Rejoice

“No way,” he finally says, setting down the bag of chips he’s been holding mid-bite. “So, Michelle actually... made out with Charlotte? Right there? With all the, uh…” His voice trails off as he struggles to find the right words, but his grin is unmistakable. “Damn, Lucas, that’s... something.”

You nod, feeling a strange mix of embarrassment and disbelief yourself. “Yeah, ‘something’ is right. And then she asked me if I wanted a taste. Like, no way was I gonna—nope.” You shake your head, hands up in mock surrender.

Liam lets out a burst of laughter, covering his face as he imagines the whole scenario. “Man, that’s unreal. And here I was thinking you’d just be doing some small talk with Michelle and Charlotte, but instead…” He shakes his head, clearly at a loss for words. “What was going through your head?”

“I was panicking the entire time!” you admit, throwing your hands up. “I was doing my best to keep up the Luna act without Hermes’ spell, and trust me, it wasn’t easy. Especially not with Michelle right there. She’s got this way of… just making you feel like you have to keep up, you know?”

Liam nods, leaning back in his chair, his brow furrowed. “Yeah, I can imagine. Michelle’s got that vibe—like, ‘sultry seductress but also intimidating queen bee’ rolled into one. So she actually thought you’d be up for—” He stops, catching himself with a smirk. “Okay, but real talk… watching them together… was it, like… kinda hot?”

You feel your face heat up, knowing exactly what he’s getting at. “It was like a live porno, Liam,” you mutter, rubbing your forehead. “I mean, I don’t know what I was expecting, but seeing them actually…” You can’t even finish the sentence, still wrapping your head around the intensity of what you witnessed. “Michelle’s not even, like, a girly girl, you know? She’s so intense, and then seeing her just… take charge with Charlotte like that. It was wild.”

Liam’s laugh is half-shocked, half-impressed. “Okay, well, now I’m almost jealous that you got to see all that.” He raises an eyebrow at you. “What’s next, then? I mean, if that’s what a normal day with them looks like, who knows what’s coming next?”

You shrug, feeling the weight of that question settle over you. “Good question. I’m not even sure what’s normal anymore. And who knows what Aphrodite has planned. She’s been quiet, which is almost worse, you know? It’s like I’m just waiting for the other shoe to drop.”

Liam nods, the teasing grin on his face giving way to a more serious expression. “Yeah, I get it. I mean, it’s weird, but… you’re doing this whole thing for a reason. You’re dealing with Michelle, the sorority stuff… and honestly, I think you handled it pretty well tonight.” He gives you a firm nod. “Even without Hermes’ spell, you kept Luna going. That’s big.”

You give him a grateful look. “Thanks. But it’s also terrifying, you know? I keep thinking what would happen if I mess up.” You pause, a fresh worry crossing your mind. “And it’s not like I have a whole wardrobe or a clue how to act like a girl half the time. It’s one thing pretending for Michelle and her friends. I just… I don’t know how long I can keep this up.”

Liam leans forward, his face earnest. “You’ll figure it out. You’ve already done more than you thought you could, right? And if Michelle’s impressed, you’ve got to be doing something right.” He winks. “Besides, when it comes down to it, you’ve got me backing you up. And even though this whole Aphrodite trial thing is insane, you’re handling it like a pro.”

As he says it, you feel a sense of relief you hadn’t expected. Maybe, with his support, this ordeal would be manageable after all.

Just as you’re about to respond, your phone dings with a notification. The noise cuts through the room, and both of you look down at it, your heart leaping. It could be anyone—Aphrodite, Michelle, or maybe even…

You glance at the screen, pulse racing, as the message lights up.

The phone screen lights up in your hand, the single “?” from Marcus glowing as you stare at it. For a second, you’re completely baffled. Then, it hits you—he must’ve messaged earlier, way back when you were… at the sorority house.

“Wait, Liam,” you say, pulse quickening as you scroll back through your messages. “I… I think he messaged me hours ago.”

