String of Many Colors

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"That would be great," Faina replied, though not sure if she liked the idea of meetings others just like her. She preferred to be unique, but since it could be the only taste of fashion design she gets from college, she'd take what she could get. "Are you in any clubs?" she asked curiously.

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Reece was, more or less stunned. All he could manage to say was "Oh," and all he could feel was embarrassment for making such a fool out of himself. Of course she liked someone else. Of course she didn't want me. These thoughts ran through his head as the reality of the situation set in. She only let him try because she pitied him and that was the worst feeling in the world. "I...I have to go," he stammered and fumbled around blindly for his clothes.
 
Alec shook his head. "The frat takes most of my time. I used to be in this volunteer group, but I had conflicts with the meeting times." He explained before sighing. "It was actually really fun, we went to animal shelters and to schools that had kids with disabilities... Sometimes I wish I had stuck with it."

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Haley sat up and sighed, leaning back on her hands. "Alright, but remember Reece, I'm here for you to get over her. If you want something serious I can do that, but if you just want fun that works too."
 
Faina looked at Alec again, trying to picture him helping kids with disabilities and going to animal shelters. Sure he had that charismatic personality, but it was still difficult to imagine him using those powers to do something so...humble. "Doesn't the frat do volunteering things?" she asked out of curiosity.

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Reece didn't respond, his back turned away from her as he shrugged into his jeans. He didn't want to look at her, his head was spinning, and the world felt wrong. Hurriedly, he shoved on the rest of his clothes and stumbled down the steps out of her apartment, not even knowing really where he was. He had to be closeby to the college, he just wasn't sure in what direction and nothing looked remotely familiar. So he stuck his thumb out and waited for someone to stop that would take him back to the college and away from wherever here was.
 
He shrugged. "We pick up trash every semester, but we mainly just raise money for things instead of going there and volunteering." Alec explained, turning and leaning against the ledge.

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Haley huffed. "He better do as I asked. I mean I had sex with him." She muttered.

Christina was just driving home when she saw the guy that had been at the bar. "Hey, I thought you would be at some girls place getting lucky." She called as she pulled over.

(I don't remember her name, it's the bartender.)
 
"Aren't you the President? Couldn't you tell your...group that you're going out and volunteering somewhere?" Faina asked, even though she wasn't sure how a fraternity worked. She was just saying what she thought, and he seemed a little sad about not helping people more actively, she wanted to make him feel better.

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(Her name was Sara.)

Reece definitely wasn't expecting to see the bartender inside the car that slowed towards him, but there she was, practically mocking him. He didn't care as long as it got him a ride. "Turns out luck didn't have much to do with it," Reece answered with a sigh. "Mind taking me back to the college," he asked instead of just getting in. He didn't know if she stopped to help him or just to comment on his bad luck.
 
Alec sighed. "I suppose I could, but I think the guys would just fool around with it. I'll look into it though, see if any of the new guys know of places around here to volunteer. If I make it a requirement they might do it."

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(I knew you would remember! How's it going?)

"That's too bad, looked like you needed a pick me up night. I'm headed that way anyway, come on in." Sara said with a half smile. "Do you live in the dorms or an apartment?" She asked as she leaned over to open the door.
 
It seemed like she only made him more sad so she didn't know what to say. "Oh, okay. I don't really know how the 'volunteering' thing works anyways," she said without thinking. It was true, and she assumed a lot of people felt the same.

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Reece hesitated, but swallowed his embarrassment and said, "Fraternity." The irony of it stuck him and he almost laughed out loud at that. The stereotypical fraternity boy would be able to get any girl he wanted, but Reece didn't seem to have the same charm with the ladies that he did with the men unfortunately, so impressing the guys to get in wasn't hard, but girls at parties were a whole different story. The guys teased him about it because they liked him, so his failures hadn't been much of a strike against him, just different.
 
"Really?" Alec asked, clearly surprised. "I would have thought you would have volunteered before. We could go to the animal shelter sometime, if you wanted that is." He suggested with a half smile.

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"Oh, that's cool. I never got into Greek life really, but my friends were." Sara said with a nod before heading in that direction. "Just tell me the directions when we get in that neighborhood." She told him as she slowed down for a red light. "How did you get to that part of town? It was decently far from the bar."
 
"Okay, that sounds good," Faina replied, hesitant. A few moments passed in silence before she asked, clearly confused, "What do you...do?" Did they just pet dogs? She didn't know what an animal shelter would let anyone do, and figured it was pretty limited. What else would they do?

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"Get where?" Reece asked, not sure where they were, not sure what she was even asking. How he got to the bar? Or how he got to...the...blonde chick's place? Either way, he felt too wonky to be clear enough to identify anything.
 
Alec laughed softly. "Well, usually we have to clean up the crates and stuff, which isn't all that fun, but then once you finish that you can take the dogs for walks or play fetch or something. The cats usually just like to be pet, but I don't always get to both, usually I just go to the dogs and see the cats if I have time." He explained.

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"Where I just picked you up? Did that girl take you home and then just kick you out?" She asked, confused. Sara had seen them leaving and assumed that they would be going to his place, that wasnt true since he needed the ride, so they must have gone to her place.
 
"I didn't know they let you do all that," Faina admitted, feeling foolish. She didn't have time for free labor like that, so she didn't bother to investigate that, but now she had time to experience it for herself. It would be different, but she was ready for something new, and it would get her to be closer friends with Alec.

