Endless

1

Ty's POV

Lex had been talking since the sun came up.
And the sun came up loud.

"This the BEST college ever, Ty! Like... I can't believe we roommates. Destiny ate with this one."

She twirled in the middle of our tiny-ass dorm like we lived in a luxury penthouse.

"Bruh, you been saying that for two weeks straight," I said, brushing my teeth in the sink.

She rolled her eyes. "Okay? I can't be happy to see my best friend? Damn."

"I ain't say nothing."

"Mmhm." She went back to combing her wig like she was filming a GRWM.

I pointed at the floor.
"Lex, don't be leaving yo dry-ass weave and eye weaves everywhere. Something wrapped around my toe last night. Thought a snake was trying to take me to the upper room."

She stopped to pose in her front camera.
"First of all, those were lashes, boy. And second—stop stepping in my personal beauty zone."

"You mean the floor? In our room?"

She ignored me.

I sat on the edge of my bed, tying my shoes, mind quiet for once.
I'd gotten real comfortable being myself here. Nobody cared I liked dudes. Nobody whispered. Nobody pointed. It felt... normal. I wasn't hiding. I just didn't know what the hell I was doing when it came to dating.

Never had a boyfriend.
Never kissed a boy.
Never even let myself like somebody too loud.

So I kept to myself.

DING.

Both our heads snapped to my phone.

"That was you," Lex said without looking up.

"No it wasn't—"

"Oh wait yea it was me." She read her screen dramatically. "Party tonight. On campus. Theme: Blackout."

"Theme? Girl, it's college."

"And? I'm dressing like somebody rich daddy paying my tuition. You going, right?"

"Wasn't planning on it."

She gasped like I cursed at Jesus.
"Ty. Tyquian. My sweet summertime child. You are NOT staying in this damn room again tonight."

"Why not?"

"Because your antisocial ass be sitting in the dark like a Sims character with free will turned off."

I laughed. "Chill."

"No. Get up. Pick an outfit. We outside tonight."

She was already digging through her drawers.
I got up just to stop her from throwing clothes all over the place.

"Fine," I said. "Damn."

⸻

Later — Getting Ready

Lex stood in the mirror, blending concealer like her life depended on flawless under-eyes.

"You excited?" she asked through a makeup brush.

"Not really."

"Why?"

"I don't party like that."

"You don't do anything like that," she said, pointing at me. "Which is exactly WHY we going."

I shrugged, but she wasn't wrong.

My eyes drifted to my phone—specifically the campus groupchat.
Somebody had posted a pic earlier from the rec center.
A tall dude, hoodie halfway off his shoulder, grabbing a vending machine snack.
I scrolled back to it.

Kentrell.

Didn't know him. Didn't talk to him.
Just saw him around—laughing with friends, arguing over spades, hooping at the court like he owned gravity.

Comfortable in his skin.
Loud without trying.
The type of guy I never knew how to stand near without overthinking.

Lex caught me staring.

"Oh my god," she whispered.
"What?" I said.

"You looking at that boy AGAIN."

"No I'm—girl please."

"Ty, you like him. Like like him. With feeling."

I rolled my eyes. "I can LIKE how somebody look without choking on the word 'crush.'"

"But you be staring," she said, wiggling her eyebrows.

I threw a pillow at her.
She dodged, still laughing.

"Whatever. Let's just go."

⸻

Walking to the Party

The campus was buzzing.
Lights everywhere. Music booming.
People running around dressed in black outfits like it was a Beyoncé concert.

"See? This fun!" Lex said.

I shoved my hands in my hoodie.
"It's loud."

"You loud."

"Okay???"

We walked through the crowd.
I kept scanning faces without meaning to.

And then—I saw him.

Kentrell.
Black tee. Silver chain. Laughing with his boys, head thrown back.
Even from a distance, he had a presence. Like he walked in slow motion even when he wasn't moving.

Lex elbowed me. HARD.

"There go yo vending-machine boo."

"Lex—please—stop."

"No, because you're looking at him like he a limited edition drop."

I sucked my teeth. "Let's go inside."

We stepped into the party, the bass vibrating through the floor.

Chapter ended right there.

Because even before anything happened—
Before the Forces incident,
Before the tension,
Before the almost-something at his dorm—
I already felt it.

Something was about to start.