At First Hate (Coastal Chronicles)

Olivia pushed her thick-rimmed glasses up the bridge of her pale, freckled nose and smoothed back her stick-straight red hair. “So, we were wondering if you wanted to go out with us after class. We were thinking we’d meet on Franklin,” Olivia said with a wink.

I laughed. “Uh, no thanks.”

Franklin Street was the main stretch of bars right off of the UNC campus. It was the it place to be seen if you went to school here, which I did not.

“Come on, amiguita,” Carly said. She nudged me with her hip and smiled brightly. Her light-brown skin practically glowed, and her thick, curly, brown hair was tied up tight at the top of her head. “We know you’ve never been out on Franklin, and it’s a rite of passage.”

“Yes, but I’m a Duke student,” I reminded them.

Sarah wrinkled her nose. “We try not to hold that against you.”

I laughed. “Well, this isn’t my scene.”

“It’s not all bad,” Olivia said. “I did my undergrad at Colby College up in Maine, so I don’t get the whole UNC thing either, but it’s still fun.”

“Maine,” Carly scoffed. “I came from Puerto Rico to North Carolina. Talk about different.”

We all laughed as Carly dissolved into rapid Spanish.

Sarah shook her head at the lot of us. “I’m the only UNC undergrad. Born and raised in the Outer Banks, baby. And I am telling you that Franklin is better than whatever you have over at Duke.” She swished her natural corkscrew curls to the side and smiled wide with her gorgeous, full lips. Sarah was a knockout with onyx skin and a figure that I could only dream about.

“You would say that,” I said with a laugh.

“I would,” she agreed.

Sometimes it still blew my mind that I was in classes with these girls. That, as a junior, I was getting to take classes with PhD students. People who were actually doing research. It thrilled and terrified me. I’d spent so long surrounded by people who couldn’t quite keep up or who, like Samar, got mad when I excelled. I didn’t want to lose these friendships over some silly bar scene. It wasn’t like I had to cheer UNC on during basketball season.

“Yeah. All right. Just tell me where to meet you.”

Olivia whooped. “Yes! Excellent. Let me text you.”

I couldn’t believe they’d roped me into this. I would never hear the end of it with Brin and Lora. Still, I hustled home for rehearsal, going through the motions. We were in full swing for basketball season with a game yesterday and next week. But at least nothing tonight. Plus, rehearsal was only an hour to go over our dance for the game. Then, I rushed into the shower and prayed my curls would be dry in time to meet them on Franklin.

As expected, Brinley scoffed when I told her that I already had plans. “Franklin? It’s one thing to take classes there. Are they going to turn you into a Carolina girl? Are you going to start wearing baby blue?”

“Don’t blaspheme,” I said with a grin. “How do I look?”

“Cute, but no…” Brinley dived into her closet and came back out with a black miniskirt and white tank. “Wear this.”

“It’s thirty degrees outside.”

“Wear a jacket,” she said with an arched eyebrow. “You haven’t dated since Samar. Maybe these new girls can find you a hottie to hook up with since you don’t care for anything Lora or I throw your way.”

I wrinkled my nose. “Whatever. I don’t have to date. I’m busy.”

Brinley rolled her eyes. “Just wear the outfit.”

I shimmied into the tiny skirt and shrugged. She was right. I did look hot. Even if it wasn’t what I normally wore. It had been months since Samar. Maybe it was time to find someone else. There was never a good time with everything I had going on, but I did miss sex.

“Fine. I’ll wear this.”

She snorted. “Yes, girl. Have fun but not too much fun. We’ll miss you.”

“You could come.”

Brin held her hand up. “Don’t even suggest it.”

I laughed and hugged her before heading out back to Chapel Hill. I managed to find parking in a lot a few blocks behind Franklin and headed to the aptly named Library. It looked like any other college bar with a dance floor full of sweating college students. I found the girls near the bar, and we did a round of shots before joining the throng. They claimed they wanted me to have the “full experience.” So, we jumped from one shitty bar to the next, and I hated to admit it, but I was having fun. A lot of fun. It was different than Duke, and I’d never tell my friends, but it was just as good of a time.

“Let’s go to He’s Not,” Olivia yelled over the music at whatever current bar we were in. “My friend is there.”