Page 5 of Seeds of Friendship (University of Mountain Springs)

Alfie’s movements are calm and deliberate.

“Are we done here?” His voice is different—colder than I’ve heard it. “Because frankly, this is tedious. You’ve made your point. We get it. You’re very large and very angry. Congratulations.”

Connor stares at him, thrown by the complete lack of fear in Alfie’s tone.

“Now,” Alfie continues, “we’re going to leave, you’re going to continue whatever steroid-fuelled activities you had planned, and everyone goes home with their dental work intact.

Unless you’d prefer to explain to campus security why four freshmen were assaulted in broad daylight on a street full of witnesses?

” He gestures to the houses around us, where several neighbors are definitely watching through windows.

“You threatening me?” Connor asks, but some of the heat’s gone.

“I’m stating facts. There’s a difference.” Alfie looks bored. “Troy, pick up your end of that poster. We’re leaving.”

The authority in his voice is so absolute that Troy actually does it without question. We start walking, Connor and his crew still standing there like they’re processing what just happened.

“This isn’t over, Hawkins,” Connor calls after us.

“It never is with people like you,” Alfie says, not even turning around.

We walk in tense silence for two blocks before Ethan finally speaks.

“Dude. Alfie. That was…”

“Stupid,” Alfie finishes. “Incredibly stupid. That guy looks rabid.”

“I was going to say badass,” Ethan says.

“Yep,” Troy adds, voice shaky. “Thanks, man. I mean it.”

Alfie shrugs. “He was being dramatic. People like that usually are.”

“People like what?” I ask.

“Insecure assholes with something to prove. Sadly, I know the type.” He glances at Troy. “Though perhaps next time, avoid sleeping with the ex-girlfriends of insecure assholes.”

“She wasn't his—” Troy starts.

“I don't care,” Alfie cuts him off. “Just don't make this our problem again. I like peace.”

But there's something in the way he says it—not really angry, just... protective. Like maybe, despite all his complaining, he actually gives a shit about us not getting our asses kicked.

“So,” Ethan says as we finally reach Oak Street, “are we going to talk more about how Alfie just went full mafia boss on those guys?”

“No,” Alfie says firmly.

“Because that was some 'my father will hear about this' energy—”

“Stop talking.”

“I'm just saying, that was not the response of someone who's never dealt with meatheads before.”

Alfie stops at our front door. “Boarding school was full of Connors. You learn to handle them or you get eaten alive.”

And with that cryptic comment, he disappears inside, leaving the rest of us standing there with Einstein.

“Our roommate might be secretly terrifying,” Troy observes.

“Definitely,” I agree.

“I think I'm a little turned on,” Ethan adds.

We all stare at him.

“What? I'm comfortable with my sexuality. Adrenaline gets me going.”

Troy and I exchange a look.

“Let's just get Einstein inside,” I say.

But as we manoeuvre the poster through the door, I can't help thinking that maybe—just maybe—living with these three disasters might not be the worst thing after all.

“That thing is not going in my room,” Alfie says.

“It's going in the living room,” Ethan insists. “Where everyone can appreciate it.”

“Where everyone can question our taste,” Alfie corrects.

“We have taste?” I mutter, and surprisingly, Alfie actually snorts. It might be the first non-contemptuous sound I've heard him make.

Troy and Ethan have named the poster “Professor E” and are planning a welcome party for it. Alfie looks like he's reconsidering every choice that led him to this moment.

“This is what we're going to be known for,” he says, watching them struggle to put it up. “The house with the trashy Einstein poster.”

“Better than the house with the four idiots who couldn't figure out housing,” I point out.

He considers this. “Fair point.”

And for just a second, I think maybe the rich kid might actually be human under all that expensive indifference.