Chapter Text
** 2 years ago**
Contrary to his popularity around campus, being a Theta pledge wasn’t easy for freshman Nico. Well, it could’ve been, but the brothers couldn’t show favoritism and let Nico slide. And that’s how Tatum found herself, startled out of focus from watching film of her latest match, by a loud rapping at her door. It could only be one person.
“Nico, chill. People have phones for a reason,” she says opening the door, not exactly letting the boy in, but he walked in past her anyway.
“Well yeah but you weren’t answering.”
Tatum opened her mouth to playfully argue back but Nico cut her off.
“But that’s not important. What is important is that I need you and your friends to come with me to the Theta party tonight.”
“And just why would I do that? It’s a Wednesday night. And last time you worked door!”
“Because I need to show to guys I can pull my own weight and bring girls to the party,” he says as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world.
“Tatum, please . It’s some kind of pledge test thing. They decided to throw last minute and getting people to come is the least of my worries, so long as my best friend is a real best friend and comes through for me.”
The two weren’t the most unlikely pair of friends, they come from such similar backgrounds. Rich kids with one too many vacation homes who constantly argue which steakhouse in the Hampton’s is best. But Tatum wouldn’t call them best friends (even if she did stop protesting that Nico not sit with her in the dining hall or in Mathematics 1301).
How they became friends is more questionable.
*Flashback to freshman orientation a few months ago*
“So you’re not at all interested in going on one date with me? I do like a challenge,” a slightly less buff, but all the same charismatic and handsome, Nico flirts.
“Oh absolutely not.”
“And why’s that?”
Tatum gives him a once over, not in a flirty way, in a like she’s incredibly disgusted way.
“Because I can definitely pull more girls than you.”
“Is that so…” Nico challenges. “Bet. Whoever gets more numbers tonight at the party in the woods, wins.”
“Are you seriously asking me to make a bet on women? I’m a lesbian, not a sleazy dude.”
“Are you seriously backing down from a challenge because you know you’ll lose?”
Tatum, internally, stands by her argument… but who was she to shy away from a challenge, let alone lose one? She considers.
“And what does the winner get?”
“Bragging rights. I certainly wouldn’t force you to go on a date with me, when I inevitably win, knowing you’re a lesbian. That would be rude.”
“All this for bragging rights?” Tatum scoffs. “At least up the stakes and say the loser has to go skinny dipping in the fountain in front of the main building.”
Nico smiles, no longer flirting with the girl, but in the I’m in college and always down to do something reckless kind of way. “So you’re down?”
Tatum isn’t sure why she entertained him in the first place, but she says it anyways. “You’re on.”
*End of orientation flashback*
She doesn’t expect him to stick around. In fact, she was hopeful that he would’ve left her alone after the embarrassing squeal he let out after jumping into that very cold fountain those two months ago. But somehow Nico seemed to enjoy her dismissiveness that everyone else feared. Every time she pushed him away it’s like it only brought him in closer.
“And why can’t you gather the girls who, for some reason, fawn over you?”
This isn’t the first time Nico asked her to round up her friends for an invite-only party, but she couldn’t give him the satisfaction of immediately saying yes. It was what their entire dynamic consisted of.
“Respectfully, your friends are hotter. You know I like a bit of a challenge.”
“You are disgusting.”
He looks at her hopeful. And after a few moments-
“I’ll see what I can do,” she says like it’s the most taxing thing in the world, knowing her friends absolutely love going to jump around in the too-sweaty basement.
“Yes! You’re the best” he cheers, throwing his arms around Tatum in a hug, quickly before she can process what’s happening, and makes his way out the door. “See you tonight!” He turns to cheer as he walks away. Tatum closes her door and walks back to her desk, but not without rolling her eyes with a small smile on her face.
This kid is insufferable.
**Present day, 2 years later**
Somehow along the way the two become, what Tatum would never say out loud, close friends. Best friends, actually. Their dynamic stays the same, the black cat and her clingy golden retriever. But now they have actual friend-like conversations where Nico goes to her for girlfriend advice. She helps with his studies because he might be enjoying college a little too much but mysteriously aces his exams. They go on runs together. Hangout. Attend dinners and golfing trips with their fathers who were absolutely ecstatic to find out the two were the “next generation of the unbreakable Essex bond.”
