Chapter Text

Bradley

Ugh. Why is it so bright and cheery outside when all I feel is the exact opposite. Hopefully the movers will move faster so I can just crawl into my bed and drown out the rest of this embarrassing day.
I was no longer allowed to be a part of the Gamma MuMu fraternity after what had happened at the games last fall. Tank and the rest of the guys won’t even look at me anymore and with good reason. Not that I NEEDED the fraternity or them anyways. My whole future has already been planned out for me regardless of what extracurricular activities I participate in.

The X Games were a fun thing for me, all for me and I squandered it by being the exact person my dad is. A cheater, a liar, a sneaky businessman whose only goal is to win. My dad was in support of the fraternity and the X Games. He said it’d look good to be a part of something like that, but that it ultimately didn’t matter since they wouldn’t be useful once I take over his company. Now that those were behind me, he was just happy that I could focus all of my attention on my schooling and making the right connections.

“Sir, would you like us to loft up the bed and put your desk underneath it or put the couch underneath there?” An older man in a full overall suit asks, gently rousing me from my thoughts.

“You can put my desk underneath it, Alan. Thank you.” I respond as I notice my dad angrily talking on his phone. At first glance you wouldn’t think anything of him but the longer you look at him the more you realize everything about my dad oozes old money. He is dressed in a plain light blue dress shirt with the sleeves cuffed to his elbows and dark navy dress pants just barely grazing his light brown loafers. Everything he has on is designer and tailor fitted exactly to his well maintained body. His custom gold Rolex and wedding band glittering in the sun as he runs his fingers through his hair.

“Yessss,” he hisses at someone on the other line. “He needs to learn a lesson about humiliation after the stunt he pulled at the games. After this semester he’ll take that lovely two bedroom apartment across town. Yes. Yes, dear. At least he’ll be closer to his classes so he’ll have no excuse but to keep getting good grades. Yes. I love you too, see you at home.” My dad slides his phone in his pants pocket and then turns to look at me.

“Bradley, I know you’re not happy about this but I would like you to know what it’ll be like living as a..a…,” he sneers. “...a commoner, if you decide to humiliate our family name again like you had at the Games. It took a lot of money to scrub that from the media.” He says to me cooly as he flashes me his million dollar businessman smile. He has perfected that smile, it never seems to reach his eyes..

“Whatever.” I huff again as he walks over and adjusts the collar of my shirt.

“Make sure you really let it sink in this semester or else.” He says only loud enough for me to hear as he puts his hands on my shoulders. “Or else you’ll lose a lot more than the money I’ve so graciously provided for you year after year.” His icy blue eyes glare into mine as he cracks that same smile again. I roll mine in response and he tightens his grip on my shoulders to the point of pain.

“Yes sir.” I respond as I impassively stare back at him, refusing to give him any satisfaction of causing me harm..

“Make sure you keep hitting the gym too, we have appearances to keep up.” He says as he releases his hold on me and pulls his phone back out of his pocket.

I look up at the light blue sky hoping gravity would just cease to work and I’d float endlessly into it. I hear my dad tapping and swiping around on his phone as he grumbles about some meeting he has soon. I close my eyes and listen to the sparse dead leaves fluttering in the trees around me. I hear the sounds of a handful of other students making their way around us entering and exiting the other buildings.

There is a slight chill in the air as if it threatens to snow tonight once the sun goes down. This winter has been extremely mild compared to years before. It has snowed on and off but every time it does it just heats back up melting it all. Today is one of those warmer days, perfect for the long sleeve button up and cashmere sweater combo I have on. But even still with the sun shining, the chill seeps into my clothes and makes me shiver slightly.

“Alright, I have to head out now Bradley. The movers should be done shortly, don’t forget to tip them generously.” My dad remarks as I open my eyes and look back at him. Without looking up from his phone he puts his hand back on my shoulder “I also deposited a small amount of money into your account for the month. I think $20,000 should be enough for food and other things as you need them, “he absentmindedly says.

