They get to the party

The rumble of the IROC-Z cut through the warm night, loud enough to be heard over the noise of the party. All along the block, the OGT house was a beacon of flashing lights, bass thumping, clusters of students sprawling across the drive, porch, and lawn, until they disappeared into the house. Chet’s car raced up fast and reckless, T-tops off, and 80s rock pouring out into the chaos.

Van Halen’s “Panama” blared from the speakers, drawing attention from all directions. Heads turned. People paused mid-conversation, red Solo cups frozen halfway to mouths. The car didn’t just jump onto the curb; it raced up onto the grass, cutting into the middle of a game of cornhole. The crowd parted, rushing to get out of the way, while some people were cursing and others laughing. Chet jerked the car to a stop causing the wheels to skid on the grass and the front bumper to come to a stop over the now crunched and battered bicycle someone had carelessly tossed aside.

Kristie sat in the back with her hands braced against the front seats, gasping for breath. “You realize you just destroyed what was probably someone’s primary mode of transportation, right?”

Chet grinned, wearing sunglasses despite the darkness, unbothered. “Sacrifices must be made. You want to make an impression, you gotta own the entrance. And they cared about their bike, they wouldn’t leave their stuff lying around. That’s what happens when you leave it lying out somewhere.”

Erin sat frozen in the passenger seat, white knuckling the door handle and dashboard. She could feel her heart still racing about as fast as the car had been going. “Yeah, well, I’m sure he wasn’t expecting some maniac to park in the middle of the damn yard! I can’t believe we just did that. I can’t believe you just did that.”

“Relax, genius.” Chet leaning over to drape his arm across her seatback. “First rule: Don’t apologize. If you look like you’re supposed to be here, nobody questions a thing.”

On the lawn, a couple of OGT brothers stared open-mouthed at the spectacle. One nudged his friend, muttering, “Who the hell is that?” The other just shrugged. “No clue, man, but my dad’s got an IROC just like that. Except his is blue instead of red.” Then as if unbothered, he took a drink from his red Solo cup as if nothing happened.

Chet killed the engine, killing the music along with it. He turned to the girls, sizing them up. Kristie in a shimmering electric-blue dress, showing her bare legs, with her hair stacked high. Then Erin in her hot pink number with oversized shoulder pads, clutching her tiny purse with a deer-in-headlights look.

“Alright, ladies,” Chet said, as if what he was saying was the most important thing they’d ever heard, “moment of truth. You ready to see what happens when you stop hiding behind your books and let people see you?”

Kristie’s confidence surged with the music still ringing in her ears. “Honestly? I can’t remember the last time I felt so excited.” She glanced at Erin, who tried to muster bravado but couldn’t quite fake it.

Erin muttered, “I feel like a walking, retro Barbie doll. There’s no way anyone takes us seriously in these outfits.”

Chet smirked. “They don’t need to take you seriously. You want to get a man, right? So they need to want you. Trust me, tonight you’re not just part of the scenery. You’re the whole damn view.”

Kristie bit her lip, feeling a blush rising in her cheeks at the idea of it all. She watched as a pair of guys on the porch started nudging each other, pointing their direction. One was tall, dark-haired, in a tank that looked like his biceps had been painted on. The other grinned and gave them a rock-on gesture.

Chet turned in his seat, white blazer and gold chain gleaming as he looked between them with a crooked grin. “So, you two ready for this? ‘Cause you brought me out, and I don’t exactly blend in.”

Kristie laughed, a little too loud, from the nerves now that they were here. “We know. Just… try not to get us dragged into anything insane, okay? If you want to go full Chet, do your thing. Just- maybe do some of it without us.”

Erin sighed, already bracing herself. “Seriously, can you please not get everyone staring at us for once? I’m begging you.”

Chet winked, unfazed. “No promises. But hey, since you gave me the green light, I’m gonna go have some fun. Been too long…”

Erin hesitated, her eyes darting between Kristie and Chet, taking in the crowd, the music, the stares that were finally losing interest in them. For a moment, she wanted to shrink back and just disappear into the night. But Kristie squeezed her hand, a silent “let’s just do it,” and Erin nodded her head.

“Fine,” Erin said, finding her voice. “Just… don’t do anything illegal, okay?”

