Damn, I was getting real comfortable being around Scout.

I wasn't sure if I liked it.

"Here comes the pizza."

Scout settled down beside me at the foot of the bed and placed the pizza box in front of us. He looked so at ease as he opened the box and grabbed a piece.

"Are you sure it's okay for us to stay here?" I asked him.

We were in his big brother's room at the Aces Estate, watching Netflix. And by 'big brother,' I meant his older fraternity brother.

See, in Greek life, it was tradition for an older member to sort of pick from the younger members who they would want to mentor and look after all throughout their college years.

The Big/Little reveal in KPK wouldn't happen until the first week of December, after Initiation Day. Honestly, I was hoping mine would be Honor. She was cool.

Anyway, Scout's 'Big' let us use his room for us to hang out in since dorm rooms were suffocating. But we had no choice because all freshmen were required to live in the dorms during the first year.

"Yeah, don't worry about it," assured Scout, opening the lid of the pizza box. "He rarely uses it anymore 'cause he's practically living in with his girlfriend off campus."

I took a pizza slice, before asking, "Why does he keep it?"

He shrugged, as he was about to take a bite. "To have somewhere decent to crash in case he's too wasted to drive, I guess."

I wasn't too convinced, and Scout might have noticed it because he nudged my side with his elbow and gave me a grin.

"C'mon, he's the one who offered his room. It's cool."

I didn't want to think about it anymore, so I began to eat my pizza and faced the flat screen tv. We were watching Narcos. It had been on my list for a while now and when Scout mentioned he wanted to watch it, I was game.

Just as the third episode started, Scout cleared his throat. "You know that paint rave philanthropy event the Aces is throwing on Friday?"

"What about it?"

"Wanna go?"

"I'm sure the Kappas will require us to go," I replied, my eyes on the screen and not paying him too much attention.

"Yeah, but what do you think about going there with me?"

I whipped my head and looked at him.

"Since everybody thinks we're dating and all," he added in a shrug, turning his head towards the tv. "Gotta keep up the act, right?"

"Right," I said slowly, staring at him for a moment.

He acted like it was no big deal, so why was I hesitating? I mean, there was no way he could mean anything else other than that. I was just overthinking.

Shaking my head, I smiled. "Sure"

"Cool." He nodded, before leaning back on the edge of the bed and keeping his eyes straight ahead. "I'll pick you up at your dorm."

"Okay."

I could swear I caught the corner of his lips turn up in a small smile.

* * * * *

I heard a knock just as I was putting on my socks. Hopping to the door, I was surprised to see Scout when I opened it.

"Why didn't you text that you're already here?" I demanded. I didn't like being caught off-guard, if that wasn't obvious enough.

I let him enter my room as he replied, "I was about to but then I got distracted by the amount of people going in and out of the building. Is there a party here?"

"Yeah, there's this monthly kind of event organized by some of the freshmen," I explained, closing the door and running to the desk drawer to grab my earrings. After quickly putting them on, I sat on the bed. "Hold on, I'll just put on my sneakers. Feel free to roam around."

I meant the last part in a sarcastic way, but he didn't seem to catch it because he literally did what he was told and looked around, stopping at the pictures on the wall at my side of the room.

I shook my head and hurried on putting on my shoes, while I was also keeping an eye on Scout in case I forgot to hide something I didn't want him to see.

"I like your silver hair on you, but..." He paused and leaned closer to study the photos on my collage wall, specifically the one with the whole crew at the beach one summer during high school.

It was the summer before senior year, before I dyed my hair silver. I liked how I looked after that and the extra confidence it gave me so I've been wearing my hair like that ever since.

"Gotta say, brunette suits your more," he added, grinning at me.

I scrunched up my nose from my bed. "I looked tame with brown hair."

"Nah." He turned his attention back to the old pictures. "You looked cute."

I rolled my eyes and shook my head. Nobody ever called me 'cute' before. It felt weird hearing it, but deep inside I liked the compliment. Not that I would ever admit that out loud.

"Since when have you been friends with Oz and Alfie?"

Scout was studying the photo of Oz, Alfie, and me back when we were younger. It was before all the puberty shit came knocking on our doors – I didn't even have boobs yet. I had my arms around each of them as if I was strangling them, but we were all laughing in the shot.

