are there some aces up your sleeve? | closed

Isabelle ran her fingers through her hair, still half asleep as she trudged to her first class after the Christmas break, lacking any enthusiasm for the semester ahead. But maybe that was because it was too early and she had the bright idea to go to a party the night before classes started again. She took a sip of the coffee in her travel mug that she just had time to make before leaving the apartment and headed into the building where her first class was. She found her class easily, the room still half empty so she sat down towards the back of the room, placing her bag down on the chair beside her to save it for Finn. She pulled out her phone and texted her friend, just to make sure she knew that they had a class that morning. Saved you a seat. Never let me drink alcohol again. She took another long gulp from her coffee, desperately trying to wake up. It was her first class back, she had to at least make an attempt to stay awake.

---

Niall grinned brightly as he leaned his back against the wall of the building which his first class was in. He loved people watching and it was most amusing to watch people rushing to class when they were obviously late or people practically crawling along with the hangover from hell. He couldn't even remember how many times he'd attended college over the years, but going in the 21st century was the most fun for him. Everyone seemed so much more laid back, and instead of studying, nights were filled with alcohol, sex and drugs and Niall drank up every second. He did his years of serious studying, but now he spent most of his nights at those parties or in clubs even though he couldn't really get drunk unless he fed from someone who was completely wasted or fucked up on drugs. Just thinking of feeding from someone hyped up from ecstasy gave him a dull ache of hunger and want. Instead he pushed that thought away and headed to his first class of the morning, glancing around the room before going to take a seat, leaving a space beside him for Zayn.

Finn pulled her cardigan around her body tighter as she walked from the parking lot towards her the appropriate building. Staying up late to reorganize her folders and things she'd need for class again seemed like a good idea at the time but now that it was the next day, she was starting to feel like absolute shit. She wanted to crawl back into bed and sleep for another ten hours. Or possibly forever. Finn pulled out her phone when it vibrated in her pocket, typing out a quick response as she entered the building. thanks. learn your limits lightweight ;) Before she could open the door, a dark haired guy pulled it open for it, offering her a quick grin. "Thanks," she mumbled, forcing a smile in his direction as she hitched her bag up higher on her shoulder, spotting Isabelle almost immediately and walking towards her. "Morning sunshine," she greeted, picking up Isabelle's bag from the seat and handing it back to her, "Did you get a chance to eat something?" Finn asked as she reached into her bag and dug out a granola bar, offering it to her friend.

---

Zayn, for the most part, hated being back at college. After going through it for years, he'd grown tired of having to sit through lessons all over again just to barely pass the class. The only thing he ever excelled in was whatever arts class he was enrolled in, and lucky for him, he was in a studio art class that offered some sort of amusement for him. He just hated that it was he and Niall that had to go back to university while Harry, Liam, and Louis got to stay at their house dick around all day. He hated having to be the one to recruit fresh meat. Zayn finished up the cigarette he was smoking, tossing it in the rocks and heading inside the building with a scowl on his face. He opened the door for a pretty brunette who was about the same height as him, smiling at her and trailing in after she had walked in. He sighed and made his way towards Niall, sitting down in the seat beside him with his arms crossed. "Next time, Harry and Louis are doing this."

Isabelle pulled out a new notepad from her bag, rummaging around in the bottom of it for a few moments as she tried to find a pen, eventually finding one in her makeup bag. She dropped the pen down on the table and closed her eyes, figuring even a minute of extra sleep would help her in her pathetic hungover state. She jumped when she heard Finn's voice right beside, not having seen her enter the room. She scowled in reply, taking her bag from Finn's hands and dropping it down on the floor. She shook her head in reply to her friend's question, but when she saw the granola bar that Finn was holding out, Isabelle nearly dropped down on one knee to propose. "I love you so much, Finn Harper." She said with a grin, taking the granola bar and opening it up, shoving half of it in her mouth in one bite, chewing it quickly and swallowing. "You should have come last night, it was so fun!" She grinned, already beginning to wake up properly.

---

Niall looked over towards the door when he heard it open, spotting Zayn and waving him over with a happy grin. He glanced over at the girl who Zayn held the door open for, raising an eyebrow because he hadn't seen her around before, and he definitely would have remembered if he had seen her. He barely paid attention to Zayn sitting down beside him, watching the girl walk over to her friend who looked half asleep at the table. He could smell the alcohol still running in her veins, making him grin slightly. He only focused his attention on Zayn again when his friend spoke, making Niall let out a laugh. "I don't understand why you don't like this," Niall said, shaking his head. "Go to a couple of classes a week, write the odd essay and then party the rest of the time. What more could you want?" He grinned, shrugging his shoulders. Niall didn't really take his studies seriously anymore. He had a dozen degrees already, he didn't really need anymore. So if he didn't pass all of his classes then it wasn't the end of the world for him.