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"She led me to her place, we fooled around, and then I left," Reece stated curtly with a hint of depression. He was too busy feeling sorry for himself to be angry at Else or at...Haley? Haley. Reece tried to shrug it off. "She was just using me anyway," he added, staring out the window pensively.
 
"Yeah, it's pretty much like having your own pet for a few hours, but then you get to give it back. Honestly it helps me keep from stressing out too much." Alec admitted. "Once you volunteer there for a month they let you come and go when you want. If I have a bad day I usually end up there."

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Sara sighed. "You get that a lot at bars. I thought you just needed to have some fun, sorry if I misread your signals." She said as they got closer to campus. Sara had thought that he wouldn't mind just having sex with a random girl, but maybe she was wrong.
 
"I'd like to go sometime, try it out," Faina decided aloud, stepping in circles along the floor she found incredibly interesting. She liked to find secret patterns or hidden meanings in floors that nobody else saw. She also adored exploring and finding secret passageways to anywhere.

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"I hadn't...done that in a while," Reece admitted and quickly added, "but that's not why I left." He didn't elaborate and stared out the window, watching the dark clouds come and cover the expanse of stars in the sky.
 
Alec was about to say how he would be happy to have her tag along when his phone went off. With a sigh he got it out of his pocket to see it was a guy from the frat. "Hey," he said as he answered the call. After a few minutes of listening Alec groaned and ran a hand over his face. "Faina, I have to go, one of the guys isn't responding. I fucking knew this was going to happen some day. I can walk you back to your dorm or something?" He asked, hoping she didn't think he was trying to get out of being with her.

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She just nodded and let the conversation die. When they arrived near the apartments Sara started to slow. "Just tell me when to turn."
 
Faina paused and let puzzlement pass over her face a moment. "Oh, um alright," she murmured in response. Moving her head she glimpsed one last look of the panorama of the night lit sky in all of its glory, trying to capture the image in her mind as a keepsake. Just in case she never saw it again, though she had a feeling she'd be back, whether he took her here again or not. "What's the issue?" she asked with slight curiosity, her gaze back on him, studying for looks of concern. His expressions were hard to read.

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"Here!" Reece called out, then swore under his breath as he added absentmindedly, "There." They'd just past it and he hadn't said anything. He'd been staring, at what he wasn't sure, but it had been enough to shake his attention from the buildings. "You can just drop me off here; I'll walk, uh thanks," Reece attempted a halfhearted smile, then dropped it once the act became too much effort. "See you around?" he asked cooly, trying to regain his tough guy persona, not the shattered one she'd been witnessing lately. He forced the brokenness away.
 
"One of the guys won't wake up." Alec said with a shake of his head. "He probably drink too much, didn't know his limit. We have to take him to get his stomach pumped or whatever they do." He explained, trying to keep calm. It hadnt happened in years, but of course it happened when he was president.

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Sara turned the car around and headed back towards the street, they hadnt gone too far past it. "Yeah, see you around probably. I hope you have better luck next time, you seem like a decent guy." She stopped the car at the road where he had said to turn earlier, it seemed pretty busy down that way.
 
Faina's eyes widened a bit. She hadn't realized people could be that stupid, drinking so much, but if it could happen anywhere it would be the fraternity. "Do you want me to come with?" she asked cautiously, not sure how serious the whole thing was and if he wanted any kind of help or support. It wasn't like she was doing anything important and she'd just had a long nap.

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Reece broke into an almost smile at her comment and said to himself, "Maybe I'll have some luck with you." He spoke it quiet, but wasn't sure if she heard or not. Either way, he didn't turn back. Upon opening the door, the frat was...quieter? His step faltered at the difference, and it made him walk carefully, wondering what was going on. "Alec?"
 
Alec shrugged. "If you want, but it won't be pretty. We will just have to wait a bunch and then hope for good news." He explained as they headed down the stairs and back towards the frat/ dorms. It was the same way if she decided she didn't want to go.

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She laughed softly at his comment. "You wouldn't want to get involved with me." Sara murmured as she watched him walk in safely before heading back to her apartment.
 
"Good luck," Faina wished him with a sympathetic smile. "Call me if you need anything," she added as she took out a purple washable marker and recorded her cell phone number along with a few designs on his left arm. Now she was a part of him; she'd left her mark. Exiting the building, Faina turned toward him one last time before they parted, hesitating for an unknown reason.

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Reece heard no response so he assumed the guys went out, including Alec even though he said he'd be in. This shouldn't have surprised Reece, but it did anyway and shame stung at him for not being good enough for Alec to hang out with. Without putting much more thought into his surroundings, he climbed into bed and closed his eyes, thoughts of rejection, being used, and sex dancing through his eyelids until he finally fell asleep.
 
It was a long night for Alec, waiting in the hospital once they got there. At about 5am the doctors finally came out and told him that the guy would be fine. His stomach had been pumped, but he still needed to recover the rest of the day in the hospital. When they let Alec in, he talked with the guy, explaining how he would be kicked out if it happened again, and that he would offer help if he needed it.

After Alec headed back to the frat and walked in slowly, making his way to his room and falling onto the bed.

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Else opened her eyes and just stared at the celing. She knew she should get up, but she just couldn't. Instead she played around with the ring on her finger, watching as it turned. It was getting closer and closer to the date they had first met.
 
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