Tyler was nervous that day.
It was the start of the college football season. And, for the first time in a long while, the excitement surrounding UCLA felt enormous. Almost biblical in scale.
Tyler was the president of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, the UCLA SAE chapter. Probably the most famous and mainstream fraternity on campus, associated with massive parties, athletes, popular people, and a reputation that practically every student knew about the moment they arrived at college.
Because SAE didn't exist only at UCLA.
The house was part of the national Sigma Alpha Epsilon network, one of the oldest and largest fraternities in the United States, with chapters on more than two hundred campuses across the country.
And being president was not just any position.
It was the most important student role within the fraternity. The person responsible for managing the house, handling conflicts, organizing events, representing the organization before the university and, basically, keeping that small ecosystem of egos, money, and alcohol functioning.
It wasn't an easy role to earn, nor something that could be underestimated.
In fact, many companies valued something like that very highly on a résumé. Being president of a major fraternity implied leadership, organizational skills, social ability, and responsibility.
There was one statistic fraternities loved repeating whenever they had the chance: it was estimated that around 44% of U.S. presidents had belonged to college fraternities.
Tyler was a senior. He studied Business Economics and had played lacrosse in high school before fully dedicating himself to college life and the fraternity.
Normally, he was excellent at handling situations. He knew how to talk to people, organize events, manage egos, and solve problems without losing his cool. He had that rare ability to always seem relaxed even when everything around him was on fire.
But today, he was getting dangerously close to panicking. Since five in the afternoon, he had been at the SAE house preparing everything for the postgame party.
And this wasn't just any party.
It was the debut of the most anticipated player ever to arrive in college football history. UCLA had real hopes of becoming nationally relevant again in the most popular sport in the country.
If the Bruins delivered on the field, that night's party was going to explode. Though, honestly, the party was happening either way.
The confidence surrounding the team was absurdly high. Nobody at UCLA genuinely believed they were going to lose to Rice. Especially not with Andrew making his debut.
The quarterback who had never lost a game in his life falling to a mid-tier team in his first college game?
That sounded impossible to them.
That was why expectations for the party were already massive before kickoff. And they grew even more when Tyler got confirmation that Andrew Pritchett-Tucker would attend if the debut went well.
From six in the evening onward, while the game began at the Rose Bowl, Tyler coordinated security, talked with fraternity members, checked alcohol deliveries, and solved problems nonstop.
The SAE house was basically a mansion converted into a fraternity house. Two massive floors, white columns at the entrance, a large front yard, balconies, upstairs bedrooms, and a ground floor designed almost entirely around social events.
The main living room looked straight out of a college movie. Huge couches, tables pushed against the walls to clear space, Greek flags hanging around different sections, and a party room connected toward the back where they were already testing lights and sound for the night.
On one of the main walls, a giant television was broadcasting ESPN.
Tyler hadn't been able to go to the stadium precisely because he was organizing all of this. But that didn't mean they weren't following the game almost obsessively while preparing the house.
He wasn't alone.
Mason, the fraternity's vice president, was also running around everywhere. His specialty was connecting with sororities, handling invitations, organizing entry lists, and securing DJs.
By the end of the first half, with Andrew already having three touchdowns while UCLA pulled away on the scoreboard, everyone inside SAE understood the same thing.
The party was going to be legendary.
And when the game finally ended, with Andrew closing the night with five touchdowns, more than four hundred total yards, and zero mistakes… there was no longer any doubt.
Even the ESPN commentators were talking about one of the greatest debuts in college football history.
Ethan, another important member of the fraternity, far more focused on preventing disasters than on the party itself, looked at the television with his arms crossed before speaking.
"Guys, seriously, respect the lists this time. That's why they exist. No letting in randoms or USC people."
At big parties, it was pretty common for people from other universities to sneak in, friends of friends, members of other fraternities, or even people who didn't go to college at all.
"Dude, the more legendary the party becomes, the less controllable it is," Mason replied with a huge smile, tanned and clearly loving the entire situation. "You should know that by now."
Several people around them laughed and nodded. Because it was true. The lists worked at the beginning. After that, everything collapsed and became much harder to control.
"And this one's gonna be even more legendary!" another SAE member shouted, raising a beer. "Our quarterback literally outdid Matt Barkley! Screw USC!"
Everyone reacted instantly, clinking cups, making noise, and celebrating.
Everyone except Ethan and Tyler. Because the two of them were still thinking about how much of a nightmare controlling that party was going to be.
