— 𝐭𝐲𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩. chapter two
series content reminder. alcohol, drugs, & partying · angst · light nsfw/suggestive · college setting · exes · love triangles · swearing & inappropriate language · hazing mentioned · greek life · hookup culture · slow burn · friends to lovers · found family · childhood friends
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Maisy came into the living room hours later, around 10am, looking like a mess, but in a hot way; unkempt light brown curls, and smudged under eye liner her signature by now. Jo had heard her playing games all night, well past sunrise, her giggles soothing Jo to sleep. But, if Maisy hadn't gotten any sleep, she didn't look like it. She was already halfway through a pink can of Monster.
"Jo, my sweet, oh so dear, and sweet friend," she cooed, stretching her arms out. "Are you ready to get absolutely fucking trashed tonight?"
Jo smiled in response, immediately in better spirits, absorbing Maisy's energy.
There was a knock at the door, barely a tap before it swung upon. A tall, muscular, woman dressed in a basketball jersey and athletic shorts walked through the door. Maisy sprinted towards her, threw herself into the woman's arms, and wrapped her legs around her as she was lifted into an embrace.
"Tierra!" Jo called out, surprised, even though she shouldn't have been. Tierra was practically a third roommate at this point, Maisy's girlfriend of two years now.
"Did I make it in time to pregame?" Tierra laughed, speaking between kisses to Maisy's cheeks.
"It's not even noon!" Jo laughed too.
Maisy and Tierra got breakfast going, but with Jo on the counter chatting with them, it ended up taking two hours. After eating, Jo split off to shower, shave her legs, and straighten her hair, but found herself in Maisy's room again for help with makeup.
For someone who claimed to be sick of parties, Maisy didn't look it-- vibrating with charm, energy, and confidence. It was an infectious condition, and Jo found herself hyped, her nerves melting away when she basked in Maisy's aura.
The soccer team had a formal dinner before the big party every year. Some team members gave speeches and–if they made it through the process–the rookies became official members of the team. They had always been official per the school's roster, but they could party with the team now. For the first time in a few years, all the rookies made it through. B-team nominations happened, where members of the practice team got promoted.
Aaron was one of the underclassmen that got picked for the A-team. He would spend the coming season subbing in or on the bench, but it was a big deal for a freshman.
Brennan and another one of the older guys gave speeches about Aaron, and everyone cheered. He talked about their time as high school teammates, Aaron's passion and dedication, and some memories from practices.
Alcohol wasn't served at the dinner, but spirits were high. As they were going back to their cars as the sun set, Aaron wrapped his arm around Brennan.
"Heard you're bringing Maisy and Jo tonight," he said. He was grinning from ear to ear. "Mind if I steal her?"
Brennan rolled his eyes. In his head it was playful, but it came across far more irritated.
"Come on man," he said with a laugh, "don't start. This is your night."
"Alright, brother," Aaron said, patting him on the back before jogging to catch up with some of the other guys. It didn't sound at all convincing. "No promises."
Brennan told the girls to meet him outside his friend's apartment. It was the pregame, and he told them not to let Tierra give them drinks before they showed up. He knew it was going to be a long night--not one where you want to pregame the pregame.
When he arrived, he stood outside and fired texts. The social chair of volleyball to schedule a party, one of his brothers about the holidays, one of the girls' team players, some girl who must've put her number in his phone.
Oh yeah they're gonna shackle us together at the pregame, I forgot lol
He texted Maisy, as if he had forgotten. He hadn't. He had not told her so she wouldn't say no. He had her location, and he sent over the message when they were already walking over.
The moment Jo approached the off-campus house, she could sense a strange energy thick in the air. The people trickling into the property seemed mostly all sober, just as instructed in the invite -- something she hadn't actually expected anyone to follow through on.
Maisy greeted a few people she recognized, before leading Jo and Tierra to a corner, searching for someone to point out the drinks to them. Jo's eyes scanned the room, and her eyes fixed with curiosity upon a table in the front, covered in a black tarp. No one else seemed to share her interest, as it was generally left alone, aside from one or two soccer players checking in on it every so often.
Jo pulled at the hem of her dress, hoping that in her efforts, she really would be able to stretch it an inch or two longer. She was wearing a strapless emerald dress at the behest of Maisy, and the practically micro-mini skirt left her feeling more exposed than she'd anticipated.
Maisy's dress, however, looked like it was crafted for her body. The silk cupped her boobs perfectly, flowing down her curves, and ruching at her butt. Tierra's arm accented her waist protectively.
"Oh, there he is," Maisy said, gesturing towards her brother, his head poking out above the forming crowd in the living room. "That asshole didn't even text me--- oh shit, wait he did..."
Maisy's eyes widened down at her phone, and she let out a screech, turning to Tierra, and then back at Jo.
"Jo, I just want to say. BRENNAN is an ASSHOLE. He just told me that we're going to have to --" she stopped talking, seeing as Brennan himself had finally appeared in front of them. Maisy glared.
"Tee," Brennan said. He flicked his eyes up back and forth from his phone a few times before stashing it away. "Cody's coming down."
Tierra had been one of the Social Chairs for women's basketball last year. She and Brennan talked about parties and team drama. Most of their conversations didn't mention Maisy, unless it was near her birthday.
As he barreled down the stairs on the other side of the room, they could hear Cody's vibrato pierce the room when he saw her.
