“Then watch us take shots.”
Matty placed his pen on his notebook, covered with notes. Coop’s hand cramped up just looking at it. “You and your friend should go to the party. You don’t need me to come along.”
“We don’t need you to, but we want you to.” Coop waved over Rafe, who was blowing dust off books. “This is Rafe. Rafe and I really want you to come to this party with us.”
“You can always study on Sunday,” Rafe said.
Coop pointed at him. “See? He agrees with me.”
He detected some red on Matty’s cheeks. It was harder to see with Matty’s dark skin. You had to seek it out, another challenge from Matty that Coop was up to.
Matty tried to open his textbook again. Coop shut it with his index finger. “Look, I know this party sounds dreadful to you, but I promise it will be fun. I will make it fun. It has the Coop seal of approval. You can’t spend your entire college existence in a library, Matty. This time is going to fly by. You have to carpe the diem.”
Matty’s eyes shifted between Coop and his books. Coop could tell he was breaking through. He just had to keep pushing.
“Give it an hour. If you’re still having a shitty time, you can leave.” Coop sounded like an infomercial.
“Why do you care if I go?” Matty’s coal eyes bored into Coop, waiting for a real answer. Coop enjoyed the view for a moment.
He sat on the edge of the table, his eyes never leaving Matty’s. “Because you’re my friend.”
And dammit, despite all the circumstances that brought them together, that was the truth. Coop enjoyed getting to know Matty and peeling back his layers. When Coop first met him, he just thought he was a nerd who nerds. But there was so much more to him. He wasn’t trying to be anyone other than himself, and that both intrigued and unnerved Coop.
“I’ll give you forty-five minutes,” Matty said, in full negotiation mode. He made Coop shake on it.
“Deal.”
Chapter 10
Matty
Matty watchedCoop swagger down the street of downtown Duncannon with Rafe at his side. He wore another tank top, though if Matty’s arms looked like his, he also wouldn’t wear sleeves ever again.
“Where is this party?” Matty asked. “I thought fraternity parties were in fraternity houses.”
“It’s a sorority party at an abandoned clothing store. The guys who own the space rent it to them for the night. Sororities aren’t allowed to host parties in their houses for some inane, sexist reason, so they have to get creative.”
The three of them entered the store, which still had all its old signage. Coop and Rafe poured themselves drinks at what used to be the register. People grinded against mannequins and did who-knows-what in the dressing rooms. Matty watched the scene in equal parts fear and disgust.I am at a party.Matty wondered where his classmates were tonight. Surely, one hour out wouldn’t give them an edge.
“What do you want to drink?” Coop asked him.
“I don’t drink.”
“Surely you drink soda or juice.” Coop stepped aside and displayed the variety of mixers Matty could choose from.
“I’ll have orange juice. And just orange juice.”
“Not a problem.” Coop unscrewed the cap and poured Matty a cup full of juice. “See, fun without alcohol. How am I doing on time?”
Matty took the cup from the register. “You have thirty-one minutes.”
“But we just got here. You started counting as soon as we left the library? Damn. I should’ve added a clause to our agreement.” Coop shot him a half-smile that Matty wanted to remember forever. He turned to say something to Rafe, but he’d already flitted off to talk with some girls.
“So what now?” Matty asked. He felt like a person in a foreign country.
Coop surveyed the scene, searching for something.
“We’re going to do ice luge shots.” Coop rubbed his hands together. He picked up his cranberry and vodka and took a hearty drink.