"The really important thing is that Andrew shows up," Tyler said, turning toward Cody, one of the SAE members and a friend of several players on the team. "Any news? Another confirmation?"
Players were almost guaranteed to attend. Some of them were already members of the fraternity. Shaq Evans, the star wide receiver who had turned a fifty-plus-yard pass into a touchdown, was coming. So were several defensive leaders.
More than ninety percent of the roster would probably end up passing through the party sooner or later.
But Tyler knew perfectly well that there was only one person who truly mattered: Andrew.
He was the center of all of this.
The guy who had put UCLA back on the national map. The undefeated high school phenom. The standard that had convinced elite recruits to join the program just for the chance to play with him.
And now he had just delivered a historic debut. Not only the most anticipated one ever, but one that had somehow surpassed the impossible expectations surrounding him.
The party was already going to be massive on its own, but if Andrew didn't show up, it wouldn't feel the same.
Tyler had invited Andrew countless times since he arrived at UCLA in January, and not once had he accepted. Not to parties, not to social events. Nothing.
The funny thing was that nobody inside SAE had taken it personally.
Quite the opposite.
The more inaccessible Andrew seemed, the more his aura around campus grew. And that night, after dominating in his debut and turning months of hype into reality, that mystique was going to explode completely.
"I don't have any new information," Cody replied while checking his phone for the fifth time in less than a minute. "Just the first thing I heard. One of the freshmen close to him said he'd come."
Tyler let out a slow breath and ran a hand through his hair. "Try to find out again," he said. "Something more solid. Because Andrew's the type of person who could decide at the last second that he doesn't want to come and stay home rewatching the game to analyze what he did wrong, even after destroying Rice. And we're all gonna spend the whole night waiting for him like idiots."
Cody let out a short laugh through his nose and nodded.
Tyler genuinely believed that. He didn't know Andrew very well. Barely at all, really.
They had only spoken a couple of times since he arrived at UCLA, usually whenever Tyler tried to include him in social events or introduce him to people around campus. But even those brief interactions had been enough to leave him with a very specific impression.
Andrew never seemed rude. Or arrogant. Or intentionally distant. He simply gave off the feeling that he was always thinking about something else.
As if, while the rest of the students were living the college experience, excited about freedom, parties, and this new stage of their lives, he was obsessed with some bigger purpose.
After that night's game, Tyler was even more convinced of it. He had watched Andrew's postgame interview, and the guy was already thinking about Nebraska.
Tyler was pretty sure Andrew was exactly the kind of competitive monster capable of going home and studying invisible mistakes in a historic victory instead of enjoying it.
Around eleven o'clock, the party finally started to truly come alive.
Cars began filling Gayley Avenue and the nearby streets. The music was already making the house windows vibrate even from outside, and entire groups started crossing through the front entrance amid loud voices and laughter.
The first to arrive were several UCLA sororities, the women's fraternities of the college Greek system, specially invited by SAE. Girls from Alpha Phi, Kappa Alpha Theta, and Pi Beta Phi quickly began filling the yard and the ground floor of the house.
UCLA Bruins cheerleaders also showed up, still wearing part of their game-day outfits, though changed into cleaner versions, blending into the crowd of students, electronic music, and red cups that were already multiplying everywhere.
By 11:15, there were already more than two hundred people inside and around the house.
The atmosphere was festive and electric: heat, music, and shouting.
At 11:30, the first major moment of the night arrived. A large group of UCLA players finally appeared in front of the house.
The recognition was instant.
Shaq Evans was one of the first to step out, and the moment he crossed the entrance, several people immediately started shouting his name.
Beside him came Jonathan Franklin, still euphoric after his huge game on the ground, Xavier Su'a-Filo with his massive physical presence, Jake Brendel, and several more members of the offensive line.
The music echoed through the entire mansion. The front yard was already packed, the main living room was overflowing with people, and from deeper inside came flashing lights mixed with the constant noise of conversations, shouting, and cups clashing as everyone continued celebrating the win.
"Man… this is insane," Amari murmured while looking around at everything, experiencing his first major college party.
He leaned slightly toward Alexander, who was walking beside him.
Alexander, another giant even among football players, nodded, clearly impressed. "The LA style," he said while observing the atmosphere.
It really did feel different.
Both Amari and Alexander came from outside California. Alexander especially had grown up far away from anything like this. A five-star offensive lineman, considered one of the best recruits in his entire class, he was used to much more traditional football environments.
But Los Angeles was something else.
