Evette sits in her room, carefully picking out her clothes for the first day of college. She settles on a burgundy sweater and a plaid skirt, laying them neatly on her bed. Then, she packs her bag with everything she needs—her laptop, her French book, her English literature book, her math book, her college etiquette book, and all the notebooks and stationery she might use.
Satisfied, she picks up her phone to check for messages. Her stomach drops when she sees another text from the unknown number.
"No need to be sorry, Evette. Obey me, and you won't have to be. Don't, and you will."
A chill runs down her spine. Her fingers tremble as she grips the phone tighter. It's just some prank, right? But something about it feels too direct, too intentional.
Without thinking, she calls Lydia. The moment Lydia picks up, Evette blurts out, "Can you come over?"
"Uh, yeah? Everything okay?"
"I just, just come," Evette says, trying to keep her voice steady. She ends the call before Lydia can ask more questions.
She shuts her phone, staring at the screen as if another message might pop up any second. A knock at the door makes her jump, but she takes a deep breath. It's Lydia. It has to be Lydia. There's no reason to be scared.
Still, when she reaches for the doorknob, her heart pounds against her ribs. She slowly opens the door… and there stands Lydia, looking slightly confused but concerned.
Lydia smirks, leaning against the doorframe. "What happened? Nervous for tomorrow? Or just wanna look good for Evan?"
Evette sighs and flops onto her bed, staring at the ceiling. "It's nothing like that, Lydia."
Lydia steps inside, closing the door behind her. "Mhm, sure," she teases, crossing her arms. "You totally didn't spend extra time picking out your outfit."
Evette smiles and shrugs. "Fine, I did."
Lydia grins, eyes twinkling with amusement. "Do you like him?"
Evette hesitates. She barely knows Lydia, but somehow, they've already become good friends. Lydia seems nice, trustworthy, even. In a quiet voice, she mutters, "Kind of."
Lydia smirks. "Kind of?" she echoes. "That's not convincing at all. Either you do, or you don't."
She tilts her head, studying Evette's face. "Let me guess… childhood best friends, always there for each other, but you've never really thought about it, until now?"
Lydia grins. "Classic."
Evette groans and buries her face in her pillow. "It's not like that," she mumbles.
Lydia flops onto the bed beside her. "Oh, it so is." She nudges Evette's shoulder. "But let's be real—are you actually into him, or is it just because he's the only person you know here?"
Evette lifts her head slightly, considering the question. She had never really thought about Evan that way before… but lately, something about him felt different. Or maybe she was different.
Before she can answer, her phone buzzes on the nightstand. She reaches for it, expecting a text from Evan, but her stomach drops when she sees the unknown number again.
"Don't ignore me, Evette. Meet me once, or regret it for your life."
Her breath catches in her throat. Lydia notices her change in expression and sits up. "Hey, what's wrong?"
Evette tries to hide her phone, but Lydia snatches it and scans the message. Her eyes widen in fear. "Oh dear," she murmurs, placing a hand on Evette's shoulder. "Are you okay?"
Evette exhales, forcing a small nod. "Yeah… but these messages, I'm not too sure about who's sending them."
Lydia frowns but squeezes her shoulder reassuringly. "I'm sorry. I won't tell anyone. I'm always here, whether you need emotional support or just wanna talk about Evan."
Evette rolls her eyes but smiles. "I kind of regret telling you about Evan."
Lydia smirks. "Too late. You've given me a lifetime of teasing material."
Evette laughs, but her eyes drift back to her phone. The message lingers in her mind, pressing down on her like a weight.
Meet me once, or regret it for your life.
She swallows hard. No matter how much she tries to push it away, something tells her this is just the beginning.
"Wanna have a sleepover or go eat something?" Lydia asks, tilting her head.
Evette hesitates for a moment before shrugging. "Let's go eat something. I could use a distraction."
Lydia grins. "Perfect. Let's go before everything good is gone."
Evette grabs her phone and purse, and the two head out of the dorm together.
Evette and Lydia eat, chatting about random things to keep their minds off the message. After finishing their meal, they each head to their individual dorms.
Evette enters her room, kicks off her shoes, and grabs her phone. She sets her alarm for 6 AM, knowing she needs to be up early for her first day. With a deep breath, she places her phone on the nightstand and climbs into bed, hoping for a few hours of peaceful sleep.