BPO's house felt laid back to those already initiated to the brotherhood. Co-presidents Sami and Kevin called an impromptu meeting Saturday morning, but it wasn't the usual brazen harassment most of the lower-classmen expected from the duo. Dean, Roman, Seth, Zack, among others, were greeted with Mr. Bootiesworth waiting for their arrival with his silver tray aligned with shot glasses filled with brown, bitter liquor. Despite it being hardly ten AM, every brother accepted a drink and headed for the living room.
Kevin, wearing a comical chef's hat and cooking apron that bore the phrase "I handle my own meat" stood on the back patio grilling steaks, burgers, and hotdogs. Sami was conducting his own group of pledges with a discussion on whether or not Call of Duty had worn out its welcome regarding longevity and its near-yearly release.
Dean reluctantly left his future wife back at Poffo Hall when he got the text from Kevin. His knee still hurt and he had a mission for Charlotte stuck in his brain, but he'd be lying if he said he wasn't thrilled to be invited to the BPO house. Dean threw on a presentable outfit and kissed Alexa goodbye, before quickly driving to the fraternity house since he knew walking would most likely be the death of him.
Ambrose split from his two best friends to grab another beer. He hobbled out to the back patio, taking a moment to breathe in a deep intake of the early autumn air. The scent of grilled animal product filled his senses and made his mouth drool at the thought sinking his teeth into a bloody steak like some kind of barbarian.
"What's good, Mr. President?" Dean said as he limped over to the grill so he could stare hungrily at the many selections of beef and pork jammed together on the Foreman.
Kevin shook his head disapprovingly. "Gable wants his well-done and it fucking infuriates me," he spat with lighthearted annoyance.
"What a freak," Dean commented with a chuckle. After taking a moment to look around at the house's backyard, Dean took a sip of his beer. "So what's this meeting for? Y'all didn't say anything yet." Dean asked.
"There isn't one," Kevin casually mentioned as he closed the grill to let the food cook evenly. "Most of you fucks don't hang out around the house as often as you should. You included, Ambrose. You wanna be BPO President one day, you should be here every fuckin' day."
Dean nodded. "I know. I don't have a good excuse. It's just getting back into the swing of things that's kicking my ass, ya know?" He said.
"I get it. You got a girl and shit and I'm sure she doesn't want you to be here that often. Fuck, we almost lost Sami last year because that track chick wanted him around twenty-four-seven. If you're doing your job recruiting people, and coming to meetings, I don't care if you hang out with Alexa sometimes." Kevin said. "It'd put you in a better light if you were here more often, I'm just saying," he added after a sip of beer. "Come hang out. Especially since you're Rush Chair or recruiter or whatever the fuck you want to call it."
"I understand," Dean replied. He already had the thought that he wasn't doing enough to contribute to his involvement with BPO. It was hardly two weeks since the Labor Day party, but Dean's key part in BPO as Rush Chair meant he really should've been around more.
Kevin continued talking. "Sami mentioned you got a few recruits from the football team. How's your shit going?"
"I definitely got Adam, Roddy, Bobby, and Kyle in for sure," Dean told, recalling a few conversations he had within the past few days. "McIntyre, the tall fucker, is thinking about it; He thinks he's too old to rush, but he's barely twenty-three. Uh, my cousins might rush here but Sigma Nu is really breathing down their necks."
"What about that Toni guy?" Kevin asked, recalling a name he heard floating around. "He's on the football team, I think. Seth's always talking about him."
Dean sputtered a quick laugh. "Uh, Toni's a chick, man."
"Well, that's a relief," Kevin muttered.
Dean's mind began to wander. He thought back on his first few weeks at SU when he was a Freshman: His first party, meeting Alexa, running into Christian at the Student Center, the first football game, and going to Professor Foley's class for the first time. All the talk about recruiting more people to BPO made him remember much simpler times when his knee wasn't on the verge of exploding, and when he wasn't in charge of one of the more important roles for his fraternity.
"When do people set up in the Student Center?" Dean asked. "Like, that's how I first hear about BPO. Well, after I almost killed a guy with a bottle of whiskey."
