RoomHates by Carmen Black (series like harry potter TXT) 📕

tables pushed together. I glance over my shoulder and reach out my hand. “Save me!” I shout to Charlie and Lauren, who simple shake their heads.

“Have fun!” Charlie hollers.

“But not too much!” Shouts Lauren.

I barely catch Josh’s curious look before I am swarmed by people and being coalesced into a herd of people all standing around the table. I stand on my tiptoes and see two people on either end of the table, wearing blue Aurora jerseys. One even has black smudges on his cheek while the girl standing next to him has her jersey tied into a knot, exposing her very toned abdomen and her huge cleavage.

“We’re next,” says Seth.

My face heats when I realize he is still holding my hand. I don’t tug it away, telling myself that if I let go I will most likely get lost and I don’t know the way back to our tent. Yeah, keep telling yourself that. It doesn’t have anything to do with the fact he’s super hot.

“Next for what?” I make myself ask, not wanting to think in depth the inner workings of my messed up mind.

“Beer pong!”

I shrug. “I don’t know how to play.”

Seth rolls his eyes. “Just listen and do what I say.”

“You’ll have to chug if the ball goes into your cup,” says Lucas from behind. I turn and nearly bash into his muscled chest. He doesn’t bother looking at me. His focus is on the beer pong game. I try to look away, but he really has a handsome face. Chiseled jaw. Nice eyes. Definitely nice lips.

I quickly turn away. Oh, God what is wrong with me?

I grimace when I see the ball go into a cup after being cleaned on someone’s jeans. “Isn’t that unsanitary?”

“Very,” says Lucas.

The big breasted lady and the guy with the war paint cheer and high-five each other and then Seth is pushing us through the crowd towards the table. Red cups in front of us are being refilled with beer and I’m standing in a huge crowd of strangers covered in blue. I shift awkwardly on my feet, really wanting to sprout wings and fly away from this. I know about beer pong. Anyone who has seen a cheesy rom-com knows about beer pong, flip cup, and keg stands. It doesn’t mean I know every rule in the book. Nor that I want to.

“Just shoot it in the cup,” Seth whispers in my ear while handing me the ping pong ball. “And don’t fucking miss.”

“Great last words,” I mutter.

I aim the ball at a cup, but I’m quickly stopped by Lucas, whose arms wrap around me and pull me slightly backwards. “Don’t let your elbow go pass the edge of the table,” he whispers in my ear and a tingle of shivers roll down my spine. I swear, my head is about to blow from the heat.

I gulp and nod awkwardly and then aim once more. I throw the ball and watch it sail, going straight into the middle cup without bouncing off any others. “Oh my god!” I shout, jumping up and down and clapping my hands. “I did it!”

Seth rolls his eyes and bats me to the side. “Yeah, yeah, yeah. You didn’t fuck it up. Great job.” He aims the ping pong, shoots, but it bounces off the rim and is quickly caught by the guy on the opposing team.

I pout at Seth mockingly. “Ah, you missed.”

He shakes his head at me. “Be careful, Rachel. Your competitive side is showing.”

“Ha! Yeah right.”

The guy hands his lady counterpart the ping pong, who shoots and lands a direct hit. Seth hands the cup to me and I take a sip. “Wrong!” Says Seth, shaking his finger at me. “You gotta chug it.”

I groan.

“Chug!” Shouts Lucas.

“Chug! Chug! Chug!” Shouts the crowd around us and I grimace, gulping down ever last drop of beer in the cup until it settles heavily in my stomach. I gasp when all the liquid is gone and grimace around the crowd. They cheer and the guy prepares his shot, aiming it for the cup in the front. He shoots and it goes in.

Seth takes it and smiles at me. “Cheers,” he says, saluting me for a moment before gulping down the beer.

The ping pongs go back to the opposing team, since, Seth explained, they were able to get two shots in a row. We continue aiming and throwing, chugging and laughing, until finally, we lose the game and are forced to down the rest of the beer. Lucas leads us back to the girls, who are once again talking to a group of boys. I’m surprised to see Josh hasn’t left his spot in the chair.

“Oh, well, look who it is,” says Charlie, throwing her arm around my shoulder. “A bit pinker and a bit drunker. Do you want to go home now?”

I shake my head and she throws back her head and bursts into laugher.

“Your friend sucks at beer pong,” says Seth, scowling at me. For a second, it seems like he’s doing it playfully. I don’t know what to make of that.

“Hey, I take insult to that,” says Lauren, touching her chest.

“Why? It’s the truth.”

I shake my head and cross my arms. “What are you talking about? You were just as terrible if not worse.”

“That’s a lie and you know it.” Seth leans in, smirking down at me with those full delicate lips.

“Oh, really?” I wonder briefly how his lips would taste. They’re only an inch or two away. It wouldn’t be so hard to just lean in. “Lucas, what did you think?”

Lucas shrugs. “Both of you suck.”

“What?” Shouts Seth, whipping his head over to stare up at his friend.

I smile smugly. “See. We both suck. But I’ve never played so at least I have an excuse.” I glance back at Charlie and Lauren, who are smiling and sharing a knowing look. I frown. What’s going on? What do they know that I don’t?

“Everyone knows out of the group, I’m the best at