Awakened in September

by Kelsey Clayton

  Bianca: Good Morning Baby. I miss you already.

  Bianca: I guess you’re still sleeping. Call me tonight.

  Bianca: I wish we could go back to the start

  of summer again. Being away from you sucks.

  I answer with a simple ‘hey’ then go to scroll through Instagram. Using the hashtag MaineUniversity, I’m able to see pictures of all the freshman who are just arriving. Some of them are cute, others not so much. It’s not that I plan to contact anyone through this app. Sliding into someone’s DMs is not my style. It just gives me an idea of anyone I may want to look out for.

  DESPITE MY INTENTIONS TO go to the mattress store, I end up on campus with Jason and Caleb. Information about the party tonight needs to be spread, and while he could have sent the sophomores, my ‘charm’ attracts more female attention. Instead of arguing it, I grabbed dumb and dumber and got into the car.

  We stand in the middle of the grass right near the welcome building. The two of them pass out flyers to everyone that walks by while I mess around on my phone. For every five texts I receive from Bianca, I send one in return. It’s a process, getting her to chill out on the obsessive front. Still, for some reason I always end up with her when I’m in the area. She’s like the perfect back up plan.

  “Are you Holden Rivers?” A voice gets my attention.

  I look up from my phone to find a few girls standing in front of me. Caleb raises his eyebrows suggestively, making me laugh. My dimples show and you can practically see their knees weaken. Alright H. Turn it on.

  I smirk at them and nod. “Yeah, that’s me. And who might you be?”

  “I’m Reagan. This is Cassie and Paisley.”

  “Well, Reagan,” I reach my hand out and tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. She instantly becomes putty in my hand. “Will the three of you be at the party tonight?”

  Her cheeks turn a deep shade of red. “Definitely.”

  “Great. I’ll see you tonight then.”

  The three of them start walking away. As they look back at me, I wink, causing them to break into a fit of excited giggles. Jason steps next to me and crosses his arms.

  “Find someone you like?”

  “Nah, but that’s three more people who will be there tonight. They’re decent enough. One of the guys will snatch them up.”

  He snorts. “But they want you.”

  “Who doesn’t?”

  “Cocky bastard.”

  A bark of laugher leaves my mouth. “There is a big difference between cocky and honest.”

  I’m not naïve. Ever since the ninth grade when I learned how to gain muscle mass and style my hair, getting girls has never been an issue. My little sister, Josephine, used to get mad because half her friends that came to sleep over, were only there to get closer to me. I can’t even begin to count the amount of fights that have been had because of it.

  The problem with all these freshman is that they’re like everyone else. They all see me as a challenge. It’s no secret that I don’t do anything serious, and yet, each one of them seems to think they’ll be the exception. Yeah, I’ve had a few relationships. Bianca, for one, was someone I dated on an off for a few years. There was also Laci, a girl I dated throughout freshman year here. Though, if I’m being honest, that was only because she could get me into all the best parties. She’s a year older and I used that to my advantage.

  Regardless, most of the girls here just don’t spark my interest. Whenever I sleep with someone, it almost always comes down to waking up the next morning and needing to break the news to them that it was only a one-time thing. Last year, I had a pretty good system going. I’d leave before they woke up and go for a run, while one of my friends would show them out the door. I wouldn’t come back until I got a text letting me know they were gone. Perhaps I’ll do the same this year.

  THE PARTY IS MORE crowded than most, though the first one usually is. I sit on the kitchen island surrounded by Jason, Jesse, and Caleb. We’re discussing ideas for the upcoming rush week. I enjoy being on this side of things. Last year, I was only a sophomore so my opinion didn’t really matter much. I was just the pretty face that always ended up with a different girl in my bed. Now, however, I have much more say in these matters.

  “What do you think H? Any good ideas?” Jesse asks.

  I shrug slightly as I take a sip of my beer. “A few.”

  “Like?”

  “Like a 3,000-piece puzzle done in the dark basement, with nothing to help them see but a strobe light.”

