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“Hell yes, we are,” I state with conviction as I sidle up to the kitchen island next to Eli and across from the birthday boy.
“That’s what I like to hear.” Cam pours the three of us a round of shots.
“Make that four.” Goody slides in next to us, holding a bottle of vodka in his hand. The cap to the bottle is long gone, and I’m pretty sure he’s been casually sipping on the liquor as he makes his way through the house.
“Six,” Benny chimes in, his girlfriend, Sarah, right behind him.
I give Sarah a hug as my best friend stumbles his way to the kitchen island as well.
“Eleven,” Marc slurs, apparently unable to add six and two. Because that’s what he’s asking for—another shot for him and his...friend who’s currently leaned into his chest and tucked under his arm.
“Guys, this is Veronica,” he says.
“Vanessa,” the girl corrects.
“Vanessa.”
I would introduce myself, but if Marc can’t even remember her name, I doubt she’ll need to know mine.
I grab my phone to shoot Ali another text, hoping this Veronica/Vanessa chick is too young to come to the bars with us.
L: Maybe meet us at the bar, instead. I’ll text which bar we end up at.
“Patty-cakes!” Goody rings out, pulling our attention to Eli’s teammate as he walks towards the kitchen island. “You partying with us tonight, or what?”
Patrick eyes the group, the tension thick between my boyfriend and him, Cam seeming to be caught right in the middle.
“Don’t feel like drinking tonight.” Patrick’s gaze falls on Eli before he takes off towards the stairs.
It’s clear that Eli and Patrick don’t get along, and obviously Marc isn’t a fan, but I thought Cam and him were cool. Not sure what happened there, but Cam seems to be relieved that Patrick isn’t hanging around.
“Time for some shots, boys and girls!” Cam shouts, completely shifting the vibe.
The shot of tequila burns as it slides down my throat, but it’s a welcome sting. I haven’t had a night where I get to completely let loose with my friends in a while, and I’ve been looking forward to it.
“Just want to give you guys a heads up,” Eli begins, talking to his teammates. “Zanders is coming to town, and he’s hanging with us tonight.”
“What the fuck?” Goody quickly interjects. “Why?”
“Because his team just lost in the first round. I feel for the guy. If that were us, we would all be messed up right now,” Eli explains. “I invited him to come hang with us tonight. Take his mind off things.”
“As long as you’re cool with him, we’re cool with him,” Cam says, pointedly looking at Goody and Benny.
“Yeah?”
I watch as the resolve falters on Goody and Benny’s faces.
“Yeah,” Benny agrees. “The only reason we hated the guy, besides the fact that Ohio State is just a bunch of assholes, is because you hated him. We were just having your back, so if you’re cool with him, we are too.”
“Goody?” Eli asks as his teammate keeps his lips pressed in a hard line.
“Fine. But if he’s a dick, I’m gonna be a dick right back.”
“Fair enough. Now, let’s get the birthday boy fucked up, yeah?”
After a few more shots, a visual of my best friend’s tongue down a random’s throat that I would like to erase from my memory, and a keg stand for the birthday boy, Eli finally gets a text from Zanders that he’s here.
My boyfriend takes off to find him, and as the two of them make their way back towards the kitchen island, it’s like the parting of the Red Sea as the crowd of party-goers splits for them to walk through.