“Thank you sir,” I say as he gives my shoulder a quick squeeze. Still looking at his phone he then turns around stalking over to his glossy beige Bentley sitting next to the ‘No Parking’ sign.

“Oh, before I forget!” He yells across the way towards me, “Your mother says she loves you. Also that she had them park a car in the East lot for you and that your keys are in the lock box in your wardrobe.” He gives one last professional smile before he gets in and speeds off.

Standing there on the sidewalk watching as his tail lights disappear around the corner I let out a big sigh and turn on my heels. I stalk up the steps, slide my badge over the reader, and open one of the double doors. Alan is making his way down the stairs in front of me with the other movers behind him.

“Alright Sir Bradley, we have everything moved into your dorm. It fit nicely, even if it didn’t leave much room for your roommate, “he says through his bushy mustache. “Let’s hope he doesn’t have any furniture he’s trying to move in there other than what is provided by the school.”

“Thank you once again Alan, I appreciate it.” I reply as I slide him a wad of hundred dollar bills and shake his hand. His eyes bulge and he nods his head as he grunts a thank you. They walk past me and I take a big breath before I make my way up the double flight of stairs.

As I walk down the hallway past the other dorms and communal bathroom, I ache for my giant room I had at the Gamma house. My father put me into the ‘all-male’ building which I honestly don’t mind. It was the cheapest option and my dad wants to make sure I experience what it's like to live as if I have to pinch pennies like everyone else around me. I get to a door that says 2F and open it.

For a cheap dorm, the room is rather large with very high ceilings and wood flooring. They were made for three people to live in but, over winter break another building of dorms was finished across campus.The school then decided that every dorm be changed to only two per room.

There are two large windows that stretch all the way up to the ceiling on the far wall. The right side window has my bed lofted up in front of it with my desk and mini fridge set up underneath it. My laptop and desk lamp are placed neatly on top, all plugged in and ready to use. The large wardrobe provided by the school sits perpendicular to the left end of my bunk so I can get as much privacy as I can in here. The movers set up the left side of the room to mirror mine. My dark gray couch sits parallel to both of the wardrobes with its back facing the left side of the room. The giant alpaca rug my mom insisted I bring, lays in front of it with a beautiful mahogany coffee table atop it. The matching TV stand with my large flatscreen has been set up against the right wall. I roll my eyes at the extravagance of my personal furniture compared to how shoddy everything else looks.

There’s a mirror screwed into the back of the door. I stare into it and push my hair back. Hopefully this semester goes by fast. I slide my wireless headphones and phone out of my front pockets. As I put my headphones into my ears, I start scrolling through my music. Maybe a little melancholic music will put me at ease, I think as I select a song. I walk over to my tv stand and grab my skateboard leaning against it. With the song Jesus Christ by Brand New now soothing me, I step into the hallway thinking about taking a cruise to the Bean Scene for some hot chocolate.

Max

“YEAH UH HUH YEAH UH HUH!” Bobby yells along with the music blaring over PJ’s sound system in the van. “Champagne by Ganja White Night is my JAM right now!” he continues as he takes a huge rip out of the milky bong in his hands.

“Heaven by your SIIIIDE!” PJ yells along as he flips his baseball cap backwards and continues driving down the road. I just roll my eyes and laugh as Bobby reaches around PJ in the front. He puts the bong up to PJ’s mouth. PJ takes a hit and blows the smoke out slowly as we keep making our way towards campus. As the smoke swirls around us in the van, I open the window slightly to let it waft out. We may be a bunch of reckless idiots for smoking while driving, but I want to make sure PJ can still see at the very least.

I am bummed I won’t be sharing a dorm with them this semester. We’ll be in the same building at least, but I’ll be on the floor above them. We decided to come back to campus a couple days early from winter break to move all of my stuff into my new dorm. I start wondering about who my new roommate is going to be. I hope it’s not some straight edge dude who is going to complain if I come back smelling like weed and booze on the weekends. My thoughts get disrupted as Bobby hits my left shoulder with the bong and passes it up to the front seat with me.