Finn smiled back at Isabelle, pulling out a notebook and pen so she'd be ready for agonizing notes. "Thanks for the invite," she said sarcastically, scribbling in the corner of the notebook page to get the pen to write properly, "I was getting ready for today anyways, so it would've messed me up." Finn stretched her back out in the chair, soft groan leaving her lips when her back finally cracked. "But I heard that Lydia's throwing a back to school party at her apartment later tonight. Maybe we should stop by and see what's up." Lydia always threw the best parties, probably because she had the biggest apartment out of any of the college students and she had the best variety of alcohol stocked in her kitchen. The last time she went to one of Lydia's gatherings, she swore she had no idea how she managed to wake up without a raging headache and with a hot guy spooning her on the floor. All in all, it was a pretty great night.

---

Zayn rolled his eyes at Niall's reasons to enjoy university. "To stay in and not have to interact with humans unless I'm feeding," he retorted, sort of bitter about the fact that he had to be here so early, "Oh, and coffee. I'd kill to have a fucking cup of coffee in my hand." He was sort of an introvert, that Zayn. Of course he was more outgoing around the rest of his clan, but being out and having to interact with humans like this always made his skin crawl. He didn't like it - didn't like the fact that he held control over all of the lives of the humans in the room even if they didn't know it. It made him feel like he had to do the bare minimum to keep from hurting them. Plus he had to slow his walking down to appear normal, which used to be an absolute drag, but now it's just a burden that he's coping with. "The sooner we recruit, the better." He couldn't help but eavesdrop on the girls sitting not too far away from him, listening to one of the girls speaking of some sort of party at Lydia's house Zayn was familiar with her, and he was certain that he'd be able to get inside her mind and sweet talk their way in. "I think we're going to a party tonight."

"Pretty sure I sent you a drunk Snapchat begging you to come," Isabelle muttered in response, before taking another sip of her coffee. She raised her eyebrows in surprise when Finn mentioned Lydia's party, having completely forgotten about it. "I don't think I can handle another party like last night." She groaned, dropping her head down on the table and sighing. Maybe if she had a nap before the party she'd feel okay to drink again. She thought back to Lydia's last party and how she woke up curled up with her friend in the doorway of Lydia's apartment and how it took her the entire day to recover from her horrific hangover. finished off the rest of the granola bar and ran her fingers through her hair, trying to get out some of the tangles. She didn't really have time to brush it that morning, oops, so it was still in loose and now slightly messy curls from the night before.

---

Niall rolled his eyes and kicked Zayn's shin under the table. "But humans are so fun, Zayn," Niall insisted with a sigh, a little pout on his lips for a short moment, before he grinned again, half listening to the girl's conversation. "They have such little disregard for their lives, it's almost endearing." He smiled, thinking back to a club he was at only a few days before. He'd fed from a girl that was so coked up that he ended up feeling the effects for a good few hours afterwards. They were the only other two people talking quietly in the room, so it wasn't hard to miss them talking about another party, which caught Niall's interest immediately. He grinned when Zayn mentioned them going to one of Lydia's party and he nodded eagerly. "She throws good ones, crashed one of her party's before."

Finn pouted when Isabelle spoke about not being able to handle another party tonight. She clasped her hands together and pushed her bottom lip out, making the perfect pouty face. "Aw, c'mon, Bells. You don't have to drink, you can DD tonight. Pleeease?" She asked, batting her eyelashes in her friend's direction. "You'll have time for a nap and everything, babe." She understood that partying back to back was entirely exhausting, but she sort of really missed Lydia and it was more than likely that Lydia kept tons of mistletoe hidden around her place, even if the holidays were over. It was just a Lydia thing.

---

Zayn scoffed, rolling his eyes at Niall. It was no doubt that he loved the kid but his excitement for the human race made absolutely no sense to him. "All the more reason to be weary about them," he grumbled, "They've got one life and they choose to treat it so carelessly. They'd wish they were more careful when they're laid up in a hospital bed trying to hold on to their last breaths." Zayn continued listening to the girls' conversations, half smile quirking his lips as one begged the other to go to the party. He'd be genuinely surprised if the other girl agreed to it - he could still smell the alcohol from her. "Sounds like we're going."