"Since I was eleven or twelve?" I shook my head and let out a small laugh. "Feels like fucking forever." I looked down on the floor, remembering the times when we were together – and we were together all the fucking time. "That's why being away from them is weird. I'd gotten so used to having them around that..."

I trailed off, not knowing how to continue. My heart ached at the thought of not being with them for this long. I badly wanted to see them but I knew how busy they were, the pressure they were in. I didn't want to bother them.

"It's okay, Anderson."

I looked at Scout and caught him smiling at me.

"Your tongue won't fall off from saying you miss them."

Smartass.

I grabbed a pillow and threw it at him, making him laugh as he caught it. He slung it back to the bed and brought his eyes back to the picture. When his laughter died, his eyes looked a bit sad.

"I wish I had friends that made me miss them that much."

Raising an eyebrow, I asked, "How about those pussies that were with you in the basketball team back in high school? I thought you people are friends."

"Yeah." He sighed. "I did, too."

For a Golden Boy to be betrayed by his friends? It was almost unheard of. But it happened to Scout. In their minds, they were protecting him because they knew he wouldn't be able to handle the truth. Yeah, that was messed up time.

"And your frat brothers?" I asked.

Scout's lips stretched into a genuine smile, before turning his head to me.

"You know what I love about them? They don't put me on a pedestal. I'm not the Scout Crimson who grew up doing nothing less than what's expected of him. I'm just me. It's a breath of fresh air. I got to start over." He turned around and leaned his back on my study table. "That's what college is about, right? Clean slate."

I felt bad for what he had to go through. But without that experience, he might still be living in his own little perfect bubble, not knowing that the world wasn't quite black and white like he might've thought it was.

I tilted my head. "Can you call them your real friends, though?"

He thought about it for a second before nodding. "Yeah." With more confidence, he added, "Yeah, I can. It's a little too early to say but I think I finally understand what you have with Oz and the guys. I guess it's true that you only know who your actual friends are when they stand by you when shit gets real." His eyes glazed over, like he was reminded of something. "They're the ones who got your back no matter what."

I could only imagine the kind of hazing they had to go through as pledges. It wasn't allowed, and I heard no violence was involved. But they still had to do some crazy and illegal shit for sure. No doubt it would form a bond between him and his new brothers.

"Do you think you're happy now?"

His eyes stayed on me, and I met them head on.

With a small smile, he answered, "Happier than I've ever been."

I snorted, as I got off my bed. "You sound like you're in disbelief." I grabbed my backpack from the floor that had my extra clothes in it and headed to the door.

"'Cause it took me by surprise," he explained, pulling away from the study table and reached out a hand. I let him take the bag from me. "I'm still processing it."

"Not used to being happy?" I smirked, glancing at him sideways. "That doesn't sound like Golden Boy material."

"I hate that nickname," he muttered, before walking towards the door.

"But... you are, though?" I tried not to laugh as I followed him out. I was about to lock my door when I remembered it automatically did that. I still wasn't used to the keycard system.

"Doesn't mean I like it." He eyed at me over his shoulder. "Pedestal, remember?"

I nodded. "Oh, right."

We didn't speak on our way out to the parking lot. I couldn't help myself from glancing at him from time to time. He didn't look offended. He just looked sad. I felt guilty because I've seen what he went through in high school, but I was too caught up with my own shit that I didn't care. No, that was a lie.

I just didn't give a fuck back then. Period.

Huh, looks like I care now.

Scout unlocked his car and put my bag in the trunk, then he walked me to the passenger's side and opened the door for me. I climbed inside, and he closed the door after me. I watched him head to the driver's side.

In a way, it was the first time I saw him show some vulnerability. He was always so at ease, as though nothing fazed him anymore.

Back in high school, I barely saw him around but whenever I did, he was pissed off – and rightfully so, with Oz provoking him all the time. I was sure he laughed with his friends and family, but I never got the chance to see that side of him. And after everything that went down in senior year, all that anger disappeared, as if he found out that there was more to life than just being right.

"Forgot anything?" asked Scout, when he got inside the car.

I must've looked like I was thinking really hard for him to say that.

"No." I shook my head. "Let's go."

