3. Ouija Etiquette
T he music was much louder upstairs now.
“Wow!” exclaimed Dante as I made my way into the dining room with Stacio following closely behind. “You survived!”
I smiled, stopping in front of his sound booth. “I did. Don’t tell me even you know about the Big Delts blood sacrifice ritual.”
Dante put his hands up. “Hey, you Greek life fucks are weird as hell. Don’t rope me into it.”
His tone and inclination were friendly enough for me to chuckle. “Well, it wasn’t my blood that got smeared all over the pentagram, so I should be good, right?”
“Wait,” said Dante, his eyebrows pushing together as he lowered the music. “Did you just say blood on a pentagram?”
I still couldn’t tell how serious he was, so I shrugged and took another drink of my wine. “Uh, kinda, yeah. Oh, and an inverted one, at that. You’re into that kind of stuff, right?”
“What kind of stuff?” Stacio asked. “Scary movies?”
“Scary movies are cool,” began Dante. “But I guess you could say I’m into the real life scary stuff, too.”
I turned to Stacio. “Dante caught Bridger and I fiddling with the spirit board earlier. He cautioned us against using it.”
“Ah, come on,” Stacio shrugged. “I don’t see the harm in it. It’s all what you believe in, right?”
Dante and Stacio moved into a handshake like they were old friends. “Well, my man, I don’t know,” began Dante. “Tell you what, though. If you guys are really trying to do something with that board tonight, come get me first. Could be a bunch of trouble if not.”
What’s that mean? I thought to myself, looking Dante up and down. Is this the whole witch thing Bridger was talking about?
“Why’s that?” asked Stacio. “You the expert on ‘em or something?”
First looking at Stacio and then me, Dante’s lips curled into an uneasy smile. “Or something.”
A tickle somewhere inside of me told me it was time to politely move on. I nodded my head at Dante and raised my cup. “Will do. Dante, thank you again for everything tonight. If there’s anything you need, just grab me or Riley, okay?”
Dante nodded.
B ack in our room for a quick breather, I leaned against the door as soon as it was closed.
Stacio was the first to speak. “Was that weird or am I trippin’?”
“What?” I asked. “Me being tied up to a pentagram, Riley cutting Mateo’s hand and smearing blood all over said pentagram, or our little conversation with your pal, DJ Dante?”
Stacio moved across the room and grabbed one of my gifted wine bottles. “Well, technically, all of it is, but I was referring to what Dante just said.”
My eyes landed back on the Ouija board. Just like in my dream, it was sprawled out on my bedspread like it was recently used. Maybe I’m just misremembering, I decided as I walked over to it and boxed it up. “Well, that’s the Dante you were talking about me to, right? Based on last night’s convo, seems like you take him at his word.”
I could so easily tell when Stacio was flustered. “Right. Uh, yeah. I mean, maybe he’s just superstitious, too.”
“Bridger told me he’s a witch, you know.”
Stacio’s eyes widened. “Wait, Bridger’s a witch!?”
“No, silly,” I replied, placing the Ouija board box on my desk before shuffling through my drawer for a bottle opener. “Dante is. A self-professed one, anyway. Says so on his Grindr profile, according to Bridger.”
“Grindr?” Stacio appeared clueless. “What’s that?”
I took the bottle out of his hand and placed it next to the box so I could begin uncorking it. “I’m glad you don’t know. But listen, even if this is just my imagination running wild, there’s a lot of unusually creepy occurrences happening. For starters, Bridger told me his dad was at the party where those guys died. They’re the guys we celebrate tonight; the Big Delt Three—and they were all found dead after the very same party twenty-five years ago.”
“Probably alcohol poisoning. Just like that Rho Kap last semester. You know, the one they found?—”
“Dead on a keg?” I chuckled as my bottle popped open.
“Exactly,” Stacio said, stepping over to me with our cups. “You’re ready for a refill and it’s not even eight, so there’s a chance you could be next. You know, there’s only so many things I can protect you from.”
“Yeah?” I asked, my voice light and flirty.
Stacio came closer than I expected him to, his legs pushing against mine. Even though he was a head taller than me, I felt his warm breath on my neck. “Yeah. The drunk ones usually die. The good news, though, is that since it’s the twenty-first century, we don’t have to be virgins to survive scary movie situations anymore,” he spoke softly. “However, I am the token Black guy, so there’s probably a higher chance of me getting whacked than you.”
“I hope not,” I teased, tilting the bottle into my empty cup as we again locked eyes. “Then who would stay up and watch terrible horror movies with me?”
“I don’t know,” Stacio said, his stomach and chest pressing against me now. “I sure would miss that.”
Oh, god, I thought to myself. I’m barely buzzed and here we go again with the flirting. Don’t tell me he’s about to ? —
And then it happened. I could’ve sworn our heads were much further apart just a second ago, but before I could finish my own thought Stacio had swooped down and pressed his lips into mine. The action was shocking, overwhelming, and exciting all at once. I felt an involuntary tickle up my spine as his full, soft lips pressed into mine and his hand slipped underneath my chin. We found ourselves in a perfect harmony of kisses, and in that moment I could tell we wouldn’t be able to stop ourselves. At least not until?—
“Ah, hey, you’re spilling, Crispy.”
