With a Bim Bam Best Bloody in one hand and the other shoved inside the pocket of his pants, Gage shoots Haynes an awkward smile. “You know what I mean.”
Although Haynes returns a polite grin, I know he’s uncomfortable. So am I. From the composed looks on our faces, though, Gage would never know it. As Southerners we hear “microaggressions” like these quite often and ignore them out of… politeness or fear, I don’t know what. It doesn’t make it right, but we do it. And… we’re at their party.
“Have y’all ever heard the Motor City Band?” Gage asks.
Haynes and I shake our heads.
“Lilith and I heard them back in June at a wedding in Jackson, and we knew we had to hire them. You’ll be impressed. Might even want them for Ellie’s wedding.”
“Good God. That better be a long ways off,” Haynes says. “What do ya say we pay for college first before we start talking about weddings?”
Gage laughs. “You’ve got a point there, my friend.”
Haynes reaches out for another handshake. “Great party, man. Thanks for having us.”
“You’re welcome,” our host replies, then strolls off, disappearing into the paltry crowd.
Once he’s out of sight, Haynes grips the back of my elbow and practically pushes me out of the tent. “Don’t ever ask me to come anywhere near this place again.” Much to my chagrin, his voice is way louder than it should be.
“But what about my lunch?” As we leave the party—the one I was just sure was the hottest ticket in town—I glance back at my barely touched, cold eggs Sardou.
TWENTY-SEVEN
CALI
When we walk up to the Lyceum, three boys who look like triplets in their navy blue blazers, red ties, and khaki pants—a game day requirement for new fraternity pledges—are huddled together. We introduce ourselves, and although I feel a little weird at first, it only takes a few minutes to feel comfortable around these guys.
Will is super cute, so is Carter, although Ben is a little on the chunky side. Not that I have anything against chunky boys; I’m just being honest. He’s sweet, though, and funny. They’re all genuinely nice and for the next hour we stroll through the Grove, people-watching. It’s fun to be with three fraternity guys. In fact, it actually makes me feel quite popular. Carter and Annie Laurie went to high school together and from what Ellie tells me, Annie Laurie’s always liked him.
I get a sense that Will likes me. Several times now he’s touched my arm, and he keeps asking if he can get me anything. At one point he steers us all into a random tent, which he declares “beer friendly.” “Friends of my parents,” he says. All the guys, as well as Annie Laurie, fill their cups from the keg. Ellie and I simply grab cookies.
With one hand carelessly gripping her beer, and the other hooked toCarter’s belt, Annie Laurie narrows her eyes at Ellie and me. “You two are wimps,” she says with a giggle. I suppose she thinks she’s being funny, and saying it in jest, but actually it’s rude. Her words are slurred. I’m wondering how she’ll ever make it to the game.
“We aren’t wimps,” Ellie says. “We’re just not jeopardizing the one chance we have at joining a sorority. And you shouldn’t either.”
“I’m just kidding,” Annie Laurie says, with a drunken grin.
A few minutes later, we’re in the middle of one of the walking lanes between the tents—headed in the direction of the stadium—when the heel on Annie Laurie’s bootie turns under. She falls into a random lady, spilling beer all over her pretty white blouse.
The lady jumps out of the way, looks down at her shirt.Pissed.“Watch it,” she says harshly, sneering at Annie Laurie. But by now Annie Laurie is too wasted to care. Carter and I reach out to steady her and the other two boys back away.
Ellieleapsout of the way, making a disgusted face. “I can’t believe this is happening,” she says, checking her phone for the time. “We’re supposed to meet my parents in fifteen minutes.”
“What should we do?” I ask, although the answer is bubbling underneath my tongue.
Ellie’s nostrils flare. “Dammit.” She combs her fingers through her hair, pushing it back from her forehead. “I’msopissed right now. I knew I shouldn’t have come with her, but I did it anyway.”
We both look at each other, then at Annie Laurie, whose coloring seems to have changed. It’s paler, despite her dark makeup. She doesn’t even seem coherent. Her hair is messy and the sleeve of her romper is hanging off her spray-tanned shoulder. Both of her arms are carelessly wrapped around Carter and if not for him, she wouldn’t be able to stand. Makeup smears are all over the sleeve of his navy jacket.
“If we take her back to the dorm, we’ll be ridiculously late to the game,” Ellie says. “I can tell my mom, but I’ll have to make up an excuse to my dad. I’m always on time and he knows that.Shit.”
“You go on to the game and I’ll take her back. Just make up something about why I’ll be late.”This is the right thing to do,I keep telling myself. Even though it’s the last thing I want to do.
“No. I’m not gonna do that.”
“Why? It’s okay,” I say, pushing Annie Laurie’s sleeve back onto her shoulder.
“No it’s not. I don’t want my dad thinking you’ve done something wrong when you haven’t.”
