America and Shepley waited for us in the living room.
“Parker is going to piss himself when he sees you,” America giggled as Shepley led the way to the car.
Travis opened the door, and I slid into the back seat of Shepley’s Charger. Although we had occupied that seat countless times before, it was suddenly awkward to sit next to him.
Cars lined the street, some even parked in the front lawn. The House was busting at the seams, and people were still walking down the street from the dorms. Shepley pulled onto the grass lot in the back, and America and I followed the boys inside.
Travis brought me a red plastic cup full of beer, and then leaned in to whisper in my ear. “Don’t take these from anyone but me or Shep. I don’t want anyone slipping anything in your drink.”
I rolled my eyes. “No one is going to put anything in my drink, Travis.”
“Just don’t drink anything that doesn’t come from me, okay? You’re not in Kansas, anymore, Pigeon.”
“I haven’t heard that one before,” I said sarcastically, taking a drink.
An hour had passed, and Parker was still a no-show. America and Shepley were dancing to a slow song in the living room when Travis tugged on my hand. “Wanna dance?”
“No thanks,” I said.
His face fell.
I touched his shoulder. “I’m just tired, Trav.”
He put his hand on mine, and began to speak, but when I looked past him, I saw that Parker was walking toward us. Travis noticed my expression and turned.
“Hey, Abby! You made it!” Parker smiled.
“Yeah, we’ve been here for an hour or so,” I said, pulling my hand from under Travis’.
“You look incredible!” he yelled over the music.
“Thanks!” I grinned, glancing over to Travis. His lips were pressed together, and a line had formed between his eyebrows.
Parker nodded toward the living room and smiled. “You wanna dance?”
I wrinkled my nose and shook my head. “Nah, I’m kinda tired.”
Parker looked at Travis, then. “I thought you weren’t coming.”
“I changed my mind,” Travis said, irritated that he had to explain.
“I see that,” Parker said, looking to me. “You wanna get some air?”
I nodded, and then followed Parker up the stairs. He paused, reaching to take my hand as we climbed to the second floor. When we reached the top, he pushed open a pair of French doors to the balcony.
“Are you cold?” he asked.
“A little chilly,” I said, smiling when he pulled off his jacket and covered my shoulders, “Thanks.”
“You’re here with Travis?”
“We rode together.”
Parker’s mouth stretched across his face in a broad grin and then he looked out onto the lawn. A group of girls were huddled together, arms hooked together to fight the cold. Crepe paper and beer cans littered the grass, along with empty bottles of liquor. Among the clutter, Sig Tau brothers were standing around their masterpiece: a pyramid of kegs decorated with white lights.
Parker shook his head. “This place is going to be destroyed in the morning. The clean-up crew is going to be busy.”
“You have a clean-up crew?”
“Yeah,” he smiled, “we call them freshmen.”
“Poor Shep.”
“He’s not on it. He gets a pass because he’s Travis’ cousin, and he doesn’t live in the House.”
“Do you live in the House?”
Parker nodded. “The last two years. I need to get an apartment, though. I need a quieter place to study.”
“Let me guess…Business major?”
“Biology, with a minor in Anatomy. I’ve got one more year left, take the MCAT, and then hopefully I’m off to Harvard Med.”
“You already know you’re in?”
“My Dad went to Harvard. I mean, I don’t know for sure, but he’s a generous alumnus if you know what I mean. I carry a four-point-oh, got a twenty-two hundred on my SAT’s, thirty-six on my ACT’s. I’m in a good position for a spot.”
“Your dad’s a doctor?”
Parker confirmed with a good-natured smile. “Orthopedic surgeon.”
“Impressive.”
“How about you?” he asked.