A Silent Twilight

"Can you list a few of Mr. Poe's poems for me, Miss Hayes?" Professor Ponte asked.

I looked up. "Alisyn?" He called.

"Of course I can Professor. Poe had many poems. Perhaps the most well known is The Raven but others include Evening Star, Tamerlane, "To Octavia," O, Tempora! O, Mores!, "Mysterious Star!", among others."

"Good Miss Hayes. Everyone should've taken notes on that list." Professor Ponte continued the lesson.

Ryan Carter looked over at me. He shot me an appraising look. I rolled my eyes. The bell rang signaling the end of class.

I pulled my phone out of my pocket as soon as I left the classroom. Hitting dial I called my best friend Joshua. Joshua and I went to high school together in Phoenix at a school called Moon Valley. We'd been best friends ever since. He's attending school in LA for his music. He and I stay in close contact, mostly we'll see a movie every weekend or something. Currently I'm at Berkeley. I'm a junior here. My major is English Literature. I'm also taking Photography and Journalism classes mixed with my English Lit, Writing, and Shakespeare classes.

"Joshua, he raped me with his eyes again!" I moaned when my best friend answered his phone. He laughed.

"Ali, relax, this guy sounds like a dream boat!" Joshua was bisexual. Not one of those really hot guys you find when you go to Google and see pictures of gay of bi people. Just normal Joshua, I mean, he was hot in high school, but he wasn’t like, Mr. Drop Dead Gorgeous.

"He's a football player Joshy. Not a dream boat."

"Well Ali, don't worry. Just ignore him, obviously he's into you but it's not mutual. Keep giving him the cold shoulder. Introduce him to me maybe." I could hear the laughing, girlish, gay side of him in that comment.

"Sure, sure Joshy."

"So Blue, how are you?"

Blue was one of my many nick names especially when I was in high school. The first day of school I was in an art class. We were working with paint and had been told to paint what we felt. So I took the canvas and splashed different shades of blue and indigo across the page. Joshua had been in the class and he then started calling me Blue. It always lasted.

"I'm good Yellow, my dear fellow."

Yellow was the color Joshua had chosen.

We shared a laugh and talked for a few more minutes about what else had happened today, the grade on our last tests, and stuff like that.

"Okay sugar, we're still on for tomorrow, love!"

"Love you too Joshy! See you then!”

I closed the phone and continued walking. I was headed to my dorm. Lit was my last class of the day. The sky was darkening over the horizon. I stopped to watch the sun set. I had to admit, California had so much beauty, even compared to Arizona.

I was tired. It had been a long day today, not to mention, Ryan’s incessant checking me out had honestly pissed me off to no extent. I was excited to see Joshua tomorrow though.

I stopped wasting time and continued to walk back to my dorm. I pulled my key from my pocket when I entered the building from habit.

Arriving at my dorm I noticed a note stuck on my door. It couldn’t be for my roommate considering I didn’t have one so it had to be for me.

In a scrawl, that must have been a foot ball player’s; there was an address and a time written with the words: Frat Party, be there.

Of course I had to go. I was a junior in college, it was a Frat party. I was going. I mean, not to mention, this was the first Frat party I’d ever been invited to… Or at least, was told to be there. I guess that’s how they invite people to Frat parties these days.

I pulled the note off my door and entered my dorm.

Placing the note on my desk I walked over to the small closet. I fished for a few minutes. Finally I decided on a black pleated mini skirt and a red corset type top and my favorite old black buckle up boots. Typically, I’d wear this replacing the skirt with jeans when I went to our weekly movie, but I’ll find something else to wear tomorrow.

I headed for the bathroom my clothes in hand. I took a quick shower scrubbing down my body and hair and making sure to shave.

Stepping out of the water I wrapped a towel around my body. I tied the towel up tight and proceeded to put my make up on. Bright red lipstick, eyeliner that was black as night, red mascara, and a two color red and black eye shadow coated in lip gloss to give it sheen and shine, and a small amount of lip gloss to my lips finished it off. By the time I was done my hair had dried quite a bit. I plugged my straightener in as well as my blow dryer. Turning both on, I took the latter and quickly fluffed my hair and dried it. I pulled my straightener through it several times and looked at myself.

The reflection was about as good as I was going to get.

I stripped off the towel and put some deodorant on. Slowly I put the outfit on. Looking at myself in the mirror I decided the outfit honestly needed fish nets before I put my boots on. I walked out to my dresser and grabbed a pair of the stockings and ankle socks. That was always the best way to go of course. I finished dressing and gave myself one last look over. It was as best as I could get myself.

I left the dorm, not locking the door figuring no one would be in and out of there, plus I normally don’t drink much so I didn’t see a reason to lock it.

I walked down the hall way maneuvering my way out of the building and then around campus.

I found the Beta house quickly. I wanted to roll my eyes, as in fact, Ryan Carter was a Beta. Stupid prick.

I entered the house.

“Hey! You’re that… Uh… That photography chick!”

“Indeed I am. You must be a Beta football player.” I gave him a once over. Large, bulky build and clearly drunk.

“Sweet!” He yelled. “Hey Ryan!”

Perfect. Just what I need.

Ryan Carter comes walking over to me.

“Hey Ali.”

“It’s Alisyn.”

“Excuse me then, Alisyn.”

I rolled my eyes.

“What exactly did you goons want me here for anyway?”

“Aw lighten up photo girl.” The name annoyed me. “You need to party and not study so hard.”

“For your information Mr. Football, I do party, once a week, with my friends.”

“Ooh, little nerdy photo girl has friends.”

“Of course I have friends. Actually, I have one that’s dying to meet you.”

“Oh really now? Well I am on the football team. Of course she’ll want to meet me.”

I almost snorted. She. Typical Ryan, think my friends are girls.

“Well I’ll arrange that some time.” At this point I walked off.

I walked around the party for a few hours, had a few beers, danced a little, okay, danced a lot, with a lot of different guys, but it was just dancing, none of them would remember me in the morning.

Finally at about one I decided to leave. I walked the now quiet paths back to the dorms. Silently I slipped into mine. I stripped down to my bra and underwear and passed out on my bed.

Ryan was right of course. I typically don’t party unless it’s with Joshua, and normally I’m the designated driver.

The next morning I woke up without a hangover, which of course, didn’t surprise me.

I looked around my room. Something was wrong. Something was… Missing…

I screamed.

All of my cameras were gone. And not jut my cameras, my tripods, my sD and xD cards. All of it.

I scurried around the room, frantic. Where could they be?

Oh God this is my fault too, I left my door unlocked. Stupid Alisyn!

I sat and I cried for a few minutes. I couldn’t believe my cameras were gone. This was horrible. My life’s work is in those cameras.

I looked at the mirror on the dresser.

There was a note stuck to it reading:

Hey Alisyn!

If you want your cameras look at the clock tower at noon tomorrow. You’ll see what we did with them. If you want them back you’ll need to show up to tomorrow night’s frat party in the bikini we leave outside your door at one this afternoon.

Sincerely,
The Football team.

Oh this is so not fair. Why do I have to walk in to a frat party in a swimsuit!? I don’t have the body for that!

I sighed and looked at the clock, it read 10:32. This was going to be a longer weekend than I anticiptated.