“I’m surprised Leigh told you.” I mumble words at him from under my breath while rummaging through my bookbag for some gum.

“She didn’t.” 

I pause with both hands buried in the big pocket and nothing but pennies in my grasp. “Uh…”

“I asked where you were, and she got all teary and told me she’d help us set up for Tea Time later.” Hank crosses his legs and blinks at the floor. “Which was weird, because I’ve never seen her cry. Even when she’s drunk.”

“She cried?” I remove my hands from the bag, giving up completely on whatever the hell I was doing anyway.

“I mean, she kinda walked off before I could really see the full works, but…” He shrugs and moves his gaze back to me. “So you broke up with her? That makes no sense, especially after we went to all those places this summer-”

“No! I...we-” I press my fist into my mouth and focus on inhaling, even though my chest muscles are sore from the max bench set and the simple task of breathing hurts. “She asked for a break while she figures out her post-grad plans.” 

“WHAT?!” 

“Hank-”

“The fuck, man?” He’s standing again. “You two know life doesn’t have to be scheduled down to the fucking day, right?!” 

“She’s been struggling to choose between internships here or going abroad again, and thought it best to have space from me until she’s made up her mind.” As soon as the words leave my mouth, I realize I should’ve just kicked him out of the building when I saw him in the hallway.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding.” Hank’s shoulders sag while he takes a few steps towards me. “What did you say?”

“Nothing.”

“Seth.” 

“It’s what she wants! I can’t just force my presence on her.”

“Nope.” Hank shakes his head as he approaches and nudges me to the side. “No way are you about to tell me you’re not even fighting this.” His hands scramble across my desk, shuffling through notebooks and even going so far as to pick up my laptop before I intervene. 

“What’re you doing?!” I stop his fingers as soon as they fall on the dip in the wood to open the top drawer. 

“Is it in here, then?” His dark brows furrow while he struggles against my hold. “Did you tell her about it, or did you just let her say all she had to say and walk away?”

“Stop.” 

“You’ve been crazy about her for three years now, and you even bought-!”

“I said stop.” I press my fists into my lap while I watch him withdraw his hand from the drawer. My stare is frozen on the cluttered contents without really seeing a damn thing. 

“Seth-”

“Please leave.”

“I’m sorry, I just-”

“I’ll see you at Tea Time.” 

“But…” Hank sighs softly, his bare toes twitching in his sandals as he lingers by my side. “I just don’t want you giving up on something this big just because you’re both such obsessive planners,” he mutters. 

I nod, and he moves towards the door. “I’m not giving up.” I manage to speak again as he turns the knob, and when I peer over my shoulder, he’s still here. “I just want to give her a chance to factor me in.” 

“You gave her all summer.”

“I know.” My throat clenches around that loaded truth, and I brace my palms on the edge of the desk. But when I talked to her about that, she asked for a break. “Thanks for coming by.”

“Pregame in my room at six.” Hank flashes me a tight grin before slipping into the hallway.   

Great, so...it’s gonna be one of THOSE nights. I let a chuckle break loose from me before glancing back down at the drawer. My fingers feel like goddamn steel when I push the assortment of pens and post-its out of the way. 

But I can only look at the little black velvet box for a second before slamming the drawer closed and deciding maybe I really should take a post-practice nap. 

~

Tea Time is an annual speed-dating social exercise we do in order to get to know the freshman on Carmen’s Swim and Dive Team. We usually have it the night before the first Saturday practice, but since Coach Scott met with the seniors two Fridays in a row, Tea Time quickly morphed into an insanely out of control pregame for our party tonight. 

Good. Grief. I scan the cramped apartment while the freshman girl in front of me tries to ask what my favorite color is. 

“Black,” I mutter through her rambling, and her green eyes sparkle as she peers up at me. 

“Same!” She squeals, running her fingers through her long locks of hair. “See? I dyed it this summer!”

“Blaire, we called rotate like twenty seconds ago!” Maya hollers from my side, her thick lips pushed in a pout as she glares up at the giggling girl. “You’re supposed to be flirting with me now!” 

“I’m so sorry!” Blaire stumbles right into her arms, mumbling sweet apologies throughout their embrace while my eyes roll to the back of my head.

“Shot.” Hank’s soft tone sounds right in my ear, and I release a low groan when I feel the cool touch of glass on my cheek.

“Fine, but this is the last one,” I mumble before grabbing it out of his hand. 

It isn’t the last one. 

Tea Time blurs into pounding music and thick heat while the daylight fades through the open windows. I search frantically for fresh air as I down the remnants of cheap beer in my hand. When I find a spot next to one of the fans and lean my forehead against the frame, I can’t help but chuckle at the whirring blades cranking hot wind in my face. Much better. The couple making out on the bed soon leaves, and I’m too dizzy to care that I interrupted. Go to your own damn room if you’re gonna do that stuff. I’m in the middle of laughing at my dumb not-even-a-joke when a raspy voice cuts through my brain. 

“Um...are you okay?” 

I pull away from the box fan to peer up at the sweaty redhead adjusting his tank top straighter on his shoulders.

“Q!” 

“That’s me.” His crooked smile forms around my fingers poking his face. “Stop that.”

“Hah…!” I pause to gape when Maya’s glare pops out at me from behind his back. “Are you two trying to hook up in here?!”

She flicks my forehead while Quinn chuckles into his hand, her lethal stare coming closer as she snarls in my face. “Of course you’d immediately think that.”

“She was looking for you,” he explains, tugging her backwards when I start to fall against the wall. “She said you’re sad and you like this song.” 

Song? I don’t even try to decipher the music over the bass vibrating the entire building around me.

“Come on!” Maya switches gears and grins up at me as she throws her arms above the bun woven on the top of her head.  

“Meh-”

“No.” Her finger plops right on my nose to shush my refusal. “The best way for you to cheer up is to dance with us.”