More party and spectacle. A mixture of sports, fame, and pop culture.
Much closer to the world of Hollywood than the typical college atmosphere of the South or the Midwest.
Jordan, a true freshman receiver who still hadn't earned a starting spot but had arrived as a four-star recruit, smiled as he watched the way they were being welcomed, people already offering them drinks the moment they walked in.
"If Andrew saw us drinking beer, he'd make us do push-ups."
The players nearby instantly let out small laughs.
The freshmen were unusually close with Andrew. More than normal even for new teammates. Because he had quickly become the natural leader of that group. Especially through the Sunday workouts and practices he organized himself.
Andrus smiled faintly and shook his head. "If I managed to convince my dad to let me come to this party, I can convince Andrew to let me have one drink."
That got even more laughs.
Andrus' father was famous for being extremely strict and controlling about everything related to football and his son's discipline. He basically wanted to keep him constantly focused and away from anything that could distract him.
So the fact that he had even allowed him to show up at a college fraternity party was already close to a miracle. But even he understood that this night was different.
It was a historic win and the beginning of a new era for the program.
At that moment, several important SAE members approached the group of players as soon as they entered. Among them were Cody, Mason, and Tyler, the president.
They greeted them one by one, shaking hands, praising them, and practically treating them like celebrities.
Especially Amari. He had played an incredible game.
Two of Andrew's five touchdowns had ended up in his hands, both spectacular catches on intermediate routes, although one of them had almost been deep, with a reception of around twenty yards.
"Bro, you were unbelievable out there," Mason said with a huge smile. "That second touchdown was insane. Here, enjoy the night," he added, handing him a cup of beer.
Amari smiled slightly, somewhere between shy and clearly enjoying the attention, as he took the drink.
Meanwhile, Cody turned toward Jordan. "Hey, how's it going?"
Jordan greeted him with much more enthusiasm than usual.
After all, Cody was one of the important guys inside the fraternity. And for a newly arrived student, especially a new UCLA football player, that entire college social structure carried weight.
Tyler looked at Cody and lightly nudged him with his arm.
Cody cleared his throat. "Uh… do you know anything about Andrew?"
Several heads immediately turned toward them.
Some people outright stopped talking just to hear the answer.
Jordan slightly raised his eyebrows at the sudden shift in attention, "No… just what I already told you."
"Can you find out anything else?" Cody asked, trying to sound casual, though he was clearly failing.
Jordan nodded slowly as he pulled his phone out of his pocket. "I'll text Steve," he muttered.
Steve was the one who had told him Andrew would probably come. Same with Andrus and the rest of the freshmen.
Jordan had Andrew's number. But honestly, it felt a little uncomfortable texting him just to ask if he was going to a party.
He'd rather text Steve instead.
Even though there was trust between them, Andrew still somehow felt like a sort of authority figure within the freshman group.
Not because he tried to impose himself. It just happened naturally.
The way he trained, the way he talked about football, the level of intensity he carried even after the kind of game he had just played. All of that made several of them see him more like a veteran leader than just another eighteen-year-old guy.
Asking him directly if he was coming to a party felt weird.
Almost like texting your coach. Or worse, your father. Like you were automatically doing something wrong just for thinking too much about alcohol, girls, and fraternities only a few hours after the game.
He sent the message to Steve, and the minutes started passing.
Five minutes later, Cody pushed again, wanting to know something.
Jordan checked his phone once more. Nothing.
So he sent Steve another message. Then another one after that.
Because Steve was different.
Unlike Andrew, nobody saw Steve as an authority figure. There was respect, of course. He was talented, had just scored a touchdown in prime time, and was already starting as a freshman. But he gave off a completely different energy. Much more relaxed. He was far easier to joke around with and talk to casually.
Finally, the phone vibrated.
Jordan quickly looked down.
Steve: We'll be there in fifteen minutes.
Jordan immediately lifted his head with a relieved smile. "They're coming. They'll be here in fifteen minutes."
The reaction was instant.
"Holy shit!" Mason blurted out.
Cody smiled as if they had just confirmed a celebrity was arriving on campus. Which, honestly, was exactly what had just happened.
Tyler, meanwhile, reacted differently. His brain instantly switched into organization mode.
"Okay, okay… listen up," he said, turning toward several SAE members. "I want the front entrance cleared when they get here. Make it a proper welcome."
Several of them immediately nodded and started moving around the house, organizing for the arrival.
The news spread fast.
