Chapter 3

On Wednesday, Will found himself nervous as if he was going on a first date ... except he’d been dating the same girl since he was a teenager, so he didn’t even know what a first date as an adult was actually like.

He tried to look his best in a well fitting t-shirt and dark jeans, with his best cologne ... the cologne Maddie had bought him two years ago, when he graduated from high school. He didn’t even know where the brand was from and he couldn’t remember if he’d ever worn it without her around.

He still felt weird doing this while Maddie sat at home. They were still technically together but the end felt inevitable. He’d hung out with her the last two nights but nothing sexual had happened, both of them probably thinking about Will’s plans this evening instead. It was like going to your own funeral, knowing things were over, but trying to find something to take joy in anyway.

Setting out for the frat house that night felt like cheating on years of a life plan, one that he’d never doubted, not once, right up until the moment that it came crashing down, falling apart like a glass house taking just one hard brick to it. He’d seen something similar play out amongst young couples he knew from high school, one by one. Each holiday break, one more ‘high school sweet heart’ couple had shockingly fallen apart. But Will wondered if any had yet because of one half realizing they weren’t even into the opposite sex.

The house was huge and made Will wonder how all these guys even afforded to live here. It was like they were living in their own little world, going through college during the day and living with no rules and no sleep the rest of the time. The exterior was impressive and had clearly stood the test of time through multiple generations, even as the inside had slowly fallen apart and taken on the stink of beer and man. Before he could knock on the front door, it swung open, as if someone were standing on watch duty.

“Yo dude,” an unkempt, overweight guy with a hat on backwards said to him, “you Will?”

“Uhh ... yeah” Will swayed back and forth, feeling awkward. He knew he didn’t belong with these guys and that they probably looked it up like a puny, little runt.

“Sam said to just head up to his room ... he’s gaming. You know where to go?”

“Yeah...”

Will followed the mystery guy inside and recalled from his cherished memories of Saturday night the way to the stairwell that led to Sam’s attic suite. As he ascended the stairs up to Sam’s bedroom, he heard Sam ... and a second voice ... yelling back and forth over the loud TV noises. As he reached the top of the stairs, whoever the other guy was let out a loud burp and tossed an empty beer can towards the trash, just barely missing Will as he crossed the door frame.

“Oh, shit, my bad dude!” The other guy said. Will got a glimpse of him sitting down with a gaming controller in his hand. The guy had a mess of fluffy blonde hair and big ears that stood out immediately. His eyes were almost navy blue and in the center of the face of someone that clearly must’ve modeled on the side. He was shirtless with a long black necklace falling onto an incredibly toned, but not large, chest, with lean but toned arms, much smaller than Sam’s. His abs were way more defined than Sam’s though, making him look less ‘big’ than Sam, but ten times hotter. At the base, by his waist band, was a V line that looked as if it’d been chiseled into marble by the gods. His outfit was white athletic shorts ... and nothing else ... no shoes, socks, or shirt. Sam sat in a chair next to him in a tattered hoodie and shorts, making Will feel ridiculous for getting dressed up. He was completely out of his element.