"It's today," Kevin stated. "You got about an hour and a half before all the good spots are taken, but you've got time. Usually, Sami or I would do it but Christian wanted you as pledge recruiter."
"Pledge Chair," Dean corrected.
"Fuck. Off." Kevin shot back.
Dean chuckled, pulling his phone from his pants pocket. Since he had a new plan for the day, Ambrose figure it was common sense to let his fiance know he wouldn't be back for a little while longer than he originally thought. His thumb tapped across his phone screen, letting Alexa know he'd be back to Poffo in the mid-afternoon, or she could meet him back at Sammartino if being an RA was already descending her into madness.
"How do you like your steak, fuck face?" Kevin asked over his shoulder.
"Mooing," Dean quickly replied, baiting, for maybe the first time in front of Dean, a quick chuckle from his chapter president.
Hey, beautiful. BPO stuff at Koloff today. Meet back at your place around 3? Or mine if RA shit is kicking your ass?
Alexa found the text from her boyfriend somewhat humorous, if not ironically hilarious. Of course, she knew he'd be at the Student Center within the next hour or so, because that's exactly where Bliss was at that given moment.
Alexa had shown up at the Koloff Student Center a few minutes before to secure a table closer to the main area. One of the things that Trish mentioned when talking about running ZBZ was making them look as appealing as humanly possible. Trish said that meant getting a table that was out in the open and near the center so people who were in a hurry or unsure about what they were looking for spotted them first and had ZBZ stuck in their head for the rest of the time they wandered about.
Visually appealing is what Alexa had hoped her setup said about her sorority. Alexa, with Bayley's help, spread out a dark pink tablecloth with Zeta Beta Zeta's letters embroidered over the front. Alexa felt a little bad for making six-month pregnant Bayley do some leg work, but Bayley insisted she was more than ok helping out.
"There," Alexa said, overlooking their setup. "How does it look?"
"Like I'd want to join all over again," Bayley chirped through a mouthful of cookie.
Alexa rolled her eyes. "Honey, you're not supposed to eat all the cookies. Those are supposed to bring people to our table."
"It's working so far," Bayley giggled.
Alexa looked around the concourse, just taking a look at the other extracurricular activities available to those who attended SU. Things like softball, or competitive gaming, or debate, were some of the many things offered to students. Alexa sometimes wished she had done more with her tenure at SU, but she still felt fulfilled with what she had achieved with ZBZ, cheer, and her career in teaching so far.
"Now what?" Bayley asked, tucking her hands in the pouch of her favorite hoodie.
Alexa shrugged. "We wait. Ask questions if people stop and talk to us," she stated like she knew what to do, but she really didn't have any idea what to do.
Alexa looked down the row she was set up in. A few booths down was Mu Nu Chi and their president, the sassy-looking as ever Miss Evans. The prim and proper young woman caught Alexa's eye for a moment, but scoffed and turned away with her nose turned up at the sky.
"Oh-kay then," Alexa muttered with a shrug.
Alexa and Bayley sat behind their table in twin steel chairs. Alexa scanned the quad, looking at a few students walking by, or just taking another look at the other tables set up around the Student Center. Alexa smiled and lightly waved at Dana, who was at her own booth for her intermural softball team. Alexa tried not to pay too much attention to Delta Xi Alpha, whose newest president Kelly Blank, was staring a hole through Alexa from across the yard.
"What's DXA's problem?" Bayley muttered, trying not to seem like she was glaring at the DXA president.
Alexa sighed. "Oh, I'm sure the Bellas told her all sorts of things about ZBZ and Trish. Can't imagine what she's thinking right now."
"Maybe she wants a cookie," Bayley figured.
Alexa chuckled. "Maybe." After a moment, Alexa's focus switched topics to keep the conversation upbeat. "How are you feeling? Anything new in the mommy department?"
Bayley carefully moved her hands over her stomach. "I think Minerva keeps kicking Michael, but Zack says we can't be sure which one is which. But I'm their mother, I think I would know which one is being a troublemaker or not."
"You think Minnie is going to be the troublemaker?" Alexa asked with a smile.
