Eye of the Hurricane

C:3 The Meeting

When you get a big ass cooler with one of the drainage spouts, you don't have to be all that subtle about having a metric crap-ton of mixers. We were still a couple of hours out from sundown and still pretty far from when landfall was supposed to happen. The boys and I just needed to stash everything together. After we managed to maneuver to our dorm, we unloaded and began to take another round of inventory. 

Keyword began. A familiar knock rang on the door as we heard those dreaded words, "RA on Duty!" We threw everything back in the liquor cabinet. "One second!" Corey called out.
In hushed voices, we look to each other, "Alex answers it," Suggested Jon.
"Yep. His Dorm!" Corey continued.
"You live here too, jackass," I rolled my eyes as I walked to the door and peeked out the peephole. It was just Maddie. "Guys, Act natural! It's Maddie! She's got the Fuzz!" I call out to my friends just to hear their reactions. Hearing their panic was more satisfying than making it to the Caf early on Fried Chicken Wednesday. 

I opened the door, "What's up Maddie? What's up Cheif?"
Maddie slapped me, "Stop giving them a heart attack. I don't have JagPD with me."
"You motherfucker!" Caleb yelled and started laughing, "Don't do that shit, Alex."
The only acceptable response in that situation was to quote the fluffy man himself, Gabriel Iglesias. "That was funny, huh?"
"Alex, I'm gonna kick you ass. We'll see what's funny then," Corey stated as he made a very rude gesture in my general direction. 
"Says the bitch who can't win on Blood Gulch with Rockets and Pistols only on CE?"
"Catch me on Rust, see what happens."

"Sorry to kill the testosterone in the room, but did y'all forget I'm here?" Maddie interjected before we continued bickering. "Anyway, Heath isn't CDOT so he's off-campus. Let's not get stupid tonight, please. I like y'all too much."
"Aye aye Cap'n!" Jon piped up, nudging Caleb which forced him to get into Corey.
"What? Oh, Yeah. No Worries," Caleb came back to earth.
Corey silently nodded, still a lil' salty. 
"We solemnly swear we are up to no good," I finished off our promise-making. 

****

Sun goes down, stars come out. The only thing that mattered was here and now. That's why we sent Caleb to get a bag of Ice. After he got back, we filled the cooler and brought it to the common room. Jon stole a table from the study room to put any food on. I sent out the mass texts that it was goin' down and we were yelling timber. 
"What's up, guys?" Austin walked out, PS4 in hand. 
"Not much. Are you DJ'ing tonight, bro?" I walked over to help him, grabbing a controller and cable.
"Hell yeah man, I made a playlist while y'all were at Walmart."
"Oh shit, let's get it."
"Hell yeah bro, shit is gonna be LIT!"
I help the man get his console connected to the TV out front before more people started arriving. We managed to get the music bumping and the punch mixed good enough by the time people started coming in droves. 

What we didn't get, was the pizza. It was still on its way. But a very coincidental phone call was about to change that. As I saw my phone ring, I picked up, "Please say you're the pizza man!"
"Hell yeah bro. Magnolia hall right? I'm out front. I'm gonna need some help getting these up there."
"Dude, no worries! We're on the way." I hung up and turned to the table.
"Yo! Corey! Do me a favor," I walk up to my roommate.
"Yeah bro, what's up?"
"Help me get these pizzas upstairs with the pizza dude." 
"You had me at Pizza, fucker." Corey laughed as we walked over to the elevator.

It was already pinged by Austin and Trent who overheard our discussion, "How many we got?" Austin asked.
"12. We carry 3 each I guess?" I replied.
"Dude, you're the fucking man!" Trent gave me a fist bump.
As we were talking to each other, that's when I saw an angel walk onto the floor. The party seemed to disappear around her presence. I completely zoned out and my ears didn't work, until Austin slapped me back to Earth. "Alex? Hey man, hop on, we don't wanna set off the alarm."
"Oh shit, you're right. My bad man."
"All good."

I was on total autopilot as we tipped the driver and picked up the pizzas. We got back into Magnolia and hopped back on the elevator. "Hey, Alex, who was that girl?" Austin asked.
"What?"
"Bro, I know that look. You have textbook rom-com Love at First sight all over you." Trent added. "I don't know yet. I'm glad I'm wearing my Gryffindor shirt though. She was in a Slytherin one."
"Please tell me you have a Harry Potter pick up line. If you don't, I can't be your roommate," Corey chastized. 
"Trust me."
"You did put the party together," Austin laughed as the elevator dinged. "Did y'all ever see the old Tobey Maguire Spider-Man flicks?" Trent asked us.
"Pizza Time?" Austin and I instantly respond.
The doors opened and as we walked out Corey bellowed "PIZZA TIME!" 

We set them down next to the punch and a massive stack of paper plates. I placed my hands in a cup over my mouth to mimic an intercom, "Attention! If you could form an orderly line for the pizza and not cause chaos, that would be greatly appreciated. Please keep this as calm and collected as possible. There are napkins and plates. Obviously, we already have drinks. That is all for this announcement. Let's get this party started."

I took total advantage of my proximity to the table, as I felt a holy presence next to me. "Gryffindor, eh?" Asked an unfamiliar feminine voice. 
"Believe it or not, this time last year I got Slytherin on Pottermore. Ever since though, I've gotten Gryffindor."
"I've always gotten Hufflepuff or Slytherin," She responded. I grabbed a napkin and opened the first box of pizza. 
"I think I could probably still Slytherin to that bed later for someone as cute as you," I smiled as I felt a flush fill my cheeks. I glanced over to her and studied her sapphire eyes and how they complimented her curly brown hair. 
She giggled and shoved me playfully, "How are you supposed to do that if we just met?" I got out the way as she got a couple of slices after me. 
"Roll a Nat 20 on a charisma check?" I suggested as lamely as possible. As my interior confidence was crumbling, my exterior stayed as cool as a cucumber. 
"Was that a D&D Joke? Nerd alert!" She teased as we walked away from the impromptu buffet line.
"Excuse me ma'am, but have you ever played? If you haven't, then I'm afraid that we will have to Hawken at dawn."
"With guns drawn? I honestly want to learn."
"If I had a group, then I would gladly invite you to tagalong. I've been having trouble getting one together here."
"Damn, I feel though."
"Hey, in case I do, do you want my Snap?"
"Umm, hell yeah! I love new friends."
"I'll plug it in your phone. I've had the same one since freshman year of High School. The name is so cringy."
"What's the name? Oooh, I bet it's something Hot Topic-y like edgeofthisworld."
"Did you just use Hot Topic-y as an adjective? It's nemoghost, no spaces."
She grabbed her phone out of her clutch and opened Snapchat to type in my username, "Alexander the Gr8?"
"Yep, cliche as ever."
"Isn't life just one big cliche?"
"I mean you're right."

I glanced around the room and noticed a group in a circle playing Cards Against Humanity. There were the dancers in the corner. There was a group who set up a table for punch pong. There was a group of people just chilling on the couches. Then there was the few of us standing, drinking and eating on the walls. 

"Hey, I never got your name."
"Check Snapchat, Alexander."
I pulled out my phone and checked my notifications, "Amazing is a stripper name, so I'm gonna have to guess Grace." 
"Ding ding ding!" She held her hand up for a high five, which I gladly returned. 
"Wanna start a streak too?"
"Dude, hell yes." She replied with an excited smile.