S O P H I A  H O N E Y

“DID YOU GET THE BOXERS?"

Those are the exact words Blair hurls at me the moment I step into her dorm room. Classes ended early today, and after enduring Scott's lingering glances all through the lectures, I bolted the second he tried to approach me.

It’s been days since the incident, and whatever dynamic we had is crumbling fast. His texts haven’t stopped—asking how my day’s going, what I’m up to, even offering to help with assignments. As tempting as it is, I’ve had to stand firm and act like I have everything under control.

“Nope.” I collapse onto Blair’s bed, kicking off my shoes. The cool floor tiles under my toes feel grounding. Blair’s shoulders drop at my answer, but before she can say anything, the click of the door turning grabs our attention. Alex walks in, hands full of plastic bags.

“I’ve got lunch,” She announces, dropping the bags onto the table. Blair’s demeanor does a 180—her face lights up as she lunges for one of the bags, fishing out a takeout box and a bottle of diet coke.

“You eating, Soph?” Alex asks, handing me a pack of food. “I don’t see you eat much during school breaks. Everything alright?”

“It’s true,” Blair chimes in between bites of fried chips, washing them down with her drink. “You always skip eating with us. Is it because of Scott?”

Pfft. No.

...Maybe.

“It’s not because of him,” I lie, taking the pack Alex offers and grabbing a chip. The greasy aftertaste is intense, and I already know this isn’t helping my half-hearted weight-loss attempts.

Blair arches a brow. “Then what is it?”

“I’m trying to lose a few pounds,” I admit, shrugging. “I just don’t like how I look, you know?”

Blair and Alex exchange glances, their expressions unreadable until Alex finally speaks.

“Why? I mean, it’s your body, so if you want to, that’s fine, but…”

“You’re hot,” Blair interrupts, smirking. “Like, seriously sexy. Have you seen your thighs? You’re giving ‘choke-me-mommy’ energy.”

“What?” I choke out a laugh. Is she serious?

“Don’t overthink it, Soph,” Alex adds, walking to the mini fridge and pulling out a water bottle. “You’re fine just the way you are. And if you’re serious about losing weight, at least don’t starve yourself. Trust me, ulcers are a bitch.” She takes a long gulp of water, and her words hit harder than I want to admit.

“Thanks, guys.” I manage a smile, inhaling deeply before exhaling slowly.

Their kindness means a lot, it really does. But this weight thing—it’s personal. It’s been on my mind for ages.

Back at home, it was impossible to try. Mom’s mission in life seemed to be keeping us all fed, to the brim. Every time I even thought about skipping dinner, it’s like she had a sixth sense. Suddenly, my favorite dish would appear on the table, or she’d suggest a trip to the diner I loved the most. Whenever I mustered the courage to tell her I wanted to shed a few pounds, she’d scoff, waving me off and saying I looked beautiful just as I was.

If I did look beautiful, why wasn’t any guy interested in me then?

From middle school until now, I haven’t even had my first kiss. Instead, I lost my virginity on prom night—desperation fueling my every decision. I wanted to feel the same pleasure all the high school girls bragged about. But my experience? It was the complete opposite of theirs.

The guy was a nerd in my class—quiet, shy, and awkwardly cute in a delicate, almost feminine way. Same height as me, lean build, pale skin, and lips that were unusually plump for a boy. He didn’t have a date, of course. Girls were more into the tall, muscular types, not someone who looked like he was one bad day away from getting shoved into a locker. So, I asked him. It felt like the nice thing to do, and honestly, he wasn’t a bad prom date.

After the dance, he took me to his garage—which doubled as his room. That should’ve been the first or second red flag, but I ignored it.

When he leaned in for a kiss, I pushed him away. I wasn’t into him at all, so kissing was off the table. I was just a needy girl who wanted to cross “sex” off her checklist. After watching way too much porn in my room, prepping myself mentally, and stealing a condom from my brother, I thought I was ready.

Apparently, he wasn’t.

He was trembling as he slipped inside me, missing every mark imaginable. If the lights had been on in that garage, he would’ve noticed how fake my moans were. He wasn’t small, but without any skill, size didn’t matter.

Turns out, he swung the other way. I found out later that he got caught giving head to a football player on graduation day.

Guess it wasn’t me, but the irony wasn’t lost.

And that's the story on how I turned a guy gay with bad sex.

