Page 29 of Tell Me I'm Enough

“Welcome to Sigma Chi, brothers,” Tanner shouts. “Welcome to the lifelong brotherhood.”

They start passing out beers to all of us and slapping us on the backs as we wrap up the hazing and switch into party mode in celebration.

I happily partake in the off switch they hand out, chugging the beer before heading up to the main part of the house with everyone else, where a party is already waiting for us.

Girls flood in from next door at the Gamma house, and the guys all flock to them like they’re starving animals.

I let the night take over, chugging drinks, screaming lyrics, dancing with girls, laughing with some of the guys, and forgetting why I thought I would hate this so much.

An hour later, when my social battery is drained and I’m in need of a small break, I find my way upstairs and into one of the rooms where I see a guy at the end of the bed doing a line off his phone with a girl kneeling next to him. He tips his head up, looking at me—nose red, eyes watery from the line he just did, but still sharp.

He sniffs any remaining coke back as he takes in his surroundings. “Shit,” he mutters. “Door was supposed to be locked.”

The girl gets up and looks between us before walking back out into the party.

“It wasn’t,” I tell him, pointing back at the open door behind me.

He smirks, running his sleeve over his nose. “Guess that’s on me.” He looks me over. “You look like hell.”

I shake my head and laugh. “Geez, thanks.”

“Pledge?”

I nod.

“Rough night, huh?” he asks.

“Nothing a little more alcohol can’t fix.”

“That’s the spirit,” he says, pointing at me like he’s proud of that answer.

He holds out his phone. “Need a hit?”

“Nah—I’ve never um…” I shake my head. “I just needed somewhere to breathe for a minute.”

He nods like he understands. “Yeah, it’s that time of the night. The wild ones get more wild, and the ones just trying to escape realize it’s not really working.”

Yeah, I guess that’s how it goes, huh?

He nods his head in the direction of the bed. “Probably the only empty room, come sit. No judgment here.”

Fuck it. I need the break.

I plop down on the bed and kick my feet up.

He goes to line up another row and then looks back at me. “What’s your name?”

“Mason…Sinclair.”

“Oh shit. The new football kid?”

“How do you—”

“Tanner hasn’t shut up about how his fraternity has snagged a future NFL draft pick.”

I shake my head. “Sorry to pop his bubble, but I have no intention of going pro.”

“Why not?”