"Long," Sera agreed, slumping onto her bed.
"Uh-oh, I know that look! What's wrong?"
Sera looked up at Kathleen's short figure. She was a little plump, but most of her weight rested in her overwhelming chest. She wore a body-hugging white tank top that stretched provocatively over her large breasts. Pulled into a ponytail, the end of her short blonde hair bobbed against her neck. Her sky blue eyes always sparkled mischievously. Her nose was small and pert, with a slight slope at the end of it. Her pristine plum lipstick contrasted prettily with her fair skin.
"Just beat," Sera finally replied. "Glad it's the weekend."
"Oh yeah! There's a party at Omega house tonight; we have to go!"
"I don't know," she replied, standing up and moving to the window.
"Oh, don't you dare do this to me!" Kathleen cried, dramatically throwing herself on the bed. "I'm not going to spend another semester dragging you out. It's the end of September, and you haven't been to any parties yet. We've been back for three weeks already. You're going willingly, and you're going to have a good time! I mean it, Sera."
Sera knew it was pointless to argue with her, Kathleen almost always got her way. She was tired and didn't feel like going to a party, but it would do her good to get out of their room and see people she hadn't seen since before summer break. Besides, she wasn't in the mood to clean Kathleen's mess tonight, and she knew she would if she stayed here.
"You're right," she relented.
Kathleen grinned as she bounced eagerly on the balls of her feet. "Honey, I'm always right! You should know that by now."
Sera laughed, some of the tension of the week finally easing. Kathleen always made her feel better. "Omega huh?"
"They're always good for a few laughs," Kathleen replied with a giggle. "Now, come on. It starts at seven, so that means I only have three hours to get ready. You have to help me. Then, of course, I'm going to help you."
Sera walked over to Kathleen's overflowing closet. Clothes were falling off the hangers, laying on the floor, and spilling out the door. She didn't know why Kathleen even bothered to unpack, she couldn't find anything in this mess, and her stuff was neater when it was in boxes and suitcases.
"What are we going to wear?" Kathleen pondered while tapping her finger on her lip as she perused the mess before her.
Sera sighed in resignation, but Kathleen chose to ignore it as she pawed her way through the mess. Kathleen was always trying to dress her up. Sometimes she permitted it, other times she put her foot down. She was not the type to put on an abundance of makeup or skimpy clothes. She preferred to dress down and fade into the background.
"You're going to look spectacular!" Kathleen cried as she pulled clothes from the closet and tossed them across the floor.
Sera pulled self-consciously at her clothes as she followed Kathleen toward the frat house. She felt awkward in the midnight blue, midriff-bearing shirt hugging her upper body. The short black skirt covered her to mid-thigh, but the slit on the right side rose another two inches. Kathleen had bought the outfit without trying it on, and to her dismay, discovered it didn't fit her. At least, that's what Kathleen told Sera, but Sera didn't believe her for a minute. It was a little too coincidental it fit Sera perfectly.
"Stop that," Kathleen said, slapping her hand away. "You look fantastic!"
"I feel uncomfortable."
"Get used to it. I've been trying for three years to get you to be more sociable and outgoing. This is our final year together, and I'm going to succeed."
Sera shot her a scowl as she followed Kathleen up the stairs of the frat house. They passed by a group of men sitting on the stairs, leering at them. One let out a low, appreciative whistle to the enjoyment of his friends. Sera fretted with her hair, anxiously shoving it behind her ear as she tried to ignore them.
They made their way past another group of guys in the doorway smiling at them. Sera averted her gaze; her skin was already beginning to crawl with discomfort. Alcohol was being passed around, and a cup of draft was shoved into her hand. She sipped at it before placing it on one of the speakers blaring music. Kathleen led the way through the crowded foyer and toward a side room. The decrepit, ugly furniture had been shoved against the dirty white walls to create dance space. Dancing couples and groups of friends packed the area. People laughed and shouted to be heard over the pounding music. It was enough to give her a headache.
"Hey!"
Sera looked up as Michelle appeared at her side. "Hey," she replied cheerfully, happy to find another friendly face in the crowd.
Michelle flashed a dazzling grin as she turned to survey the cluttered room. Her short black dress clung to every one of her slender curves. Her auburn hair had been pulled into an elegant French twist accentuating her long neck and the delicate sweep of her high cheekbones. She wore little makeup, but she didn't need much to illuminate her refined features and startling beauty. Her deep, mahogany eyes slanted at a provocative, almost feline, angle.
Where Kathleen exuded energy, Michelle radiated a cool, poised elegance. During Sera's second semester of school, she and Michelle had been paired as lab partners. It took them a while to get to know one another, but once they had, they'd hit it off. They had more in common than Sera did with Kathleen, and she found Michelle's friendship a pleasant break from Kathleen's tremendous excitement. It was good for Sera to have a chance to slow down and talk to someone a little more like her.
Michelle's gaze returned to Sera; her eyes swept disdainfully over her. Her thin lips, her only flaw to perfection, were pursed. Her long, slender nose scrunched distastefully. "You look
