2. Cold Pizza & the Name Terry
Cold Pizza & the Name Terry
Dae was already gone by the time the three of them trudged into the kitchen and forced cold pizza down their throats. Even with all the lights off, the morning glow through the plastic blinds had them squinting at each other through crusted eyelids.
Theo lifted his third glass of water to his lips, but unfortunately, there wasn’t enough water or toothpaste in the world to get rid of the foul taste that had crawled into his mouth the night before.
“Last night was a bad decision.” Jason’s forehead was plastered with glitter and his voice sounded like he’d eaten a cheese grater.
“Which part?” Theo asked.
“All of it. Every single thing.”
Cold pizza was the most delicious thing on this or any planet, so the fact that Theo could only handle three and a half bites meant Jason was right.
Caleb’s eyes were closed, his fingers clutching a bottle of water. “The blueberry vodka? Bad. The four-in-the-morning poutine run? Bad. Everything else?” His lips curled into a slow smile. “Good.”
Jason’s ‘pfffffffffffffffttttttttttt’ lasted so long that Theo worried he forgot he was doing it. “Convinced he met his soulmate after a five minute conversation about stickers. Did you even get her name?”
“Name schmame. She’s the one, boys.”
“Slow down, champ. It’s only day two.” Theo ruffled his long hair, which was quite luxurious when not tied in a bun.
After their sorry excuse for breakfast, they headed to the student common area.
The tour was at nine, welcome speeches by the dean and heads of departments at ten thirty—during which they had to nudge Caleb every time he snored—then lunch and the beginning of the Frosh Games, which, if it had been up to Theo, would’ve been called Score-ientation, but who was he to critique?
After being split up into groups of students from different departments, they were forced to zig-zag around campus to various game stations while trying to pretend they hadn’t all been screaming drunks the night before.
Related: Had the sun always been so aggressive?
Theo’s team was surprisingly competent, and not one of them threw up, which was an accomplishment itself. Their final challenge was in the Circle, forcing them all back to the scene of the crime, with a rounded wooden board on a folding table shaped like a miniature curling pitch.
“Well, well, well, what a fateful coincidence.” The guy from the night before strolled up and gave him a filthy grin.
Theo had never wished to remember someone’s name more than he did in that moment.
Sandy-red hair, broad shoulders, and thin stern lips.
They’d only flirted, as far as Theo remembered, so why was this guy smirking like they’d had dirty sex on this very folding table?
He was flanked by his team, which Theo was surprised to see included Dae, whose sporting outfit was about three sizes too big.
Theo tried to catch his attention, but Future Love Affair stepped in the way.
“You haven’t texted.”
Theo gestured around the lawn. “I’ve been a bit busy.”
“Yes, busy climbing the tourney ranks to third place, making us fourth, and I can’t have that.”
Theo shot a double thumbs-up to his team. They’d been winning a lot, but he hadn’t realized they were in the top three.
“Prize for third place is gift cards to a bunch of chain restaurants around the city, and I need them to take out this guy I met last night. So…” Future Love Affair winked. “We’re going to have to destroy you.”
Theo put on his best cocky smirk. “With stakes that high, I hope you’re ready for a challenge.”
They lost. Turned out Dae was amazing with his hands, probably from all that writing in his journal, and was able to flick the wooden pieces with annoying accuracy. Or maybe he was secretly a finger-curling champion.
Theo added that to his list of mysteries.
Dae didn’t say anything when he won them the game, just stood back and let his team shake his shoulders in victory before Future Love Affair dragged him away, shooting Theo an over-the-shoulder glance while mouthing, I’ll text you.
“Well, that was dramatic.” Theo turned to find Jordan wearing a Resident Advisor shirt, short-shorts, and U of T painted on her cheek in blue. Her smile was the kind usually reserved for inside jokes. “T’was a crushing defeat. You okay, New Best Friend?”
She remembered! “I may get over it once dementia sets in. You’re an RA?”
“It is my honour to guide the hapless masses.” She smiled at a group giggling by. “Plus, discounted housing.”
“Yo, Jordan!” A short-ish guy with questionable facial hair jogged up, ignoring Theo’s presence and talking louder than was necessary around hungover people. “I need to change your soundcheck to six-thirty. That cool? Mike didn’t account for absorption and now all the levels need to be adj—”
“It’s no problem, Terry. Thank you.”