  The three of them laugh as Jesse pats my shoulder. “And this is why you’ll end up president next year.”

  Caleb rolls his eyes. It’s always been between him and I for who will take the role, but the chances of me getting it over him are high. I guess he’s still a little bitter about it.

  A short blonde haired girl slips herself under his arm. “Hey babe.”

  I recognize her as his girlfriend from last year, Taylor. I can’t believe they stayed together. In my opinion, she’s nothing special. She’s rude and always thinks she’s better than everyone else around her. I’ve never understood what Caleb sees in her.

  “Hey you.” He kisses her forehead and pulls her close. Jason and I share a look of disgust.

  Another blonde hair girl stands shyly beside her, glancing at me every few seconds. When Taylor remembers she’s there, she smiles.

  “Oh. This is my friend Bree. She’s a freshman this year.”

  I look the new girl up and down. Out of all the newbies here, she’s definitely on the better-looking side of the spectrum. Her long blonde hair curls at the bottom. The amount of make up on her face is a little more than I’d prefer, but I guess I can deal with it. The crop top she’s wearing shows off her flat stomach, and her jeans hug her hips nicely. Yeah, she’ll do.

  “I’m Holden.” I introduce myself as I jump down from the counter.

  “Hi.” She croaks out, already affected by my looks.

  Lightly placing my arm around her shoulders, I pull her with me. “How about we go get you a drink?”

  She appears to stop breathing but manages to nod, coming with me to the keg. I pour the beer perfectly, having a lot of practice over the last few years, and hand her the cup. She thanks me and takes a sip.

  “So, Bree. Is that short for something?”

  “Brianna.”

  “Brianna.” I repeat. “It’s cute. It suits you.”

  She blushes but tries to hide it. “You think I’m cute?”

  Placing my hand on her hip, I take a small step closer. “There are a lot of words I would use to describe you, but cute is not one of them.”

  “Oh yeah?”

  “Definitely.”

  A pain in my ass wearing a tight-fitting skirt comes over to interrupt, and every part of me wants to punch Caleb in the face. Why did he have to choose such an annoying brat to be his girlfriend? She smiles sweetly at Bree before turning to me.

  “Holden.” Her tone is firm. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”

  “Do I have much of a choice?”

  The look on her face tells me I don’t. She walks past me and I excuse myself from Bree to go deal with her. When we get to a quiet hallway, she stops. The attitude she’s using to try and intimidate me makes me laugh.

  “Watch it.” She warns. “Bree is one of my closest friends and I know how you are.”

  “Oh? How is that exactly?”

  She puts one hand on her hip. “Your every intention right now is to take her upstairs, have your way with her, and kick her to the curb. I’m telling you not to.”

  My lips contort into a smug grin. “And I should listen to you, because?”

  “Because if you don’t, I will make sure no other girl at this school will ever give you a second look.”

  I bend over in hysterical laughter, placing my hands on my knees to brace myself. It only makes her angrier but I don’t care. The thought of her thinking she has that kind of power is hilarious to me. I’m the most want
ed guy on campus, and the only reason people know her name is because she’s Caleb Sutter’s girlfriend.

  Taylor scoffs and shoves past me, going back to the party. I take a few more minutes to compose myself, going into the bathroom and making sure my hair is still perfectly in place. When I walk back out, I see Bree standing next to Taylor while the ice queen talks to Caleb and Jesse. I become determined and head straight over to them.

  “Sorry about that, Brianna.” I apologize, ignoring the fact that her friend is staring daggers into the side of my head. “What do you say we go somewhere a little more… private?”

  “Holden.” Taylor says lowly, trying to make it sound like a warning.

  Bree looks at her friend quickly, who shakes her head no. However, as soon as she looks back at me, she smiles. “Sounds good to me.”

  I put my hand out and she places hers in mine. As I lead her up the stairs, I wink at Taylor and chuckle when she starts yelling at Caleb. Bree and I walk down the hallway and into my room. I shut the door and lock it as soon as we’re inside.

  “So, this is the bedroom of the infamous Holden Rivers.” She murmurs as she looks around.

