Free Bird - Morgan Wallen

Three

"Michael, we're finally done with our third year of college." Dani says quietly at their nightly dinner. "It's finally summer!"

"What're you gonna do for your last year?"

"I don't wanna talk about next year. It's summer." She stands so she can put her dishes in the sink. "Can't wait to get back to that country life."

"Oh, don't forget; there's that party tonight at Chi Phi at 7." Hardy says, pointing at the calendar. "End of the year, you goin?"

"Wouldn't miss it, darlin'." She winks at him, taking his dishes. "Did you get your song turned in?"

"I did, little lady."

She freezes, "what did you call me?"

"Uh, little lady?"

"Wh- who- where did you get that from?"

"I dunno, it's the south." He shrugs. "I'm from Mississippi, we call girls that all the time."

"Oh, okay." She exhales heavily, running her fingers through her hair. "Sorry, I'm sorry."

"It's alright, darlin'." He says, putting a hand on her back. "I won't call you that again." He chuckles, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

"Sorry." She says again.

"Don't sweat it, baby." She chuckles slightly, scrubbing the dishes.

"Hey, I'm gonna get ready." She smiles, setting the clean plates in the drying rack. "What's tonight's theme?"

"Redneck."

"Of course it is." She shakes her head as she goes to her room, grabbing the old yellow Shiner Bock case full of Morgan's clothes she accidentally packed with her stuff from the top shelf of her closet. She pulls on a pair of ripped blue jeans, a black tank top, an old pair of cowboy boots, one of Morgan's sleeveless flannels and a cowboy hat. Dani goes next door to Hardy's room, "Yeehaw, baby." She says in an exaggerated country accent, which sounds like her normal voice.

"You look great." Hardy chuckles, stepping into his own cowboy boots with a black and red flannel and denim cut offs.

"You look great." She motions to his outfit with her single dimpled grin. "C'mon now." She grabs her light brown, cross body, fringe purse. He grabs his ball cap then locks their door behind them.

He has that stupid dimpled grin on his face the whole way down to Chi Phi.

+++

"Hardy and the Queen of the Law herself." One of the Chi Phi guys says, high fiving Michael and giving Dani a hug. "Welcome to the big end of the year blowout. Y'all know where everything is, drinks are in the kitchen, enjoy yourselves." The sandy haired boy gives them a gapped-tooth grin before greeting some other people.

"I'm going to get a beer, you want anything?" Hardy shouts to Dani.

"Sure! I'll go with you." She follows him through the crowd to the kitchen. "Do y'all have any Bud Light or Busch?"

"Here! Last one!" A dark haired boy hands her a Busch Light, she cracks it open and starts drinking it. "Hell yeah baby!"

"It's the fuckin' summer!" Someone shouts, cheers from everyone follow.

"Mike!" She grabs his upper arm. "I got the last Busch!" He scoffs playfully before grabbing her can out of her hand, chugging it. "Ugh! Get me another one!" He laughs as he does as he's told, he replaces her empty can with a Natural Light Seltzer.