He nodded and hurried away, apparently used to being cut off.
“That can’t be his name,” Theo said. “No one is named Terry. The name Terry is a myth.”
She put her hand on his shoulder with solemn sincerity. “You’re going to experience a lot of strange and wonderful things in university, including the name Terry. Now, give me your phone.”
She entered her contact with two kiss emojis on either side of her name and handed it back with a wink.
Now that the games were over, people had begun to congeal into groups, chatting, lingering around the prize table, or linking arms to go find entertainment that didn’t involve daylight.
Theo was content to stay planted where he was, any urgency to find allies for the next four years nullified by the cool presence of Jordan.
“So, what’s he sound checking? The bingo mic?” That wasn’t a joke. Bingo really was scheduled.
She slid the elastic out of her hair and re-did her messy auburn bun, squinting against the sun. “No, there’s a concert tonight in the gardens. A bunch of upper-years are performing.”
“And you’re one of them?” Theo had never been able to control his facial expressions, and judging by her eye-roll, this was no exception.
“I’m only playing because someone dropped out and Becks begged me. I’m not even good.”
“People who aren’t good don’t get begged to do shows.”
She shrugged, trying really hard not to take the compliment. “Don’t come, okay?”
“I’m obviously coming.”
Someone across the field waved at her, and Jordan nodded. “I have to go, but I better not see you there tonight.”
“You mean at your gig?”
She rolled her eyes again. “Goodbye, New Best Friend.”
??? ???
“You can’t bail on the concert!” Theo tried to rein in the whine in his voice. “It’s only the second night of orientation. Where’s your school spirit?”
Jason slouched at the table waiting for his toast to pop, while Caleb sprawled on the couch with a pillow over his head. Dae was dutifully cutting vegetables, pretending none of them existed as steam rose from a giant pot on the stove, filling the apartment with a spicy tang.
“You can’t bail on something you never agreed to.” Jason’s words were low and raspy. “And weren’t you the one who said you’d take it easy tonight?”
“That was before I knew there was a concert.” Theo had come to this school to mine talent, now and they were lining themselves up on his second night. Plus, he never turned down an opportunity to experience live music, even if it was performed by a bunch of probably-drunk students.
“So go.” Caleb’s muffled voice wafted from the couch. “We won’t be insulted.”
Theo usually didn’t mind going places alone, but he wanted to record the acts and he was fully aware of how creepy that would make him seem if he were there solo. “Come on, boys, you can rally. The trick is water. Lots of water.”
Their groans echoed as his phone buzzed. He took it out with the hope it was some miraculous mystery friend who could go with him, but it was just someone liking his social media post.
But wait! New friend!
“Dae.”
“No.” He didn’t even look up.
“I haven’t asked anything yet.”
He put the lid on the pot with a soft clank, turned the stove down, then walked away, shutting his bedroom door behind him.
Jason raised his eyebrows. “Do you guys have an issue?”
At that, Caleb surfaced, propping himself on his elbows, curiosity lighting up his pale face.
“No. Well, maybe,” Theo said, crossing the living room.
“I don’t know. It’s possible he didn’t like me in high school, but it’s also possible he didn’t like anyone.
” Well, that wasn’t entirely true. There was that artsy girl Theo had seen him with for a while.
Not that he’d been hyper-aware of who Dae spent time with or anything.
He knocked softly. “Dae?”
“I’m not here.”
A joke? That was progress.
“It’s not what you think.” Theo took his silence as the go-ahead, opened his bedroom door, and peeked his head in.
Dae was sitting at his desk in front of a closed notebook, tapping a pencil against it.
“May I come in?” Again, silence. Again, the presumption of permission.
Theo sat on his bed, crossing his legs under him.
“I’m not asking you to go with me. I just need a name.
That guy on your team is saved in my phone as Superior Male Specimen, which is cute, but ultimately unhelpful.
The one with the reddish hair and dangerous charm—what’s his name?
I never got it, and it’s too late to ask now, what with… ”
“His undying devotion?” His voice was flat and his eyelids heavy, but he was engaging, which was a step in the right direction.
“Exactly. So?”
Dae seemed to be wrestling with himself, as if Theo were asking him for nuclear codes. “Matt.”
A perfectly boy-next-door name.
Matt its theo
Keeping my promise
Though i cant pretend Im not allured by those sweet sweet gift cards.
Use them tonight after the concert?