Bayley nodded. "Oh, for sure," she stated. "I can tell she'll be a daddy's girl and that means she'll be allowed to get away with anything."
"You are adorable," Alexa praised with a giggle.
Much to Alexa's joy, Anna Jay and Vanessa Bourne from the cheer squad stopped by to chat and look further into ZBZ. Vanessa took a cookie and jotted down her contact info, but Anna hadn't had a chance to when Tay Conti gently pulled her away and guided her to the DXA table. Alexa shared a confused look with Bayley, since neither of them knew Tay had even thought of the idea of joining a sorority, let alone decided ZBZ was her Greek house of choice.
Alexa had taken her focus off her task to reply to a text from Dean. She kept her eyes on screen when a shadow came over her and stopped in front of her table.
"Hey, are you interested in rushing a sorority?" Alexa asked. She finally looked up, but her smile dropped when she realized it was Rhea Ripley, the apparent president of OP.
"Not interested," Rhea hissed, plucking a cookie from Bayley's fingers.
"Hey!" Bayley yelled out.
"It's alright, love," Rhea chuckled, biting into the treat. "I'm just here for the cookies," she stared Alexa in the eye, then quickly shut one close. "I could eat your cookie any day of the week, sweetheart."
Alexa swallowed hard, stuck somewhere between yelling and throwing up. "Please leave," she ordered calmly.
Rhea shrugged. "If it suits you," she said, dropping her half-eaten cookie back on the plate. "See you two around then."
Alexa glared after the woman as she walked off. Bayley, groaning in disgust, plucked the partially-eaten cookie from the plate and tossed it away.
After some time, the Student Center began filling up with more people. Alexa mentally congratulated herself for arriving early and getting set up in a good spot.
"How many names do we have, Bay?" Alexa asked.
Bayley counted each name in her head. "Twelve," she answered, her words slightly muffled by a partially chewed chocolate chip cookie.
"And is that number greater or less than the number of cookies you've eaten?" Alexa asked with a grin.
"None of your business," Bayley shot back with a giggle.
Alexa looked over the people walking through the quad. Her eye caught a girl with her head down, trying not to be seen from the looks of it.
"Hey, Nikki!" Alexa called out, making the girl stop and look at her. "Come here! I wanna talk to you!"
Nikki hesitated for a moment but walked over to ZBZ's table. "Hello, Lexa," she greeted her RA with a soft smile. "Good to see ya again."
"You too, sweetie," Alexa chirped. "Have you thought about rushing a sorority? I know you're a Freshman this year and I really think it would benefit you if you joined ZBZ."
Nikki seemed to flinch at the thought. "Erm, not really." She said.
"Really? How come?" Alexa questioned. "ZBZ isn't like the other sororities. We aren't looking for just pretty faces or legacies. Although you are very pretty, Nikki."
Nikki turned away to hide a laugh. "Thank ya," she said. "But I don' really like the idea of it. Me mum was in DXA when she was younger."
"Ew," Bayley muttered.
"'Xactleh," Nikki said with a sigh. "I'm sorry, Lexa."
Alexa wasn't about to let Nikki go that easily. She stood up from her seat, rounded the table, and stood face-to-face with the timid young woman.
Alexa took Nikki by the hand. "How about one meeting?" She asked, softly looking Nikki in the eye. "Just one meeting, then if it's not your thing you don't have to rush. But I really want you to come and be a part of ZBZ."
Nikki's eyes flickered from their interlocked fingers to Alexa's eyes. "Ok," she agreed, quickly nodding her head.
Alexa handed Nikki the clipboard and a flyer for the ZBZ rush event. Nikki scribbled down her contact information, then threw her arms around Alexa's shoulders. Alexa grunted into the bone-crushing hug, then thanked the younger woman for her time. Nikki flashed Alexa a toothy smile, then went about her day.
"She's really nice," Bayley said.
"Yeah, I agree," Alexa concurred.
Dean, with a skeptical look on his face, shuffled up to the table and stole a cookie.
Alexa set her hands on her hips. "And what do you think you're doing?" She quipped, trying hard not to smile.
