My name is Efdram Gonzalez.

It was a little after midnight. Maybe more like one. Or, possibly two. I...wasn't really sure. I had no need to keep track of time—it was Friday night, well, Saturday morning, and I was going strong. There was still half a pizza propped open next to me, and another thing of pop open on the other side, so I could've kept going for another hour easy.

Hey, shut up. Just because I wasn't getting absolutely plastered doesn't mean I was some kind of nerd. So what if I stay up and code my own stuff? I'm not doing school junk, and maybe I'll be able to profit from it. Someday.

Besides, the only real party was at X-House. My mom had totally hinted I should go when she saw the fliers on move-in day. I kind of shrugged, saying something about they got dumb and wild so it probably wasn't worth my time. No need to tell her how reej the X-House kids were.

Anyway, the code was being dumb, and I was trying to fix it when I got bipped. Scott. Of course. "Hey," he grinned.

No need to fullscreen, or even turn on my own webcam for that matter "Morning, dude."

"Hey," he repeated. "So I'm at X-House. You wanna come drive me back."

"No," I said shortly.

"Ooh, did I interrupt some breakthrough inna works?"

"No," I repeated, "just...don't see the need to be your own personal chauffeur."

"Hey, cool it buddy. Whatever."

I sighed. "It's really not that far."

"Yeah, who was the one who gotta car for the thing?"

"Me. For myself."

He kind of blinked. That wasn't good, ish. If he wasn't even going to think of a comeback, he was probably not in a good place. "Kay, whatever, gimme a minute."

Blah blah blah, I drove over, and there was Scott on the front porch. In shorts and a tank top. Gotta love California. Behind him, a tall girl was heading back inside, clutching a red cup. "Wait, you're going back for more?" a shorter girl next to her giggled. "I thought you were throwing up in the bathroom?"

"You underestimate me," she grinned.

"Great company you keep, Scott," I smiled. "Get in the car already."

"Hey, this is X-House. They're your crew."

"Whatever, and if you don't get in the stupid car I'll kick you out of my crew."

"All right, all right," he said, and he got in the stupid car and we went back.