“Earth to Sophie!” Blair’s fingers snaps in front of my face, dragging me back to reality.

“Um… yes?”

She laughs and shakes her head as she sits beside me on the bed. “I asked why you couldn’t grab the boxers.” She pouts, crossing her legs. “I really hope you bring them next time we see.”

Alex groans, pressing her palm to her face. “Blair, you can’t seriously think she’s going to do that. She’s literally his roommate. If they go missing, who do you think he’ll blame?”

Honestly, I doubt Theo will even notice. He’s been so busy lately that a couple of boxers wouldn’t register. Still, I hate knowing that his existence is now a permanent fixture in my life. Worse, the first voice I hear every morning is his.

That said, I’ve pretty much memorized his routine. And one thing is certain: Theo never sleeps.

My room doesn’t have an attached bathroom, so I have to walk out to use the shared one. And every single night, he’s there—on the couch. Sometimes he’s watching hockey. Other times he’s studying, or working out at three in the freaking morning. I can hear the sound of his heavy breathing and the soft thud of his movements through the thin walls.

It doesn’t help that he’s always shirtless.

Shirtless.

If I weren’t half-asleep during these encounters, I’d probably throw a pillow at him and tell him to get some damn rest.

Now I understand why he always looks tense. There’s a whole storm raging inside his head that he’s clearly trying to manage. And even though he jokes around or drives me to the brink of tearing my hair out every time he deliberately gets my name wrong, it feels like he’s just trying to keep himself distracted from whatever’s weighing on him.

Gosh. I know way too much about this guy.

I hate it.

This is all Ryan’s fault.

“Fine! I won’t ask Soph for his boxers then,” Blair sighs, her voice dripping with melodrama. “It’s just… mama needs money so badly!” she whines, earning a pointed eye roll from Alex.

“Then get a job, Blair,” Alex says flatly, her tone sharp enough to cut through Blair’s theatrics.

Blair shakes her head, looking down at her lap. “I’m too lazy to work,” she mumbles.

Alex exhales, her frustration practically vibrating off her. “Then stop complaining. Or better yet, do some part-time jobs. I’m sure the nearby cafés are hiring. Or better yet,” she adds, “you could come with me to the one I’m about to join later today.”

“What job?” I ask, finally cutting into their exchange.

Alex perks up, nodding. “It’s for our department. The seniors need help with their projects—something about creating a vision for the school. You know, taking photos, writing articles, managing the student media profile, stuff like that.”

Blair’s interest piques as she shifts closer to Alex. “How much do they pay?” she asks, her eagerness now evident. For someone who claims she’s too lazy to work, she looks downright desperate.

Alex shrugs, sitting down on her bed. “Not sure. They said it depends on how much effort we put in. What they don’t want is slacking freshmen taking selfies or stealing credit for someone else’s work—and definitely no complaining about the pay.” Her gaze sharpens, locking onto Blair.

Blair huffs, waving her hand dismissively. “Oh, come on, I won’t do that!”

Alex arches a skeptical brow.

“I mean it,” Blair says, her voice rising in protest. “I’ll be on my best behavior. Promise.”

Alex turns to me, silently asking for my opinion. I shrug and offer a small smile. “Sure, why not?” I could definitely need some money anyways. I can't keep depending on Theo to provide things I wanted. I'm his roommate. Not his sister.

And I also needed to do my best this semester. It's the least I can do to make my parents and Ryan proud for providing a safe environment for me to live in and study without any stress or difficulties.

I've heard so many stories from the guys talking about their dorm experience and I can't be say I'm not happy to be part of it because I'm fucking glad.

I hate drama with passion.

She exhales, then stands up, motioning for us to follow her. “Alright then, let’s head to the department. But remember—these are seniors we’re dealing with.”

“Why does that matter? They’re still students,” I point out as we leave the dorm and head toward Alex’s car.

Blair drapes an arm over my shoulder, shaking her head with mock pity. “Oh, sweet child. Remember how I said college feels like high school?”

“Yeah?”

“Now imagine we’re in middle school, and they’re the seniors—the ones who brag about leaving soon while also making our lives miserable.”

Oh, hell no.

Alex swats Blair’s hand away. “Don’t scare her. Maybe they’re not like that. I’m just saying we should prepare for any bossy or condescending attitudes they might throw our way.”

“Still sounds like high school to me,” Blair mutters under her breath as we climb into Alex’s car.

I can’t help but think she might be right.