"Tierra," Cody called, cutting through the chatter enough to reach the group.
Cody was the reason Tierra was here, logistically, even though she happened to be dating Maisy too. The only openly gay member of the soccer team was her housemate and longtime friend. Brennan had been rookies with him, and Tierra was his "date" tonight. At his beckoning, Tierra disappeared to greet him.
"Thanks for coming," Brennan said, finally looking toward Maisy and Jo.
Brennan was in the School of Business. He also paid a lot of attention to details, for better or worse. It made sense that his dress clothes were well-fitted. He had changed from his dinner shirt into a black satin dress shirt. His mid-brown hair tousled especially well this evening, to his delight.
"So, okay," Brennan said, "they're actually going to zip tie us together until we finish the bottles."
They were downstairs in the house now, and the main room was filling up. People were taking pictures on the stairs, and the energy was high. Some of the couples had their bottles by now, tugging around together.
"We have three," he said, evading Maisy's eyes. He clapped his hands together like he was about to launch a sales pitch. They were all moving in and out of everyone's ways as they talked. "Which is manageable."
"Three," Maisy echoed, her face ghostly.
They made their way to the table handing out the bottles and shackling everyone. Brennan made small talk with the guy handing out bottles, Billy Bront.
Everyone called him "Bront" on and off the field. His full last name was Fernandez-Bront, but everyone chose to forget about the first part. He had dark hair and a dark mustache, and he was a Junior. He had recently turned 21, and he always seemed chipper. He and Aaron had gotten close quickly at the start of this school year.
Bront pulled the bottles from one of the coolers behind him, tucked under the stairs. They each had rhinestone initials: B, M, and J. Bront had industrial-looking black zip ties in his hands.
Brennan's strides were long, but he'd look back occasionally to make sure the two girls were close. But, the last time, he was a second too late.
"Two dates for this is crazy, bro," Bront said to Brennan, pulling him into a conversation over the black-tarped table. "You're gonna be lit."
Upon seeing Maisy scamper past from the corner of his eye, his smile brightened, if possible. More of his bleached white smile revealed itself.
"Your sister still with the basketball girl?" he asked, quiet, as he fiddled with the pack of zip ties.
Every now and then, his Colombian accent became more apparent. Brennan had met his mother once at a game, and she didn't speak much English.
"Yes, Bront," Brennan said, trying to sound firm but too amused by the childish grin Bront bit down.
Their freshman year, before Maisy met Tierra, she had hooked up with Billy Bront. Her brother said Bront was responsible for telling the whole team how hot and cool she was. She figured there could be worse reputations. Bront was annoying sometimes, but harmless.
"Who's the other girl?" he asked, not low enough that anyone near them wouldn't hear. Annoying, but harmless.
"We all went to high school together," Brennan said, after taking a moment to find the words.
Calling Jo his 'sister's roommate' didn't feel right. If it were anyone besides Bront, though, Brennan wouldn't have believed that he hadn't heard of Jo since Aaron joined the team. Although broken up now, as he learned last night, Brennan couldn't keep up with their status. He turned to have Jo introduce herself, but she was gone.
Joana wouldn't have admitted it then, but she was actually excited. Not because she was particularly fond of the idea of having her wrists restrained, worst of all, attached to a huffy-puffy Maisy, but because she found it endearing the way everyone was taking this seriously.
For most people there, this was just some random new soccer team party game but for Jo, it meant something to be able to participate. She'd spent the last year dedicating her free time to studying, and her social life was at an all-time low. In fact, her only real friends at this point were Maisy and Tierra, and she'd never even hung out with Tierra without Maisy before.
Not to mention, the moment her eyes laid upon their trio of bottles, a competitive fuse sparked inside of her.
"Maisy, stay with me okay?" Joana coaxed into her friend's ear as the two followed Brennan, a few steps behind him.
"Joana," Maisy said, a strange calm in her voice.
Her eyes were locked on Tee as she spoke, whose back was turned. And then she smiled.
"Don't you worry about me, okay?"
She grabbed Jo's arm and pulled her close, halting them both in their tracks.
"Tee definitely knew about this. And to not tell me, when I'm basically her wife... for that, she must be punished."
Jo laughed, then straightened her face out upon realizing Maisy was serious.
She was grateful about the zipties suddenly -- it was going to take a lot to reign her friend in. For a self-proclaimed introvert, Maisy had no problem making a scene, and Joana had learnt that the hard way. For now, the best thing she could do was distract her.
"Hey, look, I think I see Billy!"
Maisy didn't turn her head to look. She had an expression on her face like she didn't even know who the guy was, but Joana definitely remembered. Bront was in her environmental science class and she'd been partners with him for multiple labs, and even still... she wasn't sure if she'd ever really had a conversation with him.
And somehow, he'd slept with her best friend.
She still didn't know the full details of it all. Maybe she'd ask about it later. Joana made sure to smile at Bront when they passed him, staring right through his hazel eyes, till she was sure he'd remember her from then on.
They started to work through the crowd.
Joana felt her grip on Maisy's wrist loosen, and all at once, the girl disappeared into the crowd. Joana stopped suddenly, too, feeling people shoving in either direction as they made their way around her.
"Maisy?" she called out. She was struggling to find Brennan too, suddenly. "Brennan?!"