Chapter Text
College. It was a weird concept, always. It was the mythical end-game that Dan always strove for. It was the light at the end of the tunnel. It was why his parents paid for his all-boys prep school, why he took all those standardized tests, and why he was up all night writing essays for weeks. He didn’t actually expect to be here, sitting on his twin bed next to the white cement wall. It didn’t feel real. It didn’t feel real when they were driving here, it didn’t feel real when they were unpacking his stuff, and it didn’t feel real now, as he lay on his new comforter and stared at the blank ceiling.
His roommate was arriving the next morning, so for now he had the dorm room all to himself. His side was decorated with a Muse poster and a boring brown comforter. His bulletin board was pretty bare, except for a picture of him and his ex at Prom, and a few candids of him with some high school friends at a music festival.
He opened his laptop and sighed when it didn’t automatically connect to the internet. Right. He opened his school email on his phone and followed the instructions to get on the Wi-Fi.
While he was at it, he re-read the orientation schedule he got via email a week ago. He wanted to skip most of the events, but he didn’t have the balls to do that. He couldn’t fuck up college. It was college.
He noticed a time and place for an Intrafraternity Council (IFC) meeting. The description read “come meet the campus fraternities and get their rush schedules.”
Dan had considered rushing. His father had been a part of a fraternity when he was in college and he only had good things to say. Well, about being a brother, that is. He said the hazing was horrible, but it was all worth it. Going through hell with other people forces them together.
Dan desperately wanted friends, and figured he might as well go to the meeting and see who he could meet. If he didn’t like anyone, he didn’t have to rush. It was as simple as that.
The meeting was the next day, after a full day of orientation. He decided to go.
His dorm was empty and unwelcoming, but he remembered that this was the beginning of the rest of his life, and he smiled to himself. He had a long day ahead of him.
***
His alarm went off the next morning at six, and it took him a few seconds to remember where he was. He wasn’t at home, with his parents and Adrian. He was alone in a prison-cell like room, ten stories up in a dormitory. It was still a bit surreal.
He hopped out of bed and yawned. He picked up his shower caddy and a towel and marched into the communal bathroom down the hall.
The bathroom felt like summer camp. Sinks lining one wall, toilet stalls the other. There were lockers against the back wall and showers stalls with broken curtains. Dan wondered if all the residence halls had bathrooms this shitty. By the sinks, a boy was blow drying his hair, wearing just a towel. As Dan walked to the end of the room, he got a glimpse of someone in the shower where the curtain didn’t reach.
This communal bathroom situation was testing Dan’s patience.
Walking into one of the shower stalls, he closed the curtain and undressed - tossing his clothes onto the floor in front of the shower stall. Turning on the water, he waited for it to get warm before stepping under it and tilting his head back. The water pressure was nice and strong, and it was hitting his back in a very satisfying way.
He could hear the other boys walking around the bathroom. He was suddenly aware that if someone passed by and looked at just the right angle, they could see him. Arousal swept over him. He turned away from the curtain and sighed.
This was going to be a long school year.
***
His day of orientation after that went pretty smoothly. The orientation leaders were nice, if a little over-enthusiastic. Even though he was bombarded with information all day long, he didn’t feel like he’d actually learned anything new about his school. He was happy when the day was over, and he was able to relax in his room for a few hours until the IFC meeting.
Dan didn’t know what to wear to impress frat guys, but decided it’d be best if he just was himself. He didn’t want to join a frat where he had to be someone he’s not, after all. He pulled on his black jeans and his eclipse t-shirt.
The IFC meeting was more like a club fair. The frats had designated tables and were giving out papers. Dan visited a few tables, but he didn’t identify with many of the boys. They were mostly toned, blonde, and wearing polos. He was about to give up when he spotted someone at a table in the corner.
His hair was dyed black and it was cut into a fringe, just like Dan’s hair. He was wearing a graphic tee and black jeans. Dan figured he’d go talk to him, what could be the harm?
He walked up to the table with determination.
“Hi!” The black-haired boy said, holding up a hand as a kind of wave. Their eyes met. Dan wanted to melt. He had piercing blue eyes and a stunning bone structure. His lips were pulled into an adorable little smile. “I’m Phil.”
“I’m Dan.” Phil held out a hand and Dan took it, shaking it as firmly as he could.
“Welcome, Dan. This is Phi Alpha Nu. Are you interested in rushing?”
“Yeah,” Dan said, faking confidence.
“Well, here’s our rush schedule.” He handed Dan a piece of paper. “Why are you interested in Greek life?”
“I just think it’d be a great fit.” If Dan was good at something, it was bullshitting. “I think having a close-knit community of peers is important. Mutual support. And the connections can help me out in the future.”
“That’s right,” said Phil. “PAN is all about brotherhood. But also, individuality. We don’t like those frats all the guys look like twins. We like diversity.”
“That sounds awesome,” said Dan, listening intently. Maybe this fraternity thing was right for him, after all.
“We try to have a good balance of parties and dry events like bowling and video game night,” Phil continued.
“How big is the frat?”
“We’re not as big as the others here,” said Phil. “We think it’s important to actually know all your so-called ‘brothers.’”
“Well, I’d love to get to know you guys.” Dan wasn’t bullshitting anymore. PAN seemed like an honest frat, with nice guys who wanted to make friends and professional connections. At least, Phil made it seem that way. And Phil was very convincing.
“Great!” Phil picked up one of the papers and pointed to some of the text. “We have an event on Thursday, and then another on Saturday. You should really come check it out. They’re both dry events, though, so come sober.”
“Got it.” Dan smiled at Phil, and he smiled back. “Well it was great to meet you, Phil.”
“You too, Dan.”
Dan turned around and walked away, his face flushing red. Something about Phil was very captivating. He made Dan’s heart race and his legs feel like jelly and his brain turn to mush. Dan didn’t bother to stop at any other tables, because he knew that PAN was right for him.