Chapter 4
“I’m curious,” I said as we descended the stairs. Year after year of framed chapter composites lined the wood-paneled walls, all displaying young men dressed in the same navy blazer and striped tie. “How exactly do you plan on making this party fun?”
JJ clasped a hand to his heart as if I’d insulted him. “Are you doubting my skills?”
“Maybe a little.”
“Well, there’s your first mistake,” he said, jogging down the last few steps and turning back to look at me. Somehow, the grin he wore managed to be self-deprecating and categorically confident at the same time. “I’m the definition of fun.”
Pressing my lips together, I tried to hide my smile. “Oh yeah? What’s my second mistake?”
“Easy. You have to stop thinking about tonight as a party.”
“All right,” I said, taking the bait. “What am I supposed to think of it as?”
He paused for dramatic effect. Then, eyes sparkling, JJ leaned in close and whispered, “A quest.”
“A quest?” I repeated, because that had to be a joke. “As in a dangerous expedition undertaken by a hero?”
“Or heroine,” he said as we crossed the empty foyer toward the basement. JJ didn’t need me to give him directions—all he had to do was follow the growing sound of music.
I narrowed my eyes, unsure if he was still teasing. “Are you being serious right now?”
“A thousand percent. I know it sounds dorky but believe me. It works.”
Huh. “You sound like you’re speaking from experience.”
He nodded. “My sister Annasophia is extremely shy. Most social interactions freak her out. She’d much rather stay at home and play Fata Morgana than deal with people.”
“What’s that?” I asked. It sounded like a character from the legends of King Arthur.
“A fantasy role-playing game where players go on dangerous quests,” JJ told me, stopping in front of the door to the basement. “It’s kinda like Dungeons and Dragons. She’s obsessed with it.”
“Okay?” I was more confused now than before he’d started his explanation.
“Back in high school, she had to give this huge presentation for her history class. She was terrified of messing up or embarrassing herself.” As he spoke, he twisted one of his rings—a thick band featuring what looked like koi fish—around his finger.
“I figured the best way for her to overcome something she was afraid of was to turn it into something she loved, so I told her to think of her speech as a quest.”
“And that worked?”
“Yup.”
My brows shot up. “Really?”
“Yeah, she got really into it. Broke down her presentation into separate parts and treated them as different monsters and obstacles she had to defeat. Since then, she tackles any kind of situation that makes her feel uncomfortable as if it was a quest. It’s a little unconventional, but it helps her cope with her anxiety. ”
That was the sweetest thing I’d ever heard. “Wow, okay. I’m down.”
JJ looked surprised. “Yeah?”
I didn’t think the trick would work for me, especially since I wasn’t scared to join the party, but I was so charmed by his story that I couldn’t say no.
“Yeah, but you’re going to have to take the lead on this because I have no clue how to turn a boring frat party into a quest.” Fantasy role-playing wasn’t my thing.
“Not to worry, fair maiden,” he said in a terrible British accent. “I will guide thee—”
“You meant to say warrior princess, right?” I interrupted.
He opened his mouth as if to argue, then paused and cocked his head in consideration. “Yeah, okay. I can roll with that. Warrior princess sounds way hotter than fair maiden.”
“I was thinking more along the lines of courageous, powerful, and badass,” I said, shooting him an unimpressed look. “Not sex appeal. I’m the heroine, remember?”
“You sure you need me to take the lead?” he asked. “Seems like you might have a few ideas.”
“That depends,” I shot back. “Are you supposed to be my knight in shining armor?”
“Pssht, no.” JJ opened the door to the basement, and the volume level instantly doubled. “I’m the devilish but handsome rogue who is helping you for unknown, most likely dubious reasons.”
I burst out laughing and started down the steps.
“See?” JJ called over the noise, following right behind me. “We haven’t even started yet and you’re already having fun.”
“Okay, devilish rogue. Clearly your questing skills are more advanced than mine,” I said as we reached the bottom. “What do we need to do first?”
JJ scanned the room in search of something.
Zeta Gamma Theta’s lower level was exactly how I’d imagined a frat house basement to look—dark and dingy, with neon rope lights lining the ceiling, alcohol humor posters and stolen road signs plastered on the walls, and the fraternity’s Greek letters painted on the front of the bar.
The large space was divided in half by the stairs.
To the left was a recreation room. With the exception of pool and Ping-Pong tables, all the furniture had been shoved against the walls to make way for games of beer pong and flip cup.
