Page 45 of The Romance Rivalry

“Mountain Dew, Celsius energy drinks, and...” My mind goes blank. The last drink is on the tip of my tongue, but I can’t remember.

“Gatorade,” Charles answers, saving me.

“Good,” Jeannette says.

“Kiss-ass,” I say under my breath.

Aiden snorts.

“And what other preparations do we have remaining?” Jeannette demands, getting in his face.

“Make the beds in Charles’s dorm room for the J’s, ensure Charles’s roommate is staying with his girlfriend this weekend, set up the spare air mattress in my room for Charles, and place the necessary travel-size toiletries on each bed,” Aiden responds.

Impressive attention to detail with that one.

Jeannette steps back and looks us over.

And bursts into tears.

“You guys... my little brothers are gonna love it here,” she says.

I’ve never seen anyone go to these lengths for a family visit, especially not a sibling visit. But that’s Jeannette for you. She’d do anything for her brothers. Having lost their mom early in their lives, she’s inevitably stepped into a maternal role for them. Yet she’s such a good big sister, too.

I think about Cybil and how I’d never think to go to herfor any help, except maybe skincare advice. It makes me grateful Jeannette is in my life now, too. But I need to be more aware of not adding to the load of people she carries on her shoulders.

Charles rushes up to her and wraps an arm around her shoulders. “We can’t wait for them to get here, baby. We’re gonna make their visit so amazing, and Jackson is for sure gonna want to come to Brighton next year.”

“Jeremiah,” I correct him. “Jackson is the younger one, the junior.”

I walk up to Jeannette and, since Charles occupies her shoulders, bend a little and wrap myself around her waist. “They’re going to have the best time. They’re so so lucky to have you as a big sister to show them the way.”

Aiden, standing awkwardly beside us, reaches out an arm to pat Jeannette stiffly on the back. The move makes me laugh.

“Thank you so much for putting up with me, you guys. And for helping me get everything ready,” she says through her sniffles.

“Like we had a choice, drill sergeant?” Aiden jokes.

I elbow him in the side.

“I can’t wait to meet them,” I say.

“They’re gonna love you,” Jeannette says, looking down at me. “And Aiden will charm the socks off of them like he does everyone.” She smiles at Aiden.

“What about me? They’ll love me, too, right?” Charles asks,his puppy dog tongue flapping, tail wagging.

Jeannette gives him a pained smile. “Sorry, honey. They’re going to hate you no matter what. They’re just really protective of their big sister.”

Charles’s face drops, sad pup.

Aiden reaches over and gives his head a reassuring pat.

A couple hours later, two tall, gorgeous, redheaded teen boys arrive, bringing with them the noise and energy of kids being unleashed into freedom for the weekend.

After a long day of campus tours, cafeteria dining, off-campus dining, and answering five thousand questions about college life and the “chicks” here at Brighton, the six of us are sprawled out on a fortress of blankets and pillows in the boys’ dorm common area watching a movie.

I have my laptop open, earbuds in, trying to edit a monthly reading recap video. I look over my screen at the scene in front of me and realize two things: One, in the two short months I’ve been at Brighton, I’ve changed from when I was in high school. The things that I thought mattered, I’m thinking maybe don’t matter so much anymore. I might have been a bit of a social outcast back then, but I didn’t stay that way.

And that’s the second thing, the one that brings tears right up behind my eyes, threatening to break through and fall. The people here—Jeannette, Charles, and Aiden—they’remy friends. I’ve never felt a part of something where other people were involved as well. And even though we’re still technically on opposite sides of a competition, we’re all in this college thing together.

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