someone.”
She ruffled his hair. “Well, be smarter about it next time. Pick somebody worthy.”
Walter’s sideways grin flashed in Kelly’s mind, but he quickly snuffed the image out. “And if there isn’t anyone worth my time?”
“Then welcome to the cynical relationship express. I’ll save you a seat.” She nudged his tray with her finger. “Hey, I know. How about you come with me to a party tonight over in the Manors? It’s a bunch of lesbians and bi girls, and while there’ll be drinking, it’s not mandatory.”
Kelly raised his eyebrows, highly dubious. “Why would I want to go to that ?”
“Because there’s no pressure, no boys to sigh over. Just music and good times.” She grinned. “Bring your iPod, and you can show off that artist you keep telling me about.”
It still sounded a little crazy, but Kelly couldn’t say no, not when Rose had been so nice the night before. “I’ll think about it,” he said.
She aimed her spoon at him. “You’ll go,” she corrected.
While Kelly had every intention of wheedling out at the last minute, he forgot how well Rose had his number. Not only did she text him all day, she promised to come hunt him down if he didn’t show up by nine. When Walter caught him groaning over that last text, Kelly showed it to him, hoping he had a way out.
To his surprise, Walter laughed and looked intrigued. “She invited you to a party at Luna’s? Shit, honey, you should go. And you should take me along.” When Kelly did a double take, Walter waved impatiently at him. “Sometimes I forget you’re a freshman. Luna is a senior on the endless-year program. She’s a crazy lipstick lesbian and absolutely adorable. Every now and again she bribes her floor’s RA and throws a killer party, invite only. I’ve heard about them but haven’t ever been.”
“Then how am I invited?” Kelly asked.
“By Rose, it seems. Which means she’s sleeping with Luna, if she’s able to toss out invitations that freely. Very interesting.” He nudged Kelly’s elbow. “Text her back and see if I can come along.”
Kelly still couldn’t get over that Walter wanted to go watch a bunch of lesbians dance, let alone that he needed Kelly’s inside connection to do so. Overwhelmed and a bit confused, he did as Walter ordered, and half an hour later they were both heading across campus, iPods in their pockets and a tote bag of alcohol slung over Walter’s shoulder.
“Aren’t we going to be in trouble if someone catches us?” Kelly eyed the bag nervously.
Walter raised his eyebrow. “For what? Drinking? I’m old enough, and so’s Luna.”
“Most people at the party won’t be though, right? Rose and I are underage, and the college knows that.”
“The Manors are pretty small—they’re set up in pods, sixteen units total, and my guess is she invites the whole building to the party. When she lived in junk housing like us, she had to be more creative, but the thing is, even when parties get shut down, everyone just goes home. Campus security shines a flashlight and looks stern, and everyone heads to bed.” He bumped Kelly with his shoulder. “Stop fussing. It’ll be fine, and you can get drunk and have a good time.”
“I don’t want to get drunk. What if something happens?”
“To a drunk gay boy in a room full of lesbians? Nothing. You need to let your hair down, Red. You seem uptight. Tell you what—I won’t get any deeper than tipsy, and I promise to keep your virtue safe. Deal?”
Kelly shrugged, embarrassed but not quite sure why. He didn’t plan to get drunk, whatever Walter said.
That resolve quickly slipped as they went down the steps to Luna’s dorm and Kelly took in the riotous feminine debauchery spilling out of the front door of Ashburn Manor. Kelly hadn’t gone into the upperclassmen dorms during his campus tour, only driven by on the street. They were a little village, four sets of four buildings to each pod, the sections connected by a
She ruffled his hair. “Well, be smarter about it next time. Pick somebody worthy.”
Walter’s sideways grin flashed in Kelly’s mind, but he quickly snuffed the image out. “And if there isn’t anyone worth my time?”
“Then welcome to the cynical relationship express. I’ll save you a seat.” She nudged his tray with her finger. “Hey, I know. How about you come with me to a party tonight over in the Manors? It’s a bunch of lesbians and bi girls, and while there’ll be drinking, it’s not mandatory.”
Kelly raised his eyebrows, highly dubious. “Why would I want to go to that ?”
“Because there’s no pressure, no boys to sigh over. Just music and good times.” She grinned. “Bring your iPod, and you can show off that artist you keep telling me about.”
It still sounded a little crazy, but Kelly couldn’t say no, not when Rose had been so nice the night before. “I’ll think about it,” he said.
She aimed her spoon at him. “You’ll go,” she corrected.
While Kelly had every intention of wheedling out at the last minute, he forgot how well Rose had his number. Not only did she text him all day, she promised to come hunt him down if he didn’t show up by nine. When Walter caught him groaning over that last text, Kelly showed it to him, hoping he had a way out.
To his surprise, Walter laughed and looked intrigued. “She invited you to a party at Luna’s? Shit, honey, you should go. And you should take me along.” When Kelly did a double take, Walter waved impatiently at him. “Sometimes I forget you’re a freshman. Luna is a senior on the endless-year program. She’s a crazy lipstick lesbian and absolutely adorable. Every now and again she bribes her floor’s RA and throws a killer party, invite only. I’ve heard about them but haven’t ever been.”
“Then how am I invited?” Kelly asked.
“By Rose, it seems. Which means she’s sleeping with Luna, if she’s able to toss out invitations that freely. Very interesting.” He nudged Kelly’s elbow. “Text her back and see if I can come along.”
Kelly still couldn’t get over that Walter wanted to go watch a bunch of lesbians dance, let alone that he needed Kelly’s inside connection to do so. Overwhelmed and a bit confused, he did as Walter ordered, and half an hour later they were both heading across campus, iPods in their pockets and a tote bag of alcohol slung over Walter’s shoulder.
“Aren’t we going to be in trouble if someone catches us?” Kelly eyed the bag nervously.
Walter raised his eyebrow. “For what? Drinking? I’m old enough, and so’s Luna.”
“Most people at the party won’t be though, right? Rose and I are underage, and the college knows that.”
“The Manors are pretty small—they’re set up in pods, sixteen units total, and my guess is she invites the whole building to the party. When she lived in junk housing like us, she had to be more creative, but the thing is, even when parties get shut down, everyone just goes home. Campus security shines a flashlight and looks stern, and everyone heads to bed.” He bumped Kelly with his shoulder. “Stop fussing. It’ll be fine, and you can get drunk and have a good time.”
“I don’t want to get drunk. What if something happens?”
“To a drunk gay boy in a room full of lesbians? Nothing. You need to let your hair down, Red. You seem uptight. Tell you what—I won’t get any deeper than tipsy, and I promise to keep your virtue safe. Deal?”
Kelly shrugged, embarrassed but not quite sure why. He didn’t plan to get drunk, whatever Walter said.
That resolve quickly slipped as they went down the steps to Luna’s dorm and Kelly took in the riotous feminine debauchery spilling out of the front door of Ashburn Manor. Kelly hadn’t gone into the upperclassmen dorms during his campus tour, only driven by on the street. They were a little village, four sets of four buildings to each pod, the sections connected by a
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