“I know most of the guys won’t be able to go home for Thanksgiving because they have a game the next day, and this would bring us together so we could have fun, talk—not run from men with chainsaws…”
Hannah giggles. “I’m sold. Let’s do it.”
Plans are sketched out as we finish eating and clean up the kitchen. Then we head upstairs to get dressed for the party.
Ethan and Sam arrive just after nine. If I’m being honest, the idea of stripping out of these clothes and tucking myself into Nolan’s bed is far more appealing than going out, but canceling on Hannah, especially when I know she and Ethan are going through their first hurdle has me tucking myself into Ethan’s backseat, instead.
“Since the weather is finally cooling off to make it feel like fall, I picked up some cookies to celebrate fall,” Ethan says. “They’re pumpkin spice since I remember you telling me that was your favorite.”
Hannah beams, eyes bright as though she’s looking at an adorable puppy. She reaches for the white box and opens it. Pumpkin-shaped cookies are intricately piped and decorated. “They’re so pretty,” she says. “Maybe we should eat them later. We just had dinner.”
“You should at least try one while they’re fresh,” he says.
Hannah grabs a cookie and passes me the box. They’re almost too pretty to eat, but I take one. Ethan pulls away from the curb, the music so loud, my ears ache, making it impossible to hear anyone in the car. I take a bite of the cookie. It’s dry, and the frosting is too sweet, but with a lack of anywhere to put the remains, I eat the entirety of it.
I frown as Ethan pulls up to the curb along frat row. We collectively avoid parties here, knowing the risks are significantly higher at these houses.
“Were you plugging your ears?” Ethan looks amused.
“I’m hoping to be able to still hear when I’m fifty,” I tell him, unapologetically.
He smirks and shakes his head. “Let’s see if you guys can lose the pearls for one night.”
“Let’s see if you guys can keep up with us,” Hannah says. Her wit is clearly faster and sharper than mine because offense had me ready to suggest we go home.
The roads and sidewalks around campus are all narrow, these are no different, causing us to walk in pairs. Hannah walks beside Ethan and I walk next to Sam.
“What are you guys dressed as?” I ask.
“Hunters,” Sam says, motioning to their matching tan shirts and shorts.
Hannah laughs. I’m still not feeling gracious enough.
Every house is throwing a party tonight. Music and students filing in and out of each address.
We stop at a house that is painted mustard yellow. It makes me think of Nolan and his fries.
“How do the fraternities get these houses?” I ask, glancing at the older house that has too much charm to be inhabited by a group of college guys.
Sam shrugs. Ethan moves his attention from the girls on the front porch dressed as unicorns to me. “Because it’s so big?”
“No, because it has to be worth a fortune,” I say. “It’s downtown and has to be at least eighty years old, maybe older.”
“Time to turn your business brain off,” Ethan says.
“Is my tutu straight?” Hannah asks. She has a gray tutu over a gray leotard, cat ears attached to a headband on her head, and black whiskers painted on her cheeks. She’s an adorable domestic cat.
Ethan pulls her tail. “Yup.”
I smooth a hand over my own golden tutu that’s over the light brown leotard I’m wearing as part of my lioness costume.
The noise of the party grows louder with each step, pulsing through the floors, up my feet, and through my entire body, making my teeth nearly chatter. Inside, the house is packed, wall to wall with people dancing and jumping, making our house party from September look mild in comparison. It smells terrible, like beer, pot, cigarettes, sweat, and the occasional overpowering scent of perfume or cologne as Ethan and Sam lead us away from the safety of the door, farther into the house.
“Maybe we should be doing more of this,” Hannah says, gripping my hand. “I don’t know why, I always imagined orgys.”
“It’s still early,” I tell her.
Hannah grins. “Maybe we’ll have a better time than we think.”