I IMPATIENTLY TAPPED my pencil against the wooden table in the still quiet library, heaving a low sigh. Raising my wrist, I take a glance at my watch for what seems like the hundredth time already and only grew more agitated the more I watched the clock tick. This is ridiculous.

45 minutes.

I've been sitting in this library for forty-five minutes, since our first class finished, waiting to meet up with Jaylen who had practically begged me yesterday to meet here because he wanted to be involved with the project when I told him I could handle it all on my own, and yet, he can't even be decent enough to show up on time. I should've expected this from someone who drolls in his sleep like a caveman. I even went out of my way to prepare masses of revision notes that could help with this project, rearranged different topics for our website ideas alphabetically, and even personally highlighted key subjects for hours, and for what? I'm so stupid.

What is taking this kid so long? If he had something better to do then he could have told me instead of having me sit here looking stupid in this cold-ass library. Maybe he doesn't want to help anymore or maybe he just doesn't give a fuck about school anymore and doesn't care about wasting my time. If that's the case I'm perfectly fine with that but he should have told me at least.

I let out a low groan as I buried my face in my hands. The sudden sound of the library doors opening caught my attention, making me snap my head toward the door hoping to see Jaylen but it was some random girl coming to return a few books. I exhaled a low sigh, rubbing my exhausted eyes. I need a nap more than anything, and maybe my dignity back. Whichever ones come first.

I turned my attention back to the girl up front and noticed as she made her way out of the library that she bumped into some guy on her way out. It wasn't until I got a better look that I realized it was Jaylen who stumbled into the library looking as confused as ever as his eyes wander around the room like it's first time in here — maybe it is. He flashed me a cheesy smile once he saw me. My face was stale and I stared at him with chard eyes. I can't believe he's had me sitting here for almost an hour while he was doing God knows what.

Once he made his way over to me at our secluded table he took the seat in front of me. The first thing that I notice about him is that he's sweaty. A white graphic T-shirt and a pair of baggy cargo cling to him. His forehead is beaming with beads of sweat as he throws his Jansport backpack on the table and I can't help but raise a brow at him.

"You're late." was the first thing to come out of my mouth and I don't bother to hide my annoyance.

Jaylen wipes his forehead with the rag that was placed on the side of his pant pockets. "Caleb left his room key on the counter was locked out of our dorm and I had run over to the other side of campus to let him in. I didn't know it would take me that long. Cut me a little slack Bergman." he explains, breath heavy and low.

I looked at him and shook my head letting him slide with his excuse. "You could've texted me and told me you'd be a little late. I've been waiting here for like an hour."

"I'm so sorry that my best friend locking himself out of our room is such an inconvenience for you, I send you a fax about it next time." Jaylen laughs lowly, placing the rag on his backpack as his eyes roamed over the material I spent hours making. "Oh, so this is gonna be like real school?"

"Absolutely," I answered scooting my chair closer to the table with the material on it. I grabbed a stack of notecards with topics we could for the website on them softly smacking them against the table, organizing them. "the first thing we need to do is figure out what we want our website to be about, the overall theme and concept for it. I spent all night searching and looking up various topics ranging from all types of things that people find interesting nowadays."

I hand Jaylen the notecards and he stared at me from across the table for a moment, his face unreadable as he hesitantly took them from my hands. "I can't believe I'm really doing this shit," he chuckled to himself as he flipped through the cards.

"You don't have to do this. I can just do the project by myself if you're gonna complain the whole time." I feel him, twirling a pencil between my fingers.

Jaylen lets out an amused chuckle, eyes flicking from the cards to me. "No . . . it's just you put a lot of work into this and we haven't even started yet."

"Well . . . I like to be organized."

"I'm sure you do," Jaylen rolled his eyes shifting in his chair, grumbling about how if he were more comfortable he'd focus better.

"Stop whining." I pointed at the deck of cards out in front of him. "Now what do you want the website to be about?"