"Thinking about joining ZBZ," Dean muttered, biting into the treat. "Did you buy these from Vega's?"
"We sure did!" Bayley chirped happily.
"Don't tell anyone that," Alexa told her boyfriend. "As far as anyone knows, these were made by ZBZ."
"Well, I kinda hate ZBZ right now," Dean admitted. "Their meanie president didn't tell me they were setting up before us."
"All is fair in love and war, sir," Alexa shot back with a smirk.
"Wow..." Dean muttered with an exaggerated frown. "After all we've been through."
"Uh-huh, you hush," Alexa paused to peck her man on the lips, then continued her thought. "How's it going over at BPO?"
"Got a few lookin' to pledge," Dean stated. "A few maybes. One 'fuck off'. Dude, DXA is starin' hard at y'all."
Alexa glanced over her shoulder at the rival sorority's table. Kelly, who was chatting with a girl, shot a glare in Dean, Alexa, and Bayley's direction. The girl turned in the direction the DXA president was glaring, revealing to the trio that it was none other than Seth's ex, Zelina Vega.
"Wonderful," Dean muttered. "Now we can't eat at Vega's anymore because the waitress is going to hate us."
Alexa narrowed her eyes. "That's what you're most worried about?" She asked. "DXA is probably lying their asses off about us, and all you can think about is food?"
"Don't look so surprised, babe," Dean said. "You should expect this out of me by now."
Alexa slapped Dean on the chest with the back of her hand, then hugged him. Dean placed a kiss on the top of his fiance's head before retreating to his end of the Student Center where BPO's booth was set up. Alexa, after giving Bayley a playful dirty look for taking yet another cookie, took her seat behind her table once again.
The last twenty-four hours hadn't been very easy for Charlotte Flair. Alongside avoiding people trying to take her picture, the troubled blonde officially lost her best friend. Becky's hate-filled eyes and the venom in her words made Charlotte's heart crumble all over again when she replayed the conversation in her head like a bad song she couldn't forget.
Drinking until she was numb and forgetting her own name didn't do anything for her except give her a killer headache the next morning. Working out seemed like a chore and distracting herself with TV wasn't helping either. Charlotte quickly concluded that visiting her ZBZ sisters may help her forget Becky for a little while. In hindsight, she should've figured that was a terrible idea.
Charlotte texted Alexa and Bayley to let them know she was on the way over. Alexa replied that she and Bayley were in the quad promoting ZBZ, which was fine with Charlotte since there were plenty of other people she could socialize with that were in the ZBZ inner circle.
The youngest of the Flair daughters stepped through the front door of House ZBZ. She shuffled into the living room, relieved to some extent to find a few girls there watching a movie. Cathy, sitting on the sofa with a bowl of popcorn in her lap, and Liv who was texting on her phone with her legs tucked under herself, each greeted Charlotte with cheery smiles. Charlotte took a spot on the couch opposite Cathy.
"What movie is this?" Charlotte asked the room, looking at the TV screen; It appeared that this movie was already well into its runtime.
"Love, Simon," Liv said, her eyes still glued to her phone.
Charlotte's eyes nearly popped from her skull when she saw Liv's diamond ring on her left hand, but she was too into her own head to question where it came from or what purpose it served.
"Is it any good?" Charlotte asked.
"Really good," Cathy answered, offering the bowl of popcorn to Charlotte. "Becky picked it out."
"Becky?" Charlotte questioned.
Just as the question left Charlotte's lips, the swinging kitchen door popped open. The aforementioned orange-haired Irishwoman stepped into the room.
"Anythin' good happen?" Becky asked. Her slight smile quickly faded when her eyes scanned the room.
Charlotte stared silently at her ex-best friend, wishing she was back at her apartment while also wanting the power to read minds. Sonya, holding two cans of diet soda, stepped in the room behind her girlfriend.
"Hey, you forgot your soda," Sonya said, oblivious to the situation. She looked up, locking eyes with Charlotte. "Hey... Charlotte..."
"Hey, guys," Charlotte replied, trying to sound as upbeat as possible against her negative feelings towards both women.
