Timestopper Ch. 07: Morning After

Zach shook his head.

Dion pointed at Brian, “You see that motherfucker? I trust him with my life, man. He knows where I’ve come from and where I want to go, he’s been there for me when I’ve been depressed or blackout or just plain fucking stupid. I would do anything for him just like I know he would do anything for me—“

“Suck your own dick bitch.”

“Jesus fuck Brian I’m trying to have a moment here,” the girls laughed at that but Brian started fidgeting with a piece of trash as he quietly said in Zach’s direction, “Nah I’m just fucking around, I love this guy.”

Dion spoke up again, “I’ve never had friends as close as my brothers, Zach. Maybe that’s just a personal failing, but I do think there’s something about like the whole structure and camaraderie that makes for something special. And obviously like I’m not saying I wouldn’t want to be friends if you don’t wanna join, or that Greek life is the only way to make friends, cause it’s not. I’m just—I’m just saying I think you’d make a great brother.”

By the end Dion’s voice was pretty heavy with emotion, then he cleared his throat, “Well, that’s my spiel. But obviously you gotta do what’s right for you dude, won’t judge you either way.”

“If that fuckin speech didn’t convince you I’ll judge you,” Brian said, “that shit’s why D’s in charge of rush, I’m ready to retake the holy land.”

“It was a pretty convincing spiel,” Zach said quietly and his eyes downcast. He was a bit embarrassed and unsure of what to say in the face of Dion’s guileless sincerity. He glanced up at Dion who gave him a wink—if Zach weren’t already sitting his legs would’ve turned to jelly.

Dion’s phone buzzed, “Shit, I gotta get moving. Meeting with Peters and Davidson in 20 minutes to finalize the cast list.”

“Dion, please please please tell me I got Mrs. Webb,” Sara begged. Dion laughed and said, “I don’t know, but I’ll tell you you got my vote.”

Brian and Dion insisted on getting the check, and as they left the diner they all said their goodbyes outside. Zach felt good knowing he wasn’t imagining Dion giving him a longer than average bro hug goodbye.

Sara and Zach walked back to their dorm together.

“Oh my god, when you guys kissed last night I knew there was something there,” Sara squealed once they were out of earshot of the upperclassmen, “oh and his girlfriend initiating it, then she’s all happy to see you two this morning, ahh! These college kids are nuts.”

Zach laughed, “And how about you? President Frat boy huh?”

“Isn’t he so handsome though? And he was such a good dancer. But that’s much less interesting than your night, misters two biggest dicks at the party. If Dion’s bigger than Brian that just seems like it’d be inconvenient.”

“Yeah? You were pretty satisfied?”

“Mhmm,” Sara hummed with a conspiratorial grin.

They made their way to Sara’s dorm room. The dorms were un air conditioned but Sara had gotten a doctors note for a window a/c unit so Zach would spend a lot of time hanging out in her and Adriana’s room, and as it was getting to be hot that mid afternoon Saturday Zach got comfortable there. Sara was just starting to ask Zach for details of his night when Jake’s head popped in the door.

“Thought I heard you guys,” Jake said as he joined Zach on the futon, “hell of a night huh? How’d it go at sig chi? And tri del?” Jake said turning to Sara sitting cross legged on her bed, but then he noticed the hoodie she was wearing with the sig chi letters, “or I guess you were at sig chi too?” Jake’s voice stayed level but Zach noticed his ears turning beet red. Sara blushed and Zach quickly said, “it was fuckin awesome. Look, I won the beer pong tournament,” as he showed off his toy championship belt.

“That’s awesome dude. I learned I fucking suck at flip cup haha,” Jake said, eager to accept the change of subject.

They chatted a long while filling each other in on the details of their nights. It sounded like the lambda and sig chi events were pretty similar, some socializing then drinking competition and then some sorority sisters came over, except lambda got ADPi. Zach tried being cagey about some of the finer points of his night, but Sara spilled the beans because she wanted the details, and he ended up telling them a cleaned up version of Dion’s and his truth or dare game.

“Do you feel weird about it at all?” Jake asked, “Like the fact that he’s in another relationship?”

Zach considered it for a minute “I mean, kinda? I don’t really know. I had a lot of fun with him though. And Katrina seems really cool. I just think I can’t take it too seriously you know? Like just accept that it’s fun and it doesn’t need to be more.”

“Well I think he wants it to be more than just fun the way he was talking about wanting you to join the frat,” Sara said.

“Yeah but I think that’s different. Or maybe not, it’s like the whole point. Cause we can have like a friendship or ‘brotherhood’ or whatever regardless of having a romantic relationship. Cause I do think we make good friends.” Zach’s mind wandered at that thought and he asked Jake, “Did you see Sean at all?”

“I think he’s still passed out. He got real blackout. He avoided me all night. I did see him making out with an ADPi girl though and—“

The door to Sara’s room opened and Adriana walked in. Actually she limped in, her feet dirty and scraped as one high heel hung limply in her grip. She was wearing the same dress as last night but there were tears on it, and her makeup was smeared across her face while her hair was wildly out of place. She went to her bed and drew her legs up to her chin, holding herself.

“Oh my god, Ade are you alright? What happened?” Sara said rushing over to her, Jake and Zach closely behind.

Adriana started talking in a detached, distant voice as she stared into the middle distance, “We had Jell-O shots at chi o and we watched some of the cheerleaders do their routines and then we went to SAE to dance. There was this guy, he was so hot and nice and he gave me a drink and, and we went to his room but—and then when I woke up he showed me and and then he made me—“ Adriana burst into wrenching tears and buried her face in her hands. Zach could see bruises all along her arm, like from an iron grip.

Sara tried to comfort Adriana while Jake stood there looking dumbfounded. But Zach felt something different. He felt a noxious blind rage roiling in the pit of his stomach, an anger that grew exponentially every second. He was ready to scream, but instead he brought his hands together and began to furiously wind back his watch.