It felt completely surreal to think that he had been in New York, in her dorm, in her arms. He had come for her. He had confessed his desire—love—for her. He had lain next to her all night.

She shook her head in disbelief ignoring the alarm bells going off throughout her body at the sudden movements. No, she had dreamed that. She drank way too much last night, and out of desperation had conjured up the one person she was always thinking about. She was almost certain she had passed out and Jack had taken over her subconscious...as he typically did.

He wasn’t here after all. If he had been real, he would be lying here next to her with his arms securing her in place against his chest. He would be kissing her shoulder and up her neck. He would mumble sweet nothings into her ear and stroke her long unruly hair out of her face in order to get a better look at her warm, dark chocolate eyes. She would melt at the sight of his cerulean irises confessing his affection for her and knowing that they didn’t actually need words.

No. Jack was just a dream. A sweet dream, but a dream nonetheless.

That gloomy thought coupled with her ever increasing hangover, Lexi pulled the covers from across her eyes. Her pupils dilated as they adjusted to the extreme change in light exposure. She sat up, still holding the covers tight to her chest in an attempt to retain some heat within her body. After a minute, Lexi shifted her gaze to Rachelle who was studiously seated at the kitchen table with her Civil Procedure book open before her.

“Ray...uh...can I ask you something?” Lexi began awkwardly.

Rachelle flipped the page, not even appearing to hear Lexi’s comment. Lexi waited feeling more uncomfortable by the second as she waited for a response. Just when she opened her mouth to speak up again, Rachelle responded noncommittally, “Huh?”

“Can I ask you something?” Lexi repeated.

“You just did, and you can’t borrow my book. I need to read this at least four or five more times before tomorrow,” she added snappily.

Lexi gritted her teeth, and tried to remind herself that she was at a top five school for a reason. These people were supposed to be bitchy. “I didn’t want to borrow your book,” Lexi said, “I had a question about last night.”

Rachelle glanced up from whatever she was writing furiously into her notepad and snorted. Literally, snorted. Lexi gaped at her in horror.

“Did you uh...let someone in last night?” Lexi asked.

“Are you thick?” Rachelle retorted snapping her pen down on the pad with a little too much force.

“Excuse me?” Lexi asked dumbfounded, cringing away from the loud smacking noise the pen made against the surface.

“I would never let anyone inside,” Rachelle stated matter-of-factly, always the epitome of responsibility.

Lexi breathed out a sigh of relief even though it felt more like a sigh of despair. She had been hoping that she was wrong. She wanted so desperately to have Jack here that she was actually badgering her most anal roommate about possibly letting a strange man into their dorm room. How much had she had to drink the night before? She shook her head, regretting the action instantly, and stood to go brew a cup of coffee. Rachelle was some sort of super-human freak that didn’t need the stuff, even though she went to bed after everyone and woke up first in the household.

As she prepared the pot, Lexi found her bottle of Tylenol tucked behind three cans of tuna and a crushed package of macaroni and cheese. Dumping out two extra strength pills in her hand, she stuck her mouth under the running faucet, took a too-large gulp, and swallowed them down whole. She hopped up on the cool counter top letting her legs dangle and leaned her aching head back against the wooden cabinets as the coffee pot worked its magic.

After Lexi had filled her mug to the brim with the steaming liquid, she stumbled into her bedroom to get together toiletries for the shower she so desperately needed. Digging through her pockets from last night, Lexi located her cell phone. A text from Chyna stated something about them needing to talk and expressing her feelings about the amazing night. Lexi shrugged off the needing to talk bit and veered towards the shower. The shower was refreshing and seemed to alleviate most of the aches that were permeating her body and completely dispelled any feelings of nausea. Lexi finished off her mug of now lukewarm coffee as fast as she could, changed into some sweats, and ventured back into her living room.

By that time, Lexi’s other roommates, Claire and Elizabeth, had returned and were discussing the reading that Rachelle was currently skimming over for the umpteenth time. Lexi tilted her head to the side and ran her fingers through her hair allowing the waves to separate from each other. She moseyed towards the coffee pot and poured herself another mug.

“Did you hear us, Lexi?” Claire asked behind her.

Lexi turned around and surveyed the scene before her. She was the first to admit that she didn’t exactly fit in with the other students at NYU. People came in from all over the country to go here, but they at least all had one thing in common: a sense of competition. Her roommates definitely had that feeling, and Lexi simply didn’t share it with them. That was why when they were all together in one place. It was very unlikely that they would actually be talking to her. She hadn’t heard a single word they had been saying for that exact reason, and told them as much.

Elizabeth upturned her nose at Lexi and mumbled something under her breath. Claire jabbed her in the ribs before responding. “We were wondering how last night went,” she ventured barely suppressing a giggle.

Lexi stared at her with her mouth wide open. In the months that they had been living together, she had never been asked about her night. The only topics of conversation they focused on at all had to do with school. Something was up. “Same as usual I suppose.”

“I saw your friend. What’s her name Asia?” Elizabeth asked knowing full well that wasn’t her name. Lexi rolled her eyes at her not enjoying their little game and wondering where this was leading.

“Chyna, actually,” Lexi responded wishing she hadn’t had so much to drink the night before. If she was going to have to deal with whatever game they were playing, then she needed to be a bit more conscious.

“Oh right, Chyna,” Elizabeth said. “What kind of name is that anyway?” she mumbled loud enough for Lexi to hear.

Lexi gritted her teeth and hoped the torture of petty social interaction would end soon. “Yeah, she went out with me last night.”

“Did that guy go out with you last night too?” Claire asked giggling into Elizabeth’s shoulder.

Lexi froze and stared at the three. Elizabeth’s freckled face was nearly masked with the blush that took over whenever she found something humorous. Claire’s thin blonde hair had been shaken free of its loose ponytail. Rachelle even let a small smile grace her features at the two girl’s ridiculous behavior. God, were they twelve years old? Even though these things were put on Lexi’s list of all-time rare behavior for her roommates, what made her body react was the fact that they had mentioned a guy. Yet, how could they know that she had met a guy last night? And was that even what they were talking about?

“Oh, look at her face,” Elizabeth said through her giggles.

“She didn’t want us to find out. That’s why she made him leave so early,” Claire announced smacking Elizabeth with her hand playfully. Though, it looked like this scene had been rehearsed.

“Did you see him though?” Elizabeth asked fanning herself.

“Yeah, why would she want to hide him?” Claire asked letting the emphasis rest on the final word. “Even Rayray thought he was gorgeous. Didn’t you, Ray?” Claire questioned shoving Rachelle’s notepad out from under her pen.