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If it wasn’t for my friends standing in the front row of the stands staring back at me with shocked expressions and franticallytrying to scream over top of me to stop I would have probably kept going. I’ll be in enough trouble as it is with Coach. Everyone needs a mental health day now and then and once I’m off the field and getting reamed a new one, I stress that I’m just overtired and need a break. I don’t even finish twirling for the rest of the game before I’m sent home and told not to return until I have a better attitude. Thankfully, I didn’t lose my scholarship for my outburst, and Brad didn’t hear me in my moment of ugliness.
Everyone is riding the high of the win tonight. While I wasn’t in the stadium to witness the final blow of the game, the Charging Buffalos brought home the Homecoming game win. Dressed in jeans, boots, a tank top, and my favorite duster I walk to the Lambda house. Yep, the Lambda house. They’re throwing the biggest party on frat row tonight and half the student body has turned out to celebrate. The stone walkway leading up to the house is littered with beer cans and it’s not even ten o’clock yet.
The lawn is completely trashed with red cups and cans from a day of pregaming. I haven’t been inside the house since the night all those months ago that started my friendship (now frenemies) with Brad. I know I run the risk of seeing him here tonight but with this many people, I’ve got a good shot of going unnoticed by him or better yet not even being seen by anyone else I know.
When I get to the porch, I text Meg so she can come outside. It’s easier than me having to traipse around inside the house looking for her or anyone else that I may know. It only takes a few minutes for Meg to come outside with Erica in tow. Erica’s cheeks are so flushed I know that she’s drunk. I love Erica like a sister, but sober Erica is hard to stop from speaking her mind, a drunkErica is impossible to keep reigned in. I look at Meg and raise my eyebrow. She immediately understands my silent question.
“He’s inside. They’ve only sung ”We Are the Championsabout six times now.”
I roll my eyes in response.
“But the good news is that he’s completely shit-faced so I’m sure he won’t even realize you’re here.”
“Perfect.” I deadpan. “Let’s get inside.”
Meg stops and turns before opening the front door. “Try not to scream out profanities at him from across the room this time.”
“Ha. Ha.” I purse my lips and give her attitude. “It was a moment of weakness. I’ve moved past it.”
She doesn’t look like she believes me but she drops it. “Whatever you say, Nik.”
The front door opens, and I’m hit with a blast of heat. It’s a stark contrast to the cold outside. The smoke is thick, and the smell of alcohol is strong. There are people everywhere. It’s more crowded than the last time I was here and it makes moving from room to room difficult. After weaving in and out of people dancing, standing around, and beer pong matches we finally make it to the kitchen where there’s a group of Sigma guys that I know and other Mu sisters hanging out.
I wave and smile at them in greeting. Chadd, who’s got a beer in each hand, sees me and laughs out loud: “If it isn’t my biggest supporter.”
I stifle a groan but nod my head in a good-natured way. He comes over and slings one arm around me giving me a hug. “Nikki, I about pissed my pants from laughing so hard at what you did today. I thought you were going to get dragged off the field.”
“Not today, Chadd, not today. Maybe next time.” He barks out a laugh.I’m glad someone finds my life amusing.He removeshis arm around me to take a pull from his beer and I don’t question it. I’m just glad the razzing about it is over.At least I hope.
Two hours later, the place hasn’t calmed down one bit—if anything more people are here now. I’ve had a few drinks, but I’ve been sipping water for the last half hour. I learned my lesson the last time we all went out together. Unfortunately, I need to use the bathroom. I know what to expect of the bathroom on the first floor and shudder when I think of what it looked like the last time I saw it. That’s why I’m climbing the steps to the second floor in search of a cleaner one.
Most frat houses frown upon girls coming upstairs uninvited but with so many people in the house, I’m hoping my little trip upstairs goes unnoticed. I’ve never been up here, and when I step onto the landing, I see the hallway veers left and right. Each way has several doors closed and I have no idea which one could be the bathroom. I shrug my shoulders, thinking to myself that if I don’t start trying the doors I’m going to pee on myself and I don’t want that.
I try the first door, locked. The second and the third are locked as well. I make it to the end of the hall and it’s unlocked. The bright fluorescent light is on in the room so I slowly move the door open. I see the sink and the mirror and sigh in relief that I’ve found a bathroom. I push the door the rest of the way open and rush inside, quickly closing and locking the door behind me.Please don’t let there be bugs crawling on the toilet.
“What the fuck!”
I jump a foot in the air in response. I’m so startled that I throw my back against the door and clutch my chest, willing my heart rate to return to normal. My eyes take in the person who just cut at least seven years off my life. It takes me a second to register thatit’s Brad who’s quickly turned and zipping up his pants while facing the shower that I can see is missing a shower curtain.
My hands leave my chest and cover my face. I can’t help the verbal diarrhea that comes out of my mouth in such a rush, I have no idea how much he can actually understand. “Oh my God! I am so sorry! I have to pee so bad and the bathroom downstairs is so gross I just couldn’t do it so I snuck up here hoping to find a cleaner bathroom and I had no idea anyone was in here. I’m so sorry! Really! I didn’t mean to come in on you.”
“Hey, calm down. It’s ok. It was just an accident. You just surprised me. I wasn’t expecting anyone to come in on me while I was using the bathroom.”
I slowly uncover my face to look at him. “I am so sorry.”
He waves it off. “It’s ok. I get it. I refuse to use the downstairs bathroom too.”
This is the first time I’ve seen him tonight. I’ve been aware that he’s here in the house but it’s like we’ve been moving as reverted magnets and I don’t know if that’s by his design or mine. Either way, this is the first look that I’ve gotten of him and he doesn’t look nearly as drunk as Meg led me to believe. He moves to the sink to wash his hands and I realize that I’ve been standing here blocking his exit at the door and staring at him for too long. I take a few steps away from the door, removing my back from it. The bathroom isn’t spacious by any means so I keep as much distance as I can between us.
“I heard you on the field today. I take it I didn’t get your vote.”
I can feel my cheeks flame in embarrassment. “I’m sorry for yelling out the things that I did but no, I didn’t vote for you.”
“Chadd seemed pleased with that revelation. Maybe Andy’s here in the house? Gang’s all here tonight.”
Ah, he’s upset with me. Nothing spreads better around thiscampus like good gossip and I’m sure my escapades with Andy haven’t gone unnoticed. Not when he has so many female admirers. I can only imagine what Brad’s heard—whether it is true or not. A part of me doesn’t feel the need to explain, he’s the one who told me he didn’t want a relationship, but the other part of me wants to explain it and make him understand that I still care for him and I miss him.
Instead of saying anything, he starts to come towards me. “Do you mind?”
