Free In the Air by Crystal Serowka Page A

that. To cover up my embarrassment, I continued. "If you want, you can join me. Their set starts at 9. I'm sure the place will be packed, so I planned on getting there early to grab a spot in the front." I picked up my bag and chugged the last bit of coffee from my cup. I had successfully downed five cups, which meant hell on my bladder.
    "That would be awesome. Here, give me your number and I'll call you tonight." He handed me his phone so I could put my number in it. I obliged, of course.
    After leaving Samson behind, I became acutely aware of the excitement flowing through my body. I knew this wasn't a date, but spending more time with Samson while listening to one of my favorite bands was a win-win.
    Walking back to the dorms, I felt my phone vibrate. Expecting an irate voicemail from my mother, I dragged it out. It was from a number I didn't recognize. "Hope to hang out more tonight, friend." I immediately saved Samson's number.
    I arrived back at my room and found Kingsley in a position I never expected to see anyone in. Ever. Her back was to me and she was on her knees. The guy standing before her had his head thrown back in ecstasy. I screamed in horror and covered my eyes. The guy's head snapped up in alarm, and Kingsley whipped her head around. He quickly jumped into her bed, covering his nakedness. Kingsley stood up, without any hint of embarrassment.
    "What the fuck are you doing in here?" she asked leisurely. "Didn't you see the scrunchie on the door?"
    How was she not embarrassed about this? The girl had no inhibitions.
    "No! It's not like every time I enter our bedroom, I study the doorknob!" I turned to leave but heard Kingsley laughing. Whirling back around, my blood began to boil. "This isn't funny, Kingsley!" I shouted. The guy was horrified. I assumed he didn't know Kingsley well and was just as surprised that she wasn't distressed in the least.
    "It is funny, actually." She turned to her bed with an expectant look on her face. "George, you can leave now. My lovely roommate and I are going to have a chat."
    Without a word, he jumped out of her bed, balls hanging in full view, and gathered his clothes from the floor. My stomach had started to turn and I felt like I could puke at any moment. When naked George left our room, Kingsley sauntered over to me, stopping an inch from my face. I could have sworn she was about to kiss me, which would have really been the icing on the cake.
    "I'm sorry about that, roomie. Pay better attention to the door next time." She bent down and kissed my cheek, walked back to her side of the room, and sat down on her rumpled sheets.
    "This is my room, too. I shouldn't have to be scared of what I'm going to find when I come in here!"
    "Then I guess you'll be seeing more where that came from. If you ever want to watch, just ask." Her smile was pure evil.
    "How are you not embarrassed? That guy just left our room, bare ass naked and humiliated!" I yelled.
    "If he gets arrested for indecent exposure, that's his own problem."
    I walked over to my bed, completely baffled. Kingsley was unlike any person I'd ever met. Her attitude astonished me. I considered myself easygoing before meeting her. Now, I felt like I was living in a shell, terrified of the world. I needed to calm myself down. Aside from dancing, music was the only thing that gave me peace. I grabbed my headphones and sat on the edge of my bed. Kingsley was now sprawled out, with her legs in the air, tapping to a silent beat. In the week we'd been here, I hadn't gotten a chance to learn much about Kingsley. She went out almost every night and returned when I was asleep. I had no idea how she ran on only a few hours of sleep per night, but it never showed in class. Kingsley's dancing was incredible and she was constantly praised for her talent.
    "Why do you keep looking at me, blondie?"
    "You might be the most unusual girl I've ever met."
    Kingsley laughed at my comment. I had a feeling it wasn't the first time she'd heard