Isabelle sighed when she saw Finn pouting, not being able to say no to her friend. "Okay, okay," she huffed, but grinned a little because she was kind of looking forward to the party already. "I don't want to DD, but I'll just drink less than yesterday." She nodded, picking up her pen and doodling on the front cover of her notebook. She probably would end up drinking just as much as she did the night before. Like Finn said, she'll just have a nap first. "We can just walk back from hers or something." She shrugged, but knew that they'd probably just end up passing out at Lydia's instead of walking back. She glanced around the room, sighing because their lecturer was late again. Her eyes landed on two guys who she didn't recognise, one blonde one and one incredibly handsome guy with dark hair. Fuck. He was hot. Maybe he'd be at the party.

---

Niall waved his hand in a dismissive gesture when Zayn spoke about them treating their life so carelessly. That was true, they kind of did, but still. When he heard the pretty brunette begging her friend to go he glanced over at the two girls for a moment, grinning and looking away when her friend agreed to go to the party. "I like those types of humans," he said, gesturing with a nod of his head in the girls' direction. "Maybe you should talk to that girl," he said, referring to the one who agreed to party for a second night in a row. "She seems like she'd be able to show you how to party well, might make you more excited about being here." He grinned.

Finn grinned widely when Isabelle agreed to go with her tonight, laughing a little. "You'll still probably drink the same," she commented jokingly. Finn really wasn't in much place to talk, though. From what she knew, she was sort of a lightweight. After a few drinks, she'd already be giggling like an idiot and draping herself all over her friends. What? Finn was sort of a clingy drunk - she couldn't help it. She brushed a hand through her hair and leaned back in her chair, eyes on the two guys she didn't recognize. The one who opened the door for her was incredibly hot, but the blonde haired one next to him was amazingly attractive as well. "Hey, who the hell are those guys?" Finn asked quietly, nodding her head in their general direction.

---

Zayn huffed out a sigh. "Don't understand it," he mumbled, glancing over at the girls before turning forward again. The girl Niall was referring to sounded like she knew how to party, and maybe Zayn could actually get along with her. "Maybe," he said nonchalantly, looking over as the door opened and a disgruntled looking man came in holding a briefcase, "Maybe you should talk to that girl next to her, she's asking about us after all." He couldn't help but smile a little at her sudden interest in he and Niall, but hey, it was understandable.

"Probably," Isabelle agreed with a shrug of her shoulders. She'd be in a terrible state for class the next day, if she actually went. But that's what college was about, right? She followed Finn's gaze when she heard her asking about the two guys, eyes widening slightly when she saw them. "Never seen them before," she murmured, because fuck, she'd definitely remember if she saw them. The blonde was cute, really cute actually, but the guy with the darker hair and beard was insanely good looking. "I hope they're at the party, do you think they will be?" She asked Finn, looking away from the guys when their teacher came in, looking a little worse for wear as well. She picked up her coffee, taking another few gulps to try and make sure she stays awake during class.

---

Niall glanced back over to the girls, grinning when he saw them looking. He looked back to the front of the class, not wanting to make them uncomfortable, and instead watched as their teacher stumbled into the room. "I'll ask her about the party after class," he nodded. Niall wasn't one to be shy. He was before he got turned, but that was a long time ago. "See if the girls can give us an address for the party or something." He shrugged. He was sure they'd be able to find the party, but it would be quicker to ask where it was. And it gave them a chance to talk to the girls.

Finn bit her lower lip as she kept her eyes on the two, awkwardly ducking her head when the blonde one looked back at them. Fuck, she felt like she was in high school all over again with some dumb little crush, but hey, the guy was hot. It was literally just common knowledge. "Most likely," Finn said, "Lydia knows everyone - I don't doubt for a second that one of them knows her or knows about the party." She glanced up at the sound of the door opening, eyebrow raised slightly at the state their teacher appeared to be in. Poor guy.

---

Zayn nodded, figuring it was better for Niall to speak anyways. He was usually the one out of the duo to speak up the most anyways - Zayn was more of a suffer in silence type person. "Sounds good," he murmured, rolling his eyes as the teacher called for their attention since he claimed to be battling a migraine, "He's hungover as shit," Zayn muttered, "I can still smell the alcohol."