“Hey Max-a-million,” he coughs out. “I am mega bummed we won’t get to share our space again this year. Thank you for taking the ‘L’ and rooming with some rando, bud.”

“It’s okay bro,” I say as I take a rather large pull of the bong myself. As I start coughing hard, breathing out the smoke, my phone chimes. Handing the bong back to Bobby in the back, I pull my phone out of my pocket and see Roxanne has texted me.

________________________

Roxanne: I miss you already! I hope moving your stuff in goes nice and easy babe<3 let me know when you can facetime me later, I’ve got a surprise ;)

Me: Oh? What kind of surprise?

Roxanne: *sends picture of her torso with her off the shoulder shirt pulled down further to reveal a lacey emerald green bra*

__________________________________

“OUUUU!” Bobby shouts as he pushes his round purple sunglasses up over his eyes. “Damn Max, it must’ve been hard to leave THAT back home!” I spin around in the front seat and give him a shove nearly knocking the bong over.

“Don’t be reading over my shoulder, that wasn’t meant for you dickhead!”I growl as I give him a light smack on the side of his head and reply to her.

______________________________

Me: *sends gif of Jim Carrey in the Mask with his eyes bugging out and jaw dropping open*
Me: Girl, you’re killing me over here ;)

Roxanne: Good:)

____________________________________

I slide my phone back into the front pocket of my jeans and glare back at Bobby.
“I’m sorry man, I know I shouldn’t have looked but I thought it was going to be that text we’ve been waiting on about that New Year’s party tonight.” Bobby apologizes as he ashes out the bowl of the bong and pours the water into an old plastic water bottle.

“Mocha thinks it’ll be at one of the frat houses on the west side of town,” PJ responds, stopping at a stop sign. “She says she’ll let me know once she knows anything more.”

“Good! Less chance of potentially running into anybody from the Gamma house,” Bobby chirps as PJ lurches forward and keeps driving down the road.

I just roll my eyes and rest my head on the window. I hope we don’t have to deal with any of them this year. Last semester was such a headache due to them. Specifically due to Brad. I roll my eyes at the thought of him and pull my phone back out.

I start scrolling through instagram and see a picture Roxanne has posted. It’s a photo of the two of us. Her beautiful brown eyes glittering in the sunlight with her voluminous auburn hair draping around us. Her chin is resting on top of my head with my messy black hair sticking out at all angles. The sun was bright that day so my face is all scrunched up while I’m smiling wide. She captioned it: “Gap toothed beauty<3” I double tap the photo and keep mindlessly scrolling while thoughts about her creep into my mind.

We ended up reconnecting after the X Games were televised. Roxanne texted me a congratulations for winning and we haven’t stopped texting since. She ended up going to a college somewhere out west after highschool which is why we broke up in the first place. We figured it would be easier that way, but we missed each other too much. When winter break came around, she came back home for it so we spent a lot of that time together. Most of that time spent together was cuddling in my bed at home and fucking like rabbits. Roxanne was my first lover, but definitely not my only. There were a few girls during the X Games who made passes which I eagerly took. But being with Roxanne is comfortable. We haven’t made anything official with us. Roxanne expressed how hard it could be being so far away from one another. She said she just wants to keep enjoying me for as long as she can and I have absolutely no issues with that.

After what seems like an eternity, PJ turns right into the East parking lot. We made it. As he puts the van in park, PJ’s phone chimes. I get out of the van and stretch my arms up over my head. It is such a beautiful day. The sun is shining, the wind is slightly chilly, and the ground is finally dry. I open up the side door of the van to Bobby shoving his sneakers in his backpack. He clambers out wearing his skates and starts effortlessly meandering around the van in them. I grab my skateboard out the back and shut the door.

“Hey! So we have until 7:30 to get you settled in your new dorm before we have to meet Mocha at the Bean Scene,” PJ says as he unhooks his bike from the rack on the back of the van. “She told me the party starts at 9 and she’s got the address.”

“Sick,” I say as I start skating through the parking lot towards the buildings.

