You look like a dick, AJ pointed out to Alex as he stood in front of his wardrobe's mirror. For once he didn't feel the need to tell him to shut it. He didn't know why he let Jack buy this outfit for him. He didn't know why he put it on once they got back. There was a button-up collared shirt in a wine-red colour made out of shimmery material. When Alex had tried it on in the shop, Jack made fun of him for buttoning it up all the way. That was the only reason he had the top two buttons undone. The shirt was tucked into a pair of black jeans that felt way too tight to be healthy, but Jack insisted they were meant to fit like that. Those jeans were then tucked into some black and maroon skate shoes that almost matched the colour of his shirt.
He was extremely tempted to just grab the nice sweater that Pamela had thought to include in his luggage, but he didn't want Jack to give him a hard time. Plus, he had seemed so excited back at the shop, like he had been waiting to turn Alex into a dress-up doll for years. So, Alex left his room as he was before he could convince himself to change. Jack was missing out on the Somers' party for him, the least he could do is wear the outfit he liked. For some reason.
On his way out, Alex grabbed a spare hair tie from the bathroom, using it to construct a messy ponytail. The shorter strands in front fell out almost immediately. He tried his best to fix it without a mirror, hopefully in a way that made it look messy on purpose. Maybe Jack could help him achieve that meticulously dishevelled look he managed to perfect on himself.
Jack was waiting for him in the lobby of their dorm, dressed in a sweater that looked like an arcade carpet and baggy blue jeans.
"Why do you get to wear pants that fit?" Alex said, pointing at them.
"Cuz they look good on me," Jack said with a shrug. "Baggy jeans make you look like a twelve-year-old wearing hand-me-downs."
"... Fair enough."
"I think you look great. All your lovers will be very impressed."
"Could you please not make that joke around them?"
"Right, you guys wanna keep it on the down low. I understand."
"Jack-"
"I'll play it cool; I promise. I know how to be a courteous guest... Your hair looks a little off, by the way."
"I just wanted it out of my face."
"Hang on, let me fix it."
Without waiting for permission Jack took out the hair tie and started to wrangle Alex's hair into a slightly more put-together look. As he was strategically pulling strands out of the ponytail to frame Alex's face, the lobby elevator dinged open. Alex tried to turn his head to see who it was, but Jack held his head in place like he was a barber dealing with an unruly child.
"Well don't you two look nice," he heard someone say. He knew the voice was familiar but he couldn't put a name to it until the girl it belonged to popped into his field of vision. Mary Somers. "I don't think I've ever seen you get so dressed up during school, Alex. Hannah told me you weren't coming to the party, though."
"He's not," Jack answered for him as he fiddled with the second side of Alex's hair. "Sorry, Mary, I didn't have a chance to tell you. I'm dragging Al on a double date in Brighton."
Mary raised her eyebrows. "Really? Didn't think that was your style, Alexander."
"I'm bribing him with the promise of good behaviour for a whole month."
"Who's your date with?"
"Couple of local girls. Met them in town today."
"You work fast."
"I think it's just the right speed. And there. Perfect. What do you guys think?"
Jack let Alex's head go, allowing him to turn it again. He realized then that Mary wasn't the only one who had come out of the elevator. Warren was also there, holding a heavy-looking cardboard box filled with bottles of liquor.
"Very sexy," Mary said, looking at Alex in a way that made him slightly uncomfortable. "I'd say you can even stand to undo a button or two."
"It's a shirt, not a shawl Mary," Jack said.
"You should put your hair up more often," Warren said, his voice soft. "It looks nice; makes it easier to see your face."
"Thanks," Alex mumbled, his face warming enough to make him wish he could be hiding behind his hair.
"I don't know if those clothes suit you, though. You don't look very comfortable."
"Don't crucify a man for trying something new," Jack said. "Besides, if all goes well tonight, he won't be wearing them much longer."
Alex shoved Jack, partly to get him back for that comment, but mostly because he knew what was coming. His whole body heated in a flare so intense Mary Somers jumped back.
"Jack!" she scolded, giving him a shove too. "Don't embarrass him like that. Especially not with Ren holding a box of flammables." Alex mumbled an apology while Jack insisted it had been funny. Mary looked ready to berate him more but seemed to suddenly remember something. "Shoot, I forgot the extension cord for the speakers in my room."
"I'll get it," Warren offered. "You go on ahead and make sure your cousin isn't messing up your vision."
"Thanks, Ren. And if your date's a bust, boys, feel free to stop by. Plenty of girls right here that would be more than happy to make sure your night ends well."
"We'll keep that in mind, Mary," Jack said with a suggestive smile. Mary returned it before walking out.
"I didn't think Mary was your type," Alex observed.
"For the last time, my type is women. Besides, I don't think Mary could fathom living in a world where every person she met wasn't attracted to her." Jack glanced at Warren. "You two aren't hooking up, are you?"
Warren didn't answer, instead asking a question of his own. "Where are you two going tonight?"
"What? I told you-"
"You're a smooth liar, Farrow," Warren said while looking at Alex, "but you need an accomplice with a better poker face." Jack didn't say anything to that, but Alex not meeting Warren's gaze all but confirmed his suspicion. "Must be pretty intense if you feel the need to lie about it to us... Could it have something to do with that party the scholarship students are throwing?"
"You heard about that?" Alex asked without thinking.
