Chapter two
TWO
When Finley arrived at the house for the party, he could hear music blaring from the front yard.
A handwritten sign on the front door told visitors to go around back.
Finley walked around back to find a group of people sitting in folding chairs around a fire.
The back door was open, and music poured out from inside.
Jason was sitting in one of the folding chairs around the fire.
“Hey, Finn, how’s it going? Guys, this is Finley, he’s in my stats class. He’s in the only group project I’ve ever been in that didn’t suck.” Finley waved awkwardly at the group.
“Go get a drink or something, anything in the fridge is fair game,” Jason said.
Finley walked past the group around the fire and climbed the steps of the wooden porch. The back door led to a small kitchen, where a few people were riffling through cans and bottles in the refrigerator. Finley looked over their shoulders and reached in to grab a soda.
A doorway in the kitchen led to a larger room with three sofas and a desktop computer in the corner.
A playlist was open on the computer monitor and the music was so loud Finley could feel it in his chest. Each of the three sofas were packed with bodies and a few people sat on the wooden floor.
It was hot and very loud. Finley immediately turned around and went back outside.
Outside, a few chairs were open around the fire. Finley raised his can of soda at Jason and picked an empty seat.
“Glad you could make it, man,” Jason said.
“Thank for the invite,” Finley replied.
“That’s my housemate Sanjay and my housemate Henry,” Jason pointed at two other men by the fire. Sanjay had a scruffy face and overgrown brown hair. Henry had a cleanshaven face and tattoos on his arms that were visible from the sleeve of his t-shirt to his elbows.
“That’s Henry’s boyfriend Alex, and some of our other regulars, Ali, Josh, and Sarha.
” Jason waved at the rest of the group, but Finley’s eyes were glued to Alex.
Something about the man was… he couldn’t put his finger on it.
Alex was slim, and his facial features were sharp.
His light brown hair was curly on top and shorter on the sides.
Intrusively, Finley’s brain supplied the word ‘pretty’.
Finley tried to shove the thought out of his mind before Henry noticed.
Alex may have read Finley’s thoughts. He looked down, then back up at Finley with a flirtatious smile. Finley felt heat in his face.
“So, uh, are all of you at the university?” Finley asked.
“It’s a mix. Henry, Ali, and I work at the plant nursey over on 82, have you been out there?” Sanjay asked. Finley shook his head. He settled back in his chair to learn more about what a plant nursey was.