The room on the right side was the designated dance floor.
More people had arrived during my absence, and now the basement was packed to the brim.
When JJ spotted the bar along the back wall, he grinned. “We must acquire libations from the fountain of youth, Your Highness,” he said, pointing at the keg.
I glanced up at him, an eyebrow cocked. “Are you going to talk like that all night?”
“That is dependent on you, Your Royalness. Does my manner of speech grate on thy nerves?”
From the corner of my eye, I could tell that people were starting to take notice of him. Despite this, I matched his terrible accent with one of my own. “Not at all, kind sir. On the contrary, I find it most amusing.”
JJ’s eyes widened slightly. “That is most joyous news, O Badass One. Shall we journey onward?”
“We shall,” I replied with a nod.
“Excellent!” And despite the many sets of eyes fixed on us, he bowed to me with a little flourish, his lips twitching with a repressed smirk. “After you.”
* * *
I had to give him credit. JJ knew how to have a good time. I chalked this up to two things: First, he didn’t give a crap what anyone thought of him; second and more importantly, he had a wild imagination.
After vanquishing the dark elf army in multiple games of flip cup and participating in a ceremonial sing-along by shouting “Sweet Caroline” at the top of our lungs, we journeyed to a faraway land in search of a magical antidote called tequila.
It turned out our libations had been poisoned by a lethal toxin, which could only be cured by shots and lime wedges.
Only then were we ready to take on the final boss, the evil emperor and his sorceress consort who ruled the land of beer pong with an iron fist.
Alas, we were unsuccessful.
“And that’s how it’s done!” Oliver gloated after landing the ball in our final cup. The group gathered around the table cheered. “Drink up, losers.”
“Sorry,” I said as JJ chugged the rest of his drink. “Told you I’d be terrible.”
He slammed the cup down, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, and smiled at me. “Don’t worry about it. Winning was never the point.”
Hearing this, Stella mock gasped. “Who are you, and what have you done with the most competitive guy I know?”
“Last time I checked, he was standing right next to you,” Xander quipped.
Alec held out his fist, and the two bumped knuckles.
Oliver crossed his arms. “If you’re going to talk smack, then it’s time for me to teach you another lesson.”
Xander raised a brow at Stella as if to say, “See what I mean?” but he and Alec shooed us from our spot and started reracking the cups.
“Where to next, princess?” JJ asked, guiding me away from the beer pong table.
Heads turned to watch him as we cut through the crowd, but after spending more than an hour at his side, I’d gotten used to the constant staring.
It reminded me a little bit of being a cheerleader freshman year; whenever we wore our uniforms to school for a game, all the girls who hadn’t made the cut stared at us in jealousy.
“Hold that thought.” The tequila shot and two beers I downed were catching up to me. “I have to pee.”
JJ frowned. “You’re not flaking on me, are you?”
“No, I swear,” I called over my shoulder, already beelining for the stairs. “Be right back.”
There was a bathroom in the basement, but the line was long, and three hours into a kegger, I bet it was filthier than the inside of a Porta Potti.
Instead, I went up to the first floor. Before the party started, Drew had pointed out a small powder room off the kitchen.
He’d explained that hardly anyone knew it was there, making it the perfect bathroom to use throughout the night.
He was right. Not only was there no line, but it was sparkling clean.
I meant to head downstairs after doing my business, but as I made my way back through the house, I glanced out the window and gasped. Over the course of the party, the outside world had transformed into a winter wonderland.
Forgetting my promise to JJ, I hurried up to my brother’s room and grabbed my parka.
After bundling up, I strode onto the porch and sucked in a frigid breath of air.
Big fluffy snowflakes were swirling through the dark, the kind that made me feel like I was trapped inside a snow globe.
I pulled out a patio chair and sat down with the intention of lingering for only a moment.
When the front door rattled a few minutes later, I glanced at my phone and realized I’d been outside for nearly half an hour.
“There you are,” JJ said, a note of exasperation in his voice. “I’ve been looking all over for you. What are you doing out here?”
I grinned up at him. “It’s snowing!”
He stared at me for a moment, and then the corners of his mouth curved up. “I can see that, although I’m surprised you’re so excited. Figured you Midwestern folk would be thoroughly unimpressed with the stuff.”
“The freezing temperatures, for sure, but we’ve barely had any snow this year, and it’s my favorite kind of weather.”