Chapter 11 THE FRESHER’S PARTY
Anya pushed the door open and stepped inside her hostel room, every muscle in her body screaming in exhaustion. She dragged herself toward her bed.
Her palms were red, her clothes were stained with dust and her legs felt like wet noodles.
She collapsed on the mattress with a long, shaky exhale.
She had spent hours cleaning the filthy old building, alone.
Missed every single class.
Punished for something she didn’t even start.
Her eyes fluttered shut.
Her throat burned and her chest felt heavy.
But she was too tired to cry again.
The silence of the room wrapped around her. Her roommates were out.
They hardly stayed in the hostel anyway, she noticed.
She was reaching for her blanket when her phone buzzed loudly beside her.
Incoming call: Liana.
Anya groaned softly.
She considered ignoring it but guilt made her swipe the answer button.
"Hello?" she whispered.
"Baby girl, where are you??" Liana screamed into the phone. "The fresher’s party is about to start!"
Anya winced.
"I’m not going"
"What do you mean you’re not going?? Don’t you dare!" Liana yelled dramatically. "You’re the only one I know there. It will be so boring for me if I should go alone!"
Anya inhaled slowly.
"Liana, I'm really tired"
"I know, I know," Liana cut in softly. "I want to make you feel better after everything that happened today. That idiot Nikolai really pushed you too far. I swear, I will help you punch him next time I see him. I promise"
Despite her exhaustion and pain, Anya smiled.
"Alright. I’m coming"
"YES!" Liana shouted. "Hurry before I cry. Five minutes! I’m waiting outside the hall!"
The call ended.
Anya sighed, pushed herself up, and quickly washed her face. She changed into something simple. She wasn’t in the mood to dress up. She just needed fresh air and maybe a little distraction.
FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER
She walked toward the fresher’s party venue. Music thumped from the speakers. Lights flashed across the courtyard. Students flooded the area in groups and pairs.
She spotted Liana immediately.
Her friend was standing near the entrance, tapping her foot impatiently, dressed in a shimmering, expensive-looking dress that hugged her curves perfectly.
Gold jewelry sparkled around her neck and wrists.
Her hair bounced with every movement like it belonged in a commercial.
When Liana saw Anya approaching, she threw her hands into the air dramatically.
"Finally! You’re here! I was about to send a search party for you!"
Anya laughed softly.
Liana suddenly pulled her phone from her tiny designer clutch.
"Oh! One second, baby girl, I need to take this," Liana shouted over the booming bass, glancing at the caller ID. "It's my mother, I'll be right back"
Liana squeezed Anya's arm and left, her expensive dress swirling behind her.
The moment Liana was gone, a tight circle of girls formed, led by her hostile roommate, Katya, and followed by Daria. Olga lingered outside the circle, watching.
"Well, well," Katya sneered, placing her hands on her hips, her eyes sharp and assessing. "Look at our little scholarship mouse, playing dress-up"
"This roommate of ours is too innocent for my liking," Daria piped up, grinning cruelly. "We need to tough her up, you know?"
Anya's heart began to race. She tried to side-step them, muttering, "I need to go" but Katya and Daria boxed her in, their bodies a physical barrier.
Katya snatched a tall plastic cup of clear liquid from the hand of a nearby acquaintance and thrust it at Anya's mouth. "Drink. It's time you learned how to party, peasant"
"No, thank you, I—" Anya tried to protest, but Daria seized her chin, forcing her face forward while Katya pressed the rim of the cup against her lips.
The liquid, harsh, potent alcohol, burned her throat as she was forced to swallow. The girls around them cheered loudly, yelling "Chug! Chug! Chug!" People's attention was now fixed entirely on their small, cruel performance.
The alcohol hit Anya's empty stomach like a sledgehammer, making her vision swim and her legs feel suddenly weak.
"That's better!" Katya shouted, pulling the cup away.
But they weren't done.
A shrill voice rang out from the edge of the swelling crowd: "She's the one that slapped Nikolai today! Let's teach her a lesson!"
The words ignited a new wave of vicious excitement among the group. They weren't just hazing her; they were exacting revenge on behalf of the Volkov name.
Katya's face twisted into pure malice. She grabbed the collar of Anya's sweater. R-I-P. The thick fabric tore down the front. Daria grabbed the sleeve and yanked. The sweater ripped away, followed by the sound of tearing fabric as her skirt met a similar fate.
Anya cried out, crossing her arms over her thin, exposed top, her cheeks flaming with shame and absolute terror.
"No! Stop! Please! LIANA!"
Katya cackled, enjoying the display. "Too bad she's not here to save you!"
They shoved her forward, grabbing her arms and legs. The crowd roared with laughter and shouts of approval as they dragged her, past stunned faces and those cheering the spectacle.
"To the pool! Throw her in!"
The pool was brightly lit, sparkling menacingly under the night sky. The girls, fueled by alcohol and the thrill of violence, hauled Anya to the edge.
"Please don't! Please! I can't swim!" Anya screamed, clawing at their hands, the memory of her uncle and the feeling of complete powerlessness slamming into her.
But her pleas were fuel to their fire. With a final, unified push, they sent her flying.
Anya hit the freezing water with a shock that stole the rest of her breath. She went under immediately. Panic seized her as the heavy, saturated clothing weighed her down. She thrashed, swallowing water, desperate for the surface.
The crowd stood at the edge, laughing, pointing, and shouting, treating her drowning struggle as the highlight of the party.
Anya went under again, her lungs burning, the cold water closing over her head. She was drowning, alone, amidst hundreds of people who found her terror hilarious.
Liana came back, her eyes widening as she saw what was happening.
"OMG! Is that Anya? Someone save her, please! She's dying!"
Katya and the rest of the girls rolled their eyes, completely unbothered.
"What's stopping you from saving her?" Katya taunted, a cruel smirk on her face.
Liana’s eyes shut helplessly. She couldn’t swim. The last time she tried, she had almost drowned.
She looked at Anya again, struggling and gasping in the water. Without thinking, she dove in.
That was her worst mistake.
The cold water swallowed her instantly. Panic hit her chest like a hammer. Her limbs flailed as she realized the weight of her clothes and the chill of the pool were dragging her down.
Instead of helping, the crowd laughed and cheered. Some were already filming with their phones, capturing the terrifying scene as if it were entertainment.
Liana’s head barely broke the surface before water filled her mouth. She tried to reach Anya, but both were sinking, swallowed by the cruel chaos around them.
Suddenly, a figure dove into the water... the crowd gasped.