Sonya and Becky, acting as if nothing was awry, sat on the sectional sofa away from Charlotte. Flair tuned into the movie, trying to focus on something other than the two women within an arm's reach away.
By the time the credits were rolling and the streaming app was recommending another movie, Charlotte wasn't really paying that much attention thanks to her own disdain. During the remainder of the movie, Becky and Sonya were being overly openly affectionate with one another. Becky kept loudly flirting with Sonya, which would make the other woman laugh and kiss her. That was what most of the runtime for the movie was for Charlotte: trying not to scream at the top of her lungs while watching Becky and Sonya practically shove their tongues down each other's throats from the corner of her eye.
Cathy, sensing some tension in the air, excused herself to make more popcorn before they decided on a new movie. Liv cheerfully announced Finn was there to take her out on a date and left. That left Charlotte, Sonya, and Becky alone in the living room.
Charlotte stared at the TV, watching the many movie suggestions scroll across the screen. She wasn't interested in the slightest at what recent release was waiting to be played, but she needed to get the couple next to her out of her thoughts before she went crazy.
"Be back, ok?"
"Where're you going?"
"Bathroom."
Charlotte swallowed hard. Sonya threw her a dirty glare as she left the room and headed upstairs. A moment later, Charlotte's heart skipped a beat when she realized that left her alone with the girl whose affections she'd been trying to win over since the school year started.
Charlotte slowly turned her head to the left. Becky bore a similar scowl that Charlotte had during the ending of the movie; one that more or less said, "don't talk to me, I'm ready to fight."
Charlotte breathed deeply. She had to think of something to say in the little window of time she had. Just what that was didn't come to mind right away, but she had to think of something fast.
Charlotte inhaled sharply. "I didn't do it," she said, her voice hardly above a desperate whisper.
Becky's jaw clenched. She rolled her eyes, shaking her head lightly, but kept her gaze on the TV.
"Do you honestly think I would do that?" Charlotte continued, her fear of what Becky would do or say next giving her a small surge of adrenaline. "After the bullshit I heard her say to you and Sonya? You honestly think I would kiss her?"
Becky's lips remained sealed. Her jaw had unclenched and her gaze fell to the floor. Charlotte didn't know exactly what Becky was thinking, but it seemed she might have been listening at least.
"You know better, Bex," Charlotte pleaded, her voice tripping slightly as tears started to well in her eyes. "I know you care about Sonya a lot, but she is lying to you."
Becky crossed her arms and shook her head. Charlotte exhaled sharply, wondering if the effort was even worth it anymore.
Obviously, things couldn't be spared with just words. Becky was going to take her girlfriend's side over Charlotte's because that's just who Becky was: loyal to a fault and willing to do anything to make the people she cared about happy. At one point, that person was Charlotte, but since Sonya had to be a deceitful pile of shit, Becky seemingly no longer cared about her once friend, now bitter enemy.
Charlotte sighed, letting a few tears spill down her cheeks. "I love you, ok?" She sputtered. "I've never been more sure about anything in my life. I fucking ruined everything with my last relationship, but I'm not letting you go that easily, ok?"
Charlotte looked to see if the words had even registered with her friend. Becky looked on, her chocolate-brown eyes laced over with tears and wide as saucers, her tight frown broken with her mouth hung open in shock.
"I love everything about you," Charlotte whispered with her emotions pouring down her rosy cheeks and staining her t-shirt. "Your eyes, your laugh, your smile, your stupid fucking puns. Becky, please listen to me. I did not do anything with Shayna. I would never hurt you like that. Ever. And you know that."
Becky blinked, a few tears trickling down her face. She struggled to find the words, but the fact that she was trying to speak gave Charlotte a sliver of hope.
"What movie are we watching next?" Sonya asked, stepping into the room before anything else was said between Charlotte and Becky.
Flair stood up from the couch. She hung her head low to hide her teary eyes from Sonya when she headed for the door. Sonya watched Charlotte leave with a glare, then replaced her hatred with a smile and joined her lover on the couch.
Becky was able to hide her emotions from her girlfriend. Sonya snuggled close to her girlfriend, offering a quick peck on the cheek. Becky found the ability to breathe again but didn't say a word to her girlfriend.