“Fuck!” I cursed, realizing I had overfilled my cup. Wine dripped over the rim and onto the top of my desk.
Stacio was quick to grab a towel from his closet to clean up my mess. “Here.”
“Saving me again,” I said with a sigh.
“Didn’t mean to ruin the moment,” Stacio spoke sheepishly.
“Me neither,” I said with a nervous chuckle.
I found some napkins of my own to wipe down my cup as Stacio finished cleaning up the wine. I managed to pour him some, too—this time without spilling.
“Now,” Stacio began, his hands carefully finding their way to my hips, “where were we?”
I was terrified that my roommate was going to feel my growing hard-on and that this was going to turn into a raunchy hook-up. Terrified that my breath stank. Terrified that this was the wrong move. But I relented to his soft, sensual kisses.
“Why are you giggling?” Stacio asked as he pulled away. “Do I look funny when I kiss?”
I didn’t want to admit that I was simply giggling out of happiness, so I shook my head as I balanced myself against his chest. “I don’t know. I had my eyes closed.”
“Good,” Stacio replied, leaning forward again. He stopped before he reached my lips. My hands felt a sigh escape his lungs. “I know I’ve kind of been playing the whole stereotypical straight guy who flirts with his gay friend ‘cause he likes the attention role. Figured it was getting old, so I…”
“You what?” I asked as his voice trailed off.
“I don’t know. I know I’ve talked about it a little, but I grew up in a different world than you. A different kind of family. Big, macho dad. Equally macho big brothers. And now I’m just what they’ve always dreamed of, a star athlete. A guy with a great career opportunity ahead of me. The epitome of masculinity, you know? But I—well, that’s not me. I mean, it kind of is, but there’s more to me than that. A hidden side, I guess. One that I don’t always want to keep hidden. At least, you know, not with you.”
Some of this I already knew, but the last few sentences hit me like a brick. Is he trying to say that ? —
I couldn’t even finish my thought because Stacio was already kissing me again. I tried to act like I wasn’t already completely enamored, keeping my hands to my sides as his slowly moved up and down the sleeves of my shirt. This was like the hottest guy I’ve ever met. The sweetest guy I’ve ever met. The funniest, the one with the best taste in scary movies. The best cuddler. And now I could safely say he was the best kisser, too. How could I resist?
A knock at the bedroom door was enough to get Stacio off of me.
“Ahem,” he said, a silly smile wrapping across his lips as he backed away. “Let me get that.”
Bridger waved as soon as Stacio opened the door. “Hey, Pistachio,” he acknowledged my roommate before making eye contact with me. I was trying not to be obvious, but could already tell that my friend had read my body language enough to know he was interrupting something.
“Crispin! Sorry. I, uh, was just coming up to see if you were here,” he spoke with a certain coyness, adjusting the cute deep purple blazer around his white dress shirt. He just barely managed to do this without spilling the jungle juice in his party cup. “You know, to make sure you survived the whole bloodletting thing and all.”
Stacio smirked, closing the door and taking a seat on his bed. “Even this one knew about it, huh?”
Bridger glanced knowingly from Stacio back to me. “Well, not until like an hour ago. My dad is a Big Delt alum, but he didn’t mention anything like that until I told him I was going to this party tonight. I swear.”
I shrugged. “Not gonna lie, I was just resting my eyes for a quick nap before the party started. When I woke up, I was tied to the fucking Pentagram of Fortune in the basement. I half expected Vanna White to come out and give it a twirl.”
“Vanna,” Bridger replied, his eyes gazing off as though in a fanatical trance, “our blessed queen.” He quickly turned his attention back to me. “Are you okay? I know all this occult stuff is a bit of a turnoff for you, what with your grandma and everything.”
“Um, yeah. I mean, you know, what’s a little sacrificial blood on a pentagram before kicking off the big party, right?”
I could tell Bridger took my response as it was intended, chock full of sarcasm. However, I had to take a step back and really examine things. Maybe I’m just overreacting. I’ve been afraid of pushing things further with Stacio, of playing a harmless board game, of letting loose for far too long. Why potentially miss out on something fun when the end outcome isn’t even known? I mean, look at what just happened two minutes ago—fireworks! Maybe I should stop being a stick in the mud.
Stacio rose from his bed, grabbing for his drink and offering up a toast. “Crispy was a little spooked, but he’s a good sport. Now, I think we three ought to do what gentlemen of a certain age do best and enjoy this night without any concern or hesitation. What do you say? How ‘bout a little cheers for our master of events this evening?”
I blushed as Stacio shot me a wink. Bridger nodded, lifting his cup to meet my roommate’s. “Yeah. From what I saw downstairs, people are loving it. Plus, there’s gotta be at least sixty people waiting to get in.”