  I’m slightly taken back. “Oh, you’ve heard of me?”

  She shrugs. “A little. It’s hard not to.”

  “All good things, I hope.”

  Her head tilts to the side and she purses her lips. “Hottest guy on campus. Total heartthrob. The love ‘em and leave ‘em type.”

  I take a few steps forward and into her personal space. “Well, at least they’re honest.”

  She looks like she’s about to say something else but I don’t give her the opportunity to. As soon as the words leave my mouth, I place my hand on her lower back and pull her in close – pressing my lips to hers immediately. She melts into the kiss and in that moment, I know I’ve got her exactly where I want her.

  Chapter Three

  The sun shines into the room, right into my eyes and pulls me from my slumber. I groan as a pain shoots through my back. Movement that isn’t my own causes me to freeze and I turn my head to see Bree in the bed next to me. Quietly, I try to get out of the bed without waking her, but I hear her whisper my name. I look back and she smiles at me. I guess I’m stuck dealing with this one myself. Shit.

  “Good morning.”

  “Morning.” I answer. “Sleep well?”

  She gives me a look. “Kind of. Your bed isn’t exactly comfortable.”

  I chuckle. “Yeah, I know. Jesse had gotten me a new mattress, but Jason stole it like an asshole.”

  “Ouch. Steal it back.”

  “Eh, too much work. I’m going to buy a new one today.”

  She sits up and runs her fingers through her hair, pushing it out of her face. “Want some company?”

  I’m about to turn her down, but the images from last night flow through my mind. She can suck cock like a pro, and I wouldn’t mind that happening again before I break her fragile little heart. I guess bringing her with me wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.

  “Sure. I’ll bring you back to your dorm so you can change. Just let me take a shower first.”

  Brianna grins happily and as I go to get up, she grabs my arm. I furrow my eyebrows at her and she pulls me close for a quick kiss. Okay, she may be thinking a little too far into this.

  ONCE I’M SHOWERED AND dressed, we go downstairs. I walk into the kitchen to grab a couple bottles of water and I’m unfortunately faced with Taylor. She narrows her eyes at me until she sees her friend come in behind me.

  “Oh, Bree, you’re still here.”

  She gives her a strange look but shrugs it off. “Yeah. Holden and I are going to get him a new mattress.”

  “Too much traffic on your old one, H?” Taylor asks. Bitch.

  “Hardly. I prefer sex against the wall.”

  Caleb spews water halfway across the room, completely pulling the attention off me. I laugh at his reaction and grab what I came in here for. When I’m done, I turn to Brianna and hand her one of the bottles.

  “Ready to go?” She nods.

  “Let’s get going then.” I lead her out of the kitchen and shout back to Caleb. “See you around, Sutter.”

  “You’re not going to say bye to Taylor?” Bree questions softly.

  “I’d rather not.”

  We walk over to my yellow Chevy Camaro. I unlock the doors and the two of us climb in. When I notice her admiring the interior, I smirk – knowing my car only makes me more alluring. Apparently, I look good in a sports car.

  “Like it?” I ask, turning the key and hearing it roar to life.

  She smiles. “Yeah, it’s nice.”

  “Well buckle up, Buttercup.” I tell her before pulling out onto the road and flooring it.

  As the car increases in speed, the momentum pushes us back into our seats. I glance over and see her eyes widen in both fear and arousal. Unfortunately, it’s short lived since the road isn’t all that long, but it was fun while it lasted. I play some music through the stereo to drown out the silence. I don’t do this often, so I don’t really know what to say to her, and she seems too shy to start a conversation.

  After taking her back to the dorms, she goes inside to change while I wait in the car. It takes longer than I would prefer, but soon enough she gets back in the passenger seat. She’s wearing a white hoodie and a pair of ripped jeans. The outfit is much less revealing than the one she was wearing last night, but she still looks good. I check her out for a second and then back out of the parking spot.

