Page 19 of The Frathole

And I must admit, probably also has something to do with my frustrations about football and Dad.

On Wednesday, after I’m finished with classes, I meet the guys at the rec center for pickleball. It’s a mix of frats and sororities at the indoor courts, and we play a few rounds before Ty and I swap out with Marty and our Sigma Alpha buddy Jaxon, taking seats on a nearby bench with Keegan.

“Look at the guy,” I tell Ty as Marty gawks at Angie, who’s playing on the court beside ours. Angie gives him a friendly wave, which Marty returns before the ball hits him in the leg.

“Man, where are you?” Lance calls out from the opposite side.

“So pathetic,” I grumble.

Ty takes a sip of water from his thermos before saying, “Will you leave him the hell alone, for your own sake?”

“Not my fault he’s got no moves.”

Ty and Keegan eye me, but I pretend not to notice as I holler out, “Nice serve, Ang!”

“Thank you, boo,” she calls back, and I’ve rightfully earned a glare from Marty.

She’s started calling me boo since we’ve been back from the break, which is cute, but probably not helping with Marty thinking I’m making moves on her.

“Ry…” Ty says with a severe tone, the way Mom or Dad might’ve when I was a kid and did something wrong.

“What?”

“It’s not nice what you’re doing.”

“What am I doing?”

“Angie…?”

I’m as thrown as when Marty got up in arms about it before the break.

“You aren’t trying to get with her?” Ty asks.

“No.”

His skeptical expression doesn’t change.

“I know it’s coming from that day before break when we went to Junkie’s,” I say. “I was being friendly with her like I normally am, but Marty started giving me hell like I was making moves on her, and I maybe did make sure to talk to her more than I normally would to piss him off. But not like flirting. Whatever story Marty’s making up in his head is on him and not my problem.”

“You really don’t like that guy, do you?” Ty asks.

“Don’t likedoesn’t really cover the hate I feel for that prick.”

We’ve never gotten along, but it’s been worse since probation, for sure, and as soon as we got back from break, we were right back to our usual routine. Even though I’m being a dick, he’s earned it.

“Damn, Ry,” Keegan says. “Give him a break. He’s helped us a lot with the insurance and navigating the fire stuff.”

That’s the truth. After the fire, he’s really stepped up, and I can’t shit all over his perfectionism and obsession with rules.

“Yeah, yeah. I know he’s made things easier for Sigma Alpha as a whole, but guy’s gone out of his way to make my life hell since we got here.”

“I imagine he’d say the same about you,” Ty presses.

“Whose side are you on again?”

“My best friend’s, always, man.”

Another ball passes by Marty while he’s exchanging a look with Angie.