Chapter 34 Party Like Thor

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[Alpha Phi Alpha House, 15:35, 31/07/2021]

Dylan's Jeep—nicknamed "Betty"—rumbled to life, and Alex buckled up, grateful for the blast of cool air from the half-functional AC vents. She leaned her head back against the headrest, trying to relax. Between the housing fiasco and the unexpected run-in with her very-much-male roommate, she needed a minute to catch her breath.

"Don't worry," Dylan joked as he pulled out of the parking lot. "Betty might look like she's on her last legs, but she runs just fine. I've had her since senior year in high school and she made the journey from South Carolina,"

Alex offered a small smile. "I've driven worse," she admitted. "Farm life isn't always glamorous. Our old truck used to break down at least once a month."

Dylan quirked an eyebrow, guiding the Jeep onto the main road that cut across campus. "I pictured you being naive with the whole housing situation, but a farm girl never came to mind."

"Hey, I'm not Naive just more of a hindsight person," She retorted pouting in displeasure. "Plus, I've been told my accent's all messed up from travelling for tournaments. Most folks just assume Minnesota means I say 'Ope' and 'You betcha' all day."

"Guess that's one stereotype busted," he teased.

They drove in comfortable silence for a moment, weaving through sun-soaked walkways and passing clusters of early arrivals heading to various campus hangouts. Although it was supposed to be summer break, the place was more alive than Alex had expected. A few people shouted greetings at Dylan, who waved back casually.

"So," Dylan asked, shifting gears, "you said you're on the soccer team, right? That means you basically have free reign to use the stadium, the training facilities, all that fancy stuff?"

Alex's eyes sparked a bit at the thought. "Sure do. It's part of being a student-athlete. We start official camp on the first, so that's when the real work begins."

Dylan nodded. "Cool. Must be nice being good enough to get a full ride. I'm here on a partial scholarship for my journalism major, which translates to loads of ramen dinners and part-time RA duty."

"At least the RA gig covers your housing," Alex pointed out. "You said you did it for the free room?"

"That, and I get to meet new people every year," Dylan said with a grin. "Sometimes it's a blast, sometimes it's a headache—but it's never boring."

They turned down a tree-lined street, the music from the Alpha Phi Alpha house getting louder with every yard they passed. The front lawn was already packed with people—some in swimsuits, others in casual summer attire—mingling around picnic tables and a makeshift dance area. Smoke rose from a couple of grills, and the mouthwatering smell of barbecued ribs and burgers drifted through the open air.

Dylan parked Betty a few houses down, and they hopped out. Alex caught sight of a tall girl with a brunette ponytail—Riley—hovering near the sidewalk. She was easy to spot, wearing neon pink shorts and an oversized UCLA T-shirt tied at the waist. The moment Riley saw Alex, she lit up like a firework.

"You made it!" Riley yelled, jogging over. She gave Alex a quick hug, then glanced at Dylan with a friendly nod. "Thanks for bringing her. I was about to send a search party." 

Dylan laughed. "All good, just doing my RA duties. Y'all have fun."

He waved goodbye and headed off toward a group of students and immediately fit into the conversation as if he were the one who started it. "You're lucky you have Dylan as your RA in my building we have Jacky a cheerleader, but she acts like you're trying to rob her every time you ask her to do her job," Riley commented from the side as he hooked her arm around Alex's arm dragging her inside the house.

"I guess cheerleaders are the same even in college," Alex commented with a sigh already hoping to never have to deal with that particular species of the American educational system.

"Not all of them are bad Maya the head cheerleader is nice and most of the girls are ok they just a few bad apples who haven't let go of their kingdom back in high school," Riley said with a light smile as she proceeded to guide her through the party.

The front hall, which was already crowded with people laughing and chatting. The music was a steady pulse in the background, and the smell of grilled burgers and hotdogs lingered in the air. A couple of guys rushed past, carrying a giant cooler toward the backyard, almost bumping into Alex in the process.

"Sorry!" one of them called over his shoulder, before disappearing into the crowd. 

Alex laughed it off and pressed on, keeping close to Riley. They moved into what looked like the living room, but most of the furniture had been pushed against the walls to make space for an improvised dance floor. A group of girls from the volleyball team, still in matching sports bras and leggings, were dancing together in the centre, while a few guys cheered them on.

"See?" Riley said, pointing to a corner where some other soccer girls were chatting. "Our crew's mostly over there. Let's say hi."

Alex nodded, feeling a tad overwhelmed by the sheer number of people, but also excited. This was way different from the small-town parties she was used to—no hay bales, no bonfires, just wall-to-wall students having a good time. This was what she had yearned for, the freedom to discover who she was without everyone judging her based on the fact they watched her grow up from a toddler.

As they neared the group, a familiar face popped out from behind them. "Alex!" Mia, one of the older players on the soccer team, greeted her with a grin. "Heard you had quite the day already. Something about a roommate mix-up?"

Alex's cheeks warmed. "Word travels fast around here, huh?"

"Girl, these walls have ears," Mia said in a teasing tone, then offered Alex a paper cup. "Here, it's just soda."

Alex took it with a grateful nod and glanced around. "Yeah, there was a mistake in the housing assignments. They shoved me into a room with a guy who was…less than thrilled. RA says I might be stuck until the admin offices open."

Mia winced sympathetically. "That's rough. But hey, if you need a place to crash, I've got a single in the older dorm building. It's not fancy, but there's a couch,"

"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind," Alex said, managing a small smile. 

Riley nudged her playfully. "See? There are options."

"Don't know why you're trying the hardest to escape from a hot boy though, heck all the thirsty girls in here would gladly trade places with you if the rumours are true," another girl from their team named Sasha exclaimed immediately asking for the details after finding out about Alex's towel run-in with her roommate.

"I bet you are one of those thots," Rilley commented from the side lightly jabbing the girl in her stomach causing her to flinch in surprise. "Hey, what can I say, I love beautiful men especially if they are athletic with a body like B. Jordan," Sasha replied as she continued to gush over Creed almost causing her mouth to water.

Just as Alex opened her mouth to address whatever Sasha was going through, the music cut out, as the scratching of the turning table resounded. Immediately after a voice boomed across the house from the DJ booth, catching everyone's attention: "Alright, listen up! We have a special guest in the building. Give it up for UCLA's brand-new five-star recruit LA's very own—Jaaaaace Lyon!"

The whole place erupted into cheers and whistles. People turned toward the living room entrance, phones raised, trying to snap photos or record. Alex felt her heart skip. There was no way it was the same Jace, right?

She craned her neck to see over the crowd, and sure enough, the tall figure now stepping into the room was none other than her rude, towel-wearing, supposed-to-be-her-roommate. A wave of mixed emotions rolled through her—annoyance, curiosity, and displeasure as Dylan had said people on the football team could easily get their requests heard by the management.

She knew just how popular football was back home so she didn't believe that one of the best recruits in the nation could get a rooming situation fixed. However, remembering his almost disinterested smirk she could tell he could give two flying f**k about her predicament. Riley, Mia, and the rest of the soccer girls around Alex perked up at the announcement. "That's him?" Riley asked, glancing at Alex with wide eyes.

Alex nodded, doing her best to keep her frustrated expression neutral. "Yup. That's my roommate in all his cocky glory."

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To Be Continued...