It was so often the case that I would refuse to savor the fruits of my labor, so perhaps Stacio was right. This was an event I had spent several months preparing for, and now everything should operate on cruise control. “Okay,” I began, my cup joining theirs. “I’m shaking off all the stress and anxiety and just gonna enjoy tonight.”
“Oh, wow!” exclaimed Bridger as he looked me up and down. “Is this one okay? Who is she? I almost don’t recognize her.”
I chuckled. “Oh, come on. I can let loose and have a little fun. Maybe you should try it sometime, Bridger.”
“I like to hear that,” Stacio said, clinking his cup against mine as our eyes met. “And who knows? Perhaps a handsome suitor could even convince you to call upon the spirits of the Big Delt Three before the party wraps.”
My cup was already at my lips, so I didn’t say no.
“Oh, gosh, Stacio,” Bridger began, swallowing his drink in sheer excitement. “I have so much to tell you about what I learned about your frat. I already gave Crispin here the scoop, but he tells me you like horror and all that juicy stuff. Did you know that…”
Bridger’s excitement about the topic was cute. I’ll let him ramble, I thought to myself. As my eyes caught Stacio’s again, everything in the room went mute. Normally when your hot ‘straight’ crush locks eyes with you, you get a little nervous. You might even look away for fear that they might suspect your motives were impure. But tonight, I felt different. I felt seen—felt warm and comfortable in his gaze. He smiled and playfully gestured at me with his eyebrows as Bridger continued on.
If I hesitated and backed away—refused to let Stacio get close—I wouldn’t have this cute moment; this sweet memory, I thought to myself. Now, I couldn’t imagine tonight without him giving me those eyes. I didn’t want to. I could just get lost in them…
It felt like some minutes later when Bridger turned to me. My concentration broke and I was back in the moment. “Right, Crispin?”
“Right-io, B,” I nodded, putting my hand on his shoulder. “Now, what do you boys say we head back downstairs and enjoy the party?”
The men agreed. After checking our ‘fits in the mirror, we rejoined the party. Little did we know, it would be nothing like we expected—and despite the body count, everything I could’ve ever hoped for.
I t was overwhelming to see all the love and support from our local community as I met with and greeted new arrivals. Bridger and Stacio stayed close as we socialized and mingled with an assortment of friends and acquaintances. Before I knew it, another hour had passed. We finally retreated to the kitchen for a refill and a moment of relief when Riley, Mateo, and Dante all walked in at the same time.
“These two handsome fraternity brothers of yours were just filling me in on your plans for the evening,” Dante said, his arms casually hanging over Riley and Mateo’s shoulders. Now out of their itchy robes and boasting white button-ups, my brothers actually did look pretty dapper.
“Our plans?” Bridger asked, turning to me with a raised brow.
“Oh,” Stacio began, clearing his throat. “I just told the guys we might whip out the board later. No biggie.”
Damn, I thought to myself. Here I was enjoying myself, a little buzzed, a little over-the-moon about Stacio’s advances. I totally forgot that all my friends wanna do the one thing that scares me most: talk to the dead.
“Actually,” began Mateo, “judging by the look on poor Kramer’s face, looks like he’s not up for it.”
Riley had already pulled open the door leading to the basement. “Ah, come on. We could even do it right in front of my pentagram.”
I felt an odd sense of companionship with Dante, who carefully studied Mateo and Riley’s every move before looking back at me. “Totally up to you, witch junior. I just wanna say that, you know, as a long-term practitioner of magic, parlor tricks, and talking boards, I know all the important rules. Won’t let anything bad happen to you.”
I felt Stacio’s hand give my arm a gentle squeeze. Based on Dante’s facial expression, it seemed like he was the only one aware of my roommate’s affectionate touch. I pulled away slightly, not wanting any rumors to start about Stacio’s sexuality.
“Hey again, little buddy!” Riley exclaimed, pulling Bridger into his right arm before playfully messing up his hair. “Good to have our Big Delt historian present even if he’s not a member.”
I noticed Dante’s eyes following mine as I studied Bridger’s blushing face. When I looked back at the mysterious disc jockey, he playfully threw his hands up in the air. “Well, clearly, there’s a lot of tension in this room. I think you’d all be the perfect group to help me wake up the board. Then, who knows? Maybe an orgy.”
Stacio’s voice was in my ear. “It’s totally up to you, Crispy. Whatever you wanna do.”
Bridger gave me a look that suggested the same.
There was no apparition or ghost that appeared out of the corner of my peripherals to caution me against it—no Grandma Nadine waiting in the wings—so I said fuck it. “Okay. Let’s do this shit.”
“Excellent,” replied Dante. To my surprise, he pulled the Ouija board box out from behind Mateo and held it up. “Let’s get ready for Fraternity House Exorcism 3.5: Big Delts Edition .”
T he strike of a match gave way to the sizzling purr of a flame.
I held my breath as Dante lit one large candle before us.
Riley had found a card table and several old folding chairs and placed them not far from the pentagram.
“All right, gents,” began Dante, a suspicious smirk on his face. Maybe it wasn’t suspicious, but I still was curious how he got his hands on my gift. “Let’s go over some Ouija etiquette.”