The Thoughtful Detective

Chapter 2 - Mr. Flip Cup

Flashback to 2008 – Part 1

PRE-TELEPATHY

(Colton's POV)

The crowd cheered as Alex Marino's red plastic cup landed face-down on the table. I immediately picked up my cup and guzzled down the liquid as fast as I could. I placed the cup upside down at the edge of the table and attempted to flip it over with my index finger. It bounced around a few times before it rolled sideways for two seconds. "Hurry up, Colton!" cried Denise Adler, over the loud music. She tapped her fingers impatiently on the table. I grabbed the cup and repeated the process five more times, with no success.

I turned to face Denise beside me. "I'm sorry, I'm so bad at this," I confessed. She rolled her eyes, as Brody Miller's cup landed gracefully on the table across from us, making our opposing team the winner of the drinking game. Some laughter and cheering erupted. The players left the table and scattered themselves across the party. I collected the empty plastic cups and stacked them on top of each other.

Denise was still standing beside me with her arms crossed. "Can you tell me where your recycling bin is?" I asked her.

"Next time, if you don't know how to play a game, you should just sit out," she grumbled.

I was taken aback by her abruptness. Before I could respond, Ethan Laurier stepped between us and put his arm around her shoulder. The frown left her face immediately, as she turned to face his sharp blue eyes, meticulously-styled side-swept chestnut hair, and chiseled features. She smiled sweetly at her crush, as he took a swig of his beer. "Give Colton a break. How is he ever going to learn if he doesn't play?" he scolded her mildly. He gave her a flirtatious grin, showcasing his prominent right dimple. I felt like I was intruding on their private moment, as they stood there, gazing into each other's eyes.

Just three months ago, Ethan had been a campus celebrity who inherently lived in a different universe than me. He was the varsity cornerback, and I was the vice president of the chess club. Our unusual friendship began when he approached me in STATS200. He was in jeopardy of losing his athletic scholarship if his grades didn't improve by the end of the year. He seemed like a pretty nice guy, so I had agreed to provide him with some support. For the next three months, I tutored him in statistics twice a week. He was intelligent, but his attention span was limited. I was patient with him, and we took a lot of breaks. I had gotten to know him relatively well. At this point, I may even go as far as to say that we were friends.

Denise placed her perfectly manicured hand across Ethan's chest. Her blonde highlights glimmered under the grand contemporary light fixture hanging directly above the dining room table. She turned to look at me with her manipulative blue eyes and forged a smile.

"Sorry Colton, I can get very competitive. Ethan can teach you how to play properly. You can play again the next round."

There was no way anyone could get that annoyed over a drinking game. She was clearly bothered by the fact that I was there to begin with. This was an exclusive party for the most popular fraternity and sorority members. I did not belong there, and she probably felt that I was throwing off the vibe. I wasn't enjoying myself either, but Ethan was my ride. He had persuaded me to come to the party, so that he could properly introduce me to Jessica Helmer. 

Jess was my crush from STATS200. We had only spoken a few times in class, and even though she was way out of my league, Ethan had encouraged me to give it a shot. Despite her elite social status, surprisingly, she wasn't that intimidating. I had asked her to borrow a pencil once, and she had generously offered me one of her Twix bars with a gracious smile.