He nodded and started the engine.

When we got to the Aces Estate, the party was fully raging. Most people were already covered in colored powder that I could barely recognize anyone.

Maybe that was the point.

Scout introduced me to everyone – and I meant everyone. I've never smiled and greeted so many people in my entire life. It was exhausting as fuck. We weren't even halfway done through the evening yet.

How the hell was he able to memorize every single one of them as if he'd known them for years? I was mind-blown.

One thing was for sure, though. They all liked Scout. They would always pat him on the back and smile whenever he was around. But I noticed it was unlike the looks he usually got back at home.

In Mount Valley, the eyes on him were full of admiration and awe bordering on hero-worship. Here in college, the looks he received were more of fondness mixed with something else. Camaraderie?

His brothers treated him like he was really one of them, like he belonged. I now got what he meant by his so-called high school friends putting him on a pedestal.

"What is it?" he asked.

I blinked. "What?"

"You're spacing out." Scout had an amused look on his face as he scrutinized mine. "Don't tell me you're bored already."

Shrugging, I said, "Just thinking."

He kept his eyes on me a little longer, as if he was having this inner battle on whether or not he should drop it. A sad smile appeared on his face as he looked away.

I guessed he decided to let it go.

"I'm sorry I didn't made an effort enough," he said.

I frowned, giving him a questioning look.

"You know, back when we were kids," he explained when he saw my expression. "I didn't make an effort to be friends with you."

Weird how he was bringing it up now.

"Nobody did," I told him. "I mean, who wanted to be friends with the girl who grew up from the poor side of town with the shabby hand-me-downs?" The corner of my lips curved up at the memory. "Kids our age thought I was going to bite."

And you bet I did.

"It was still wrong." He shook head, looking disappointed with himself. "We shouldn't have stayed away. I should've –"

"We were kids," I pushed. "No use beating yourself up over it."

"Oz and Alfie looked past it."

I burst out laughing. "Oh, no. We hated each other at first, even pulled a couple of pranks on each other. It was hell. But it was also fun."

Scout looked intrigued. "How did you become friends?"

The memory played in my mind like it was yesterday. "I caught a couple of drunk high schoolers beating them up in the backyard during a party."

"Did you get help?"

"No." I chuckled. "I found the toolbox in the shed, climbed up at the nearest tree, and threw things at them until they left those two alone. Forged our friendship then and there."

Scout laughed. "Good thing you didn't fall off. Or worse, they didn't climb after you."

"It was halloween." I grinned. "They were drunk off their asses and I was wearing this gory costume so they got scared shitless."

"Would you have done the same if you saw someone beating me up?" he asked, watching me closely.

With a straight face, I replied, "No."

Curiosity all over his face, he asked, "Why not?"

I smiled sweetly and patted his shoulder. "Because not one person on earth will ever think of beating you up." With that, I turned around and walked to the open bar.

"You never know," he said from behind me.

"I do know." I faced him and gave him a pitiful look. "You're too likable."

He groaned. "You make me sound boring."

"No, you're just safe."

"Go on, keep going." He chuckled. "My ego needs one more hit before it blows up to pieces."

I barked out a laugh, shaking my head. "I don't mean it as an insult. Some prefer stability over excitement, dependability over spontaneity. It's like they've experienced enough adventures to last a lifetime. Now they just want to feel safe and secure."

Catching the pledge behind the bar's attention, I asked for a beer.

"Do you feel that way?"

I stopped and looked at him. I wasn't expecting that to be thrown back at me. Scout just kept his eyes on me, though, waiting for my answer.

I was about to say no, but no words seemed to come out of my mouth. It was as if a part of myself was telling me it was a lie.

Thankfully, my drink was handed to me right then.

I almost sighed in relief, which was fucking ridiculous because why would I feel relieved? Why couldn't I answer Scout's simple yes or no question? Why did I feel like I wanted to escape his piercing gaze, afraid that he could see right through me?

"Little brother!"

Turning my head towards the voice, my eyes landed on the vice president of Alpha Alpha, Devo. After the mixer with the Aces last week, Rae made it her mission to familiarize the Kappa pledges with the executive officers from the other Greek houses so that we knew which ones to pay respects to.

