First day

His alarm went off but his head was already blaring, he needed coffee, and a shower, and to order some kind off coffee to keep in his room. He stumbled to the shower and soon was basking under the lukewarm water.

"No luck last night," said Daemon.

What do you mean?

"She didn't get knocked up,"

Kinda figured she's on the pill or something.

After a shower he grabbed his stuff and headed to the cafeteria, a similar screaming sensation crept into his head. Staying here was going to be impossible, he grabbed coffee and a muffin and made for his first class, he figured getting there an hour early meant he'd have time to clear his head. As he entered the classroom the headache returned but it was at a low hum. In the room, also stupidly early sat a nervous looking brunette who seemed to be fixated on making sure she had everything in her bag.

"This seat taken?" he asked sitting next to her.

"Oh," she said looking at him like he was brandishing a weapon, "no, um but the whole room is empty."

"I know," said Marcus, "but it'd be kind of awkward to make conversation from across the room."

The girl smiled and seemed to relax, at least a little.

"You play magic?" he asked motioning to her phone case.

"Yea," she said excitedly before trying to rein herself in.

"Rakdos," he said, "you?"

"Mono blue."

Marcus picked his stuff up and started to walk away as the girl tried to sputter a response.

"I'm just teasing," he said, "but seriously mono blue? Do you just like saying no?"

"...no?" she offered.

"Convincing," said Marcus, "I'm Marcus, or Mark."

"Marcus," she said, "I'm Josie."

Josie finally let herself relax, sure he was handsome, and confident, and handsome, and played magic and he was really handsome. As they talked more about their expectations for the first week of college and about deck building Josie relaxed even more, he was so easy to talk to and he shared an interest in the only hobby she'd been able to cultivate under an overbearing mother who didn't see why she needed an education when she didn't have a man.

"I bought a booster box," said Marcus, "right before college, kind of a gift to myself, you want to open some packs later."

"You," she stammered, "and me?"

"Yeah maybe after classes, we can meet in the cafeteria."

"Ok," she said trying her best not to blush but certain it was only making it worse, he hadn't said it was a date but maybe she kind of wished it was.

***

Yasmin sat in the cafe outside of the science building, it was relatively quiet unlike the cafeteria, she swirled her coffee and daydreamed. Marcus, why did he have this hold on her? She smiled to herself as she replayed last night, she would call him again, give it time though so she didn't seem desperate, except she really was.

"Earth to Yasmin," came a voice.

"Huh?" she looked up and saw her best friend Celia standing in front of her.

"Girl spill," said Celia reading her like a book, "who was it?"

"Who was what?" she asked coyly.

"Girl I heard a rumor about Briard Hall being kept up by someone getting fucked sideways and now you're here in another world, spill."

"Just a guy," she said.

"Bullshit, girl what did he do to you?"

"What didn't he do?" she said mostly to herself but unfortunately out loud.

"It was your freshman hunt night, tell me it wasn't a freshman."

"Mhm," said Yasmin sipping her coffee, "tall, strong, hung."

"Ugh," groaned Celia, "I got a guy who didn't make it out of his pants."

"And I got put through the mattress," said Yasmin.

"Girl you've gotta let me hit I'm like four months without a battery powered orgasm."

Yasmin didn't answer, sure she didn't want a relationship, but that didn't mean she wanted to compete for his attention.

"Are you hogging this guy?" said Celia, "after everything we've been through?"

Celia was her truest friends there was no denying that, "his name is Marcus."

"You remember his name?" squealed Celia, "you're the first girl in history whose had her brains fucked back in."

***

Anastasia walked towards class, she hadn't recognized anyone in the cafeteria and after waiting a while for Mark she decided to just head to class early. Her mind dwelt on the guy from the hallway last night and as she entered the classroom there he was, or, no, it was Mark, talking to some girl who was smiling at him. Mark was flirting with a girl, that didn't compute, Mark didn't talk to girls let alone flirt with them. He was her best friend, she should be happy for him, so why was she jealous of the smile this girl was giving Mark.

"Stasi," said Mark as he saw her her got up and gave her a hug as he offered her the seat next to him, "this is Josie, she's a business major like you."

Anastasia offered a quick smile to the girl and took a kind of sick satisfaction in how quickly her smile had faded when Mark had hugged her.

"You two?" asked Josie after a moment.

"Lifelong friends," said Mark.

Right, Anastasia told herself, friends, just friends. But she felt possessiveness over Mark, she'd known him forever, and he was always there for her, through every tragedy, through every crush and boyfriend he was there. Maybe because he had no other options said a voice she tried to ignore.