  The mattress store isn’t too far and we end up getting there in no time. We both get out of the car and walk inside. It’s empty, as they usually are, so the sales woman greets us immediately. I have to stop myself from rolling my eyes. I hate when people are up your ass as you find what you’re looking for.

  “I take it you’re in need for a new mattress?” She sounds entirely too happy for her line of work.

  I give her a look. “No. I’m looking for a motorcycle. You sell those here, right?”

  Bree’s jaw drops as the woman laughs off my sarcastic comment. She goes on asking me questions about what kind of mattress I’d like – plush or firm, what size, etc. As I answer, she starts walking toward a certain mattress. I nod for Bree to follow and she does.

  When we get to the one she’s recommending, I lay on it to test it out. It’s alright – definitely better than what I have now – but still not what I’m looking for. I sit up and look at the sale rep.

  “Do you have anything a little softer?”

  She smiles in a way that screams fake and annoyed. “Right this way.”

  The next bed she shows me is much better. I lie down and roll slightly from side to side, making sure I’d have no issue sleeping on it. As I’m pondering if this is the one I want, I hear her address Bree.

  “Shouldn’t you be testing it out, too?”

  She hesitates a little. “Oh, n-no. This is his bed.”

  “I’m sorry. I just assumed you two were together. You’d make a gorgeous couple.”

  My closed eyes roll into the back of my head. This woman is giving the poor girl false hopes and now I’m the one that’s going to have to deal with it. I have half a mind to find another store to buy from, but I’m already here and I don’t want to be doing this all day.

  I sit up and tell her I’ll take this one, just wanting to get out of here. She goes over to the desk to fill out the paperwork. We wait by the bed I’ve just chosen, and I test it out one more time. It’s much more comfortable than the one I have, and I don’t think it’ll mess up my back.

  “Is it nice?” Bree asks shyly.

  I gesture to the other side of the bed. “See for yourself.”

  She seems to like that answer because she grins widely and lays on the bed next to me. “Oh, yeah. This is much better.”

  “You mean you don’t prefer lumpy mattresses?”

  She giggles. “I think I slept with a spring in my back most of the night. I don’t know how
you’ve dealt with that thing for this long.”

  “It wasn’t always that bad. Last year, I used it to surf down the stairs and may have fucked it up a bit more.”

  “To surf down the stairs?”

  “You’ve never tried it?!”

  Her expression tells me she finds the idea humorous. “Yeah, when I was like ten.”

  “Are you calling me a child?” I mock outrage.

  “Maybe a little.”

  I’m about to respond when the sales woman gets my attention. “I’m all ready for you if you’d like to come over to pay and set up delivery.”

  Grumbling lowly, I get up from the bed. I extend my hand to help Bree up as well. To my surprise, she doesn’t let go, instead choosing to interlace our fingers. I consider letting go but ultimately decide against it. There’s no one here, so what’s the harm?

  LATER THAT EVENING, I’M sitting in the living room surrounded by a few of the guys, including but not limited to Jason, Caleb, and Jesse. I get the email confirmation on my phone of the mattress being delivered tomorrow and I’m instantly relieved. No more shitty bed.

  “Hey Jess.” I say to him. “A delivery is coming tomorrow between one and three. It’s my mattress. If I’m not here, just send them to my room and make sure they take the old one please.”

  He nods. “I won’t be there, but I’ll make sure one of the sophmores takes care of it.”

  “Thanks man.”

  Caleb’s giving me a suggestive look. “So, you brought Bree with you today, huh?”

  “Yeah.” I respond, dragging it out like he’s lost his mind. “It’s not that big of a deal.”

  All of them stare at me blankly until Jason speaks. “Bro, you spent more than ten minutes today with a girl you slept with last night. It kind of is a big deal.”

  “Way to make me sound like a tool.” I quip.

  Caleb chuckles. “Please tell me you’re considering actually dating this one. I do not want the wrath of Taylor if you turn this chick down.”

  “I wasn’t planning to date her...”

  “Well, do you like her?” Jesse pipes in.

  Jason scoffs. “Please. The only person Holden likes is himself.”