I scanned the nearby area to see who he was calling. My eyes widened the slightest bit when I realized it was Scout. Hold up, the big brother he was talking about was Devo? We stayed at the VP's room to watch Netflix and eat pizza?!

Scout grinned at Devo when he neared. "Hey, Dev. What's up?"

The surfer-looking blonde dude stopped in front of us and grabbed Scout's shoulders as if they were his lifeline. He looked like a cross between Paul Newman and Paul Walker. He should've been named Paul.

"Please tell me you brought that thing I asked you to?"

"I got it in my car."

Devo sighed in relief and released Scout. "Awesome, awesome." His eyes then traveled to me, gleaming in delight. "Is this my little sister-in-law?"

"Hardly," I muttered under my breath, before flashing him my very fake but still believable sweet smile.

"Devo, this is Connie Anderson," introduced Scout, with a hand on my back. He turned to me and sent a knowing look. "This is my Big, Devo."

"Hi," I greeted him.

"Pleasure to finally meet you." Devo offered out his hand for me to shake, and I accepted it. I didn't want to be rude. The whole point of 'dating' Scout was to build connections, after all.

"Likewise," I replied, before taking a sip from my cup.

"How was your stay at my room? Did you guys find it comfortable?"

His sexual insinuation made me splutter my drink a little, causing for me to look away and wipe the spilled beer off my chin as discreetly as I could while Scout answered Devo.

"C'mon, man. Nothing happened. We just binge-watched Narcos."

Devo's laughter boomed so loud that people within earshot glanced at us.

"Alright, I'm only teasing you." He patted me on the shoulder, as if to reassure me. "Don't sweat it. You guys can use it anytime I'm not at the Estate. He's my only Little, so I'm spoiling him good."

Scout let out a chuckle. "Don't let the other guys hear you say that."

Waving a hand dismissively, Devo countered, "Hey, it's my right to 'guide' you in any way I want 'cause I'm your Big. It's your right to enjoy the privileges of being the VP's Little."

I could only watch them, fascinated at how different they interacted to the way I was used to seeing from the crew. There was never a sentence thrown out without an insult or a swear word from those assholes. I seriously thought that was the way guys treated each other as friends.

"By the way, I heard you two grew up in the same town?" Devo asked me. "But you never got together before?"

Scout rubbed the back of his neck, while I answered, "No."

"Why's that?" He sounded genuinely curious.

People always asked this. "We ran in different circles," was my automated reply.

"That's not the case now, though?"

Scout and I exchanged looks. "No."

Devo grinned. "Gotta love college."

Pike appeared out of the blue. He nodded to Scout in greeting and when he noticed me, he smirked. Before I could make a face at him, he already faced Devo and whispered something in the VP's ear.

"Yeah, okay," said Devo, growing serious. "I'll be right there." He turned to us and gave us a sheepish smile. "Duty calls. It was nice meeting you, Connie."

"You, too."

"See you later," he added to Scout, giving him a knowing look.

Scout nodded.

"Well, that was a tad bit awkward," I remarked, when Devo and Pike left.

"Yeah," agreed Scout. "Being polite doesn't suit you."

I raised my right hand and gave him the middle finger, to which he laughed.

"At least I tried," I muttered.

He smiled. "You did. Thanks."

"I didn't do it for you," I said, which was a total lie. The truth was, I didn't want him to look bad. I didn't want to be the reason his good reputation was tainted.

"If you say so," he replied, unconvinced.

I was about to say more when a familiar brunette barbie stepped in front of Scout.

"Scout! Good seeing you here!"

I snorted. I bet my whole fucking leather jacket collection that she hunted him down at this party. But nah, taking that back. She wasn't worth it.

"Hey, Shirley." He flashed her the polite smile he gave out to everyone he wasn't close with. During the weeks I've spent with him, I was getting familiar with different kinds of his expressions.

"Unfair! You're not rainbow-colored enough." She pouted, running a finger on Scout's bicep. "See?" She raised the finger she just ran on his skin. "Barely anything there!"

He laughed. "I was going around on the sidelines, saying hi to the brothers."

She blinked in surprise. "Oh, are you an Aces pledge?"

Bitch, please. Like she didn't already know.

"What gave me away?" He chuckled.

