“Not entirely,” Cooper said. “At least Finn knows who you are now.”
“Not in a good way.”
“All publicity is good publicity,” Cooper said.
Was that true? “I didn’t know it was possible to get so enraged about mini golf,” I said.
Cooper shrugged. “You don’t become captain of every varsity team byliking to lose.”
“Thank you for being as bad at mini golf as I am,” I said.
“You’re welcome.”
Everybody was still watching me. Time to do—anything. On instinct, I waved and smiled like we were on a parade float.
Then, before we took our first step, Cooper reached down and clasped my hand.
Then he said, “Bethe unicorn.”
And this time, I knew what he meant.
LATER—AFTER I’D CHANGEDinto sweatpants and flip-flops back in Cooper’s luxury suite and then stalled as long as I could—it was time for me to go back to my official cabin and begin the journey of rooming with Harmony.
Cooper carried my suitcase back down the stairs for me on a trek that felt distinctly like descending into the underworld.
“Come back anytime,” Cooper said as we reached my floor, like he felt guilty that his fate was better than mine. “My balcony is your balcony.”
But it wasn’thisfault I had to room in a sex dungeon.
I decided to focus on the positive. “Thank you for the pep talk, by the way. And for all the nice things you said about me—to everyone. And for hoarding all the Oreo cupcakes off the dessert tray.”
“My pleasure,” Cooper said. Then, as we peered down the hallway in the direction of Harmony’s lair, he added, “You don’t have to do this, by the way.”
I sighed and started walking the final hundred feet toward the cabin.
What choice did I have?
Cooper followed and kept talking. “You can just stay with me.”
“I can’t stay with you,” I said.
“Because there’s only one bed in my room?”
“Among many other reasons.”
“We slept in the same bed sometimes as kids.”
“Yeah.As kids.”
“It wouldn’t be that weird, is all I’m saying.”
“It would be weird enough.”
But as we pulled up to the door of Harmony’s room, we got a new comparison point forweird.
Because Harmony’s lei was on the doorknob, and she was… putting it to good use.
Loudly. Gymnastically. To be clear: Anyone walking by would know with certainty that Harmony’s lei was not, in any way, going to waste.
