"Speech!" someone calls, and the room chants in agreement.
Jaren steps forward eagerly. "I want to say this is literally the best day of my life, and you guys are the best brothers anyone could ask for, and?—"
He continues for several enthusiastic minutes while I try to formulate what the hell I'm going to say. When it's finally my turn, the room quiets.
"I, uh..." Clearing my throat with a rough cough. "I wasn't looking for a fraternity when I came to PCU. In fact, I was actively against the idea."
A few chuckles ripple through the group.
"But this place, you guys... you've shown me what brotherhood means. It's not about connections or politics or wearing the right clothes." Glancing at James briefly. "It's about having each other's backs. So... thanks for having mine. I'll try to do the same for all of you."
Sitting down quickly, uncomfortable with the attention, but the genuine smiles around the room ease the tightness as unwanted emotions surface.
Drew raises his voice. "Alright, official business concluded. Let's celebrate our newest members!"
The party explodes from the frat house, as if mere walls can’t contain it. Music pumps from speakers set up on the porch, and within an hour, the front lawn is packed with people. Strings of lights have been turned on in the trees, and someone, Emily, I suspect, has produced a table full of snacks and drinks.
Leaning against the porch railing, I nurse a soda and watch the chaos unfold. Jaren has already been absorbed into a group playing a complicated drinking game involving ping-pong balls and red cups.
"Not feeling the party vibe?" James appears beside me, his cup containing what looks like plain Coke.
"Just taking it in. It's a lot."
He nods, understanding in his eyes. "You can always retreat to higher ground if it gets to be too much."
"I might take you up on that later." Bumping shoulders with him is the closest we get to affection in such a public place.
James smiles, then tilts his head toward Jaren. "Your roommate looks like he's found his people."
Jaren successfully bounces a ball into a cup and is lifted onto the shoulders of two other freshmen like he's scored a winning touchdown.
"He's a good guy. Far too cheerful for his own good, but decent."
"High praise from Caleb Huntington the Third," James teases.
"I'm capable of liking people, contrary to popular belief."
"Oh, I know exactly what you're capable of," he says, his voice dropping enough to send heat up my neck.
Before I can respond, a commotion at the edge of the lawn draws our attention. A group of guys in Epsilon Beta Mu shirts stands at the property line, their postures aggressive even from a distance.
"Great," James mutters. "The welcome wagon from next door."
We move towards each other.
"—turned into a fucking pride parade," one of them sneers, waving broadly at the party. "Delta Psi Homo, am I right?"
Drew steps forward, Emily at his side, looking furious. "If you're not here to party respectfully, you can move along," Drew says, his tone deceptively calm.
"Or what?" A tall guy with a crew cut steps forward. "You'll have your little boyfriends gang up on us? I see you've got the whole collection now." His eyes scan the crowd and land on Ethan and Tyler, who are holding hands near the drinks table.
My fists clench, and James tenses beside me.
"I mean, look at this shit," Crew Cut continues, emboldened by his friends' laughter. "Used to be a respectable frat. Now it's a bunch of?—"
"Finish that sentence." Gavin's voice cuts through the tension as he steps forward. At 6'4", he towers over Crew Cut, and his usually cheerful face is in stone. "Please. I'd love an excuse."
Crew Cut falters slightly but rallies. "What, you one of them now too? The whole house catching it?"
