Chapter Text
The house was not selling. It was like a horrifying symbol of their whole relationship, Charlotte and Jeff, perpetually stalled. They had both been living in it, together but not, both unable to afford the mortgage on top of a separate rent. At first Charlotte feared that this arrangement would wreck her resolve, that she would just give in to a life with Jeff, call the break up off, continue on as if nothing had happened. But rather, living together while broken up only highlighted the fact that they weren’t necessary to one another. Her words had broken his pride along with their hearts and there was no turning back. She knew that was the thing about words, once they were said they couldn’t really be reversed.
They had been together for seven years, seven good years really, but Charlotte had always felt like something was missing. After she turned down Jeff's proposal in year three they had continued on, each hoping something would click into place, would turn their solid partnership into something stronger, something more beautiful. It had been good enough that they had bought the house together two years ago and had enjoyed making it a home, working together pulling up carpet, pulling down wallpaper, replacing a furnace, maintaining the yard, living a life, together. But it was when Jeff started really pushing for kids that Charlotte knew she had stayed too long. She always wanted children but it was something about the thought of mingling their DNA to create another human that finally highlighted the fact that Jeff simply wasn’t what she wanted from life. And now the house, the house that they had put so much time and love and effort into, had sat on the market all summer. Their realtor assured them that there was always a little housing boost in September and October but Charlotte was starting to feel hopeless. The house, like their love, despite giving it all they had, apparently wasn’t good enough to really be worth anything.
She was eating her regular quick dinner of stovetop mac and cheese quietly in her bedroom, away from Jeff, when her phone buzzed with an email. It was forwarded from Esther, an email about a ten year reunion weekend for the Temple University Sigma Chi chapter, class of 2009. The weekend would start with a happy hour on Friday night then continue with a Temple tailgate and football game during the day on Saturday and a dinner Saturday night. Charlotte grimaced and hoped that Esther had forwarded this to her by mistake but within moments a text message popped up. And then three more in quick succession.
“Hey! Did you see my email? I know, I know, you don’t want to go but Babbers is so excited and we already have my mom babysitting the kids for the whole weekend and G is game bc Arthur’s coming down from NYC. While the brotherhood is doing their reunion we could have our own little sisterhood reunion.”
“PLEASE.”
“I’m sure with things between you and Jeff you could use a weekend away and I miss you.”
“PLEEEEASE.”
Charlotte deflated a bit. She knew Esther was going to really push for this and it would be wonderful to see her and Georgiana again. She hadn't been great about keeping up with them in the last year or so and she really did miss them. And obviously a weekend away from Jeff and the house would be a godsend but for the same reason she felt very reluctant to go. Life had not really turned out the way she had envisioned when she left Temple University with her shiny new diploma, double major, high academic honors and loads of motivation. Going back now, when she was feeling especially low and defeated in her professional and personal life could easily be far more bitter than sweet. And on top of that her home in Erie, Pennsylvania was about six and a half hours by car from Temple in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It wasn’t just a quick, easy drive. Finally, not to be petty ten years later, but hanging out with the Sigma Chi brotherhood and seeing some of those guys just was not something she was interested in.
Her phone buzzed again.
“Charlotte, Tom said he can get you an employee discount with one of the hotel chains. They have a location right in the heart of Center City. I’m not going to stop bugging you until you say yes or give me a hella good excuse.”
Charlotte sighed and typed in resignation. “Let me check my calendar and see if I can take off work on that Friday.”
The response was immediate.
“YESSSSSSS!”
“Hey, Arthur’s frat is having a party tonight. Let’s gooo!” Georgiana danced into her triple dorm room with an energy that was not matched by her roommates inside. Esther and Charlotte were cozy on Esther's bed, popcorn bowl in front of them, terrible Lifetime movie on the tv.
“Frat party? We’re not freshmen anymore. I think we’ve done our time.” Esther said without tearing her eyes from the woman killing her husband on tv.
“Oh come on. You guys love Arthur. If it’s his frat they can’t all be that bad there.” Arthur and Georgiana had met at a PFLAG meeting freshman year and co hosted a show together on the college radio station. Outside of her roommates, he was her best friend.
“Which frat is he in again?” Esther asked ready to be unimpressed.
“Sigma Chi I think.”
Esther pretended to gag. “Pass.”
“Oh, I think that guy from my Communications class last year, Tom, is in Sigma Chi.” Charlotte said.
“Yes! He and Arthur are friends!” Georgiana said excitedly. “Charlotte, come on please. You, me and Arthur dancing the night away? Doesn’t it sound fun? The semester just started, let's kick off sophomore year right.”
Charlotte sighed, looked at Georgiana and then back at the tv and then lifted the remote to pause the movie.
“What?! That shit’s on demand?!” Georgiana exclaimed indignantly. “You all have no excuse. Get out of your yoga pants. You’re both coming, you lazy freaking roommates.”
Babington and Sidney Parker watched the first floor of the frat house fill up with random students that over the course of the next few hours would totally wreck the place. They were both sophomores so this was their first full year as official Sigma Chi brothers and their first year living in the frat house. They were feeling pretty good about the coming year, well mostly.
