Page 23 of For the Fans

Spinning, I leave the bathroom, ignoring his words on my way out.

“You got it, superstar.”

CaptainJackSwallow: Ride my gag reflex like a pony

One Year Later…

(Freshman Year, Boston College)

“Oh, shit. Hide me.”

I crouch down on the bench I’m sitting on, using Frankie’s body as a shield.

“You’re an idiot, Vega,” she huffs, while Zeb and Micah laugh.

“Correction… He’s playing it smart,” Zeb sighs. “Olivia is as clingy as they come. Just ask this asshole.” He juts his thumb in Micah’s direction. “She followed him here from New Hampshire.”

“Okay, that’s not true.” Micah shakes his head. “We just both happened to come to BC. It’s a big school…”

“Don’t act like you didn’t come here just to escape her.” Zeb laughs.

“I can’t believe you hooked up with her.” Micah scolds me with his eyes as I finally straighten back up, now that Olivia Wheeler is out of sight.

“I was drunk,” I grumble, reaching for my last Twizzler and ripping off a bite between my teeth. “It was the freshman orientation party. All we did was make out, and she’s been following me around ever since.”

“That’s what you get for hooking up at the freshman orientation party,” Frankie says pointedly. “It’s like a rule. Never hook up with someone your first week of college.”

“Well, clearly, I fucked up,” I mutter while petulantly chewing my candy, and they continue to laugh at my expense.Some friends…“Don’t be jealous that I’m out here slingin’ dick,” I tease, and they fake clap.

“Sling that dick my way, Vega.” Zeb winks at me. “I’ll teach you a thing or two.”

I roll my eyes while Micah doubles over.

“Okay, if you two are done flirting,” Frankie sighs, standing up. “We’re gonna be late for band practice.” She grabs Zeb by the arm.

“I’ll walk with you.” I pick up the trash from our lunch. “I’m going that way.”

The three of us look to Micah. “I’d love to join, but I heard Kreston is posting midterm grades today. I need to find out if my parents are going to allow me to come home for the summer, or if I’ll be living in my car until the fall semester starts.”

We all laugh sympathetically, and I pat him on the back. “Good luck!”

Micah walks off in the direction of the science building, while the rest of us head toward Lyons Hall.

Freshman year at Boston College was awesome. The best part was that Frankie got in too, so I came here knowing I’d have at least one friend to keep me from drowning in insecurity. Especially since this place is so far outside of any college I ever thought I’d attend.I mean, it’s a Jesuit school, for Christ’s sake.

I don’t want to sound accusatory, but do they even allow Jews to go here?

Well, apparently, they do, because here I am. I guess it helps that my last name is Vega, not Roth—my mother’s maiden name.

To be fair, I really don’t think it matters much. Especially for me, since religion is literally the last thing I give a flying fuck about. All I knew going into this was that the art program was pretty sweet, and there were opportunities to major in things I could potentially make a career out of, although I don’t know that I necessarily care much about those things either.

Here’s how it went down. I applied to BC as a joke, because my stepbrother, the most annoying, preppy jock on the face of the earth, wouldn’t stop raving about it, and I kind of wanted to see if I could get in, just to throw it in his annoying, preppy jock face. When Idid, I really had no intention of actually going here. But then Frankie told me she was going here, and I was like…Okay. Let’s see what this Jesus-loving college on a hill is all about.

So far, it’s been fun. I’m still not great at school, so my grades are average at best. But I’ve been making friends, having a blast with my art classes, and you know…slingin’ dick.

That’s a joke, of course. But based on real events, because I’ve sort of come out of my shell in college—get it? Come.

Not that I’m some slut who hooks up with everyone, but I guess it’s safe to say I’m a bit of a late bloomer with dating and sex and whatnot. The stuff most people I know were doing in high school, I just started doing this year. I go to parties with my friends, and sometimes I make out with girls. Often, we’ll explore the bases after first, and on occasion, we’ll take it all the way home. It’s very casual, which is fine. Safe, consensual… the whole nine.