"Whispers. You two are crashing it?" Warren looked at the two of them with an almost disappointed frown. "I didn't think that was your style."
"We were invited, actually," Jack corrected, apparently resigned to letting Warren call their bluff. "And you better not tell anyone. The last thing we need is a drama about us bailing on Mary for them."
"Your secret is safe with me. And I hope it doesn't blow up in your face. Though I guess if anyone has a shot at making peace it's probably you two." Warren put down the box he had been carrying and went to take the stairs back up. "Good luck."
Alex and Jack stared after him as he slipped into the stairwell and out of sight. "Warren's not a rat, right?" Jack wondered out loud.
"I don't know," Alex said. "He's always been a bit of a mystery to me. I don't think he's malicious."
"Hm. We'll see." Jack glanced at his watch and winced. "Come on, we get there any later and we'll cross the line from fashionably late to douchebags who didn't want to show up."
Jack pulled Alex to the exit, who couldn't help but smile at how concerned his friend was about making a good impression at a party he was only going to as a favour. Though Alex supposed it wasn't just a party. It was more of an armistice, a potential first step towards... Peace? No, neutrality at best. And just as easily their actions that night could make everything worse. Alex wondered how much Jack's desire to look good had to do with that, and how much it had to do with wanting to impress Eloise.
The two made their way from their dormitory to McAvoy Hall, luckily not running into anyone else. Any old family students that would be out would be going in the opposite direction, towards the chapel. McAvoy used to be the biggest dormitory on campus, but it had been out of use for at least a decade at that point. They built up the newer dorms like the one Alex currently lived in and slowly phased McAvoy out of use. They had been debating what to do with it for a while, especially since enrollment had been on a minor but steady decline the last few years. No need for extra dorms when you're boarding fewer and less students. But not that many people outside of Alex's family knew that. Thomas never admitted it in any of his arguments for admitting the scholarship students, but Alex knew that was part of the reason he was keen on the idea despite his philosophy. The school couldn't live off just old family money for much longer. If Thomas was going to keep it from being a financial drain like he wanted, they were going to have to be a lot less selective about which hands they took their checks from. The scholarship students were the first step toward open standard admittance.
Because of its limbo status for so long, McAvoy was a little run down from lack of care. It wasn't in shambles, sure, but it was a noticeable dip in quality from the other dorms. The outer walls could stand for a new coat of paint. The concrete path leading up to it was a bit cracked. The greenery and grass were a little overgrown. The sign for the dorm itself was blocked by some unruly shrubbery. If you could see it, you would notice it was so faded it looked like it said MCVO HLL. As Alex and Jack approached, they could hear soft music and chatter coming from the lobby. Jack stopped suddenly just a few feet from the door.
"Feels kind of weird to just walk in," Jack said, his voice unsure. Alex was pretty sure that was the first time he heard that tone from him.
"Not like there's a bell we can ring," Alex pointed out.
"... Maybe you should go in first. You were the first one invited, after all."
"But-"
"And you're less intimidating than me."
"You don't look intimidating at all right now. You look like a foal wearing a bungled Christmas jumper."
"A what?"
"It's a baby horse."
"Ha ha ha, your comedic genius knows no bounds." Jack dashed behind Alex and grabbed his waist, then pushed him toward the door like he was a wheelbarrow.
"Jack!" Alex shouted, trying to dig his heels into the ground to stop him. Unfortunately, his leg strength couldn't beat Jack's upper body strength combined with his willpower. "Stop it, Jack!"
"Come one, buddy, you're the one they're all waiting for."
"No, they are not."
"Sure, they are! You're the guest of honour. Your great grandpappy or whatever even has their name on the building."
"McAvoy is your relative, you twit."
"Really?"
"It's your grandad's maternal name. He gave a shite load of money to mine when they were funding the building."
"Huh. You learn something new every day."
"By your logic then, shouldn't you go first?"
"Hm... No."
Jack continued to push as Alex kept arguing and trying to wriggle out of his grip. All he could manage was to slow the inevitable. He thought maybe Jack would have to let go of him long enough to open the door, but unfortunately, it pushed in. Jack easily shoved him through, and Alex tripped through the doorway and into the room. He almost ate it on the carpeted floor after Jack let go of him, but was stopped by the body he crashed into instead.
"I'm so-" Alex started to stutter out, but stopped when he realized who he had bumped into. Standing there in a slightly too-tight shirt that showed off his muscles, was Emilio.
" ¿Qué haces aquí ? " he said in a very loud and displeased voice. It drew the attention of several people around them, causing most of the nearby chatter to come to a halt. It quieted even more as some kids nearby recognized who Alex was and started whispering 'Conrad' throughout the crowded lobby.
"Uh..." Alex somehow managed to get out despite how paralyzed he felt.
"I said, what the fuck are you doing here?" Emilio repeated slowly, his words sounding much harsher in English. He took a step forward that was meant to be threatening, and Alex felt threatened. He managed to move his body back a step and bumped into someone else. His heart jumped into his throat for a second, worried he had just pissed off someone else. But then he felt two hands steady him around his waist. Jack had finally followed him into the shark tank.
"He's here because he was invited, man," Jack said. "And no need to be hostile, he was apologizing. Plus, I was the one who shoved him into you."
"No one wants you here either, pinche Moscoso."
"I know someone who would beg to differ."
"I would watch your tone you-"
"Emilio, what are you doing?"
