their low moments, too! No judging!" he said, making me smile.

"Um... how are you troubled soul? I mean, you seem to be all jolly-jolly most of the time."

"Things change, Hazel eyes. Things change, people change, and better memories gradually replace the negative ones," he added, a crooked smile on his face.

"Care to elaborate, will ya?"

"To say Chase Gavin had everything at his feet with a single thought would be an understatement, yet he couldn't have his parents' time, even if it was the most precious thing to him." He sighed and ran his hand through his hair.

"You know, Hazel Eyes, life sucks. It sucks like a bitch," I nodded as we laughed together.

"I never had my parents' love. Given that I am an only child, this is the most shocking truth for most of them, yet it makes no difference to them. They were always wrapped up in their work, and travels, and shits. They didn't even have time to attend their one and only child's graduation ceremony. It's a little depressing to be at home with no one to chat to."

"Didn't you talk to them about it? I mean, they're your parents?"

"Talk?" He laughed, dryly. "I've fucking begged with them to give me their time."

"My entire life had been spent being looked after by a nanny while my own fucking parents went on business trips. During my senior year of high school, a lot of things changed. I'd no one to guide me, and that's when I started sneaking out. Clubs, girls, and drinks became my life, but my parents were too fucked up to even care for me. Joining college did no good for me. I made few friends here and there; bad company, you know."

"Didn't they call you?"

"Oh, and let's not forget, five minutes once a month. We really had a long talk, right?" His comments were dripping with sarcasm.

"Anyway, returning to the issue at hand, one day we were all out partying, and wait... Did I say I was a womanizer?" I almost choked on my drink.

Womanizer? And Senior Chase?

"I know, it's not exactly something I'm proud of," he mumbled, his face contorted with disdain and misery, as if he was almost pitying himself.

"Anyway, like I mentioned, we were partying, and I was dating a blonde cheerleader who was drunk out of her mind and blurted out that she was with me to get into bro's pants." I gasped, wondering how low a female could stoop.

"That irked the fuck out of me. Being a womanizer is one thing, but at the time I felt used. Cheap, highly disgusting, and sickening. I got high that night, drugging with the boys who referred to them as my so-called friends." I felt bad for what happened to him; it shouldn't have happened to anyone.

"A rational part of my brain chided me and knocked some sense into me, ordering me to get the fuck out of there. Thank you, Jesus, I followed it and got out safely, but the big question was... where the fuck should I go? Inside, my so-called buddies were partying, and my prostitute of a girlfriend was cheating on me with fantasies of getting into my roommate's pants. I knew there was only one person who could help at that time, so I phoned him right away. That night, in my grief, I ended up narrating my life tale. My despair, anxiety, depression, and... my fucked-up life."

"I expected him to console me or something, but instead he did something that I'll never forget till the day I die," he said, his expression solemn as the following words poured out, maintaining our eye contact.

"He cupped my cheek, pulled my face closer to his, and BAM!"