Page 23 of The Frathole

I don’t know why that makes me feel relief, maybe because if it hadn’t been that way, it’d be like I was getting even less sex than I already am.

“We had to eat,” Ash adds with a wink, but I’m not laughing ’cause now I’m thinking maybe that’s closer to the truth than I figured.

“I know the feeling,” Lance adds. “Ty and I had fun at Universal, but we were eager to get back to the hotel so we could have a different kind of fun.”

“To think it used to be two straight guys and our bi bro Ash, and now I’m the odd man out.”

“That’s not true,” Ash insists, sidling up close and hooking his arm around mine. “You were always the odd man out. But it is funny how many Alpha Theta Mus identified as straight freshman year, and now they’re falling out of the closet left and right. Maybe keeping a whiteboard to track how many of the guys in the house come out wouldn’t be so bad.”

That’s an idea I had when it felt like all my buddies at Alpha Theta Mu wound up with guys.

We share a laugh. Obviously, we’d never do that, but it’s funnyimagining scratching off the names of our bros as they discover this new side of themselves.

“But enough about the Alpha Theta Mu queers,” Lance says, then to me, “How are things with you? I saw you chatting up Angie after TaskFrat on Friday. Any news there?”

“News? There’s not gonna be any news. There’s nothing there.”

Ash angles his head, glaring at me.

“No, like, she’s hot and fun and cool, but that’s where it ends.”

Do I wish she would go out with me? Absolutely.

Am I deluding myself, thinking that would ever happen? Absolutely not.

“Even worse, now she’s ogling Ryan every time he comes around. Him and his beefy, Hulk-man body. If that’s what she’s into, I can’t compete.”

“That’s true,” Ash says, and Lance and I both glare at him. “I meant, if that’s what she was into, but you don’t know that. And speaking of the frathole, we’ve enjoyed an entire afternoon and you haven’t brought him up, so I take it things aren’tas bad?” The way he inflects that last part, it’s clear he’s hopeful things have improved.

“It’s better,” I confess, though I wish I didn’t have to.

“Oh, really?” Lance says, sounding shocked, but like fake shocked, which makes me suspicious.

“Why?” I ask. “You didn’t tell him I was keeping tabs on all that shit he was doing, did you?”

Ash purses his lips, like he’s keeping a secret for Lance.

“Hey!” I snap.

“I did not tell Ryan anything,” is as much as Lance reveals, which tells me all I need to know—he must’ve blabbed to Ty. Of course he did.

“So this is why he’s better? Well, I guess I don’t have to worrybecause I’m sure he’ll be back to violating rules by Friday. Probably all sexed up from the girls he had lined up in Orlando.”

“Um…you know we just went to Universal Studios,” Lance says. “We weren’t, like, having orgies at the hotel. Not all of us got Ash and Colin’s vacation.”

“I’m surprised he managed to go a whole week without.”

Lance and Ash exchange looks.

“What? You guys think I’m being overdramatic? After all the stunts he’s pulled?”

“I didn’t say that,” Lance says. “But you said he’s acting better, and you’re still bothered, so…”

“Yeah,” Ash says. “Maybe…keep an open mind and give him a chance.”

I huff. “He’s had more than enough chances.”

We head out to dinner, and when we’re back at the house, I go to my room, where I discover Ryan sitting at my desk. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen him there before, especially not in joggers and a tee. Is the asshole trying to hog the desk?