Back to Back Pt. 04

Coincidentally, Conner took the first opportunity he could to steer Artie away from my side. While my first instinct was to rip Conner's arm from around Artie's shoulders, I let it happen. I was proud of myself. I guess I do have at least some chill, somewhere. The girl from rush week quickly monopolized me, dragging me around the room by the elbow and introducing me around. Turns out her name is Sophia, she's a business management major, and she's just so totally excited for new pledges! Goddamn this girl was peppy. I didn't necessarily mind it though because I was introduced to maybe thirty people in the span of like ten minutes. At least I wasn't just standing in the corner like a creep glaring a hole into the back of Conner's head. Periodically I'd scan the room looking for Artie and every time I found him he was in a new group, Conner right there beside him. Arm around his shoulder, hand on his elbow.

"Hi." I was pulled out of my sulking when I heard someone greet me from off to my left. I look down and there's a girl with long, straight, black hair, large frame glasses, and some nice tits standing in the spot Sophia has been occupying for the last thirty minutes. She looked like a girl who would do a hot tub Twitch stream.

"Hi, I'm Miles." I stuck my hand out to her to shake, trying to keep things formal, but she didn't take it. She just stood there with her arms at her sides, waiting. For what? Beyond me.

"You came in with Arthur, right?"

Huh?

"Yeah, he's my roommate. Do you know him?" She eyed me suspiciously.

"Kind of. We went to school together but we didn't really talk. He was... sort of a loner." I could have probably guessed that but it was odd hearing someone else refer to him in such a way. Yeah, Artie didn't have tons of friends but he opened right up to me. I wouldn't personally describe him as a loner. If anything, if he had company he'd be more likely to go out and do shit. But high school was a brick ago so who knows?

"We go way back. I've known him since I was like, zero."

"Oh, I see." She looked like she was contemplating something.

"Did you go to school around here?"

"Yeah elementary school, I guess. I moved away. We just reconnected this year."

"Miles Beatty?"

"Yeah, have we met?" She huffed softly but she was smiling in good humor.

"We were in Mrs. Brenner's second grade class together..."

Uhhh. I was drawing a complete blank.

"We fought over who got to be the narrator in the play..."

"Eve! How could I forget? It's good to see you!"

"It's good to see you too, Miles. I knew that would jog your memory. I thought that was you but I wasn't sure, I barely recognized you! I should have just assumed the guy with Artie is Miles."

"You know, people keep saying that to me. I'm not sure if it's a compliment or not."

"Definitely a compliment. Wanna sit somewhere?"

We grabbed some drinks from the kitchen and found an empty loveseat that had been pushed to the edge of the room to make space for a dance floor. The music was pretty loud but not so much so we couldn't make conversation. Eve and I were never very close, if anything we butt heads the few times we had to be around each other. I didn't know about her but if I was being honest it was probably because I had a bit of a crush on her. I almost laughed at myself while thinking about it. We gave each other the basic run down of what we'd been up to since I moved. It was nice reconnecting with someone from back then. In the moment it really felt like my decision to come back to New Hampshire was the right one. I had real roots. To be honest, it's been really fucking trippy being around people I used to know so long ago. Moving so frequently I had to compartmentalize very early on. And a lot of the time once I moved, I moved on too. Rarely, if ever, did I end up reconnecting with someone from somewhere I used to live. Just in this past week it's happened twice, three times if you count Marissa. It was... Nice.

Throughout our conversation I got up to refill our drink at least a few times, and this jungle juice was strong. I was feeling good and It was nice to reminisce. At some point we got up to dance for a little while. Michelle introduced me to some of the brothers she was friends with, which my drunk brain found funny because I was expecting 'brothers' to be guys, but it was a group of maybe five girls. I was most definitely too obliterated to remember any of their names, and I told them exactly that. They laughed, even though I wasn't joking even a little.

I was dancing a little mostly just trying hard to maintain the conversation I was having with Michelle when I saw two figures rushing up the stairs, pushing and laughing. At first I didn't think much of it just- someone's about to get laid. Then I looked harder. Skinny fuck was pulling Artie up the stairs by the hand. I was still maintaining a flicker of hope that my intuition was wrong and the dude didn't have the hots for Artie. I felt it extinguish in that moment. I could feel my eyebrows pressing together and my cheeks pulling into a frown. Whatever. Artie is a big boy, he can handle himself.

I walked straight to the bowl of jungle juice.

I chugged the entire red solo cup and filled it up again.