"You ok Stasi?" asked Mark examining her face, "nervous about the first day?"

"Yea," she said forcing a smile, "nerves."

"Same," offered Josie.

Anastasia examined the girl, she seemed nervous and like she had just been having a nice talk with Mark who was, after all a very nice guy and Anastasia let herself unwind a bit.

***

Marcus survived his first class, intro to business, the professor was a stoic older man who spent most of the time going over rules. As he went to his second class without Stasi or Josie he found a seat and waited excitedly, this was the only class he was excited to take, creative writing. The professor entered and looked to be in her twenties herself, she talked nervously but excitedly about the readings they would have and the assignments, she emphasized the creative portion of the class name and took questions about it all. As the short woman talked he couldn't help but feel like he recognized her, he flashed through his mind, not personally but an artist maybe? Then it hit him, as everyone filed out of the classroom he approached the desk and caught her taking a deep breath.

"Professor Banks?" he asked.

"What can I do for you Mark?" she asked with a smile.

"Already know our names?" he said rather impressed, "I actually wanted to ask, are you Cassidy Banks?"

"Um," she said nervously, "yes."

"Oh my god it's such an honor," he said.

"It is?" she asked.

"You wrote the Doom Tower series."

"Ghost wrote," she said, "got fired."

"Yeah but that was all political bullshit, pardon my French."

"You think so?"

"Definitely, when you took over the bulk of the writing in book three the characters got so much more interesting, especially the women."

"I really appreciate that," she said looking touched, "listen I have a faculty meeting to get to but if you want to talk more come to my office hours."

***

Josie sat at a table towards the edge of the cafeteria fidgeting nervously, it wasn't a date but that didn't make her any less excited to be meeting with a handsome boy who shared her interest.

"Mind if we join?" came her roommates voice as Lily and Josie's best friend Wei took their seats.

"Oh well," said Josie who was frantically looking around for Marcus.

"What?" said Lily, "you got a date?"

Josie blushed hard as she tried to deny it but Lily wasn't dropping it, "who? It's only our first day."

"Hey Josie," came his voice.

She turned and saw him walking over, but before she could get to crestfallen he sat down too, "who are your friends?"

Josie sat still processing as Lily took the initiative, "I'm Lily," she said extending a hand, which he shook "Josie is my roommate, the mute is Wei."

Wei gave a small wave and didn't make eye contact.

"More the merrier," said Marcus, "nice to meet you both."

Lily smiled, Wei blushed.

"Well," he said taking out the box, "you all play?"

"We do," said Lily after Josie failed to muster a response.

"Well," he said unwrapping the box, "I'm down to share but I will hold it against you if you pull something amazing."

They started to open mostly in silence until Wei gasped.

"You lucky bitch," said Lily.

Wei smiled but looked at Marcus, "I understand if you want to keep it," she said barely above a whisper.

"Absolutely not," said Marcus, "all yours."

Wei smiled and Josie opened, it clearly wasn't a date the way he was chatting with Lily and Wei, she opened a card she'd been chasing but it didn't do much to improve her mood.

"Oh crap," said Lily, "we've got that Women in Business meeting."

"Right," said Josie, she turned to Marcus, "thanks for this, sorry I didn't expect my friends to show up."

"It's fine Josie," said Marcus, "I just wanted to spend time with you."

Josie smiled and Lily cut in, "let her make it up to you."

"Yeah," said Josie reaching for her purse.

Lily shot her a look as if to say "girl no."

"She'll let you take her out," said Lily.

"Like a date?" said Marcus and Josie in unison though Josie's may have been more of a squeak.

"I mean if it's ok with Josie," said Marcus with a smile, god he was so handsome.

"Yea," said Josie, "a date."

"You free Friday night?"

Lily shook her head, "big welcome to campus party, she's free Saturday."

"Saturday," said Marcus, "just give me your number."

Josie smiled ear to ear as she typed her information into his phone, she put a little purple heart emoji by her name.

"Looking forward to it Josie," said Marcus as she handed him his phone back.

As she walked away with the girls she knew she was smiling like a doofus but she didn't care.

"Sorry we interrupted your date," said Wei.

"It wasn't a date," said Lily, "but now they've got one."

"What are we going to do?" asked Josie, "what am I going to wear? Is he going to expect me to put out?"

"Girl, slow the hell down," said Lily, "you'll be fine."

"That girl's got it bad," said Daemon, "and you really like her."

She's definitely my type, thought Marcus.