Emilio straightened his posture as someone shoved their way through the crowd. The three boys turned their heads to see Eloise emerge, though Alex almost didn't recognize her. During the school week, her face had been pretty bare of makeup. He had only seen her wearing either her ill-fitting uniform or the baggy clothes she had been wearing to her study group. But now she was wearing a white blouse tucked into a yellow plaid skirt that stopped at her knees, though most of her legs were still covered by the knee-high black socks she wore. She had dark shadows and eyeliner on that made her brown eyes look lighter than they did without. She also had on a dusty pink lipstick and her hair was pulled back with a black velvet headband.
"Telling these... gilipollas to get out of here. Back to where they belong with their spoiled friends."
"What does that word mean?" Jack whispered as Eloise moved to stand in between them and Emilio.
"I'll tell you later," Alex whispered back.
"Emilio, I invited them," Eloise said slowly as if she was talking to a small child. "I told you this, like, four hours ago. Don't act like an arse just because you were too busy styling your hair and deciding how much you wanted to suffocate yourself with your shirt tonight." Emilio's pale face flushed red. "But I guess I should have known better than to interrupt during your vanity hours."
"We didn't think you were serious, Ellie," someone else in the crowd chimed in. "It's Conrad and Farrow for Christ's sake."
"Well, I was and they're here. Any one of you want to step out of that crowd and come tell me you have a problem with it?" No one rose to her challenge. "Yeah, that's what I thought."
Emilio looked like he wanted to say more, but lost any bravado he had as everyone else uneasily went back to their business and Eloise stared him down. So, he just ground his teeth and stormed off. Eloise shook her head and turned to greet them properly.
"Sorry about that," she said. "I tried to keep a post by the door but you came in right when one of the girls pulled me away to settle some drama."
"You look great," Jack said, maybe a little too eagerly. A corner of Eloise's mouth curled upward.
"You haven't done too back yourself Jackie," she said before giving Alex a closer look. She scanned him head to toe before glancing back at Jack. "This one dressed you, didn't he, Alexander?"
Alex tugged at his collar, feeling slightly less self-conscious than when Mary had been ogling him. "It's too much, isn't it?" he said. He had noticed a lot of the boys were dressed not unlike he had been back at the library. Loose-fitting shirts and trousers, beat up trainers. The girls, meanwhile, were mostly dressed up in a way that made Alex wonder if they had planned to go to a different event.
"It's... something," Eloise said carefully.
"Hey, I think he looks great!" Jack said.
"May I make a few adjustments?"
"Oh, I'd like to see you-"
"I was asking Alex, genius."
"Go ahead," Alex said before Jack could get in a retort. He didn't quite think through what that meant until Eloise moved in closer to fiddle with his clothes. She did up a button so that only the top one was undone. Then she took the sleeves that went down to his wrists and unbuttoned the cuffs so she could roll them up and tucked them into themselves to keep them in place.
"There, now you look a little more laid back," Eloise said. "And comfortable. Your hair looks perfect, though."
"I did his hair too," Jack chimed in.
"Very nice, Jack, good job."
Alex chuckled at how it sounded like Eloise was praising a dog or small child, and how Jack was still pleased to hear it. Just when a good mood was threatening to worm its way in, Alex noticed a few kids staring at them with odd expressions. Eloise noticed and bumped his shoulder.
"Matthew kept saying you two wouldn't show," she said, "so I made him wager twenty pounds. Remind me to collect before you leave and I'll give you two half."
"Are you sure it's alright that we're here?" Alex asked, still focused on the frightened faces around them.
"We just need to get you two chatting with some friendlies, so they can see you won't bite. Let's see," Eloise scanned the crowd until she found something or someone that made her eyes light up. "Ah! Perfect. Come on."
Eloise grabbed Alex by the hand and pulled him off into the party. Alex tried not to heat up as Jack followed with an 'I told you so' smile plastered on his face. Alex wasn't sure if he was keeping his temperature under control, or if there were just enough bodies to not have his heat stand out so much.
Alex had never been in the lobby of McAvoy before, but he imagined Eloise had put in a lot of work to make it look as good as it did for the party. A few pieces of furniture that Alex figured had been sat in the lobby when they got there had been put to the sides to create a more open room. The building lights had been turned off, and the space was being illuminated by fairy lights that had been strung all over the walls. They were all different colours and shapes, probably sourced from various students. Music was coming from somewhere, and a few pockets of kids were dancing. Most were collected into smaller pods, either sitting at tables that looked like they had been brought down from the flats or just sitting on the floor, some using colourful pillows to cushion themselves. Some pods were just chatting, others were playing various cards and board games.
"Connor! Look who showed up!" Eloise shouted when they approached one of the groups that were sitting on the floor in a circle, playing some kind of game with red and blue boards and a bunch of flaps with pictures on them. The one who must have been Connor looked up from the game. Alex immediately recognized him as the freckled boy from his chemistry class. He raised his eyebrows when he saw who Eloise was presenting.
"Christ, you were serious," he said in a thick Scottish accent. "Guess I should have known better when you put money down on it."
"Yeah, you should have."
Connor looked up at Alex, his eyes lingering for a moment on Eloise's hand still gripping his. "You're Alexander Conrad?"
"I am," Alex said, barely able to hear himself over the music and chatter of the party.
"Why aren't you at that fancy party with all your friends?"
"Al doesn't have any friends!" Jack interrupted in a cheerful tone. Connor seemed to notice him for the first time. "Except me, which is why I'm here. Allie has a tendency not to get along with old family types."