Liam leans over your shoulder, his eyes going wide as you finally find it. Sure enough, there it is—a message from Marcus sent earlier that evening, waiting patiently to be read. You tap to open it, heart pounding as you read the words that flash on the screen:

Do you want to come with me to the Eras Tour concert next weekend? I want to go but I don’t have anyone to go with.

It takes a moment for the reality to settle in, but when it does, you and Liam both react at once.

“Holy crap,” Liam says, practically shouting, his face breaking into a wide grin. “Marcus just invited you—to a concert. With just him. And… without Victoria?”

You’re still staring at the screen, completely stunned. “I… I think he did.”

Liam slaps your shoulder, his excitement infectious. “Dude, do you know what this means? Not only is he texting back, but he actually wants to go somewhere with you! Alone. No Victoria, no one else. You’re totally winning this trial!”

“And—” You start to laugh, realizing the insane coincidence. “And we just about finished the first trial with Charlotte, didn’t we?”

Liam clinks an imaginary glass with you. “Look at you, Mr. Aphrodite’s Chosen. You’re pulling this off.”

Unable to contain your excitement, the two of you glance over to the fridge where a neglected twelve-pack of vodka mixers has been sitting untouched for months. Liam raises an eyebrow, a devilish grin on his face. “I think it’s time we celebrate.”

You don’t need more encouragement. With a quick grab, the twelve-pack lands on the counter, and in moments, you’re both cracking open the cans, the sound of fizzing carbonation filling the room as you cheers.

“To pulling off trials we didn’t even know we had!” Liam grins, lifting his drink high.

“To not blowing it with Marcus,” you add with a laugh, clinking your can against his. The two of you take a long, triumphant sip, the vodka sharp and fizzy, but the taste is nothing compared to the thrill of what’s happening.

This whole ordeal, everything that’s happened so far, suddenly feels okay. You look over at Liam, grinning as he raises his can again.

“To the Eras Tour,” he says, beaming.

“To Aphrodite’s trials,” you echo, feeling a wild surge of hope. “And to what comes next.”

A few cans in, you and Liam are already feeling the buzz, and the conversation has taken on that loose, rambling quality that only comes after too many drinks. You’re both sprawled on the couch, laughing at everything and nothing at the same time.

“Dude,” Liam slurs, squinting at you with a lazy grin, “you’re, like… so hot now, you know that?”

You roll your eyes, tipping your head back as you laugh. “Oh, please.”

“No, seriously!” he insists, poking you in the arm. “You’ve got… the long hair, the, like… mini… I dunno, starter boobs or whatever, and your voice sounds so different. It’s like you went from… dude-next-door to…” He waves his hand around. “...smokin’ babe-next-door.”

“Stop it,” you say, feeling your face heat up despite yourself. “It’s embarrassing, dude. I didn’t ask to be… well, like this!”

“Too bad!” Liam says, smirking. “You’re a total knockout.”

You take a long sip of your drink and feel yourself melt back into the couch. “It’s… so weird, though,” you admit, staring at the ceiling. “Like, I don’t want to be hot, right? But I still think… I don’t know. Sometimes I catch myself in the mirror and think, like… dang. I actually look… kinda good.”

Liam cackles, half-snorting as he tries not to spill his drink. “Oh, so you’re saying you’d… what? You’d jerk it to yourself if you could?”

You scoff, laughing with him, but then, somehow, the answer slips out without you even thinking about it. “I mean, if I still had a dick, maybe.”

Liam howls with laughter, doubling over on the couch, clutching his stomach. “Oh my god! I can’t believe… You just said you’d jerk it to yourself if you could! That’s incredible.”

“Shut up!” you exclaim, your own words blurring as you try to hold back laughter. “It’s not like I can do anything about it now, anyway!”

“But still!” He shakes his head, leaning closer with a wide grin. “You’re telling me you’re hot, and you know it, but you’re just… stuck with all that. Like, man, the irony is chef’s kiss.”