Back in the quad, Dean and Zack were taking apart their BPO stand. Throughout the duration of their time trying to attract possible pledges, Dean and Zack managed to catch a few curious Freshmen and offer them a spot in pledging the fraternity. Dean, being a smooth-talking persuasive person, hadn't had too much trouble from people; Zack, on the other hand, only got interest from a few passing girls who were asking about his "Bayley's Husband" t-shirt.
"I seriously can't believe you wore that," Dean told his friend with a snicker.
"It's laundry day," Zack shot back.
The woman proudly promoted on Zack's shirt appeared behind her husband and threw her arms around his waist. Zack pretended to be unaware of who was hugging him, then dropped the act and spun around to embrace his wife.
Dean feigned annoyance with a groan of disgust and an eye roll, but gave the hugger a wink and a smile when she stuck her tongue out at him.
"Fun day?" Alexa asked her fiance.
Dean shrugged. "Yeah, fun. But like, 'got my thing stuck in a bear trap' kind of fun," he quipped.
Alexa shook her head but lifted herself on her toes and kissed her boyfriend.
"What are you guys up to?" Dean asked the other couple. "I was gonna take Lex somewhere for lunch. You guys can come if you want?"
Zack looked to his wife, then nodded when she smiled broadly and giggled. "Sounds like a plan," he confirmed.
Dean started to ramble on about a joke involving eating together and 'swinging', but his words trailed off when he noticed a tall blonde storming through the center of the university with her head hung low and a dark cloud raining over her.
"I'll catch up with y'all," Dean told the other three. He took off to catch up with Charlotte, reaching out and tapping her shoulder. "Hey, Char-"
"I'm not in the mood right now, Dean!" Charlotte spat, a clear sign of distress in her tone.
"Whoa! Why?" Dean asked. "The hell happened? I know I'm supposed to be helping you out with Becky, but I got tied up with BPO. I'm sorry."
Charlotte stopped her heartbroken march. She took a moment to wipe her eyes of tears and cleared her throat. "I, uh, told Becky I loved her a minute ago." Flair revealed, finding some composure to speak.
Dean's eyes widened. "Ho-lee shit! That's great, right? What'd she say?" He questioned.
"I took off before she said anything," Charlotte continued. "Sonya was in the other room so I couldn't keep talking to her. I just told her how I felt and I can't be in the same room as that fucking lying bitch!"
"Hey, it's ok," Dean softly embraced his friend, speaking lightly to try cooling her temper. "You're ok. Everything's going to be ok. We're gonna catch Sonya fucking around on Becky and you'll have all that pumpkin pie to yourself."
"Dean?" Charlotte muttered.
"What?" Dean asked.
"Are you hugging me?" Flair asked.
"Uh..." Dean glanced at Zack, Bayley, and Alexa, who were all visible as shocked as Charlotte sounded. "No?" Dean guessed.
Charlotte stepped out of the embrace, wiping her eyes again with her fingertips.
"Don't do that again," Charlotte requested with a chuckle.
"It's instinct. I'm sorry," Dean said. "We've all got your back. Me, Alexa, Zack, Bayley..."
"You told them?" Charlotte asked.
"Just those three," Dean assured. "I wouldn't tell Rome about your stuff and Seth probably wouldn't care."
"Thanks," Charlotte said, genuinely thankful for having a friend in Dean during this time. "I appreciate it, Dean. I really do."
"I know," Dean chuckled. "Just remember to cut me in on the inheritance when the old man kicks it, ok?"
"And there it goes," Charlotte stated, baiting a snicker from her ex's brother. "Fuck... I'm gonna go home and get shitfaced. I'll see you later."
"You wanna go to lunch with us?" Dean offered. "We were headed to Vega's to save face before DXA corrupts Zelina into thinking we're all shitty people."
Charlotte glanced at the trio of people watching her and Dean. She thought the offer over a few times, then nodded her head.
"Sure," Charlotte accepted.
Dean led the way back to the others. Then, with Charlotte smiling when Bayley gave her a hug, the group of friends started back for their respective vehicles to store their booth setups before heading out for lunch.