I really didn't want to think about what was going down upstairs. I really didn't. But every few seconds my brain would revert back to it. Thinking about Artie wanting to push Conner off or leave the room and not knowing how to go about it. I drank more. I held out for maybe twenty minutes. I was getting antsy, constantly looking toward the staircase. I think Michelle was starting to notice my erratic behavior too. I went from active conversation participant to spooked rabbit in like 0.2 seconds. She was giving me a strange look.

"I'm gonnausethe bathroom." Honestly, what I said was probably even less intelligible than that but that's what it sounded like to me.

I beelined to the stairs, weaving through party goers. If I had any self preservation left in me I probably would have been a little more polite about it but I was fucked up and on a mission. I charged up the stairs. I didn't give a shit if I had to bang on every door.

The upstairs was basically just a hallway with doors on either side and one on the end. I just picked the closest one to me and went down the line. Bathroom, empty bedroom, empty bedroom, linen closet. All that was left was the door on the very end. I didn't even think, I just turned the knob.

********

Artie

Go out, test the waters, see what I like. This is normal, no big deal. I knew this to be true but still I was wracked with anxiety. I was pacing and messing with my hair so much it was getting frizzy. Remember Marissa's words, Artie. Who knows? I could just be letting Miles get to me and Conner isn't actually into me at all. I just needed to see how things go and not put pressure on myself. Worst that can happen is I'm not into it.

But maybe I shouldn't. It's been happening for a week. Really it was only weird Wednesday, nothing else happened. And there was nudity involved. Is there anything to figure out? I'm practically a virgin and nudity made me horny, that's it.

No, Artie. Take it by the balls.

We got there before I had time to fully mentally prepare myself but if I was being honest with myself I knew I'd never be fully ready. When we got to the door it was immediately opened by an enthusiastic looking Conner. Yep, we're doing this.

Conner steered me around the bottom floor of the house. He introduced me to his roommates, and then all the brothers he pledged with, and then his bigs. My social battery already operates at like sixty percent the capacity of the average person, and then combine that with the long days I had this week I was running on empty. I didn't really get invited to parties in high school so I had no idea it would be this loud. Trying to talk to Conner I might as well have been trying to communicate across the land bridge. He yelled something in my ear and I had no idea what he said so I just nodded. He smiled and disappeared. I was left alone and uncomfortable. How does one go about initiating conversation at a party? I was standing awkwardly by Conner's friends when he reappeared, two red solo cups in hand. He passed one over as he took a long pull of his own. I looked in the cup and found an extremely inorganic looking red and pink liquid. As I leaned in I sniffed and immediately my face wrinkled. It smelled like Hawaiian Punch and paint thinner. Take it by the balls, Artie.

I took a sip and my stomach immediately rebelled. Not happening. At least I tried. When everyone's attention was away from my direction I poured most of my drink into a potted plant behind me. Sorry, plant.

I periodically put my cup to my lips, pretending to drink, when I saw Miles. He was sitting on a couch at the edge of the room next to Eve. Of course of anyone its Eve, notorious flirt. She was dating the same guy all through high school but she never had a problem flirting with literally any and every guy in her path. In high school I had to respect her grind, but now seeing her all over Miles my blood was boiling. He has a girlfriend. Eve might not care but I'm absolutely sure Nat would. I could feel my temperature heating up from irritation.

I looked down at my mostly empty cup and thought about it for a split second before downing the rest of it. I looked over to Conner.

"Where can I refill this?"

"I got you." Before I could protest Conner had already taken my cup and made his way to I'm guessing the kitchen. My eyes kept drifting to the loveseat and I couldn't help but take notice of the lack of distance between Eve and Miles. I rolled my eyes.

Conner reappeared a few moments later with a cup full to the brim. I chugged. Maybe ten minutes later I felt a lot better, looser.

"Thank you for not pouring this one in my plant." I could feel a blush rise up my neck. I really thought nobody saw that.

"I'm sorry!"

"No, don't worry about it. I'd rather have you dump it than drink when you don't want to. Although my plant is definitely toast, and you ended up drinking anyway." I grimaced.

"I can get you a new one."

"No really, all good. But I do know how you can make it up to me."

He grabbed me by my free hand and dragged me across the dance floor, straight to the stairs.

"Conner! Where are you taking me?"

"I need your help with something. Just c'mon."

We went up the stairs to the end of the hall and Conner opened the door. What greeted me was the typical college students bedroom. School Merchandise, some band posters, those neon lights that change color, a gaming chair and a desk. It was nice but after spending so much time with Miles the last week, I couldn't help but think of how lonely I actually was last year in a single dorm.