Jaylen leaned against the table, a thinking hand coming up to stroke his hairless chin as he thought for a moment. His eyes moved back and forth over the cards a few times before his face lit up. "Oh, I got it!" he quipped with a grin on his face, leaning back in the chair with his hands behind his head completely relaxed.

"Soccer," he answered.

I raised a brow at him. "A little cliche don't you think?"

"How is it cliche? We play soccer, so why not do the project on that? It'll be easy."

"I know . . . but isn't that just a little expected of us."

Jaylen shrugged his shoulders at me. "What's wrong with that? There's nothing wrong with being cliche in my opinion. People like what they like."

I smiled softly, but let it drop as soon as Jaylen raised his head. "What were you thinking we should do . . ." his eyes peer down at the many cards in front of him each labeled with a different topic. "History Of Apple Pie? Extinct animals? KPOP?" he makes a face at the last one.

"What's wrong with KPOP?"

He leans over the table and makes presses a finger against my lips shushing me. "Shh, don't say KPOP out loud or the Koreaboos from the K-pop club are gonna come in here and ask me if I know any K-pop groups in real life."

"You're so unserious." I couldn't even hold in my chuckle at his words.

Jaylen returns with a smile of his own from across the table. "And you're too serious."

"Fine . . ." I exhaled a sigh taking the cards away from him and putting them in order once again since he messed it all up the minute he sat down. "we can do soccer since you want to take the easy route."

"Thank you." he cheesed.

We went out of the basics for the project after that, pulling out my iPad so I can make a checklist of who was doing what. We've decided Jaylen would handle the coding while I gather the research about the sport along with a few videos along with making the script for our presentation. His face fell flat when I told him the plan and he rolled his eyes to the ceiling. "Why are you getting all the work?"

"Because I can handle it. It's not a problem. You just worry about coding for the website." I tell him and he kisses his teeth. "I feel like you're underestimating me and I don't like that."

I stared at the boy incredulously. "I'm not underestimating you, I just don't want to overwhelm you with a lot of tasks. You barely even want to do the project so you should be thankful."

Jaylen made a face, tattooed arms flexing across his chest as he stared at me from across the table. "Why are you babying me, Bergman? I'm a big boy I can handle the work."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" I couldn't help but laugh, though I didn't mean for it to be cruel. I'm genuinely tickled that Jaylen thinks the reason I'm not giving him of task on this project is that I'm babying him and not because I actually want to make a good grade in this class. "Let me put it like this for you Jaylen," I started, and the boy leaned forward on the table smirking slightly, "some of us have our strong points and our weak points. I'm good at writing papers, creating layouts, being a leader – " I motioned to myself, then to him " – and you're good at . . .  giving a good joke here and there."

His eyes kinda light up at my words. "That wasn't a compliment Park." I instantly cut him down but his smirk doesn't seem to falter not one bit.

"You think I'm funny." He wiggled his brows at me.

I rolled my eyes at him before leaning back in my chair and folding my arms over my chest. Jaylen goes back to scanning the cards on the table in front of him. His forehead creased as he bit his bottom lip focusing on the work. I reached into my pocket grabbing my phone. I had turned my notifications off so there was nothing to see from my lock screen but the time.

The sound of the library doors opening again caught my attention and I turn around in my seat to see some guy walk in — clearly, a student judging from his young features but the navy suit that looked fresh from the cleaners said otherwise. Jaylen noticed my staring and follows my gaze and let's put a low groan.

"I'll never understand Tatum," he mumbles under his breath.

I raised a brow. "You know him?"

Jaylen nods, arms crossing over his chest again. "Yeah, he's head of Zetas. He's always wearing those fucking suits around campus looking like a fool."

My eyes widen at his words and I turned back to the boy to see him scanning the genre sections of the library. "He's a Zeta?" I asked, and Jaylen sends a subtle nod of the head, lips upturning in disgust. "He's like the head of the Zetas, I think. Very weird dude."

