So you’re in college and one day this student athlete who’s in your improv class asks you to be his date at an event for his team. It’s nothing serious—everyone knows he’s in a committed relationship, but it’s also a long-distance relationship, and he explains that they’ve decided to keep it at least semi-open while apart, so you could totally hook up with him—and he’s nice and easy to talk to, and so you overlook the fact that his team is consistently wrapped up in some scandal or another (especially the new guy). The drive there is pretty chill, except as soon as you get there, the coach gives the star player (who’s also famous) a bottle of vodka and he just goes to town on it, which is weird, but whatever. And then you go inside and find your seats, which are across from the team’s rivals (which—really? who planned this?), and the world’s tensest, most confusing conversation devolves into the new guy ripping into the other team’s captain (who, by the way, is also famous), and you all get moved to sit with the coaches, which is weird but fine. After eating, things are good—you dance with your date, some people have a volleyball game going, and other than some altercation happening off to the side of the room (you’re pretty sure the guy’s team captain just hit a guy in the balls with her heels), everything is normal, and eventually the coach rounds you up and you head back to campus, and after that you don’t really do anything with the guy again, but around thanksgiving one of his cousins kills a guy, and then the new guy comes back from winter break with one of the face tattoos the two famous guy and their friend have, and then a few months later he gets kidnapped by his dad (who was apparently a serial killer he was running from?) and even with all of that they somehow not only make it to finals but are the first team to ever beat their rivals out—and for the championship trophy, no less—and the other team’s captain maybe tries to kill the new guy on live tv but the guy from improv’s other cousin stops him by breaking his arm, and shortly after the game the news breaks that the other team’s captain killed himself after losing, after which his coach steps down and a bunch of information starts leaking suggesting that the rival team was some kind of cult. Your name is Jim, and you kind of think you should quit improv and maybe transfer schools.

Kevin coming to California for Jean’s interview, leaving behind Andrew because their deal ended when Andrew choked his answers about Neil out of Kevin. Kevin getting there, seeing the beginnings of Jean’s growth, like the first couple flowers budding up from a crack in the concrete. Noticing the subtle way Jeremy takes care of him, a way that Kevin would never be able to do. Kevin getting on a plane home after the interview and he’s never felt more alone in his life.

jeremy “i’m your favorite exy star’s favorite exy star” knox