Isabelle raised an eyebrow when their lecturer told them he had a migraine, because she definitely did not believe that for a second. She wasn't bothered though, it gave her an opportunity to sleep a little in class since the guy wouldn't be paying much attention. "I'm excited," she murmured with a little sly grin, glancing over at the two guys one last time before looking to the front. "Do you have many other classes today?" She asked in a whisper, not wanting the lecturer to call them out for talking. She let her elbow rest on the desk, her palm holding her head up. She wasn't even attempting to make notes, just doodling in the corner of her page instead.

---

Niall snorted out a laugh when Zayn pointed out that their teacher was hungover as fuck. He took a subtle sniff, laughing quietly into his hand when he could smell all the alcohol. "He must be drunk still," he muttered, shaking his head. He quietened down when the teacher shot a stern look in his direction. He looked more tired than stern, though. "Good thing I have all the notes from the last time I took this class." He mumbled to Zayn, not intending on even pretending to pay attention. He'd taken the same class in a different state like five years before, and while the notes might vary a little, he knew that they'd roughly be the same. He could use all of the same notes and probably still pass the class. Instead of taking notes, he pulled out his phone and sent a quick text to Louis, letting him and the other boys know that he and Zayn will be attending a party that night.

Finn bit her lip to keep from laughing when the lecturer said he had a migraine. With how he walked into the room, she was more than sure he was recovering from a long night of drinking. Hell, he was probably still drunk right this very moment. But whatever. "Me too," she replied quietly, shaking her head at Isabelle's question, "After this, I'm gonna run to the library. I need to get a book about Machiavelli for my paper due at the end of the month." She pulled her bag onto the table and rested her chin on it, hand stretched in front of her to jot down a few of the things the teacher was saying, not too focused on the lesson. It was basically stuff they did before they left for break, so she'd be fine.

---

Zayn glared at the teacher when he shot a look in Niall's teacher, fighting the urge to do anything too rash. He hated when humans pretended they had some sort of authority over them, even if they didn't know the full details of life. It just annoyed the shit out of him. "I'll look over them when we get back to the house," he murmured, leaning back in his chair, arms crossed his chest as the teacher continued speaking, words occasionally slurring together as he tried to piece his thoughts together.

Isabelle nodded in reply to Finn, focusing more on the doodles she was drawing on the paper than anything else. "I'm gonna get more coffee, then try and work on an assignment." She replied in a murmur, ending her sentence with a yawn that slipped out. "But I'll probably just end up falling asleep." She said as her eyes slipped shut and she was definitely close to falling asleep already. It was inevitable really. The guy's voice was completely monotone and she found it hard understanding him at times because he was kind of slurring while he spoke.

---

Niall nodded in reply to Zayn, not even looking up at the front of the class once. Instead, he kept glancing from his phone where he was texting the other boys, to the girls at the other side of the class. They didn't seem interested in the lecture either. When he looked around the rest of the room, it seemed that everyone was either just as hungover as the teacher, or falling asleep because he was so boring. He looked back at the girls again, eyes on the one leaning her head on her bag. He overhead them murmuring quietly to each other, making a mental note to head to the library after class, figuring he could ask her about the party then.

Finn sighed, jotting down a few notes as she listen to Isabelle. "I'd kill just about anyone to get a few more hours of sleep. I'd probably push the cute blonde one into traffic if it meant flannel sheets and four more undisturbed hours of slumber." Yeah, the girl didn't get much sleep. Like, at all. She learned to adapt to whatever was given to her and keep moving. Sometimes it didn't affect her much, but on days like today with a boring lecturer and a paper to begin, Finn was just about ready to lose her damn mind. Luckily, the teacher already told them that he wouldn't be assigning too much homework tonight, and that looking over the notes would be just enough for their in class discussion tomorrow.

---

Zayn scrolled through his notes on his phone, clicking on one that was a poem he hadn't quite finished, but seemed to find a line that fit perfectly after one of the stanzas. He exited out of that and pushed a hand through his hair. He hadn't bother to do anything to it this morning besides add a little mousse and brush it out, giving it a soft yet still messy look. It was a little tip he'd stolen from Harry - sue him. Zayn also didn't put too much effort in his outfit, opting for a pair of dark wash jeans, a white v-neck, a dark grey cardigan, and a pair of boots snagged from Harry since he'd been meaning to go out and buy a new pair. He should've dressed warmer, given that the majority of humans were wearing thicker clothing, but he couldn't be assed to do so. Zayn raised an eyebrow slightly as one of the other girls spoke, glancing over at Niall with a smirk. "Watch your back, kid."