“Here we go.” Sidney muttered into his plastic cup of beer and he saw their fellow brothers, Frank Crowe and Edward Denham sauntering over to them. Crowe wedged himself between Sidney and Babington and dropped a heavy arm around each of their shoulders.
Edward Denham stood at Sidney’s elbow and recited importantly while surveying the room, “We few, we happy few, we band of brothers.”
Crowe gave him a look. “That sounds pretty gay Eddie.”
“It’s Shakespeare you troglodyte.”
“Whatever, tonight I’m not here for my brothers. Tonight I’m here for some of these very fresh freshmen.” Crowe answered leering at a group of giggling scantily clad girls who had just walked in the front door. Sidney curled his lip in distaste but didn’t say anything.
Babington snorted, “Crowe, sixty years from now you’re going to hit your prime and be the filthiest old man that ever walked the earth but for now you’re just a creep.”
Crowe shrugged, unaffected and Edward reached over and shoved his shoulder. “Alright, how about this then Crowe”, he lifted his cup to him in salute, “'To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.' Tennyson, of course.” He added.
“Of course.” Crowe answered snidely. “But yes, to not yielding!” He and Edward clinked their cups together, cheap beer sloshing out. Babington and Sidney took a step back.
Sidney then leaned forward and clapped the two fools on their shoulders. “Just remember this important piece of poetry fellas, ‘No means no.’” and he and Babington walked off.
.
“Hey, that girl talking to Arthur is something else isn’t she?”
Sidney followed Babington’s line of sight across the crowded, dark room to see a brunette and a redhead standing with Arthur. The brunette was talking and Sidney had to agree, in her tight jeans and v-neck t-shirt, she was pretty hot. He shrugged. “So go for it man.”
Babington grinned. “Don’t mind if I do.” He took a sip of his drink and then walked boldly towards the group but to Sidney’s surprise stopped in front of the redhead instead of the brunette. The redhead would not have been Sidney’s target. Her hair was long and very pretty, done up kinda in an old 40’s pinup style, swept to the side, big loose curls. But then she had on unnervingly dark lipstick and all black clothes, making her ivory skin seem blindingly white. She looked like a fucking vampire and Babington was willingly offering himself up to be eaten alive. Poor dumb Babbers.
He watched as Babbers addressed her, saw the girl’s look of revulsion as if he hadn’t asked her to dance but rather to give him one of her kidneys. Arthur leaned in and spoke a few words in the girl’s ear, shrugging. It seemed whatever he had said was enough to sway her, or at least convince her Babbers wasn’t totally vile. She rolled her eyes at the hot brunette and, with visible reluctance, stalked off to the dance floor, Babington happily following behind.
Charlotte stood alone. Georgiana had come over and pulled Arthur away to play beer pong. Charlotte told them she’d wait until Esther was done dancing before she joined them there. Getting separated at these types of parties could often result in a pointless night spent trying to find your friends in a stupidly crowded house. She had thought it incredibly amusing when one of the frat brothers, truly a walking slice of white bread, came up and asked unapproachable Esther to dance. The guy might come off as bland but he certainly was somewhat bold.
As she stood there watching the scores of students teetering on the edge of drunk mistakes she sensed someone sidle up close enough to talk to her. “Your friend’s pretty goth looking.”
Charlotte glanced over to see the guy she vaguely recognized as Arthur’s roommate. Arthur had spoken about his roommate, the man who had ruined other men for him forever, the man whose straightness Arthur mourned most ardently. She quickly and surreptitiously looked him over and in that glance and she couldn’t argue Arthur’s point. He was incredibly handsome, great build, tall but not too tall, strong jaw and cheekbones, dark hair and eyes. She was sure he would have his pick of simpering freshmen girls to hook up with tonight. In the meantime, she wasn’t sure how to respond to his comment so she arched an eyebrow and then turned back to the dance floor.
He leaned in and persisted over the loud music. “I bet she’s real moody. Listens to a lot of sad Sam Smith songs.”
Charlotte had met some really nice frat guys over the last year at Temple, Arthur and Tom, for instance, but this guy seemed to be the archetypal frat douche. “First, what the hell dude? What do you care? And second, she listens to stuff that is way more indie than Sam Smith. Why don’t you go back to your keg stands and paddles or whatever and leave me and my friends alone?”
The frat guy smiled, amused. “Paddles?”
“Whatever. Just because we’re not part of some sorority doesn’t mean you can treat us like outcasts.” Charlotte answered scornfully, deliberately not looking at him and his handsome, douchey face.
The guy took a sip of his beer and nodded. When he spoke again his voice had an angry, defensive edge to it. “See that guy she’s dancing with is my best friend and I just want to make sure he’s in good hands. So maybe you shouldn’t get all up in arms.”
“Well maybe you shouldn’t look out for him by making shitty judgements about people’s appearances.” She shot back.
She was right but he was pissed. It was his frat's party and he wasn’t used to being berated by the guests. “You’re just a barrel of fun aren’t you? I guess I know why you’re standing alone now.”
Charlotte hit him with the dirtiest look she could muster. “If I’m alone it’s because the company sucks.” She turned on her heel and left him behind.