We make it to the front of our building. I take a deep breath and check the time on my phone as Boddy sits on the steps to change out of his skates. PJ hooks his bike up to the rack and exclaims, “Ahh! It feels so nice to be back on our own again guys.”

“Got that right,” I agree as I make note of the time. It’s 4:45 right now so we’ve got a decent amount of time to move my things. We make our way up the front steps and badge ourselves in. It still smells exactly as it did before we left. Sweat and dust.

“Let’s check out my new dorm first in case we gotta move the furniture around,” I remark as I start climbing the stairs. Both the guys nod and start up after me.

Walking down the hallway, Bobby looks up at the ceiling. “Woooooow, the ceilings are way higher than the ones on the first floor.”

“Bobby, you’re way higher than the ones on the first floor,” PJ retorts. We all chuckle at the stupid joke. I take my new key out of my pocket attached to my wallet chain. The little badge hanging off the ring says “2F”.

“2F. Hmm, so it's gotta be right there in the middle,” I say as we come up on the corresponding door. I unlock the door and push it open.

“Wooooooooow,” Bobby whistles as he steps inside. “I wonder who your roommate is huh? Check out his stuff!” Bobby exclaims, gesturing to the lavish rug and mahogany furniture.

“Guess we’ll keep your futon in our room since there doesn't seem to be much room for it with their stuff.” PJ chuckles as we look at the space that’s left for me.

“I guess he at least set up my bunk and shit in the best way possible to make this work,” I shrug as I make my way around the back of the couch towards my lofted bed. Hopefully he’s down to

share his couch and TV since he wanted to take up the communal space.

“I think I can fit the futon in here actually. Lets move the desk from under the bed and push it against the left wall behind the couch. It’ll be somewhat of a tight squeeze but at least I’ll have a space to relax that isn’t in view of his bed,” I say. They both nod and start heading out to grab my futon. I shift the desk out from under my lofted bed and push it against the wall. I scoot the chair in and look at the 3ft gap between both the backs of my chair and my roommate’s couch. Not too bad, I think as I hear grunting outside the open door.

PJ and Bobby come scooting in the door with the maroon colored futon between them. Quickly, I make my way over to them and we hoist it high above our heads so the legs of it won’t scrape the couch and so it’ll make it over the desk. There’s a lot of bumping against the wall and the wardrobe as we pivot the futon around until it fits perfectly underneath my bunk.“Ayyy, nice nice,” Bobby exclaims as he wipes the sheen of sweat off his forehead. “Now our hammock chairs will fit nicely in our room with Max’s futon in here!”

He and PJ high five quickly as we all make our way down to our old dorm for the rest of my stuff. Everything else is a breeze setting up. We bring some of my posters upstairs and plaster them along my wall on the left. My purple floor lamp fits perfectly on the left side of the futon. The orange and black checkered rug sits well in front of the futon and the wardrobe. I hang up a black and green mountainside tapestry off of the lofted bed to give myself even more privacy if I want to relax on the futon. PJ sets up my laptop and speaker on my desk. Bobby clambers up the bunk to my bed and starts putting my bedding together for me. I put all of my clothes away in the wardrobe leaving out a fresh oversized white tee shirt and my deodorant.

“Hell yeah guys! Thank you,” I express to them as I fist bump them both.

“Shit! We’ve got twenty minutes to get to the Bean Scene before we’re late. Mocha hates it when I’m late,” PJ whines as he hurriedly scampers out of the door. “LET’S GO!” he shouts as he’s halfway down the hallway.

“Alright! But let me change my sweatshirt quick before we go!” Bobby yells after him as he disappears out of the door.

I smile and shake my head as I pull my shirt off. I quickly apply more cedar scented deodorant and button up a flannel hoodie overtop the fresh white shirt I laid out. I grab one of my baseball caps hanging in the wardrobe and tuck it into my back pocket with the bill hanging out. I glance in the mirror attached to the back of the door and push my hair back. I wonder how tonight is going to go as I grab my skateboard and lock the door behind me.