A soft knock at the door woke Gabriel from his sleep. His eyes fluttered open, and he sat up groggily, rubbing his face. The light from outside the window told him it was early evening, but the persistent tapping on the door demanded his attention.
Yawning, Gabriel shuffled to the door, still half-asleep. He didn't think twice about his appearance—a slightly oversized sweatshirt that hung loosely around his slim frame and a pair of black briefs. His bedhead was in full effect, and his socks were mismatched.
He opened the door, blinking at the figure standing there.
"Eli?" he asked groggily.
Eli's eyes flickered over him, and an amused smile curved on his lips before he quickly turned away, his hand covering his mouth. "Uh... hey," Eli said, his voice muffled by what Gabriel could only assume was stifled laughter.
Gabriel's sleepy brain was slow to process the situation, but when it clicked, his heart dropped into his stomach. He glanced down at himself and realized—with growing horror—that he was standing there in his briefs.
"Oh my God," Gabriel squeaked, slamming the door shut with enough force to make his own hair bounce.
On the other side, he could hear Eli burst out laughing. "Nice briefs, Gabriel!"
"Shut up!" Gabriel called out, his voice cracking with mortification. He hurried to pull on a pair of jeans and smooth down his hair, though no amount of grooming could save him from the embarrassment burning on his face.
When he finally opened the door again, Eli was still grinning, clearly enjoying himself.
"Come in," Gabriel muttered, avoiding eye contact.
Eli stepped inside, his hands in his hoodie pockets, his smirk still firmly in place. "You've got style, I'll give you that."
"Can we not talk about it?" Gabriel mumbled, his face so red it could rival a tomato.
Eli chuckled. "Alright, alright. I'll let it slide this time." He leaned casually against the wall, his grin softening into something more genuine. "I'm here to show you something. But we've got to go now."
"Now?" Gabriel asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah, now. Trust me, it's worth it."
Gabriel hesitated for a moment but eventually gave in. He barely had time to grab a jacket and fix his hair before Eli grabbed his wrist and pulled him toward the door. "Let's go!"
They climbed the stairs of the dormitory, the cold concrete steps echoing with their footsteps. Gabriel tried to guess where Eli was taking him, but the boy was tight-lipped, his only response being a cryptic, "You'll see."
When they reached the top, Eli pushed open the heavy metal door that led to the rooftop. Gabriel blinked as the cool night air hit him, and he saw a small group of people gathered around a metallic bonfire pit. The firelight cast warm, flickering shadows on their faces as they laughed and chatted.
Gabriel froze in place, his natural shyness kicking in. He wasn't great with new people, and the idea of walking into an already-formed group made his stomach twist.
But before he could retreat, the group noticed him.
"Hey, new guy!" a deep voice called out. It came from a tall, muscular man with a brown goatee who stood up and waved.
"Come on in," said a girl with a round face and cute bob-cut hair. She had glasses that caught the firelight, giving her a soft, welcoming look.
Eli nudged Gabriel forward. "Don't be shy," he said, his tone teasing but encouraging.
Gabriel stepped closer, his nerves making his movements awkward. But the group's smiles were genuine, and they quickly closed the distance to greet him.
"Alright, introductions!" Eli announced, slapping Gabriel lightly on the back. "Everyone, this is Gabriel. Be nice to him; it's his first day."
"First day?" the man with the goatee said, raising an eyebrow. "Well, welcome to college, Gabriel. I'm Nathan. Part-time barista, full-time caffeine addict. If you ever need coffee at odd hours, I'm your guy."
"Nice to meet you," Gabriel said, trying not to sound too nervous.
"I'm Riley," said the girl with the bob cut, holding out a hand. "Fine arts major and official snack hoarder. Speaking of which, do you want some chips?" She held up a bag of sour cream and onion chips with a grin.
"Uh, sure," Gabriel said, taking a chip and smiling shyly.
"That's Nina," Eli said, pointing to a girl sitting cross-legged near the fire. She wore a leather jacket with enough spikes and studs to double as armor, her dreadlocks pulled into a loose ponytail.
"Drummer for Death Machine," Nina said without looking up. She was busy inspecting her nails, painted black with intricate designs. "And before you ask, yes, it's the best band name ever."
Gabriel decided not to argue.
"And that's Rupert and Mindy," Eli continued, nodding toward the couple snuggled up by the fire.
Rupert, a broad-shouldered guy with a buzzcut, grinned at him. "I play striker for the football team. Mindy here keeps me sane."
Mindy, a cheerleader with long brown hair streaked with electric blue, elbowed him playfully. "And by 'sane,' he means I remind him to eat vegetables."
The group laughed, and Gabriel felt some of his tension ease.
As the introductions wrapped up, Rupert clapped his hands together. "Alright, enough chit-chat. Let's play a game."
"A game?" Gabriel asked nervously.
Rupert's grin widened. "Truth or dare. Classic."
Gabriel's stomach dropped, and he glanced at Eli, who was watching him with an amused expression.
"It's gonna be fun," Eli said softly, his voice steady and reassuring. The way he looked at Gabriel made the knot in his stomach unravel just a little.
"Okay," Gabriel said hesitantly.
The group settled around the fire, the game beginning with lighthearted questions and silly dares. Riley was dared to eat three marshmallows at once, which she managed with ease. Nathan was asked to reveal his most embarrassing work moment—spilling coffee on a professor's lap during finals week.
When it was Gabriel's turn, all eyes turned to him, and his face heated up again.
"Truth or dare?" Nina asked, her dark eyes glittering with mischief.
"Truth," Gabriel said quickly, not trusting his luck with a dare.
Nina smirked. "What's the most embarrassing thing that's happened to you in the last week?"
Gabriel groaned, and the group laughed. He glanced at Eli, who raised an eyebrow, clearly enjoying this.
"Okay, okay," Gabriel said, trying not to cringe. "I... may have answered the door in my briefs earlier today."
The group erupted in laughter, and Eli grinned. "Nice," he said, giving Gabriel a playful nudge.
Despite his embarrassment, Gabriel couldn't help but smile. For the first time in a long while, he felt like he belonged.
As the fire crackled and the game continued, Gabriel found himself relaxing more and more. The group's energy was infectious, their laughter and banter weaving a sense of camaraderie that made the rooftop feel like a world of its own.
And through it all, Eli stayed close, his presence grounding Gabriel in a way he didn't fully understand yet.