The more than three hundred people already filling the mansion began hearing the same thing passed around from person to person:
"He's coming."
The atmosphere changed almost instantly.
Because Andrew wasn't just UCLA's quarterback.
He was the most talked-about college athlete in the country. The combination of his football legacy and his internet presence had created something massive around him.
He was this bizarre mix between sports superstar and internet celebrity.
And that created an absurd kind of magnetism.
Especially on a college campus full of people obsessed with fame, status, sports, and social media.
That was why Tyler wanted everything to go perfectly.
…
Meanwhile, Andrew was completely unaware of the chaos his arrival was about to cause.
To him, it was simply going to be another party. A big one, sure. But nowhere near the mythical event SAE was mentally building around him.
He was sitting on the couch in the living room of his apartment, facing the television with an Xbox controller in his hands, playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.
He wasn't alone.
Steve, Leonard, and Howard were playing with him in split-screen.
Two versus two.
Andrew and Leonard versus Steve and Howard.
"Hey, that doesn't count!" Steve protested indignantly while staring at the screen. "I said I was answering a text!"
At that exact moment, Andrew shot him without the slightest bit of mercy.
Victory.
The match ended with that kill. Andrew and Leonard had just won for the third consecutive time.
"Goddammit, Steve!" Howard complained, throwing his head back. "You're sinking us!"
Leonard smiled with satisfaction as he adjusted his glasses. "There are no pauses in war, children."
Andrew let out a small laugh while looking at the scoreboard. "How do you increase the difficulty on the bots?" he asked with genuine curiosity, which only irritated Howard and Steve even more.
Howard opened his mouth, offended. "Hey!"
Steve immediately turned his head from the other side of the couch, visibly outraged. "I was replying to Jordan's stupid messages!"
"War is war," Andrew replied without the slightest remorse. "Ask the military if they stop to answer texts in a war zone."
He high-fived Leonard after the beating they had just delivered and looked back at Steve, who still had a full-on scowl on his face.
"Did you call a wahmbulance?"
"Shut up. Rematch," Steve and Howard said almost at the exact same time, leaning forward again with their controllers ready.
Andrew and Leonard exchanged uncertain looks.
"I don't know… it's not really fun beating you guys anymore," Leonard commented, scratching his head with fake pity.
Andrew nodded with complete seriousness. "Yeah. I think we need more of a challenge. Free-for-all instead."
Steve and Howard accepted immediately. Honestly, it benefited them.
Andrew and Leonard were, without question, the two best players mechanically at Call of Duty. Leonard had absurd accuracy, and Andrew had ridiculous reflexes even in video games. It was irritating.
"Knives only," Howard proposed, raising one finger.
Steve immediately smiled. "Now that I like."
While setting up the next match, Leonard couldn't help but ask, "So… are we actually going to that party?"
"I already told you, we'll be there in fifteen minutes," Steve replied without taking his eyes off the screen.
Though honestly, even he was starting to feel a little lazy about going out again. It was already close to midnight.
"And the girls are getting ready," Howard added.
Haley, Rachel, and Monica were still in the apartment across the hall getting ready for the party. Everyone knew perfectly well that if they suddenly told them they'd rather stay home playing video games, they'd probably get murdered.
"And I also said I'd meet up with Justin…" Andrew muttered with a strange expression.
That made the others look at him.
Leonard made an odd face, unable to decide whether it was impressive or just surreal. "I still can't believe I'm going to be at a party with Justin Bieber."
"And Selena Gomez," Howard immediately added, as if that was obviously the important part.
Andrew glanced sideways at him. "You know Justin's her boyfriend, right?"
But Steve spoke before Howard could answer with something stupid.
"How close are you guys, exactly?"
Steve knew Andrew and Bieber had been following each other for a long time, that they had talked on Twitter and had even recorded that video together that exploded on YouTube.
But that was one thing. Going together to a college party was something completely different.
Andrew hesitated slightly. "I don't know… it's weird."
He quickly remembered the interaction on the field after the game. Justin casually walking up to him, congratulating him, asking if he was doing anything that night and practically inviting himself along the moment Andrew mentioned the party.
He didn't consider him a close friend. But he wasn't a stranger either.
There was a reason Andrew had invited him to record that video together, and they had gotten along well. It was more like that classmate you always click with whenever you talk, even if they aren't really part of your inner circle.
Sort of a colleague.
The subject was dropped when the match started.
Right in the middle of the game, the apartment door suddenly swung open.
"We're ready!" Haley announced.
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