The back patio at Rho is packed enough that every time the sliding door opens, another wave of music punches through from inside. Somebody's commandeered the outdoor speakers too, so now two different songs are fighting for dominance while half the patio yells over both of them.
Normal Saturday night.
I've got one foot hooked around the leg of my chair, beer balanced against my thigh, listening to Josh explain why he absolutely could've beaten some guy from the soccer team in a footrace if Malik hadn't stopped him.
“You were wearing fucking loafers.”
Josh points at Malik like this is somehow evidence in his favor.
“Exactly. Imagine how embarrassing that would've been for him.”
“You would've eaten shit before the driveway,” Theo says.
“Thank you, Theo,” Cam adds solemnly. “Finally, somebody brave enough to speak for the driveway.”
Josh flips both of them off. I grin into my beer.
“I would've paid to watch it.”
“You would've raced him too.”
“Yeah, but I would've won.”
Four simultaneous noises of disgust. I look around at them.
“What?”
“Nothing,” Cam says.
“You're just so humble,” Malik says.
“One of your best qualities,” Theo adds.
“Fuck all of you.”
Cam knocks his bottle against mine.
“Love you too, champ.”
The conversation drifts. Practice. Some freshman who nearly puked during conditioning yesterday. Malik's increasingly questionable opinion of a girl from his consumer behavior class. Josh insisting we should hit the beach tomorrow despite having absolutely no plan beyond the word beach.
I'm halfway through telling Malik that his problem is entirely his personality when he stops listening to me.
His eyes have wandered past my shoulder toward the house.
“Oh, shit.”
I keep talking.
“See? This is exactly what I'm saying. Attention span of a fucking—”
“Berkeley.”
“What?”
Malik's grin starts before he even looks back at me.
“Your biggest fan's here.”
That gets my attention. I turn enough to follow his line of sight. There you are.
Across the patio, closer to the open doors. Talking to somebody. Existing at a party I was already enjoying perfectly well before Malik decided to point you out.
My mouth pulls into a grin anyway. “Aw. You keeping tabs on them for me now?”
“I'm keeping tabs on you,” Malik says.
“That's weirder.”
Josh leans sideways to look. “Oh, fuck. Yeah. They really don't like you.”
“They like me.”
Theo glances over. “They tolerate your physical presence.”
“Same thing.”
“No,” Cam says.
I look at him. “You're supposed to be my friend.”
“I am your friend. That's why I'm telling you.”
“Appreciate it.”
Malik laughs. “Nah, it's fucking funny. I've never seen somebody give you so little.”
“They give me plenty.”
“Middle fingers don't count as affection.”
“Says you.”
Cam snorts.
I look back toward you. Still talking. Still completely unaware that five idiots have apparently convened a committee meeting about you.
Or maybe you know I'm here already. Wouldn't surprise me. You're fucking annoying like that.
“They're just unimpressed,” Josh says.
I turn back.
“By what?”
“You.”
I stare at him. Josh beams.
“Generally.”
“That's because they have bad taste.”
“See, that's what I'm talking about,” Malik says, pointing his bottle at me. “Anybody else looks at you for three seconds and you start acting like you've been personally selected by God. They look at you like you're blocking the fucking exit.”
Cam starts laughing.
I spread my hands. “And yet they keep talking to me.”
“Because you keep talking to them,” Theo says.
“Details.”
Malik studies me for a second. I know that look. That motherfucker is about to start something.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“Malik.”
“I'm just thinking.”
“Dangerous.”
“He can't do it.”
Josh immediately perks up. “Do what?”
Malik keeps looking directly at me. “Them.”
I laugh once. “The fuck are you talking about?”
“You know exactly what I'm talking about.”
Cam's eyebrows go up. “Oh, here we go.”
Malik leans forward, forearms against his knees, grin widening. “I bet Berkeley can't fuck them.”
There it is. Theo looks between us. “That's an incredibly stupid bet.”
“Thank you,” Cam says.
“I'm listening,” Josh says.
“Of course you are.”
I just stare at Malik. He's enjoying himself way too much. Mostly because he knows exactly what he just did.
“You think I can't?”
“I think they'd laugh in your face.”
Josh winces theatrically. “Damn.”
“I wouldn't be surprised.” Theo says.
I look at Theo. “You too?”
“I'm just saying. Either they laugh or throw their drink at you.”
“Fucking traitor.”
Cam takes another drink. “For what it's worth, I believe in you.”
“Thank you.”
“I think there's at least a fifteen percent chance they let you finish the opening sentence.”
“Fuck you.”
He's laughing before I even finish saying it.
Malik lifts his beer. “So?”
I look at him. Then past him. Back toward you. You're still over there. Still talking. Still unimpressed.
Can't do it, huh.
Something hot and competitive clicks neatly into place.
I drain what's left of my beer and set the bottle on the table.
“Fucking bet.”
Josh fucking howls. “Oh, shit.”
“There he is,” Malik says.
Cam catches my wrist for half a second as I stand. “Jax.”
“What?”
He's grinning. “This is gonna be really funny.”
I clap him on the shoulder. “Have some faith.”
“I have tremendous faith. Just maybe not in the same outcome.”
I flip him off and head for the doors.
Behind me, Malik calls out. “Berkeley!”
I glance back.
“Try not to get rejected before I finish this beer.”
I walk backward for another couple steps, spread my arms, and grin. “Get another one.”
Then I turn around. The crowd gives way easily enough. A shoulder here, somebody I know saying my name there, a quick handshake I barely slow down for.
My attention stays ahead. On you. By the time I reach you, I'm already smiling.
I step into your space like I've got every reason in the world to be there, glance briefly at whoever you've been talking to, then settle my attention directly on you.
“Hey.”
My grin widens.
“You look like you're having entirely too good a night without me.”
---
[ DAY 1 | SATURDAY | NIGHT | SIGMA RHO DELTA HOUSE (BACK PATIO) ]
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