Page 55 of Icebreaker
Ellie
Yes, I’ll go, but it’s silly to pick me up. I’ll meet you there.
Daddy B
By yourself?
Ellie
It’s literally around the corner
Daddy
Baby boy, you sure?
Ellie
Yeah, I can do this, Daddy B.
Daddy B
You’re my brave boy.
Ellie
Does walking around the corner *really* count as brave?
Daddy B
It does when you’re super shy.
Ellie
Then I’m going to make that my affirmation today.
Daddy B
Oh yeah? Let’s hear it.
Ellie
I am brave.
Daddy B
Don’t forget to put a sticker on your chart.
Ican do this.I can do this. I am brave. I can do this.
The walk from the apartment to the BUT house was less than ten minutes, but it felt like a world away from the cocoon Daddy B and I had created in our apartment. The sidewalk outside the frat house was already littered with partygoers. Most of them had red solo cups in their hand while talking loudly and gesturing wildly. The one saving grace was that they were regular-sized people, not the hockey giants I was surrounded by at the rink. It felt slightly less intimidating.
I hadn’t been sure what to wear to a party, but I couldn’t imagine that anything besides my jeans and hoodie would be required. I mean, it was college after all. I got a few curious looks, probably because they didn’t recognize me when I got to the gate. It was crowded, but I was able to maneuver around them and get through the front door.
Once inside, I looked around to see if I recognized anybody. Fate was not smiling on me today because I didn’t recognize anyone, not even from my classes. I decided to start on my left and work my way around until I found either Daddy B or someone I knew. I hadn’t left the apartment until after eight to make sure I wouldn’t arrive before Daddy.
I started in the kitchen, which was a bust, and after a few more speculative looks, I grabbed a red cup as a decoy. If I looked less like an impostor, I would be able to find Daddy B without any issues. My next stop was the lounge area, and again, there was no one in there who could help me find Daddy. I moved into the secondary living space. From there, I could see the backyard, which had a ton more people, so I headed out there next.
The jostling and pushing needed to get through doorways was getting to me. I didn’t want to be rude, but I also wanted to get by them. It seemed like half the people in here were making out, and I definitely didn’t want to interrupt them because that seemed rude.
