Bradley was awoken several hours later by three taps at his door. Groggy and hungover he lifted himself up onto an elbow and turned his head towards the door groaning. "Come in but please don't turn the light on." The door slowly creaked open and Tank stepped in. "You really had us worried when you didn't come home, Baby."
Baby was a name affectionately gifted to Bradley by Tank standing for Baby Bradley. He hadn't particularly cared for it at the beginning but he was starting to miss it oddly enough, things didn't feel normal without Tank giving him a hard time. "Oh I didn't think you guys would have noticed, last I saw you were distracted handing out alcohol poisoning at the pong table." Bradley pinched the bridge of his nose squinting at the rays of light flooding the room through the blinds. "Yeah," Tank chuckled.
"But you're still our brother. We notice when you're gone mysteriously overnight and sneak back in the next morning." Tank leans against the doorway. For a moment Bradley wondered what Tank would say if he knew where he was last night. Sharing a bed with the freshmen Goof who The Gammas had spent the better part of the first semester tormenting and psyching out before the X games. Before ultimately deciding against it. He'd just do what he was good at and lie, surely an inherited talent from his Father.
"This girl, Samantha. She made me an offer I couldn't refuse. I ended up falling asleep in her dorm and had to jet out before anybody could catch me red handed." Bradley gave a flash of that smile and Tank ate up every piece of that narrative. Leaving the rest to Tank's imagination, Bradley fell back down into his pillow. "You're crazy, Baby. I'll see you around." Tank began to slip out of view. "Hey Tank?" Bradley called after him. Tank poked his head back into the room. "Good to see you. Thanks for worrying about me, big guy." Tank gave a half smile and a quick nod before leaving the room completely and shutting the door.
Their friendship wasn't and probably would never be what it was but at least this was a start. Bradley Draped his arm over his eyes. He didn't even know a Samantha. Good thing the Gammas weren't a team of investigators. He rolled over trying to block out any light. He laid resting his eyes for all of sixty seconds before jolting upright in his bed, the blanket falling into his lap. Where was his phone? He had it last night. He remembered scrolling through his contacts and bits and pieces of text conversations he had in his inebriated state, fighting through the throbbing pain in his head he pulled on a pair of joggers and a X games sweatshirt purchased from a vendor a year prior. And his sneakers. He stumbled into the hall zooming down stairs. He started retracing his steps. He started the night on the couch. He felt between the cushions and nothing. How about the kitchen? He had been back and forth getting various drinks and bottles.
He checked in the fridge, The cabinets, the drawers, on the counters, in the blender, on top of the microwave. He still turned up empty handed. Okay so it wasn't in the kitchen. Maybe outside? This was where it all started to get foggy. He came out on the porch. He looked underneath the porch swing and checked the outdoor furniture. He walked down the steps and kept his eyes glued to the ground trying to spy the device. Nothing. Then he… He was… He fell! He probably dropped it on the lawn last night. He started kicking around in the grass, occasionally kicking litter away. No luck it wasn't there either. Maybe he dropped in on the walk to the boys' dorms? Or maybe… He blushed covering his mouth and wrapping his other arm around himself leaning to one leg and popping his hip out.
Transported back to this morning. The quiet buzz of the AC in Max's dorm, His light snores and whistles, The smell of Max's body spray and the soft sheets, the charming disarray of the room, Max's arm around him. Bradley could never stand a mess but Max's organized chaos was endearing. It made it feel real in a way like people lived there. Of course it would have ended up there he could picture it tucked away somewhere in the bedding. This meant he'd have to face Max if he ever wanted it back. What does one say after sleeping like a baby snuggled into a Rivals side all night and then sneaking out the next morning/ 'Hey sorry I called you drunk, slept in your bed with you and then snuck out like some anticlimactic one night stand but could I have my cellular device back?' oh gosh no. That's it he was prepared to live without it.
So not willing to wound his pride crawling back over a device. But then a horrifying thought. What if his father called and one of Max's roommates answered? He chewed his nails, imagining each nightmarish conversation. What if it was the pothead? He took off in the direction of the dorms. Bradley ran all four years on his school's track team among other physical pursuits. He couldn't remember the last time he just went for a run. Maybe another time he'd go to the track and run because he wanted to not because he had to.
Arriving at the door of the dorm Bradley hesitated before knocking. Finally letting his knuckles come down, moments later the door opened. It wasn't who he was Expecting. "Brad-HA-Ley!" Bobby put emphasis on the middle syllable pulling open the door a little wider. "What can I do for you, Man?" He scratched his lower back holding a bedazzling gun. Bradley furrowed his brows looking past Bobby at the half bedazzled recycling bin surrounded by cans of spray cheese. "Oh I was just here to see Max?" He asked looking around the dorm nervously not sure if he missed seeing him. "Oh he's not here he had a class but I'll tell him you stopped by." Bobby began to close the door. Bradley intercepted the motion and stuck his foot in the door. "I just forgot my phone here earlier, Max was helping me uh study." Bobby raised his brow and then something clicked, he tread over to a plastic bin with the words 'lost and found' written on it poorly in sharpie. Bradley watched Bobby movie chapstick, a girls bra and someone's cigarettes, before grabbing his phone at the bottom. Jealousy surged. Could he really even be jealous who cares if Max was hooking up with the bimbos on campus leaving undergarments everywhere. Certainly not him.
He snatched the phone from Bobby before turning up his nose. He made long strides down the hall and out of the dormitories. What was he doing? Where did all of these feelings start coming from? Why did Max have monopoly over his mind? He wished he didn't care so much all the time. He ended up moody when he over-thought and nobody was immune to his sharp tongue. Eventually he would have to see Max. Eventually he'd have to confront everything he was weary of, eventually. "Hey why the long face, Ace?" Bradleys walk was interuppted. A beret, Long wavy crimson violet hair, black leggings. It was none other than the infamous B of Bean scene.