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That’s one of my dad’s edicts I do actually kinda agree with. Excellence doesn’t happen by accident.

Still, I look down at the stacks of papers and color-coded sticky notes and can’t help but think one thing: This is gonna suck.

Eighteen credit hours in my last year is a heavy load, but I’ve done more.

It’ll be fine.

“So now we’re de facto banned from future premiere events because you decided to make a scene,” Yenn says, whipping up so fast that her waist-length hair knocks against her bong, making it teeter precariously.

Ezra, Yenn, and I jolt forward in an attempt to keep it from smashing to the ground. After it rights itself, we all exhale. Swiping the bong off the table and patting around her pockets, Yenn says, “Well, you could have just signed the NDA and quietly gone about your business.” She finds her lighter and uses the butt of it to push at the remaining pot in the stem.

“Well, first, their PR manager lady was rude. Second, she wanted me to sign something without reading it, Yenn. You know better than that.”

Yenn rolls her eyes and Ez rolls his back even harder, and after a moment of silence, we break into laughter in unison.

Ezra loosens his tie and eventually pulls it from his neck.

“All right, Mr.Lawyer-in-training,” Yenn says dramatically, flicking the lighter to ignite it. I ignore the bubbling sound coming from the rig, cross-referencing my work schedule with my first exams.

Two papers and three exams right before fall break. No big deal.

I’ve got this. It’ll be fine.

Yenn hands Ezra the bong and while he takes a long rip, she clears her throat, and I take my time dragging my eyes to hers. Because it’s only gonna be some tomfoolery. I’m sure of it.

“Shae, Ezra and I were talking?—”

“Keep me out of this,” Ezra says while holding his breath—and the smoke—in.

“—and we are very concerned about you. Specifically, we are concerned about the health of your vagine.”

She looks so serious, I want to burst out laughing. When her face turns wry, she looks like the spitting image of Zoe Kravitz. Long locs, medium-toned skin, with amber-colored eyes that screamsex.

“Mywhatnow?” I say, putting my pen down and giving her and Ezra my full attention.

Yenn flips her hair over her shoulder. “Shae, when was the last time you got laid?”

Heat crawls up my cheeks. “When was the last timeyougot laid? See, it’s an intrusive question, isn’t it?”

Yenn lifts an eyebrow. “I got laid last night,” she says, throwing away the comment.

“You did?” Ezra asks. “When did you have the time?” He looks delightfully scandalized.

“Ez, focus. This isn’t about me. This is about Shae and her mummified pussy.”

Ezra shudders, releasing a mock gag at the word.

“Hey, don’t disrespect the yoni, beloved. Get it together,” Yenn says, and Ezra’s head drops to the back of the armchair as he slides his body from the seat to the floor.

“I really don’t see what my sex life has to do with anything or either of you,” I say, stacking my papers on top of my closed planner. I don’t want to talk about this.

No one would ever call me a prude. I’ve called someone my boyfriend ever since I turned fifteen. I know I’m beautiful and guys are attracted to me. But I was too scared of flunking out my freshman year, so I kept my head in a textbook and lived in the library. By the time sophomore year came around, I loosened upagain and had a few unsatisfying hookups after allowing myself to party with Yenn more.

But when I got a B in Calculus, I determined the trade-off wasn’t worth it if I lost everything.

Now’s the time to buckle down and focus. Yenn doesn’t get it, but shewouldn’tget it. My father worked in ministry; her father is a tech mogul.

We are not the same, and it’s times like these when that difference is really apparent.