Within few minutes, we arrive at college. Alex locks her car with a click of the keys, slipping them into her pocket as we head toward the studio department. She motions ahead, walking a little faster than Blair and me.

“That’s where they’re hiring,” Alex says, pointing to a building just beyond the central campus lawn. The place looks bustling, with students going in and out, some carrying camera gear or rolls of paper.

Blair leans toward me, lowering her voice. “Why do I feel like this is going to be some kind of boot camp disguised as a job?”

I chuckle lightly but don’t reply. The closer we get, the louder the chatter and the faint hum of equipment become.

Inside, the studio department is buzzing with activity. Students are gathered around large desks, sketching, editing photos, and working on what looks like model structures.

As we step in, my gaze scans everywhere and stops at someone I didn’t expect.

Scott.

He’s sitting at a desk near the corner, leaning toward a girl who’s laughing at something he just said. His easy smile, the one that used to make my stomach flip, is firmly in place.

“What are you doing here?” Alex says, her tone sounds shocked as her gaze lands on him.

Scott looks up, startled, and his eyes shift from Alex to me. He holds my gaze for a second—too long—and I quickly look away, pretending to focus on something else.

Beside me, Blair leans in, whispering near my ear. “Okay, you are so going to tell me what happened between you two later.”

I sigh, not in the mood to argue, and nod.

Scott stands up slowly, his voice quieter than usual. “Oh, yeah,” he says, addressing Alex first before his eyes flick back to me briefly. “I want to help the seniors too. I heard it could add extra points to a student’s credit at the end of the semester.”

A couple of students enter the room and seats to the plastic chairs closest to them.

Before we can move, the girl Scott had been talking to—tall, with auburn hair pulled into a sleek ponytail—scoffs and crosses her arms. She looks us over, a faint smirk on her lips that doesn’t quite reach her eyes.

She tells us her name and starts immediately, without any hesitation, talking about what we were going to do and how we should be serious about everything. I can understand why she might look so serious since these are the final projects needed for her to leave college.

Three other seniors walk in and sit at the side, their focus on their laptops as the girl explains more.

"... I hope you can understand everything because “We’ve got three main tasks,” The girl, Tory explains, holding up her fingers. “One: photography. We need people to take pictures of campus events, students, and some promo shots for the school’s social media. Two: content creation. Writing articles, creating posts, editing videos—basically making everything look polished and professional. And three,” she pauses dramatically, looking at us like she doubts we’re even capable of breathing on our own, “helping with the end-of-semester showcase. Setting up displays, organizing submissions, running errands—whatever we need to make it perfect.”

I glance at Alex, who’s standing stiffly, her arms crossed but listening intently. Blair, on the other hand, looks like she’s about to laugh.

“Any questions?” Tory snaps, her sharp gaze landing on me.

I hesitate for a second, then shake my head. “Nope.”

“Good.” She turns her attention to Alex. “You seem like the responsible one. You’ll be coordinating the schedule for your little group. I’ll email you the list of events and deadlines by tonight.”

Alex nods, though I can tell she’s biting back a retort.

"Good, then we need to get going," Tory says, slinging her bag over her shoulder and staring at all of us. "I need you all to grab any camera equipment you can find and meet us at the ice rink."

I blink. The ice rink? Isn't that where...

Oh, god.

"Why the ice rink?" Scott asks, and I feel a rush of relief that he’s voicing the same question my mind is screaming for an answer to. Yes why?! Of all the places, this is the last one I want to be.

"Don’t you guys know how hockey has been gaining so much popularity lately, especially after the last game?" she says, looking at us like we're supposed to already know.

Seriously? The last game? I've been hearing about that non-stop since I got here, and it’s driving me insane.

"I need you all there in less than five minutes," Tory continues. "We need tons of footage of our hockey players in action. It'll boost the profile and help us seniors get better points, so..." She trails off and leaves with the rest of the seniors, all of them wearing smug expressions.

"She can’t seriously leave us hanging like this?" Blair scoffs.

"Why?" Scott asks, looking confused.

"Because I need to know how much this is all worth!" Blair groans, already hunting for equipment to carry. She’s about to follow Tory too. "Come on, Soph, aren’t you worried about the pay?"

I wish I were. But instead, I’m more worried about Theo seeing me at the rink, knowing he’ll be there, and I know he won’t miss a chance to tease me about it.

Lucky me....not.