The Fire In My Eyes by Christopher Nelson

except he was also wearing crisp dress slacks and freshly shined shoes. Max whistled at him. “Lady killer!”
    “I am no murderer,” Andreas stated. “I merely choose to dress well for the occasion. Dressing well is a mark of maturity.”
    “I don't think that will work on Kaitlyn,” Max said. “She goes for immature gorgeous assholes, not suave mature gentlemen. But good luck anyways.”
    “I think you are incorrect,” Andreas said. “But that has yet to be determined. Shall we, gentlemen?”
    “What's that?” I asked. He turned and I saw he had a laptop tucked under his arm. “Oh, for the movies?”
    “Yes. Lisa stopped by and asked if I had one, as hers is not in the best of condition.” We walked down the hall and past the stairwell, around the corner. Each floor had a lounge with a television mounted securely to the wall. Most of the time, they were completely ignored, but people would occasionally use them for gatherings that were too large for a dorm room.
    Black hearts and streamers decorated the lounge. Max and I both groaned. It was absurdly cheesy. In the back, Lisa was putting out some drinks and snacks. She was wearing a black t-shirt and jeans with her long black hair pulled back in a floppy red ribbon. She turned as we came in and grinned. “Hey guys! Drinks and snacks over here!”
    Drew and Max walked over toward her. I followed Andreas toward the TV, where Jess was playing with the remote. She looked up as we approached. “You got the goods, Viking?”
    “I am not a Viking,” he said, handing the laptop over to her. “You are the only one who insists on calling me that, Jessica. I do not understand.”
    “He's from Norway, so I call him Viking,” she explained to me, then looked back at Andreas. “I don't get why you don't like it. Makes you sound tough.”
    “I have no interest in sounding tough, Jessica. It is not a quality that I choose to cultivate.”
    Jess shook her head and I laughed along with her. She was wearing a baggy black sweatshirt and loose sweatpants, and her red hair was braided and hanging down over her shoulder. She grabbed the braid and threw it back out of the way, then reached for the cable. “Well, whatever. You two should be good friends. Both trying hard to be something you're not.”
    Andreas and I exchanged looks. “What are you getting at?” I asked. Unless she was just giving me shit for the gaming thing, I had no idea.
    She smiled up at us. “Don't worry about it. Keep pretending.” She looked across the room. “Hey, we should be ready to go,” she called to Lisa.
    “Cool! Now we'll just wait for Kaitlyn and her roommate to get here!”
    “Someone call my name?” asked a voice I didn't recognize.
    “Oh, wonderful, here we go,” Jess muttered.
    Andreas whirled toward the doorway. I followed his gaze and felt my mouth drop open. The owner of that voice was a leggy blonde who was wearing a black miniskirt and a top that was so low cut, I was afraid – or hoping – that she'd go spilling out of it if she leaned forward. Every inch of her exposed skin was smooth and tan, indicating that she spent plenty of time in the sun, or a tanning bed.
    Max had been right. He stared. I stared. Andreas drooled. Drew got punched.
    She marched over to me, bouncing with every step. I wasn't sure where I should be looking, but decided that eye contact was safest. One girl back from high school would wear tops like that, then give guys shit just to embarrass them. It only took once for me to learn to avoid her. “I don't think we've met. It's so nice to see a new face here, I was getting so tired of just seeing Drew and Max and Andreas. Especially you, Andreas! You're so stiff and boring.” She poked him in the chest with a manicured finger and giggled. Her smile was bright and warm.
    Andreas' expression was that of a martyr, ready to die for a glimpse of heaven. I glanced at him, then forced myself to look away and meet Kaitlyn's eyes again. “I'm Kevin,” I