questions about the engineering program, polymer science and Cyprus-Rhodes in general, he’d only had time to grab a soda and made it last the entire evening.
Seeing his big brother was therefore not ideal, especially when said big brother was perched on his front steps. “Cappie.”
“Spitter.”
“What are you doing here?”
“I might say the same of you, Sir Hobnobber.”
“Well, I live here.” And he didn’t want to kick Cappie out, but he was sure if he went inside, Cappie would follow.
“Hmm.” Cappie just nodded in a conspiratorial manner. He was planning something. “Was it better than clothing shopping with Dale?”
Rusty took a moment to process that. Maybe he was too tired to hear correctly. “What?”
“Your roommate has some serious social impairments. Which is cool. He’s developed in other areas. But corduroy? Unacceptable.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You told Dale that Casey is his date for the engineering social.”
Too exhausted to continue this conversation standing, Rusty dropped his backpack and sat down next to Cappie. “It’s not a social, or I guess it is, but yeah. So?”
“So, as you may recall before your Kappa Tau membership threw various female-counterpart opportunities into your lap, some people of…your persuasion—and Dale’s—might get a little nervous at the notion of escorting a fine, distinguished woman such as your sister to the event of their semester.”
Rusty pondered this for a moment, trying to decipher Cappie-speak. “Did Dale freak out and call you?”
“Your phone was off, and his purity brothers are—”
“On Fire Island, I know.” Rusty wasn’t sure when the friendship between Dale and Cappie had developed, but it remained as shocking as it had been when he’d first noticed it. Mostly because it was so unlikely. “So you took Dale shopping.”
“As I would you, if required to aid in such a noble cause.”
“Okay.” He knew better than to judge Cappie. “So…why are you still here?”
“Seeing as you are a man of certain influence in the engineering department, or at least in their social planning division, I was thinking that perhaps you would be able to procure an invitation to the aforementioned event.”
“For you? Why would you…” This time, he was not so slow on the uptake. “First of all, it’s closed to nonengineers to give program members more social time with prospective employers. Second, even if I could get you an invitation, I am not getting you an invite so you can stalk Casey.”
Cappie patted him on the shoulder, but it was more of an insistent tug. “Spitter! Stalk is such a harsh word.”
“It’s the only conceivable reason you would want to go to the event. Look, I can bring one guest, and it’s Jordan.”
“What is this I hear? Do my ears deceive me? Is my little brother failing in his duties to aid a Kappa Tau in distress?”
“You’re asking me not to protect my sister from unwanted stress, and to choose between my fraternity and my real obligation to my girlfriend. Who, I might add, actually wants to go for nonstalker reasons.”
“That word again! Why do I keep hearing it?”
“Because you’re a stalker?” Seeing that Cappie was not ready to give up, and calculating the odds of a healthy Jordan collapsing in the next twenty-four hours, he said, “If Jordan can’t make it, you can be my plus one. And no plotting to make sure she can’t make it. On this kind of notice, that’s all I can offer you.”
“Fair enough.” Cappie stood up, and they shook on it. “If some predicament were to befall Jordan—completely without my knowledge or involvement, of course—what color tie are you wearing? Or are you wearing the dress and I’m wearing the tie? Color coordination is important.”
Rusty rolled his eyes.
Mandatory pledge study hours were over, as was movie night, and the ZBZ house was finally quiet. Fisher had gone home. Aside from the occasional barefoot girl
Seeing his big brother was therefore not ideal, especially when said big brother was perched on his front steps. “Cappie.”
“Spitter.”
“What are you doing here?”
“I might say the same of you, Sir Hobnobber.”
“Well, I live here.” And he didn’t want to kick Cappie out, but he was sure if he went inside, Cappie would follow.
“Hmm.” Cappie just nodded in a conspiratorial manner. He was planning something. “Was it better than clothing shopping with Dale?”
Rusty took a moment to process that. Maybe he was too tired to hear correctly. “What?”
“Your roommate has some serious social impairments. Which is cool. He’s developed in other areas. But corduroy? Unacceptable.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You told Dale that Casey is his date for the engineering social.”
Too exhausted to continue this conversation standing, Rusty dropped his backpack and sat down next to Cappie. “It’s not a social, or I guess it is, but yeah. So?”
“So, as you may recall before your Kappa Tau membership threw various female-counterpart opportunities into your lap, some people of…your persuasion—and Dale’s—might get a little nervous at the notion of escorting a fine, distinguished woman such as your sister to the event of their semester.”
Rusty pondered this for a moment, trying to decipher Cappie-speak. “Did Dale freak out and call you?”
“Your phone was off, and his purity brothers are—”
“On Fire Island, I know.” Rusty wasn’t sure when the friendship between Dale and Cappie had developed, but it remained as shocking as it had been when he’d first noticed it. Mostly because it was so unlikely. “So you took Dale shopping.”
“As I would you, if required to aid in such a noble cause.”
“Okay.” He knew better than to judge Cappie. “So…why are you still here?”
“Seeing as you are a man of certain influence in the engineering department, or at least in their social planning division, I was thinking that perhaps you would be able to procure an invitation to the aforementioned event.”
“For you? Why would you…” This time, he was not so slow on the uptake. “First of all, it’s closed to nonengineers to give program members more social time with prospective employers. Second, even if I could get you an invitation, I am not getting you an invite so you can stalk Casey.”
Cappie patted him on the shoulder, but it was more of an insistent tug. “Spitter! Stalk is such a harsh word.”
“It’s the only conceivable reason you would want to go to the event. Look, I can bring one guest, and it’s Jordan.”
“What is this I hear? Do my ears deceive me? Is my little brother failing in his duties to aid a Kappa Tau in distress?”
“You’re asking me not to protect my sister from unwanted stress, and to choose between my fraternity and my real obligation to my girlfriend. Who, I might add, actually wants to go for nonstalker reasons.”
“That word again! Why do I keep hearing it?”
“Because you’re a stalker?” Seeing that Cappie was not ready to give up, and calculating the odds of a healthy Jordan collapsing in the next twenty-four hours, he said, “If Jordan can’t make it, you can be my plus one. And no plotting to make sure she can’t make it. On this kind of notice, that’s all I can offer you.”
“Fair enough.” Cappie stood up, and they shook on it. “If some predicament were to befall Jordan—completely without my knowledge or involvement, of course—what color tie are you wearing? Or are you wearing the dress and I’m wearing the tie? Color coordination is important.”
Rusty rolled his eyes.
Mandatory pledge study hours were over, as was movie night, and the ZBZ house was finally quiet. Fisher had gone home. Aside from the occasional barefoot girl
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