Fell In Love With My Roomy Chapter 29

"A frat?" Kyle shifts away from the table to place his dishes in the sink.

"Yes, a fraternity," Piper insists, surrounded by her entourage, already dressed and gathered around the dining room table.

Piper is making plans for the evening, although she hadn't informed me about it. In fact, it seemed like she hadn't informed anyone about her desire to attend a frat party.

"I thought we were hitting up Apex," Mark says with a furrowed brow. Apex was a budget-friendly downtown club for students. Similar to a frat house, it was dimly lit, noisy, and offered cheap drinks. It didn't particularly pique my interest, especially knowing it would be packed with first- and second-year students on a Friday night in search of something to do.

"I considered it, but my sorority got an invite to this frat, so I thought it might be a better plan," she says, wearing a cheerful expression. "At least there won't be any lurking at the door."

"It might be okay for you," Kent mutters, folding his arms across his chest. "They often charge a premium because they want one guy for every five girls at those parties."

He had a point. Five of the folks in our group tonight were guys, and it wouldn't be ideal if our group got separated or something.

"Bring twenty bucks, and you'll be good," she casually remarks, leaving me somewhat surprised. That was quite a sum to spend on a house party.

"This place could be a great spot for a party," Kyle suggests. "If you invite a bunch of people right now, we might be able to set something up nicely in a few hours."

"I'm all for it," Mark chimes in. "We could start prepping right away to make it party-ready."

"No!" Piper stomps her foot, as if throwing a tantrum like a child. "Tonight, I've planned for us to attend the fraternity party, and that's what we're doing." I roll my eyes when she says this. "Call and text all the girls you know and try to get as many of them as possible to come."

"Is this really necessary?" Kyle sighs. "The four of you could go for a while and then return to join the party." He suggests, to which she narrows her eyes and purses her lips.

"Mark, you and your roommates are such buzzkills," she exclaims, irritatingly. What did Mark and his roommates do or say? "And Julianna, bring some money."

"What?" I inquire.

"Sometimes, they only let a few girls in for free, and you wouldn't want to be one of them," she tells me with a wicked grin.

"Whoa, that's not cool!" Mark objects, pointing at her.

"Piper, why would a frat turn anyone away?" I ask, leaning back in my chair with crossed arms, my curiosity piqued. I just want to know what ridiculous, mean-spirited thoughts are actually running through her head. It won't affect me or anything; I'm just curious.

"Oh, I have no idea," she retorts flippantly. "Maybe it wouldn't be an issue if you worked out, took care of your skin, and did your hair."

That woman.

The dining room falls silent, and I fight the urge to get angry or cry. I despised being picked on for things I couldn't change, such as my body, hair, and skin.

"What's wrong with you, Piper?" Kent finally speaks up, looking quite angry, and I feel a bit better. It's the first time I've seen him really defend me. I start to realize that he might have seen through Piper's facade more than I thought. He might have been more serious when he said he didn't like her.

"No, it's fine," I say as I place my hands on the table. "Piper, want to spice things up?" I shrug and ask.

"I'm intrigued," she responds, taking Kyle's seat and feigning interest.

"I'm going to change into something more comfortable, fix my hair, and add a little extra makeup," I tell her, picking at my fingernails. "Who knows, maybe my pores will magically shrink, and I'll shed ten pounds while I'm in there."

"It sounds like something you said before, and yet not at all," she replies with a nod.

"If I can get into this frat party for free, we can have our own party at my place," I say confidently. Her smile wavers slightly. "But if you're right, and I'm so 'ugly' that they want me to pay, I'll gladly fork over $20 so we can dance the night away with 18-year-olds."

This was a risky challenge. If she was right and the guys at the frat thought I wasn't attractive enough to get in for free, it could be a real blow to my self-esteem. However, I wasn't going to let her undermine my confidence for no reason.

"Well, it doesn't seem quite fair, but I suppose they'll take almost anyone," she remarks, and my eyebrows arch while her smile falters.

"That's not what you just said," I retort, crossing my arms. "What's the worry? If I look as bad as you claim, it should be a breeze, right?"

"Fine," she concedes with a shrug, sweeping her hair out of her face. "But how is this plan supposed to work? You're going up there alone, right? Because that's unusual, it never happens, and they usually let a lone girl in."

"Not my problem; that wasn't even the bet," I respond, and she purses her lips.

"No, the original bet was that it couldn't be done with a group," she brings it up again, and I sigh. "But I'm feeling generous right now, so you win the bet if you can get Kent to go with you and both of you get in for free."

"What?" we both exclaim simultaneously, and she nods.

"Yeah, you two can't stand each other, so good luck convincing anyone you're close," she chuckles. "Plus, Kent looks like he's ten years older and definitely not in a fraternity."

"Who gave you the authority to make the rules?" I ask, frustrated.

"I always dictate the terms, and that's my condition," she declares, and I'm irked. "I win, and we go to the frat, whether Kent pays, you pay, or if either of you gets rejected."

"That's a terrible idea, Julia," Kent chimes in, and I shake my head. I care too much about this, and I'm determined to wipe that smug smile off her face.

"Deal," I tell her as I reach out to shake her hand. She does it with that annoying, limp grip, and I get up from the table and head to my room.

"Julianna, we're leaving in 20 minutes, so don't take forever!" she calls out, and I close my bedroom door, running my hands over my face.

What have I gotten myself into? I've never been the 'hot' friend, and I likely never will be. Why did I make such a stupid bet based on what this one awful person said to me? And to top it off, I have to involve Kent?

Regardless, I need to do something to change my appearance, no matter what.

I recall Abby's advice about guys liking cleavage. I'm currently wearing a standard tank top that doesn't reveal much. I open my drawer and retrieve a corset top that I've never worn before. Most of the time, I'm surrounded by guys who don blue jeans and Budweiser t-shirts, so this is a lot fancier than my usual attire.

After kicking off my shoes, I swiftly strip down to my underwear. I pull the corset top on and ensure it fits snugly around my bust. Some sections of the bodice are see-through, but the cups offer good support.

Now, the choice between a skirt and pants. Being tall, I know I should opt for a skirt to showcase my legs, but pants feel so much more comfortable. No, skirt it is. I scan through my wardrobe and pick out a tight black leather skirt. It's so snug that sitting comfortably might be a challenge. Perfect.

I proceed to change into the skirt, followed by removing my socks, as I plan to wear heels tonight. These heels have come in handy since my high school days, allowing me to avoid altering my prom dress. I've found plenty of uses for them since then.

The best part was that they were black and had closed toes.

I packed my belongings into a shoulder bag since Piper and her friends had similar bags.

With only ten minutes remaining, I needed to devise a plan. I had to ensure Kent made it through the door with me, no matter what.

I meticulously tweezed more eyebrow hairs than ever before, intensified my eye shadow, and applied extra mascara to add depth to my appearance. It had been a while since I had put in this much effort to look good, and while I usually appeared well put-together, this was a different level. I dabbed some highlighter on my collarbones and shoulders to accentuate my chest and adorned myself with a different necklace to complete the look.

Next, I walked over to my nightstand and retrieved a bottle of vodka, unscrewing the top. If I wanted this to work, I needed to let go a little. To step out there like this, I knew I would have to consume quite a bit. After two hearty sips, I paused and put the bottle away.

I rounded off my look with a fresh coat of lip gloss and a spritz of perfume. I double-checked my earrings to ensure I was content with my choices. Then, I took a deep breath and inspected my hair. I wouldn't make any more changes; I was satisfied with the loose waves I'd fashioned.

As I opened the door, I could hear the commotion emanating from the kitchen.