“Dude, just admit you've been having a secret love affair with the neighbor's dog.” Freddie laughs.
“It's not a love affair. We have an understanding.” Alfie's trying to maintain dignity while Baxter licks his face. “He's surprisingly good at listening to my dissertation theories.”
“Better than us?” Troy calls from the kitchen, carrying in another round of fajitas.
“Baxter doesn't interrupt to ask if we can 'make it more fun,'” Alfie responds dryly.
“I’m only trying to help, bro!” Troy protests.
Delilah helps him with the plates, wearing one of his shirts under her cardigan. “You ask that about everything, Hawkins. Remember when Alfie was explaining thermodynamics?”
“Thermodynamicsshouldbe fun!” Troy insists.
I watch them all bicker, trying to memorize every detail. These people who six weeks ago were just Ethan's roommates and their girlfriends, and now feel like the family I didn't know I needed.
“You're being quiet,” Ethan murmurs in my ear.
“Just thinking.”
“About?”
“How you're all leaving me.” I try to make it sound like a joke, but my voice cracks slightly. “And how I wish I'd stopped being scared earlier. We could have had more times like this.”
The room goes quiet. Seven pairs of eyes turn to me with varying degrees of sympathy and understanding.
“Oh, babe,” Alex says softly, already moving to give me a hug. “We’re still here! Tara and I have one more year left too.”
“Besides,” Tara adds, “quality over quantity. These six weeks of Piper have been worth like, a whole year of regular friendship.”
“Especially since she's the only one who can beat Alfie at chess.” Ethan grins.
I shoot him a glare. I told him to keep that a secret.
Alfie's head snaps up from where he's been buried in Baxter fur. “Wait. What?”
“Nothing,” I say quickly, but Alfie's eyes narrow.
“Oh my god,” he says slowly. “You're ButterBoi69. I freakin’ knew it! I can’t believe I didn’t connect the dots.”
Everyone looks confused except Ethan, who starts laughing.
“ButterBoi69?” Tara asks. “That sounds like a terrible username for?—”
“Chess,” Alfie interrupts, staring at me. “She's been destroying me at online chess for two years. ButterBoi69 is the only player I can't beat.”
“It's not destroying,” I protest. “You win sometimes.”
“When you let me!” He's half-laughing, half-indignant. “That King’s Gambit last week?”
“You were having a bad day!”
“You threw a game out of pity?!” But he's grinning now. “God, that's worse than losing fairly.”
“How did you not know it was her?” Ethan asks, delighted by this revelation.
“The username throws people off,” I admit. “No one expects ButterBoi69 to be a girl who codes.”
“Or to be good at chess,” Alfie adds, shaking his head. “Years of wondering who was behind that ridiculous username.”