Chet’s grin widened. “You’ve got it. I think I can work with that.” He reached over, squeezing Erin’s knee first, then Kristie’s. Erin slid out of the car easily, her dress riding up her thighs as she hopped onto the grass. Kristie took a little longer, adjusting her hem as she squeezed out from the back, feeling the thrill of the night from finally being at a frat party.

As they stood together, Kristie couldn’t help but shiver. “You realize every guy out here is staring at us?”

“That’s the point,” Chet replied. He’d just finished jumping up and over the door, through the open window and T-top, stuffing the keys into his pocket. “Let’s go make some memories.”

He took the lead, strutting up the walkway. The crowd parted, unsure of what to make of him between his size and his choice of clothes. Perhaps even a little intimidated. Kristie fell in step beside him, the dress showing the natural sway of her hips that her standard clothes hid, feeling the boldest she’d ever felt. Erin hung back half a step, watching Chet and Kristie, the neon, the people, the impossible sense that she was living out all of her introverted nightmares.

As they reached the porch, one of the OGT guys, broad-shouldered and grinning, called out, “Yo, nice ride! You going for the costume contest or just making us all look bad?”

Chet shot him a finger-gun and a wink. “Little of both, bro.”

Kristie gave a nervous laugh, looping her arm through Erin’s. “Let’s go, Barbie. We’re not blending in tonight.”

Erin managed a single ha, feeling the burn of every stare on her bare, slender legs, but, seeing some of the looks, for the first time, she didn’t hate it. The party swallowed them up into the music and lights.

The trio barely made it past the threshold before the crowd surged around them. The main room was a writhing crush of bodies and beer cans everywhere. Even the lights felt like they just stepped into a club.

Chet’s bright white blazer practically glowed in the semi darkness, when they paused in the center of the room. He raised his arms and did a perfect spin, showing off like he’d just stepped onto a catwalk. Some of the immediately surrounding people stopped to stare; a few just looked, while others gawked at his large build. It took about thirty seconds for a guy to pass him a solo cup and slap him on the back.

A deep synth beat dropped and Chet, never missing a cue, started to dance with the kind of hip action you could only pull off if you had zero shame. People formed a loose circle, cheering as he threw in a body roll, then a moonwalk, then dropped low and popped back up in a way considering his size, that made even the most unimpressed partygoers whistle.

The girls stood at the edge, laughing at the spectacle and the fact that people were actually into him. Kristie leaned over to Erin, with her brows furrowed in surprise. “We’re seriously at the party with that guy.”

Erin shook her head, still in disbelief. “I think he might actually be magic.”

Just then, an asian girl in a gold mini-dress, pushed her way to the front of the circle. She had dark brown hair with highlights, styled into big loose curls. Her lips were painted red with lipstick, and a gaze locked so firmly on Chet’s body you’d think she’d invented lust. She had a hungry smile, and when he was close enough, she reached out, dragging her finger down the lapel of his jacket.

Chet grinned, not missing a beat. He let her hand linger, then caught it in his, spun her in close, and whispered something in her ear. She squealed, clutching at his arm, and pressed herself against his chest. The crowd whooped as he pulled her tight for a quick, showy grind, his big hands resting lightly on the hips of her narrow frame.

Kristie bit her lip, half-shocked, half-amused. “Well, there goes our chaperone.”

Erin blushed, watching as the gold-dressed girl whispered something else, then tugged Chet into the crowd. He looked back, catching the girls’ eyes over the party lights, and winked, a wild, carefree promise in the gesture.

“Don’t wait up!” he called, laughing. “You two got this. Time to show ‘em what you’re made of! I’ll find you… at some point.”

He let the gold-dressed girl pull him away, his arm wrapped easily around her waist as they disappeared, leaving a small pack of envious onlookers and a lot of frustrated frat boys in his wake.

Suddenly, Erin and Kristie were standing alone in the whirlpool of music and bodies, without Chet’s confidence leading the way. The moment stretched, in a strange and raw heartbeat of “now what?”

Kristie straightened, glancing at Erin. “Guess it’s just us, huh?”

Erin tried to swallow her nerves. “Yeah. Just us.”

She **** a smile, even as the chaos of the party threatened to swallow them whole.

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