Inglorious Roomates

Chapter 9

It was just a dare.

For the next couple of weeks, any mention of limes or tequila was met with the same response.

It was just a dare.

When Liam brought it up, "I was just giving you hell like we always do, but I know I can be... a lot sometimes. Sorry I pressured you—"

It was just a dare.

Theo repeated it until it weeded out any other thoughts that had no earthly business in his mind.

Theo repeated it until it was rooted deep inside him, all-encompassing and bleeding the life out of any other feeling that dared to grow.

Theo repeated it until it blossomed into an entirely new truth, one that he could face in the mirror. One that he could still go back to West Beacon when he inevitably fucked this all up. One that his Dad wouldn't have to beat out of him. One that wouldn't make Liam end up like the other—

It was just a dare.

-

"You and Romero, huh?" Theo lifted a brow at Tracy walking next to him in the campus courtyard, "Did she finally thank you for that night after the party? Or did she finally apologize for ruining your study time for two years?"

"Kinda," She shrugged in a way that told Theo that Hayden made it up to her in ways he did not want to know, "We hang out." Acting blasé, she knocked her elbow against his, "Like you and Dunbar."

Theo's eyes narrowed slightly. "Funny, I don't remember flashing my tits then sticking my tongue down his throat."

She sneered back, "Funny, I remember you putting your tongue somewhere else."

Theo's mind closed off any other response, repeating, "It was—"

"A dare." Tracy cut off the broken record Theo had been spinning for weeks. "Right."

Rather than furthering the dead-end subject, Theo reached into his backpack for the banana he swiped from Liam's stash that morning, filling his mouth with food in place of words.

"By the way," Tracy ignored Theo's subject-avoiding tactic. "You two are grouped together for Erica's monster ball this weekend."

Theo nearly choked, "The what?"

With zero enthusiasm, Tracy explained, "Beta Blondie's sorority is having a paintball tournament for Halloween. Blowing daddy's money on a whole monster hunting affair."

"Sure." Theo's voice was bone-dry with sarcasm. "I'll put it on my to-do list right between 'fuck' and 'no'."

He didn't know if he was more confused or disturbed, but there was no way on this forsaken, lousy, shitty excuse for a planet, that he was going on a damn troll hunt with a bunch of Beacon Hills royal brats—

"First place is 10 grand."

Theo halted to a stop. "Where do I sign up?"

She turned to Theo with a snickered smile. "Your sidekick already did it for you."

Theo paused, thrown for a loop until realization dawned.

"Yo, twenty-two! Wait up!"

The voice of the filthy signature-forging culprit himself approached them.

Tracy threw a look over Theo's shoulder while he stubbornly refused to turn around. "Ah...Speak of Boy Wonder and he shall appear."

Theo winced, "Is it too late for a new teammate?"