"Don't call me that, Jack," Alex said, elbowing him. Jack just elbowed him back even harder, and Alex had to let go of Eloise's hand to cradle what was sure to be a bruise.
"You're Jonathan Farrow?" Connor asked.
"Yes sir."
"Why does he get on with you then? You're the biggest old family type there is."
"I punched him in the face. I think he liked it."
"Shut it, Jack!" Alex said, resisting the urge to smack him.
"I think it's cuz Jackie's got a thing for Indians," Eloise added, making Jack blush.
"That is- That is not true!" Jack stuttered.
"I don't know, Farrow, you've got two best friends on two different continents and both of them are Indian. You're a man who knows what he likes, it's admirable in a way."
Alex laughed and Connor chuckled under his breath as Jack's face got even redder. He looked like he wanted to protest the accusation even further, but Connor saved him by changing the subject. "Wanna join the game?" he asked, gesturing to the boards. Alex noticed the rest of the kids in the group were looking at them with apprehension mixed with... optimism, maybe? "It's Guess Who but we've replaced all the character portraits with celebrities."
"Oh, sounds fun," Jack said, immediately over his previous embarrassment. He sat down next to Connor and looked at the little flaps, then looked up at Alex. "I don't know how good you'll be at this game, Al, I don't think you know any of these people."
"Why don't you go ahead, Jackie," Eloise said, looping her arm through Alex's. "I wanna get Alex to make a few more social calls."
"Aye aye, captain," Jack said as Eloise pulled Alex away. "Go get 'em, champ!"
"Should we leave him unattended?" Alex asked as they moved through the lobby and he lost sight of Jack.
"He seems like he knows how to handle himself," Eloise said, sounding almost impressed. "Besides, I trust Connor to act as a competent babysitter."
As they walked through the crowd Alex spotted Matthew standing on a wooden chair, messing with a stereo on top of a bookshelf. Baptiste was standing on the ground next to him, holding a box of CDs and cassette tapes.
"Matthew is our self-appointed DJ," Eloise said when she noticed where Alex was looking. "I was a bit wary when he volunteered, I know he has some weird noise in his collection. Course, I guess you know that better than anyone."
"I guess," Alex agreed, some of the static-filled 'music' Matthew had played that last weekend echoing in his head.
"Luckily, he's been good so far. He played some Beatles. Rush. Got Queen going right now, of course." Alex nodded in silence, hoping to not give away he didn't know what 2/3 of that meant. Eloise could read his bluff and stopped walking to stare at him with wide eyes. "Alexander, have you not heard of those bands before?" Her tone was a mixture of fascination and horror.
"I've heard of The Beatles!" Alex said very quickly as if letting Eloise believe any differently would be like letting her think he was a murderer. "I've never listened, but I know who they are. And now that I think about it, I've heard of Queen. I didn't... know they were a band, though. It's nice."
"Oh, Alex," Eloise said with a shake of her head. "If Matthew wasn't so bent on hating you, he would love you."
"Because I've never listened to The Beatles?"
"Oh yeah. He loves, introducing people to new music. You'd be the perfect subject for him. Maybe you should ask for recommendations sometime."
"I tried to ask him about a band he was listening to the day I moved in, but he shot me down."
Matthew Montoya either had very good hearing, or there was more truth to fauna wyverns being able to read minds than he admitted. As Alex and Eloise spoke about him, he stopped messing with the volume and bass settings and looked over towards them. For the first time, Alex saw something other than disdain. It was annoyance this time, which made Alex feel a very sad kind of relief. He wasn't sure if Matthew was annoyed by his presence, or just because he lost his bet.
"He has to play nice too, by the way," Eloise said when she noticed them staring at each other. "That was a condition of the bet. If you showed he owed me twenty pounds, and he couldn't act like an arse or he would have to give me fifty."
"I think you're going to be fifty pounds richer by the end of the night."
"I don't know, Matt is pretty cheap. When we were pooling the money, he refused to contribute anything other than one bottle of Coke. And not like the big sharing kind either. Just a little bottle for himself."
"Well, we'll see if he likes holding on to his money more than he hates me."
"Aw, hate is a strong word."
"He's got a strong feeling."
Eloise rolled her eyes and continued to pull Alex along through the crowd. She stopped at another gaggle of students sitting at a round table, cards and candy strewn around it. Eloise tapped the shoulder of a green-eyed blonde who was skillfully shuffling a card deck.
"How's it going, Mickey?" Eloise asked her.
"I think these kids are getting the hang of it," she said in a heavy Southern American accent. She looked up from her deck and looked over Alex, her gaze lingering on their intertwined arms. "This is Conrad?"
"It is. Alex, this is my flatmate, Mikayla. She's from Kentucky, like the chicken."
Mikayla rolled her eyes. "That joke will never start magically being funny, Ellie." She put down the cards and turned in her chair to properly face him. "Thought I knew what to expect with how much Ellie has been talking about you, but I wasn't expecting you to be so..."
"Brown?" Eloise suggested with a sly grin.
Mikayla blushed slightly but nodded. "Well, yeah."
"My dad's family is from New Delhi," Alex mumbled, the explanation almost second nature at that point. "Margaret Conrad is my mother."
"You ever play Texas Hold'em, Alexander?" Mikayla asked, seeming eager to change the subject.
