“Who?” I try to put on my best curious and caring face while Pod Frosh cowers behind Quinn, who is not doing the best job hiding his amusement at whatever the hell is happening. 

“Blaire,” Mitch whispers, now completely out of sight. “I’m in love with her, Maya.” 

“You…?” I cover my mouth with my hand and observe the slender black-haired girl skipping towards the stairs like she’s not at risk of breaking to bits if she doesn’t slow down. She’s taller than him. She’s totally...taller than him. That’s fucking adorable. 

“Hey, Blairebeans!” I holler, rushing forward before Mitch’s squeal can deepen my headache.  

She squeaks when she notices me, and comes to a teetering halt dangerously close to the stairs. “My favorite date!” 

I pull her into a hug and move us a safe distance away from the possible fall while she invites me to get food with them on their way back to the dorms. 

“I’m gonna party more, but I think some boys in your class could use sustenance.” I release her from my hold so I can motion towards the duo now pretending to birdwatch or some shit over by the ledge. 

“Hmm…” Her bright blue eyes narrow while she tries to see through the tequila shots we did earlier. “Oh!” She jumps, kicking those pale skinny legs I’d want to snap in half if she wasn’t so goddamn cute all the time. “It’s Mitch!” 

I head back inside moments later, patting myself on the back while the echoes of a matchmaking job well done follow me through the doors.

“Wait!” The smoker’s voice stills my progress towards the stairs, and I turn to discover he’s right behind me. 

“Not up to third-wheeling?” I ask, flicking a stray pine needle off the front of Quinn’s tank top while he chuckles under his breath. 

“I’d rather be up there, and that’s...saying something.” He tilts his chin towards the ceiling as Hank chooses yet another winner of a song that pounds my skull dangerously close to cracking. 

“Come on.” I grab his large, freckled fingers and start towards the stairs. “I know the DJ. We’re gonna have fun.” 

~

“Hankers.” I lay my hand gently over his fingers while he’s actively scrolling through a phone that’s no doubt the same mess connected to the speakers trying to rip themselves apart to get out of this shithole of a playlist. “Allow me.”

“My house, my rules!” His grin nearly breaks his tiny face as he wiggles those sharply angled dark brows in what must be some sort of call to the underworld. 

“But this is terrible, and I promised my new friend kickass dancing.” I jut my thumb in Quinn’s general direction while he hovers awkwardly behind me.  

“It’s-!” Hank’s eyes take an ominous hue when he dips his head to my level. “I’m trying to lure Seth out. He hates this crap, but it doesn’t seem to be going as planned.” 

“Where’d he run off to?” I peak over my shoulder, scanning the absolute clownshow of a party happening beyond this little kitchen area. Everyone’s so trashed.

Hank shrugs, then shoots a quick smile to Quinn while he hands him a can of beer from the stash he’s got under the counter. “I’ve been watching the door to make sure he doesn’t leave, so-”

“He’s still in here, then.” I tap a finger on his chin and give him my evillest of chuckles. “I’m on it.” 

“Thanks, Maya.” Hank has to shout over the antelope barf of a song he’s just clicked that has a bass that could collapse this entire building if it falls just right. 

“Play something he’d actually like in t-minus one minute!” I yell, then spin around to discover Quinn eyeing the can of beer like it’s just bit his nose or something. I pause for a moment to snort before I’m standing on my tiptoes and trying to be heard. “Wanna come on a mission?” I cup my hand by his ear like he did to me earlier, and it does the trick. 

“Depends on what it is,” he mutters right back, leaning in close while he sets the can on the counter behind me.

“Seth’s sad, so we’ve gotta find him and make him party with us.” I tilt away in time to catch his long, arching eyebrows peeking up his forehead underneath those sweaty strings of bangs. “DJ Hankattank is gonna switch the music to what he likes, so it’s all about the timing. You in or not?” 

He nods, those bright red lips twitching into a tight smirk while he peers around the crowd. “You lead.” 

“Well, duh.” I take hold of his hand again without fucking thinking about it as I strut straight for the hallway towards the bathroom. I actually don’t fucking think about it, or what any of it seems or could’ve seemed until we do find Seth all giggly and playing telephone with a box fan. He opens his stupid mouth, and it’s then I realize I should’ve fucking thought about it. 

“Are you two trying to hook up in here?!”

Oh.

“Of course you’d immediately think that.” I pull a classic retort, and to my utter relief, I notice Quinn laughing instead of being irritated. Or disappointed or...just fucking leaving. He’s still touching me, well...holding onto me so I don’t beat up a guy four times my size, but he’s not mad. He’s not slipping back to the party and moving on to the next one. Is he an idiot, too?  

We’re just entering the thick of the crowd when the beat drops on the track that’s playing. It’s a rap song I know is familiar, but I don’t care enough to decipher it while I follow the tall redhead leading me forward with his fingers clamped lightly around my wrist. Maybe he’s just hopeful…?

“Fucking YES baby!” Hank hollers from right in front of me as he skips around and plummets into Seth’s chest. “I thought I’d lost you forever. Daaaance with me!” He chortles maniacally while he jumps along beside me with his friend’s head buried in his armpit. 

Seth’s able to get free with minimal effort, and his hazel stare flashes down at Hankerdead while he straightens himself to full height. “Rude!” 

“You’re so sensitive!” 

“Expecting respect is not being sensitive!”

“Fine!” Hank scoots his back into a couple trying to make out, and completely ignores their glares while he clears space in the middle of the floor for us. “Maya…?”