49

Piper

The Chillest Dude You Know

The resident assistant meetings were revving up. Zariah and I headed to our next one, where we'd talk about the Marrs's rodeo and exactly what our duties would be. Just like all the other meetings, about safety checks or the dangers of fairy lights or and how we could keep the litter off the floor, I was sure this wouldn't be a riveting presentation.

My phone buzzed in my pocket. At first, I thought it was Thomas again, his third message of the day, but I snickered when I saw the name pop up.

a-dam fine man: whens your meeting done

a-dam fine man: I'm bored already

a-dam fine man: fix this

I quickly typed up a response.

Piper Fontaine: Did you change your name on my phone?

a-dam fine man: that was probably you

a-dam fine man: you just subconsciously changed it you just forogt

a-dam fine man: forgot

a-dam fine man: whens your meeting done

A smile threatened to make an appearance despite Zariah detailing the latest drama with her hockey-playing menace of a brother.

Adam was a grown man. And I'd just seen him back in the courtyards—not five minutes ago—where he already asked how long the meeting was going to take. I wasn't even in the meeting yet.

"I'm this close to hitting Elijah in the head with a hammer," Zariah said, pulling the door open to the freshmen dorms. "He's making me rip my hair out. There's no patience left!"

"Maybe you should let him sink or swim?" I suggested, toying with the buttons on my phone, trying to come up with a response to Adam's text.

Zariah sighed. "He's my twin. I'm afraid he'd drown . And then who would I get to talk shit with at family dinner?"

I started to reply, while I scanned the room. It was pretty full, about sixty or seventy resident assistants crammed into one of the big meeting spaces, but the words died in my throat when I saw who was sitting at the table closest to the windows.

June.

Oh my god, June!

It'd been a while since I'd seen her at an RA event.

Part of me was so glad to see her. If she was out of her bedroom, that was progress. But I came to a sudden stop when I realized something had definitely changed.

"Oh no," I whispered under my breath.

June's hair, honey blonde, long and thick and lovely, usually curled behind her back, was gone . I stumbled to walk alongside Zariah. I could barely believe my eyes. June's hair was cropped close to her chin and new, fluffy bangs hung on her forehead.

"Uh…are we seeing the same thing?" Zariah muttered.

New haircut or not, it was June, one of the people who'd been so nice to me when I transferred. I'd missed her, especially during football obligations when Kassie had to dip out. I hurried across the room and wrapped my arms around June's neck hugging her from behind.

"How are you doing? Are you doing good?" I asked quickly, rushing through each question like I had a quota to meet. "It's so good to see you. June, I was the only girl at an offense coach meeting, I missed you so much."

June squeezed my hand, but her voice was small. "Hey, Piper."

"So…this RA thing?" Zariah approached with an easy start to a conversation. "Are they pressuring us about volunteer slots now? Who's teaching?"

I took the chair next to Zariah and peered over her to June, who was giving us both a long look before she reached up to tug on a blonde strand framing her face. Zariah winced. The expression on my face must've given everything away too. It wasn't like it was a bad haircut. The look was cute! It was just so abrupt.

"I took a pair of kitchen scissors and whacked it off," June said, putting her face in her hands. "It was a mess. And I gave myself bangs. I'm so lucky my hair stylist loves me." June sniffled. "She yelled when she saw it."

"It's so cute though," I rushed to say.

June had the most tender, softest look in the world on her face and it broke my heart. The June Basil I knew was self-confident and aware of every right step to take. I was more flabbergasted at how much she crumpled into herself than any new haircut.

"Chic," Zariah suggested. "Very fashion-forward."

"I miss my old hair." June's lower lip wobbled. "And Xavier always said—ugh. I just want to buzz it!"

What can I say that'd make this better? I never had girlfriends like this before, I had no idea what to do.

"Welcome in," a dry voice echoed in the room and the speaker of the meeting called everybody's attention.

Comforting June would have to wait until after.

I brought out my notebook and scribbled down notes about the rodeo's history and how the presentation said forty-five minutes on the website, but it was actually collectively going to be an hour and fifteen minutes.

"Fuck me sideways," Zariah muttered.

I sighed and hid my phone under the desk.

Piper Fontaine: We'll be done at 6:15pm

I almost put it back in my backpack before a text popped up

a-dam fine man: goddamn

a-dam fine man: tell them to hurry up

a-dam fine man: theyre not getting piad by the word

a-dam fine man: paid

It took all my energy to hide the snicker into a cough and I shifted back in my seat, watching the PowerPoint. Adam and I were supposed to go to a pupuseria, one that served the best pupusas in Houston. The place was off the green line with barely any parking, so we needed to take the rail. But I took a look at June. She wasn't even writing anything down on her paper. The only thing my friend was doing was ripping the pink fluff from the end of her cute pen.

I couldn't just leave her all alone in her room tonight. It wasn't right. I bit my lip and typed up another message.

Piper Fontaine: Zariah and June are coming with. June really needs this.

a-dam fine man: no problem

a-dam fine man: see you at the rail

For a moment, I gazed down at the messages and tried to figure out the warm feeling in my chest. I'd been so quick to type up the message without getting caught that I hadn't even thought to ask Adam if it was okay to add on somebody else, let alone two somebody elses. And he went along with it without a second thought.

No argument, no demands, no snapping that I was embarrassing him out in public, just…trust. Simple trust that I was making the right decision for a friend. I rubbed my thumb along the side of my phone, pleased.

Piper Fontaine: She cut off her hair by the way.

Piper Fontaine: Can you do me a huge favor and be calm about it? Please?

a-dam fine man: when do i ever make a big deal about anything

a-dam fine man: hurtful accusation

a-dam fine man: im the chillest dude you know