Visiting the BSA booth!

The sun hung high over campus, warm and bright against the streams of students flowing across the courtyard. You and Jamal had been wandering for nearly an hour now, drifting from booth to booth, your tote bag already filled with pamphlets and free pens that students continued to give you, even though you weren't really interested in these clubs.

Jamal was in his element, joking with everyone, flashing his grin, pulling you into conversations even when you tried to stay in the background. Even just watching him interact with other students give you a fuzzy feeling in your belly. Its crazy to you how charismatic he is, you get why he is the leader of the BSA.

“This is what college is about, man,” he said, nudging you with his elbow as a group of girls laughed behind him. “You don’t just study, you find your people, your community.”

You smiled, glancing around. The air smelled of coffee, and popcorn from a food truck somewhere nearby. “Yeah. Guess I’m still figuring out who that is.”

“Don’t worry, about it” Jamal said, slinging an arm around your shoulders and pulling you closer into his strong body. “You got time and you now got me and the people from the BSA, thats something” he says with a laugh. Your cheeks start to redden from the closeness and the heat of his body against yours.

The two of you turned a corner, and Jamal stopped mid-step. “Ayy, look who it is.”

Across the lawn stood a booth draped in black and gold fabric, a familiar bold banner with a raised fist on it stretched across the front: Black Students Association.

A few familiar faces were already there, you remember Mary, with her sleek black hair catching the sunlight, was laughing about something. Beside her Taylor leaned against the table, his curly brown hair bouncing as he laughed at something the guy besides him said. You think that he must be Taylor's boyfriend Dior, he looks tall and broad in his BSA shirt. He also had one very muscular arm draped easily around Taylor’s waist, the kind of closeness that felt practiced and natural.

You felt Jamal’s hand tap your shoulder. “Come on, we gotta say hey.”

As you approached, Mary looked up first, her face lighting up. “Well, look who decided to show up! Emile, right?”

You nodded, smiling back. “Yeah. Hey again, Mary.”

“Jamal,” she said with mock exasperation, “you didn’t scare this one off yet?”

“Not yet,” Jamal said with a grin. “Still working on it though.”

Taylor gave a quick wave. “Good to see you guys again! You made it out to the fair.” His voice was warm, Diors arm still around his waist as he gave a polite nod before turning his attention back to the table.

Jamal and the other BSA members exchanged a look, something brief, wordless, like they were sharing a private joke. You caught it but couldn’t read it, brushing it off as just friendly familiarity.

Mary leaned forward on the booth. “How’s the first week treating you, Emile? Settling in?”

“I think so,” you said. “It’s been… a lot, but good. Everyone’s been really nice.”

“That’s what we like to hear,” Taylor said, bumping Dior lightly with his hip. “Community, right babe?”

Dior chuckled, his low voice smooth. “Exactly. Support. We’ve all got each other.”

The two of them shared a look, soft, comfortable, and maybe a bit more than that. Taylor’s fingers brushed Dior’s arm before resting there, a quiet reminder that they were together. Mary noticed it too, smirking. “You two are ridiculous,” she teased.

Before anyone could answer, another voice joined from beside the booth. “Hey, uh, what’s this about?”

You turned to see who the voice belonged to.

A tall student stood just off the walkway, a tote bag slung over one shoulder, his T-shirt clinging to the kind of body that came from years of climbing or track or maybe both. His skin was tanned from the sun, his blond hair slightly messy, reaching just past his ears. Blue eyes, bright but uncertain, darted from face to face as he stepped closer.

“The BSA,” Mary said with an easy smile. “Black Students Association. We’re open to anyone interested in supporting or learning about the community. You thinking of joining?”

He shrugged, smiling a little. “Maybe... I don't know, but it sounds interesting. I’m Calvin by the way.”

“Ashton!” Mary called, and another tall guy turned from where he was pinning up a new poster, he had dark skin, easy smile and a black durag tied neatly around his head. You don't remember seeing him when you met everyone a few days ago, but that doesn't have to mean anything. “You’re on recruitment duty. This one’s all yours.”

Ashton turned to the group and walked over, offering Calvin a handshake. “Hey man, good to meet you.”

Calvin took it, his grip firm. “Yeah, you too. So, what do you guys actually do here?”

“Oh, all kinds of stuff,” Ashton said. “We do campus events, community work, social meetups. It’s about building a space where everyone can feel seen and supported, you know?”

Calvin nodded, eyes flicking to Ashton’s face, lingering a second too long before he looked away. “Yeah, that sounds… actually really good. I didn’t know you could join if you weren’t...”

“Black?” Ashton finished, smiling a little. “Yeah, man, it’s not exclusive. If you’re here for the right reasons and to support the community, we’ll take you.”

“Right reasons,” Calvin repeated, smiling faintly. “Got it.”

Something about his tone was odd, it seemed playful, testing which made Mary raise a brow. “Careful,” she teased. “Ashton takes this stuff very seriously.”

Ashton laughed, a nice sound, rubbing the back of his neck. “Yeah, yeah. I try.”

While they talked, Jamal leaned closer to you. “You see that?” he murmured, amusement in his voice. “New guy’s already flirting.”

You blinked. “Flirting?”

Jamal smirked. “You’ll learn to spot it.”

At that, Ashton handed Calvin a sign-up sheet. “Just put your info down, man. We’ll add you to a group chat later and then you can still decide if you want to join”

Calvin nodded, bending to write. “Cool.” He finished the form and, subtle, but not subtle enough, scribbled something extra in the corner of the paper before handing it back. A quick glance at Ashton’s raised brows confirmed it wasn’t just his name.

Jamal snorted quietly. “Damn, white guy is bold.”

Mary caught it too, hiding a smile behind her hand. “Looks like we’ve got another confident one.”

Calvin gave a wave before walking off toward the next booth, and Ashton looked down at the note again, shaking his head with a small, embarrassed grin.

You have no idea what anyone is talking about, you don't understand what the guy could've wrote down that would get that reaction from someone. But like always, before you can ask anything, everyone continues talking.

“See?” Taylor said, laughing. “People love us.”

“Can’t blame them,” Dior replied, his voice low but good-natured “when we have someone as good looking and sexy like you behind the counter, Bunny.” Dior said and for some reason the 'Bunny' comment caught you off guard, does he mean snowbunny? Are they also in a relationship like that? Maybe you should ask Taylor later about it, even though its not really something that should concern you, you are still curious...

A few seconds later, Mary clapped her hands together. “Okay, group picture time!” she smiles, “you know, for our socials and all that.”

She pulled her phone out, motioning for everyone to bunch together. You stepped closer between Jamal and Taylor, the late sun painting the scene gold. As the camera clicked, you felt Jamal’s hand settle lightly on your back, steadying you, maybe guiding you into frame, but when his palm drifted lower, resting on your hip and then lower on your butt, the air around you seemed to hum. It wasn’t inappropriate, just... charged. A teasing touch that made your pulse skip before he drew back with a grin.

“Perfect,” Mary said, checking the photo. “Damn, we look good.”

Jamal laughed softly. “Always do.”

You smiled for the picture, cheeks warm, not just from the sun. Your skin is still warm where his hand rested, for some reason it felt pretty good...