Page 45 of Escape Velocity
She laughs and catches it in the air. “Later, loser.”
Going to the party was a bad decision. A terrible, stupid decision.
“So, like, what’s your major?” Mason hears a drunkenfootball player slurring his words to Jenna, obviously trying to flirt with her.
He’s at least a head taller than her and he has a backwards hat on, with the Hornet’s colors on his letterman jacket.
Mason stands uncomfortably next to her in the corner of the kitchen, wedged between the couch and the nearby kitchen counter, nursing a beer in his red cup, wanting to down the rest of it instead of sipping it periodically. He needs to be not-sober as quickly as possible if he has to listen to any more of this conversation.
“Kinesiology. And I’m minoring in literature,” Jenna says, smiling at him like she’s loving the attention.
Backwards Hat Guy squints. “Kin-Kinsti-tolo...gy? Kinsology… What’s that? The study of… families…?”
Mason takes a longer sip of his drink, closing his eyes shut and saying “mmm” as he downs the rest of his beer. As if an athlete doesn’t know what kinesiology is.
Jenna’s too good for someone like this. The guy was hot; Mason will give him that. But Jenna needs someone she could have an actual conversation with.
“No, it’s the study of the body and how it moves,” Jenna answers, her cheeks red.
Mason shakes his head as he studies her. She’s eating it up. She’s actually attracted to him.
Backwards Hat rakes his eyes up and down Jenna’s body. “I’d love to see how your body moves.”
Jenna giggles.
“Okay. I’m gonna get a refill…” Mason says, squeezing past Jenna, shaking his head with a thin mouth. She probably didn’t hear him anyway.
Jenna can do better, but who is he to judge? His taste in men isn’t exactly top-notch either.
If one of the jocks flirted with him, he’d probably take the bait. He wouldn’t try for anything serious, but he could appreciate attention every once in a while. He needs it after putting so much time into the paper and his studies.
Mason walks into the living room where the main party is happening. It looks how he expected it, with a couple guys shotgunning beers and grinding on some girls as the music blares.
It looks like the whole football team is here. Mason looked up the whole roster when he got the spot onThe Goldbergand he can pick them out easily.
Craig leans on the wall in the corner in front of some tall, long-legged brunette. He notices Mason and gives him a goofy grin, holding up his cup to Mason. Mason gives him a thumbs up and walks further into the living room towards the keg stand.
He opens the nozzle and lets the beer fill up most of his cup. He doesn’t want to go for multiple rounds and have to go through the hassle of coming in and out of the “party room.”
He feels a hand on his shoulder, and he almost jumps in mid-air. Mason turns and sees Callum smiling down at him with a cocky grin.
“You came?” Callum says, his eyebrow raised questioningly like he’s surprised that Mason actually decided to show up and that it’s a cruel prank he’s playing.
“No, I actually sent a hologram of myself,” Mason retorts.
Callum is remarkably unperturbed by his sarcasm. “Didn’t think you’d come. I didn’t think this was your scene.”
“And yet, you invited me,” Mason says, taking a sipfrom his cup, maintaining eye contact with Callum. Callum keeps his eyes on Mason too.
“I figured since you’re saying nice things about me for once, that I should be friendly back,” Callum says.
“Well, contractually… I kind of have to,” Mason jokes.
Callum actually laughs.
His usually serious face lights up with a boyish smile as he beams at Mason.
For a fleeting moment, Mason feels like he’s standing in front of his best friend again, and that at any second, they could run off and get into some mischief together.