Biting her bottom lip, she said in a low voice, "Everyone knows hot guys pledge to Alpha Alpha."

I couldn't take any more of this shit going on right in front of me.

"He must be the exception, then," I said, more to myself. But apparently, it was loud enough for both of them to hear because they turned to me at the same time.

Huh, maybe I did that on purpose.

"Yup, that's it." Scout nodded, feigning hurt. "What little that's left of my ego just got blasted and turned into dust. Take responsibility, Anderson."

"Aw," I cooed, patting his cheek like I would to a little boy. "Don't worry. I'm sure Shelley over here can replace it with a brand new one."

"It's Shirley."

Wow, I just realized that my trademark sweet smile was coming out more often tonight than usual as I flashed one at Shirley.

"Do I look like I care if I got your name right?"

She scoffed. "That's rude."

"And I should give a fuck because...?"

I could feel Scout's eyes on me for a long moment, before he leaned closer to me and whispered, "Are you jealous?"

It was like a cold bucket of ice was poured over me. My jaw dropped at the fact that he actually thought that I would be jealous of this Cruella-De-Vil-wannabe? Well, fuck it. I was in the mood to mess with people.

"Yeah, so?"

Scout froze, taken aback. He obviously didn't expect me to answer that way.

"I admit it, I'm jealous." I was daring him to reply.

He didn't. He just stared at me, like he was trying to figure me out.

"Sorry, are you... are you guys... um, a thing?" asked Shirley, frowning in confusion. Poor girl. I almost felt bad, but she was a bitch. She looked expectantly at Scout, like she wanted him to deny it. But neither of us spoke, and she took that as an answer and forced herself to smile. "Good for you guys!"

"Thanks, Shirley," he said, when he finally peeled his eyes away from me.

"How long have you guys been going out?"

"Uh, a little while," he answered, shrugging. "But we've known each other since we were kids."

At that, Shirley looked surprised. "Oh? That's cute."

I doubted that, especially when she seemed like she just swallowed something really bad and it was choking her from speaking any more than necessary.

Ha, I bet she was ripping my head off in her mind right now. I wished I could see the image.

There was an awkward silence with none of us saying anything. I was enjoying watching Shirley squirm, while Scout's attention was turned to his brothers hyping up the crowd from the stage. Shirley looked everywhere but us. Eventually, she glanced at her wristwatch and feigned shock.

"Crap, I gotta get back to my pledge class." She raised her head and waved a hand at us. "It was nice running into you again. See you guys around campus."

I raised an eyebrow at the last look she gave me. There was a dark promise in her eyes.

Bring it on, bitch.

"That's how it is, huh?" said Scout.

What, did I say that out loud? Oh, shit. No, he meant the jealousy stunt.

"I was only keeping up the act, Crimson," I told him. "I mean, what girl would let another girl flirt with her dude in front of her?"

"Oh, I know you were just pretending." He grinned at me, as if saying he knew me enough to know that little fact. "I also know that it was because you wanted to piss her off. Girls fight through mind games. It's the first time I've seen it live."

I stared at him, still a bit skeptical. "You knew."

He hung his head, looking at me sideways. "I doubt you'd get jealous that easily. It'd take a lot before you get insecure enough to pull off a stunt like that for real."

I snorted, before averting my eyes. I hated how he was getting better at reading me.

"You hate how well I know you, don't you?"

Fuck, I literally just thought about it.

"Not that well," I argued.

"But well enough," he countered with a smile, looking way too pleased with himself.

He was right, though.

It scared me how easily he was able to read me in a short period of time. Sure, we've known each other for years and he already knew some shit about me. But not like this. Not to this point that he was able to read me through my actions already.

It scared me how he was beginning to be more than just Scout Crimson, the beloved Golden Boy I knew from back home.

Most of all, it scared me knowing that there was a part of me that wasn't pretending just then.

_____________

Dayum, Connie's _______. (Finish that sentence. Lol)

I love it whenever they talk about the past. I feel like they haven't had the chance to talk and get to know each other in Mount Valley, and only now they're getting that shot to freely talk about stuff without worrying about what their friends would think. Idk, that's just me.

Next update: Thursday (April 11th)
Note: Peter will finally show up. #nuffsaid