Possession Party

“Why are we here again?” Ryan asked as they approached the entryway of the large house.

Bailey rolled her blue eyes. “Because we’re freshman in college. We’re here to make friends, experience new things, and party. We were lucky to get this invite, so don’t be a wet blanket or next time I won’t bring you along.”

Ryan’s whole tall, lanky frame slouched in defiance. Parties, any kind of party, was not his scene. He liked his socializing done one or two people at a time. The only person who could have talked him into coming was Bailey. But he still wanted it known by his words and posture that he was going reluctantly. “I didn’t get the invite. I’m just your plus one, and I said I’d rather stay in my dorm room.”

“And I ignored what you said and chose to drag you here anyway,” the bubbly blonde chided as she playfully slapped his arm. “It’ll be good for you. You’re always talking about how terrible you are with women. I’ll help you get the confidence boost you need to get laid!”

Ryan stopped walking as his brain didn’t have enough processing power to understand that last sentence and walk at the same time. For the briefest of moments, he thought that Bailey had offered to have sex with him at the party. He would have been more than okay with that.

The day they had met at orientation had been the day his crush on her began. He had been so awkward when introducing himself to her during an icebreaker. Bailey, however, had accepted him just as he was, and then placed him firmly in the friend zone. But every once in a while, he misinterpreted something she said as a possibility for something more. He knew he was probably wrong though, because he always struggled to communicate with the opposite sex.

Still, Ryan was eternally grateful to have met her. Bailey had helped Ryan come out of his shell bit by bit over the last couple of months. They helped each other in their classes when they could. Most of all, Bailey helped Ryan overcome a strong bout of homesickness he felt at the end of the first month. She was a good friend, possibly the only real one he had made on campus. And he was pretty sure he was in love with her. He kept hoping she would make a move on him, but she never did, and he didn’t want to ruin everything by asking for something more.

But she had mentioned getting laid. Him laid to be specific. And his ears had perked up and wondered if she was coming onto him at last. But as his eyes met hers, and he watched her head tilt in confusion, he realized he had mostly likely misread the situation.

Bailey cut back in. “Yes, laid. I thought boys thought about sex all the time. I can be your wingman. Or wing woman as it were.”

“Wing woman, sure. It won't matter. I’m terrible at-”

“Talking to girls, I know!” Bailey finished for him as she rang the doorbell.

“Except for you,” Ryan pointed out.

Bailey smirked. “Because we’re such good friends!”

Ryan almost said something. He almost let it slip that he didn’t want to be her friend. He wanted to be her lover. But that would have been horribly cheesy and pathetic. And she would have laughed at him. And she’d tell him that she didn’t see him that way. And their friendship would effectively be over. So instead of saying anything, he turned to leave. But Bailey caught his shoulder.

“Hey, you can do this,” she said in all seriousness as she spun him back around. “I’m with you all the way.” She booped his nose and winked at him. “Until you go all the way that is.”

Ryan was about to point out that most likely meant she’d be with him forever, when the door swung wide open to reveal Topher Steward. Everyone knew Topher. He was the guy on campus that could get you things. The kind of things that you needed a fake id to get. Or the kinds of things that helped you ace a test without studying. Or the kinds of mind altering substances that police would absolutely arrest you for having in your possession. And he was always on the lookout for the next thing to sell to his fellow students.

“Oh good, you’re here, you’re here,” Topher said with open arms and a wide grin. As he pulled them inside a large foyer, he spoke loud enough for anyone in the house to hear. “I was worried we were going to have to start the party without you.”

Ryan had a brief second to take in the place as they were shuffled into the lavishly decorated interior. It seemed even bigger on the inside. There were stairs that led left and right to a second story. To his right, there seemed to be a study, and beyond that an entryway to what was probably a kitchen.

Topher was leading them to a large room to their left that had a pool table near the middle, shelves of books along one side of the wall, and a fully stocked bar in the corner. There were already thirty or forty people huddled in groups around the room, talking amongst themselves. Ryan thought he knew a few people from around campus. But there was one person he absolutely recognized, because she was probably the hottest girl in a thousand mile radius. Ryan only knew her name was Tiffany, along with the fact that she was a senior with dark hair, an hourglass figure that could stop traffic, and a gorgeous face.

[Story by Kripto on Outfox Stories, reposted with permission. https://www.outfoxstories.com/user/Kripto/]