"No, I don't know what that is."
"Yeah, most of these losers don't either. Want me to deal you in? No better way to learn than with a bunch of other amateurs."
"Hey, I am not an amateur," a dark-haired girl with an Italian accent piped in.
"Yeah, Corey, I'm sure you got lots of experience at losing," a Korean boy with an American accent said. Corey responded by throwing a couple of wrapped taffy sweets at his head. "Does that count as a call?"
Corey said no at the same time Mikayla said yes, causing the former to let out a string of Italian that must have been nothing but curse words. Eloise pulled Alex back from the table as Corey and the boy kept throwing sweets at each other.
"We'll check back in with you once we've made the rounds," Eloise said, but no one was listening as the card game devolved into a food fight. Eloise led them away before either of them could become victims.
"Oh, here," Eloise said as she steered Alex to a table filled with crisp packets and half-empty soda bottles. Eloise picked up a purple packet and presented it to Alex like it was a medal of honour. "Your rancid crisps, as requested," she said.
"You know I can't help but notice how few of these are left," Alex said as he took it, "and how many of your precious cheese and onion are still on the table."
"Whatever. Not my fault no one's got a taste in the South."
"Most of the kids here aren't even English."
"Even more incriminating. Can't trust American taste either. You ever had a Cheeto?"
"I like the puffy ones."
"Disgraceful. You hang out with Farrow too much. The main goal of the party is to get you some level-headed English friends."
"Jack's pretty anglicized at this point. He exaggerates his accent on purpose because if he's not careful he'll start parroting some of ours. And I catch him starting to say things like a torch before he corrects himself to a flashlight."
"Aw, he's holding on to his roots."
"That's what he said."
"Oh, I couldn't track down a VHS player in time for tonight, but one of the girls from London is pretty sure her family has a spare she can bring back the next time she goes for a visit. And Baptiste saw a video rental shop in Brighton. Maybe next weekend we could have a movie marathon."
Alex glanced around the space where they stood. Most of the room was densely packed, but there was a noticeable bubble around the two of them. Anyone who walked by gave them a wide berth and looked at Alex like he was some kind of wild animal you had unexpectedly come across on a city street. They looked at Eloise like she was a crazy person trying to tame it.
"Maybe we should get through this night before we start planning the next one," he muttered.
"They're scared of you because they expect the worst. All you have to do is be a fraction of your charming self and they'll warm up."
"Did you just say charming?"
"I did, yes."
"I've never had anyone call me that before."
"All the more reason to get you some better friends. Come on."
Eloise continued to take Alex around the party, introducing him to different kids while he awkwardly munched on his crisps. Eloise seemed to know who to approach and who to leave alone, though. They never went near the several groups of students that looked like they wanted to maim him. At the very least kick him out. They only walked up to the ones who were cautiously friendly, ones who even looked like they had been expecting the two of them to stop by. Alex realized halfway through that Eloise must have pre-screened all the ones they talked to, and asked them if it was okay for her to bring him by.
Most of them were in their year. And one Alex even recognized from another one of his classes. A brunette girl with wiry glasses was named Stephanie, who had sat at the back of his history class. She was the one who had offered up her family's spare VHS player. She was a film enthusiast herself, who was practically appalled by Alex's lack of pop culture knowledge. She tried to talk to him about Star Wars when he said it was the most contemporary movie he'd seen, but he remembered so little he couldn't contribute much.
Alex was suddenly saved from stupidly smiling and nodding when the soft love ballad that was playing suddenly cut off, and seconds later was replaced by a very intense guitar and drum riff and screaming vocals.
"Ugh, Matt!" Eloise groaned, loud enough to be heard throughout the crowded room. "What are you doing?"
"Someone requested Judas Priest!" Matthew's disembodied voice called back. "I'm just giving the people what they want!"
"Bullshit, I know it was Olena and I know she's only trying to piss me off."
"Not my fault you've got a shite taste in music!" An Irish accented voice chimed in.
"Give me a second," Eloise said. "I gotta go get him to change it."
Before Alex could impulsively beg her to stay with the group she was gone. A bit of awkward silence fell over the rest of them until one of the kids a couple of years younger than Alex cleared their throat.
"Did you see that American horror film they released last summer, Steph?" They asked. "With that cannibal and Willy Wonka?"
"God, yes, I loved it."
The group started talking about that film and other things that just went right over Alex's head. He could feel his presence being slowly forgotten. He wasn't sure if that felt better or worse than when they looked at him in fear. As a couple of the younger kids were asking a local girl about fun things to do in Brighton, Alex asked Stephanie if there was a toilet in the lobby. She gave him directions and he tried to be on his way quick enough to ease his tension but not so quick that he seemed rude.
Alex got lost in the crowd immediately, but he supposed it didn't matter given how he didn't have to go. A part of him wanted to find Eloise, but he was worried she might be with Matthew. He tried to find Jack, but he was so turned around he doubted he could find the exit. Instead, he just wandered the lobby, keeping his head down in the hopes of not running into any unfriendlies. He passed by a very large and boisterous piece of the party huddled around a small square television. Four kids had little remotes in their hands, and on the screen were four cartoon characters racing around on go-karts. Alex figured this must be the game that Eloise had been talking about before. Everyone was so focused on either watching or playing that they didn't take much notice of Alex lingering on the outskirts. When a round man with a red hat passed the finish line first, a pale blonde girl shot to her feet and started taunting the apparent losers in a heavy Finnish accent. Unfortunately, once the race ended, a couple of kids started muttering under their breaths while shooting Alex dirty looks, so he quickly moved on.