You tilt your head to look at him, shrugging dramatically. “I know, right? It’s… honestly so messed up.” You gesture to yourself. “I don’t want to feel like this, but it’s like… here I am, looking like this, and sometimes I’m just like… dude, if I was someone else, I’d be into this.”

“Oh, you would, huh?” Liam teases, poking you. “So, like… if there was another you, you’d totally… just go for it?”

“Not like I have a choice, anyway,” you mutter, half-giggling, half-exasperated. “But if I did… it’s just such a mess, man. I don’t even know what I think anymore.”

Liam raises his can in a sloppy toast, smirking. “Well, to being the hottest unwilling babe on campus.”

You clink cans, both of you dissolving into fits of laughter again, lost in the ridiculousness of it all.

You and Liam are down to the last few sips of your drinks, the entire pack of vodka mixes emptied out in a mess of empty cans on the coffee table, and both of you are well past tipsy. Everything is funnier, the room is spinning, and anything either of you says is hilarious beyond reason.

“Hey,” Liam says, pointing a wobbly finger at you, “I’m serious. You’re so… hot now. It’s insane.” He tries to sit up, gesturing dramatically, his face flushed from both the booze and whatever fire this particular comment has sparked in him. “Like, not just… like, oh, you’re cute. I mean, you’re actually… really freakin’ cute. And hot.”

“Oh my god, stop,” you groan, throwing your head back with a laugh, pushing him lightly. “You’ve been saying that for, like, the last hour, man. You’re wasted.”

“But I mean it!” he insists, his own laugh bubbling up. “You’re just so… like, you’re not even trying, and here you are, lookin’ all… pretty and… like, effortless.”

You roll your eyes, though you can’t help but smile, cheeks flushed. “Effortless, sure. Tell that to the ten pounds of makeup and bras I’ve been dealing with.”

Liam snorts. “It’s worth it. It’s so worth it. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but… seriously, you’d turn heads if we went out like this. Heads. Everywhere.”

“Yeah, well, I don’t wanna turn heads,” you mutter, glancing down, but your laughter betrays you. “But thanks, I guess. It’s still… weird, you know?”

“Weird,” he repeats, as if the word itself doesn’t quite fit. He leans closer, squinting at you. “But, like… in a good way, right?”

You shrug, snickering. “I guess so. Just weird knowing I… look good. Like, sometimes I don’t even recognize myself.”

“Dude…” He leans in, his face closer now, voice low and conspiratorial, like he’s about to reveal some grand secret. “You’re so cute right now. Like, stupid cute.”

“Oh my god,” you laugh, covering your face with one hand, embarrassed. “Liam, enough. You’re gonna make me believe it if you keep saying it.”

He laughs, dropping his head back. “Good! You should believe it. You are cute. And you’ve got this whole…” he gestures vaguely at you, “thing going on that’s, like… yeah. And I know you know it. You even said you’d… you know…” He grins, his drunken mind not letting him drop it.

You roll your eyes, grinning. “Shut up. You just… you just can’t drop it, huh?”

“Not when it’s true!” he says, both of you laughing uncontrollably. “You’re too cute to just sit here. We should… I dunno, do something to celebrate, ‘cause this is, like… milestone-level cute.”

“Milestone-level?” you snort, leaning back with a sly, tipsy smile. “What, like… what kind of celebration you thinkin’?”

He pauses, and then he grins, shrugging. “I dunno. Just, you know… something fun. Something kinda...”

You squint, your mind catching up to his, and before you know it, the words are slipping out, carried on a drunken dare. “Well… what if… we just helped each other out?”

Liam raises an eyebrow, a wide grin spreading across his face. “You mean…?”

“Yeah,” you say, face burning as you look away, laughing. “Why not, right? Like… we’ve been talkin’ all night. Why not just… celebrate.”

He lets out a deep, drunken chuckle, and you both dissolve into laughter again, half from embarrassment and half from excitement as you realize that neither of you is actually backing down.

“Alright then,” he says, eyes gleaming with the thrill of it, “to celebrating.”