"Okay you said you play Pokemon, right?

"Yeah, I used to play on the DS religiously but not so much anymore."

"Cool, so I've been stuck on this gym leader and he keeps destroying me. I'm worried I'm gonna have to completely change my party around. Can you try it?"

He grabbed his Switch off his desk and booted it up. We sat down on the edge of his bed and he handed it over to me. Checking through his party, no wonder he was getting crushed. His party was trash. I didn't want to just say that though so I made my best effort. I had resigned to defeat by my last Pokemon but in my final hour I somehow managed to pull out critical hit after critical hit. The gym leader had been beaten and I was victorious.

"Damn, dude. Thank you."

"No problem, I owed you one."

"Well... Okay so the plant's actually fake."

"What the frick, Conner? Did you really just entrap me into beating Pokemon for you?"

"I didn't make you dump your drink into my fern!"

"Fair enough." I was just fiddling with the switch, checking out the map. He was a lot further in the game than I was on Miles' Switch.

"Listen, Arthur. I was wondering if you might want to go out sometime? Get something to eat or something?"

Uh. Um. Uh. My head was spinning from the sudden confirmation of what I had begun to suspect. So he is into me? And he wants to go out? Do I want to go out? Conner seems like a nice guy, I don't want to lead him on. Take it by the balls, right?

"No pressure. If you say no I won't be offended." Conner pulled me out of my thoughts. He put his hand over mine. He was giving me an out, do I take it?

"Listen, Conner... I'm not su-"

The door flung open so hard it swung back and hit the wall. Miles was standing there, red faced and puffing. His silhouette was menacing, not much smaller than the frame of the door.

"Jesus! Where's the fire?" Conner seemed genuinely startled.

"My bad. Lookingferthe bathroom."

"First door on the left when you get to the top of the stairs." Miles didn't even acknowledge Conner's response. Just looked at me, waiting

"Ready to dip soon?" I think is what he said. Honestly I couldn't really tell, his word were so slurred.

"Are you drunk?" I asked even though I definitely already knew the answer.

"Youcouldsaythat." He made a facial expression that vaguely resembled a smile and threw a thumbs-up.

"Alright, looks like it's time to go home." I got up and straightened out my clothes.

"Thank you for inviting us Conner, I had a good time. I'll text you?"

"Sure, yeah. Let me know, no rush."

"Cool." I smiled at Conner one last time before pushing Miles away from the doorway and down the hall.

"How much did you drink?" He reeked of alcohol.

"I dunno, maybeathird."

"A third of what?"

Unintelligible nonsense was what I got in response. Okay, great. Good to know.

Making our way back to the dorm was... a struggle. Miles was swerving in sloppy zigzags trying to stay on his feet, and several times he just turned and started walking the wrong direction. I would redirect him, we'd get back on track, and then it would happen again. Eventually I just grabbed his arm and put it over my shoulder.

"Stay." I reprimanded him like a dog but he seemed to take what I said seriously. The whole rest of the way back he didn't stray from my side.

The night was chilly and I was really glad to have Miles wrapped around me. The dude produces heat like a campfire. I could just stand next to him and be significantly warmer. I was not looking forward to another cold uncomfortable night on my crappy mattress thing. Maybe I could convince Miles to take the top bunk, he seemed drunk enough. As soon as we got back to the dorm Miles collapsed onto his bed, face down. Half his legs were still hanging off the bed and I could hear him lightly snoring. I just left him and got ready for bed. Ten minutes later I was ready to pass the fuck out. But first, Miles.

I grabbed the bottom of his legs and pulled them onto the bed. They were so fricking heavy. Next step, clothes. Miles was still wearing his pullover and pants and they did not look comfortable. I tried to pull his pants from the bottom of the leg but they didn't budge.

"Miles, work with me here." He just grunted and tried to swat me away. Did I really want to start touching his waist and belt right now? Yeah, no. He can sleep in his dress clothes.

I stood up straight and stretched my back. Miles grumbled something but his face was smushed into the pillow.

"What?"

"Where are you going?" He slurred.

"My bunk." I moved toward the ladder but Miles grabbed my hand. I looked down and he had moved to the back of the mattress against the wall. He pulled me down onto the space he had vacated on the bed and put his arm around me.

"Miles, I gotta go to bed I'm exhausted." Miles responded in the same utilitarian tone of voice I used to get him to walk straight.

"Stay."

********

Thank you everyone for the support and engagement on the last post. I really appreciate any and all feedback. Let me know what you think!