Alex realized he needed to find Eloise before he bumped into someone less welcoming while unaccompanied. He didn't even want to think about what might happen if he saw Emilio again. He tried to find his way to the stereo by following the sound of the music. Hopefully, the fact that the unpleasant stuff was still playing meant that Eloise would still be by it, arguing with Matthew. By some miracle, he managed to find it, but Eloise, Matthew, and Baptiste had moved on. The only one standing near the shelf with the stereo was a white girl with straight black hair that went down to her waist. Most of her clothes were black too, and she had dark makeup around her eyes and on her lips. She was standing in front of the bookcase with her arms crossed over her chest, looking like its bodyguard. She narrowed her eyes when she saw Alex approach.
"You're the one they're saying is a Conrad," she pointed out. Alex recognized her voice as the same one who had insulted Eloise's musical taste. "Margaret Conrad's son, right?"
"My name is Alexander," he said, wondering for a second if he should hold out his hand in greeting. It only took him a second to figure out that would be a stupid idea.
"You must look more like your dad, huh?"
Very observant, this one, AJ snapped in his head, and Alex had to bite his tongue to keep it there. "Do you know where Eloise went?" he said instead.
"She ran off to find Matt when I told her he stashed his 'appropriate' music somewhere secret. Think she was going to check some of the rooms upstairs."
"Oh. Okay."
"You aren't allowed upstairs."
"I wasn't- Yeah. Okay."
The girl raised one of her eyebrows and eyed Alex from head to toe. She didn't look pleased with what she saw. "Why did you come here, huh? Why be here instead of that party getting sloshed with all your rich friends?"
"Eloise invited me."
"But why did you come ?"
"It seemed like it would be fun."
"You fancy her then?"
"I-"
"If you do, then it would probably be best if you just got out right now. And stopped talking to her moving forward."
"What?"
"I'm from Dublin. Got some mates with family that have worked on staff at that estate where you keep Noah Brennan. I know how your type gets when you fancy lower wyverns." Alex shrunk back from the way she said fancy like it was something cruel. Something violent. "Especially women. Eloise is too naïve, and probably too caught up in the fantasy of someone like you wanting someone like her. You'd best not take advantage of that."
Alex felt a twinge of something in his gut. Anger? Annoyance? He couldn't be sure. All he did know was that it stemmed from the memory of how defensive Eloise had been when Jack flirted, how sceptical she had looked when Alex told her he was being genuine. That Jack thought she was pretty.
"First of all," he started, trying to keep his voice steady, " I am not Noah Brennan. Secondly, I don't think you know Eloise very well at all."
"Oh? And you do?"
"Well enough to know she doesn't need anyone fighting her battles for her. And being willing to give people a chance does not make her naïve. And you assuming the worst of people you know nothing about does not make you clever."
The girl's expression stayed static like she didn't even hear what Alex had just said. But after a moment she rolled her eyes. "Don't know why I'm talking with you," she said, seemingly to herself. "Every word out a royal's mouth is oxygen wasted."
Oh, you need to hit her, AJ suggested. As much as Alex saw his point, he ignored it. He figured he should give her what she wanted and walked away, not saying another word. Of course, he still had no idea where he was going. And that encounter just made him more flustered than he had been before. He told himself that if he found Jack, he would grab him and leave, but he couldn't even manage that. He doubted he would have followed through on the plan anyways. Then he would have to explain to Eloise on Monday that he ran away from her party because he got scared by a slightly mean goth girl.
Alex somehow managed to find a trio of uninhabited beanbags tucked away in a corner. He sat down in the orange one and pulled his legs in to keep from tripping anyone who walked by. He was starting to wish he brought his language readings with him when he heard a commotion to his right.
"Tell me where they are Matthew Montoya!" Eloise's voice shouted from a distance.
"Why are you being so hostile to the sound of the revolution?" Matthew's voice shouted back, slightly closer.
"Because the revolution sounds like my little brother playing with a drum kit while reciting bootleg Edgar Allen Poe poetry!"
Matthew just responded with a delighted cackle. Just as Alex was about to stand up and try to catch Eloise while she was close, there was suddenly someone directly to his right, trying to run through the beanbag chair he was sitting in. Of course, the laws of physics being what they were, they instead tripped and fell over it. Alex registered them falling too late to move out of the way, and they ended up falling right into his lap.
"Shit, sorry," the person said as the impact caused Alex to let out an involuntary groan. He almost let out another when the person's voice registered as familiar. He hoped he was mistaken, but when the chaos of the moment subsided and Alex could see who was sitting on him, it was Matthew Montoya. The man himself must have been too disoriented to realize what had happened because he continued with his apology. "Are you alright? I-"
Matthew had been smiling, his eyes bright and unobstructed by his glasses. They weren't even on their usual perch on top of his head. Maybe that's why it took him so long to recognize who he fell on. Once he did, though, his smile inverted and the joy in his eyes vanished. It was probably for the best. He was really cute when he didn't look like he wanted Alex dead, and Alex didn't know what to do with that. Especially when he was so close. And still in his lap.
The two of them stared at each other for what felt like minutes. Alex in bewilderment, Matthew in contempt. Alex didn't know how long they would have stayed like that if left to their own devices, but luckily, they were saved by a Frenchman clearing his throat.