My eyes never leave the blonde as he uses his index finger to scan the array of books before him in the nonfiction section. "I have to talk to him," I said, about to get up from my seat but Jaylen grabs my wrist keeping my place.

"For what? Oh God, please don't tell me you want to be a fucking Zeta . . ." his brows scrunched together like that's the most disgusting thing he's ever heard. "c'mon Bergman I was just starting to think you're alright and this is what you drop on me? You wanna join a fraternity?"

"It's for a good reason, okay? Did you know that Zetas has a higher chance of getting accepted into the league because most of the people in the league were Zetas when they were in college so there's a bias and I really want to make it to the league so excuse me?" I said to him, snatching away and turning around to pack my things up before I made my way over to Tatum.

I grabbed my bag and tossed it over my shoulder turning around to see Jaylen gone from the table. I look up to see him across the room talking to Tatum. What the . . . 

"Tatum, my boy, how are you man?" he daps him up and my mouth fell agape at the scene, jaw quite literally on the floor. That fucking bitch.

I rush over to them.

"Jaylen you forgot . . ." I started, catching both of their attentions and when Tatum turns his green eyes on me, I turn to him completely ignoring the seething imbecile next to me. "Oh um, Tatum right?"

The blonde wide eyes brighten a bit and he offers a smile, along with a handshake. "Tatum Mosley, and you're Cassian Bergman."

"Everyone at Columbus has heard of you." he smiles and I mirror with one of my own.

Jaylen clears his throat beside me. "Yeah, because of that rumor that's been going around that he pees his pants right?" I nudged him in the shoulder at the ridiculous lie he just made up, and he returns with a nudge of his own and I'm sure if Tatum wasn't standing in front of us right now there would've been a full brawl in the library right now.

"Your father CJ Bergman was a Zeta correct?" Tatum suddenly asked and I nodded in response. "Yeah, he was."

"Nepotism," Jaylen coughed into his hand, and I withheld from rolling my eyes at the sly comment. "speaking of Zeta, Tatum, are you guys accepting any applications this year?"

The blonde small lips pressed in a thin line as he thought for a moment, eyes motioning to the ceiling and then back to us. "We're actually hosting a dinner this week for the new pledges. I never took you as someone that would be interested in Zeta's life Jaylen."

Jaylen waves his hand at the boy, eyes rolling playfully. "Oh me? I mean it's just I see how you guys carry yourself around campus with your suits and your handkerchiefs in your blazer pockets. I just really want to emulate that whole vibe, you know?"

Tatum smiled at him, a big smile that showcased all thirty-two and I grimaced, but he turns to me and I quickly wipe it off my face before he can notice. "Are you interested in becoming a Zeta, Cassian?"

"I would love to embark on the journey that it takes to be classified as a true man of Zeta," I replied, and Jaylen rolls his eyes but Tatum doesn't notice it.

"Great, you two can come to meet us for the dinner at the Zeta house this week and we can start the process. The attire is black tie." with that Tatum grabs his books and heads in the opposite direction, offering small waves that Jaylen and I quickly mirror with each of our own.

"Bye, Tatum see you at the dinner," I said.

"I can't wait to have dinner with the men of Zeta." Jaylen forced up a smile at the boy it looked like he was about to break. We give him one last wave before Tatum is out of sight of our sight, and both of our smiles falter quickly.

We quickly turn to one another, forehead to forehead, chest to chest, eye to eye.

"Good luck bitch, Tatum only has room for one bestie and it's gonna be me. I'm gonna become a Zeta and no one's gonna get in my way." Jaylen breathed, eyes narrowing straight at me.

"To be a Zeta you're supposed to be a gentleman," I informed him. "I can be a fucking gentleman," Jaylen defends himself, finally backing up a bit, turning his head as he lets out a burp into his hands.

I grimaced.

"May the best man win?" I pushed his chest, his feet stumbling back a bit. "May the best man win." I repeated, before turning on my heels and making my way out of the library.

••••
EXCUSE ANY MISTAKES OR ERRORS

So obsessed with how they manage to turn everything into a competition