“Sorry. This is just out of left field. I’m just checking that you’re not… I dunno, grasping because he doesn’t go to school at Harrison.”
Jack could feel Marcus staring at him. “Look, if—and I know it’s a big if—if he’s gay and he’s interested, I just want to look good. If he’s not, I wore my so-called ‘ass jeans’ for nothing and I’ll be home by ten.”
Smiling, he turned and shrugged. What was bad about trying? Nothing, that’s what. Not to mention he seriously needed to get himself out there more. No more freaking out. No more not getting his damn number.
Marcus rested back on his elbows. “Okay, Jackie Boy, just making sure.”
“Thanks, Marcusy.” He reached over for a pillow and swatted his brother in the head.
Marcus grabbed him before he could get away, throwing him back onto the bed.
“Hey!” Jack said, shoving Marcus away. “I didn’t spend an hour getting ready for Tall Hot Guy for you to ruin my look.”
“Thought it wasn’t an hour?”
“Whatever.” He stuffed Ed’s phone in his pocket and adjusted his shirt.
Marcus rolled off the bed before Jack could get to the door. “Are you sure this is okay? I mean, you don’t know this guy at all, and you’re going to a parking lot to meet him?”
“Yeah, it’s cool. The shopping center is open till ten. I’ll be fine.” Jack held up his hand, and the two slapped hands and ended with a shoulder bump. “And do not follow me, Marcus. I swear I’ll never forgive you if I see you show up.”
Avoiding Jack’s eyes, Marcus moved to his bed. “I won’t.”
Unconvinced, Jack moved around, putting both hands on his brother’s shoulders. “I’m serious. I better not see you there. I’ll be fine.”
“Okay. I won’t follow you. Besides, I’ve gotta write my speech, and then I’d better study for phil—that Vanessa is going to tear through my arguments like Play-Doh if I don’t.” Jack let go of Marcus. “But if you two do more than just exchange phones, shoot me a text letting me know you’ll be late.”
“Are you serious?”
Marcus shrugged. “The world’s full of crazies. I just need to be sure my brother’s okay. We’re family, right?”
A scramble came from behind him, and Jack turned to see Seth Williams and Billy Dorgan clearing the doorway.
“You guys talking formal stuff?” Billy said just before he and Seth tackled Jack onto the bed.
Jack fell back hard, making the mattress spring. Billy still had his hand against his stomach.
“Holy shit.” Billy pushed against Jack’s abs. “What the hell do you have under your shirt?”
Jack smacked the hand that tried to lift up his shirt. He didn’t want it crinkled for his… phone exchange. “Fuck off, Billy. Only guys who play on my team get to feel me up. And no. We are not talking formal stuff.”
Billy laughed and jumped off the bed. Eighteen and still a freshman, he’d been Jack’s little brother when he pledged in the fall. “Well I can’t wait for it.”
Jack could. Formals bugged him. Guys rushing around campus to find a date, any date. Everyone dressing up like it was important, when all they really wanted was to lure some girl into bed. Then there was the slow music and dancing he only ever participated in from a distance.
Participated as in watched.
“I mean,” Billy said, “I had a real blast at the last one.”
“Dude.” Jack put his hand on the copper head and pushed forward. “Of course you had fun. You got laid.”
“Sure did, thanks to you talking me up. Say, wanna do that again for me sometime?” Billy grabbed Jackson’s hand and pulled hard.
“Give it up,” Jack said with a grin. “You still can’t take me.”
Billy yelped at Seth to help, and Seth, with his tousled hair and dirty green eyes, heaved his gangly form forward and tugged on Jack’s other arm. With a particularly well-timed yank, the pair almost had him on the floor.
Marcus sprung to his aid. He flexed like a pro wrestler. “You two don’t really want a tag team match against us, do you?”
Seth dropped Jack’s hand immediately, and Jack swallowed the bubbling urge to snort.
Seth eyed Marcus up. “Rather not get my head shoved in the toilet.”
Jack laughed. Marcus was a softie. He’d never dunk Seth in the toilet.
“C’mon, Jackson,” Billy said, with just the right stress to annoy his big brother. “This time the formal will be fun.”
“Really? Watching sharks circle and girls pointing and giggling? Nope, not fun.” He shook his head.
“You can bring a date.” Billy flicked a ginger bang out of his eye and turned toward Seth, who shrugged. “It’s not like we all don’t know you’re gay.”
Jack rolled his eyes. So there would be two of them for everyone to point to and talk about? “Just… no thanks.”
Flopping back against his pillows, he looked up at the ceiling, and then across the room to Marcus’s desk. Even if he thought it was a good idea, it still left the tiny issue of having no one to take.
“Seriously, Jack.” This time Billy’s blue gaze held Jack’s firmly. It was his “no more bullshit” look. He liked that about Billy, the way the sprightly guy could be as playful as a puppy and then switch to full-on terrier. Made things interesting. “Seth and I will hang with you.”
Jack shook his head. “You say that, but we both know hanging with me and my date won’t help you get laid.”
“By that point you should be trying to get laid too.” Billy raised his eyebrows suggestively, drawing a laugh from Seth. Even Marcus snickered.
“Not in our room, he can’t,” Marcus said, grabbing a textbook and settling onto his bed.
“What?” Jack stared at his roommate. Sure, the topic hadn’t come up recently, but he’d had to leave for the night a couple times. He expected that to work both ways.
“Yeah, not here. Don’t you remember our bet? First to get laid has dibs on the room for the rest of the school year?” Marcus looked over his shoulder at him. “I’m quite certain I won, and this dance I’m feeling lucky.”
“How do I know you won? There was no proof.” Jack always teased him about that. Not that he had any desire to see a picture of Marcus fucking anyone.
Marcus’s cheeks reddened. Worked every time. He loved Marcus like the brother he’d become, but he could be such a prude sometimes.
“I… you know I won.”
When Jack couldn’t hold back the laugh, Marcus buried his face into his book, muttering, “Fucker.”
“Why don’t you make a new bet?” Billy said with the snap of his fingers. “First to get proof wins.”
“Just ask everyone else on the floor. She was a real screamer.” He saw the look on Marcus’s face and went for the kill. Doing his best girl voice, he said, “Oh Marcus! Yes!”
The book came faster than expected. As usual, Marcus had good aim. “Fucker.” He made eyes at Seth and Billy. “You two up for a handicap match? I bet the three of us can dunk Jack in the toilet.”