"You too look... comfortable," he said. Matthew and Alex snapped their heads to the side to see Baptiste looking at them with a very amused expression.
"You're not funny," Matthew seethed, quickly moving to sit up. To gain leverage he tried to push off the bag, but instead pressed his palm right into Alex's stomach. Alex doubled over from the pain, causing his head to bang against Matthew's nose.
" ¡ Carajo! " Matthew shouted, cradling his nose instead of getting up. "Jesus Christ, what is your head made of, diamonds?"
"Sorry," Alex wheezed, still recovering from the accidental gut punch. "My fault."
"No, it was his," Baptiste pointed out. "Get up before you break him, Matthew."
"You calling me fat?"
"You making excuses because you are enjoying yourself down there?"
"Shut up," Matthew mumbled, making a point of getting up without touching either Alex or the beanbag chair.
"Are you having fun, Alexander?" Baptiste asked once Matthew was up. "Your flatmate almost crushing you notwithstanding."
"He didn't," Alex said when Matthew rolled his eyes. "And I am. This party is nice."
"You're a really bad liar," Matthew said. "If you're bored just leave, dude."
"I'm not-"
"Stop lying, you're sitting alone in a beanbag chair that smells like stale Funyuns looking like you're waiting for Mommy to come to pick you up."
"Be nice, Matthew," Baptiste chided.
"Only when he stops."
"I'm not bored," Alex insisted. "I'm just..."
"Just what, Conrad?"
"Hey!" A fourth voice suddenly chimed in. In a blur, Eloise was joining their huddle. She shoved Matthew so hard that he effortlessly flew into one of the empty beanbag chairs, landing on his side. "Where did you put The Beatles, Matthew? Where are you hiding U2?"
"I'll die before I let you infect my stereo with Bono."
"If you die tonight, it'll be from this garbage causing leaks in your brain." Eloise gestured to Alex. "If you were blasting this at 2 AM last weekend then this man is a saint for not smothering you in your sleep."
"That feels like an exaggeration."
"I am inclined to agree with Eloise, Matthew," Baptiste chimed in. "This is not pleasant."
"It's not supposed to be pleasant! It's visceral! It's anger and frustration and raw human aggression!"
"It's meant to illicit the discomfort it causes," Alex guessed, "because music can be used to embody a wide range of emotions and sounds?"
Matthew stared at Alex with an incredulous expression. "You don't know who Queen is," he said slowly, "and yet you get metal more than they do? By the way, how the hell did you manage that? Do you live under a rock?"
"I... don't get out much."
"Do none of your palaces get radio reception?"
"I don't have a radio, actually," Alex said as Eloise kicked Matthew's beanbag for the palace comment. "My grandad has an antique one, but I don't think it works anymore. And the one in my mother's office only ever plays the news channels."
"Do you listen to anything?" Baptiste asked, taking a seat in the same beanbag chair Matthew was half falling out of. "Any genres of music that you like?"
"Only what my grandfather plays on his records, or has musicians perform at his parties. Classical pieces, mostly. Jack has complained about his sister playing Madonna and Cyndi Lauper, but I've not listened to their music either. I just know they're both American. And blonde."
"Hey, if Farrow doesn't like Cyndi Lauper, then his taste is meaningless too," Matthew chimed in.
"Your taste is bafflingly eclectic," Eloise observed, sitting down in the last empty beanbag.
"A lot of his music is really good," Alex said. He noticed Matthew roll his eyes and start picking at some loose thread on the carpet.
Great, he thinks you're just being nice again, AJ said. He's got a point you know, if you're always so polite no one will be able to tell the difference between when you're faking it and when you're being genuine.
"Um, I liked that one band you said is from Los Angeles," Alex continued, hoping to get Matthew's attention back. He was still hyper-focused on the thread. Keep going, you're doing great, AJ critiqued. Alex ignored the sarcasm and did continue. "Especially that one song. Um, how did it go?" Alex pondered for a second before singing the chorus to a song Matthew had played so many times Alex had it memorized already. He thought maybe they wouldn't even be able to hear his quiet voice over the sounds of the party. But when he finished Eloise and Baptiste were staring at him with wide eyes. Matthew's attention had been miraculously pulled away from the thread, and he was looking up at him with an expression Alex had yet to see him wear. He couldn't quite tell if it was a positive or negative one. "Is something wrong?"
"You've got a pretty singing voice, Alex," Eloise said. "You take lessons?"
"No," Alex said, trying not to feel too embarrassed. "Well, I guess I learned some tips from my dad, informally. He loves musicals. He taught me some songs from a couple of Bollywood ones a while ago. I didn't understand all the words so I would just parrot him. He's a lot better than me." Of course, it had been a while since his father was regularly well enough to sit up, let alone sing. But not many outside the Conrad family even knew Utkarsh Joshi was sick, so he didn't mention that.
"She is not just saying that, Alex," Baptiste added. "You sound lovely."
"Thanks," Alex muttered, clearly not believing them. Baptiste noticed and nudged Matthew so hard that he almost rolled onto the floor.
"Tell him, Matthew. He will believe you since you are not nice ."
Matthew's face scrunched as if the thought of complimenting Alex made him feel nauseated. Still, he tried to make his expression slightly more pleasant and made direct eye contact with Alex for the first time that night.
"You're fine, I guess," he said, sounding pained. Eloise let out an exasperated puff of air and extended her leg to give him a swift kick. He was so precariously balanced that as soon as she made contact he rolled onto the floor. He landed on his stomach, then rolled one more time to lay on his back, now very close to where Alex sat. "Um, ow."
"If you don't get off your high horse long enough, to be honest with him, I'm counting that as you throwing the bet."
Matthew looked at Alex. "How much is fifty pounds in real money?"
"About ninety US dollars," Alex said.
"Fuck. That's more than I thought. Fine, your singing is immaculate. Like a heavenly choir. What blessed natural talent. Congratulations."
"I said honest, not as ass," Eloise seethed, kicking him again and earning an honest groan of pain from him.
"Christ, Ellie, ow! You kick like a jackrabbit!"
"Children, please," Baptiste said, holding up a hand when Eloise raised her foot to strike again. "Not when I am so close. She is right about you being mean, though, Matthew."
"Oh, boo hoo. God forbid I hurt his widdle feelings." Matthew rolled slightly more to avoid another Eloise kick, in the process rolling onto one of Alex's shoes. Alex wasn't sure if he noticed, but he didn't move.
"Matthew is right," Alex said, hoping to stave off their fighting on his account. "He shouldn't treat me a certain way just because he feels obligated. And, the hostility, I understand it. Maybe even deserve it."
"Why on Earth do you deserve any hostility?" Eloise asked. "You've been nothing but decent to us since we've met."
"Maybe you all deserve more than 'decent'. Besides, I feel like the nastiness from my side requires a bit more recompense than one person being not terrible."
"See, Eloise, he likes it," Matthew said, patting Alex's knee. "Thanks for having my back, dick."
" You should not let him get away with that," Baptiste said in French, " just because you are ashamed of your peer's cruelty ."
"What did he just say about me?" Matthew asked Alex.
"That-"
"No, no, no," Baptiste said quickly. "Do not translate for him. It is part of his French training. He is very behind."
"Hey, it's not my fault," Matthew insisted. "I got placed in this level cuz of my transcripts but my French teacher back home sucked ass. I'm pretty sure he didn't even know French. He just put on French films and gave us extra credit if we brought in French pastries."
"How many times did you bring in croissants, then?" Eloise asked.
"My tío works at a Costco, so he would always give me the boxes that were expired. I ended last year with a one hundred and three per cent."
"You brought in expired food to get an A in French?" Baptiste asked. "I feel like I should be offended by that. Mouldy bread being used to buy my language."
"Hey, it wasn't mouldy. Just stale. And expiration dates are a joke."
"I'm pretty sure they're there for a reason," Eloise said.
"What, you throw out the milk the second the clock strikes midnight on the day after it expires?"
"Do you keep it for weeks past the best-by date?"
"I sniff it and make a judgment call, okay? Baptiste, back me up."
"I am rethinking a lot of things right now, Mon ami," Baptiste said, sounding haunted.
"That means friend, by the way," Eloise said with a cheeky grin.
"Ha ha, let's all make fun of the dumb American who doesn't understand fancy French because he was a victim of the massive underfunding crisis that plagues low-income schools in Los Angeles."
"And who also drinks spoiled milk, apparently," Eloise added. "Or do you have to eat it, by the time you get to it?"
Matthew bumped Alex's knee with his own. "You. Back me up," he demanded. "It's a suggestion."
"I think your sniff method makes sense," Alex decided to say.
"See?"
"He is agreeing with you to get on your good side," Baptiste guessed.
"No, no," Alex insisted, suddenly very invested in his side being challenged. "I mean, some of them even say 'Sell By', right? Not 'Eat By'. Even 'Best By' is a bit vague. Just because the milk might not be at its best, doesn't mean you can't drink it. Right?"
"That's a good point," Matthew said, his tone sounding free of sarcasm or hostility for the first time. Eloise and Baptiste just shook their heads, though Eloise shot Alex a look that almost seemed like it said, 'Weird place to find common ground, but at least you found it somewhere'.
Unfortunately, it didn't seem like the two were going to get a chance to find any more. A sudden high-pitched shout rang out from somewhere in the party, followed by a large crash and the music coming to an abrupt end.
"What was that?" Eloise asked as Matthew shot to his feet. He ran off into the crowd without a word and was out of sight by the time Alex, Baptiste, and Eloise could escape from their beanbag chairs. "I think it came from-"
"What the fuck?" Matthew's voice rang out above the silence that was creeping into the lobby. Everyone was taking note of the commotion and dropping what they were doing to investigate. "The hell is wrong with you?"
"It was an accident, mate," another voice sounded off. Alex's body felt cold when he recognized who it was. "Calm down."
Eloise and Baptiste forged ahead through the crowd, but Alex stopped in his tracks. He whipped his head around, trying to find Jack. If he was right about who that voice belonged to then he needed to find Jack. But everyone was trying to get to the source of the noise, so he was pushed along like he was caught in a tide. A small half-circle had formed around the bookshelf, with two prominent people in the middle. Alex spotted Baptiste and Eloise at the front of the crowd, but he couldn't get to them. His height did give him a clear view of what was going on though.
The stereo that had been on top of the bookcase was busted on the ground, looking like it had been crushed by something heavy. A couple of books were splayed on the floor too. Matthew was standing on one side of the busted machine, looking furious. On the other side, wearing an overpriced polo and a smug smile, was Malcolm Greene.