She stops arguing that she only attends his frat formals when his girlfriend is gone studying abroad because “I like nice events and free drinks,” and instead tells him if he clashes with her color scheme she will do terrible things to him.
So that’s how she finds herself, like clockwork, at Theta’s Back 2 Skool Bash to kick off her junior year. I mean, I guess there’s nothing else going on in this small college town.
“Leighton c’mon there’s one more person you just have to meet!” Nico attempts to yell over the music, dragging his freshman sister behind him.
Leighton can’t even pretend to be excited about meeting yet another one of his frat brothers who will make a move on her that she just has to lean into for the sake of keeping up appearances.
What she wasn’t expecting, was for her brother to call out for the most beautiful girl she’s ever laid eyes on. Her dream girl, even. She’s frozen in shock, hoping (failing) that it doesn’t show.
“Tatum this is my sister Leighton, Leighton this is Tatum” he yells, slinging a drunk arm around Tatum.
“ Nico .” She says threateningly, and he immediately pulls it back. She gives him a pointed look, half because he deserved it, and half because Nico just introduced her to a gorgeous girl under the title of his sister— his freshman sister— and she had to maintain her cool by diverting her gaze elsewhere.
Nico puts his hands up in surrender. “I’m gonna leave before she rips my arms off, but you two should talk! You’re just alike!”
They’re left alone, Leighton trying her best not to look like a deer in headlights and Tatum wearing a slight smirk because she notices.
“H-Hi,” Leighton manages to get out. Get a grip, you’re losing your image. The thought of Nico cheating on her friend, Maya, brings her back to reality. “You two aren’t-”
“Oh god no,” Tatum says in over-exaggerated disgust. This gets Leighton to loosen up and laugh. “He’s far from my type.”
Maybe it’s her intrigue in the older girl, maybe it’s the sibling defense, but Leighton has to ask. “Oh, and what is your type?”
Was she imagining Tatum checking her out? “Girls.”
She steps towards Leighton a bit. What? It’s loud in here.
She looks around like she’s racking her brain for words. “Girls with great style. Confident. Strong-minded.” recalling stories Nico had told her about the girl. Then she looks deep into Leighton’s eyes. “Beautiful.”
She couldn’t help herself. What am I doing? This is Nico’s sister?!
Leighton’s stunned. She’s in awe of how out and proud the girl is, she wishes she could be like that someday. She’s jealous. And excited, Tatum likes girls! And confused, was Tatum hitting on me? And nervous, again, was Tatum hitting on me? The mix of emotions flooding her mind make this split second feel like an eternity.
Before she can respond, Kimberly’s running up to her. “Leighton! Bela just yelled out that she’s doing something called body shots by the pool table. I don’t know what that means, but I don’t think it’s good.”
Leighton can’t believe she’s thinking this, but she’s grateful for her roommate’s unhinged antics.
A laugh behind her diverts her attention back to Tatum. “You should go take care of that. It was nice to meet you, Leighton.”
Maybe it was the older girl's change in demeanor, now more innocent, but Leighton finally pulls herself together. “Yeah. I’ll see you around,” she says with a smile before following Kimberly through the crowd.
Tatum goes to get a shot for herself, I am too sober for this.
…
After a couple of hours at the party, Leighton found an out to attend her real plans for the night, something she definitely needed after excruciating small talk with Corey while her roommates shot her excited looks. She sneaks out the door and into the dark driveway to pull out her phone and call an Uber.
“Not your scene?” She turns to see the blonde from earlier approaching her.
“What makes you say that?”
“Well for starters, you’re dressed awfully nice for a frat party.”
“Okay, head-to-toe designer, like you’re one to talk.”
Tatum smirks before continuing. “And you’re out here, all alone, at the party’s peak.”
“I agreed to show face and meet some of Nico’s friends, I did not agree to a night of sweat and cheap beer.”
“At least I know one of the Murrays has good taste.”
“Yes, please spread my truth, I don’t want to think of the ways he’s already tainted my reputation.”
“Are you going home?”
“Uh… No, I-” silence. She tries to think of her next words, careful not to reveal too much out of fear of anyone piecing her together, especially someone who could get this information back to her brother.
“You..?”
“I’m not going home.”
Tatum nods. “Okay. The sister has secrets.”
“It’s nothing personal, it’s just your friendship with my brother does make you a liability.”
“‘Nothing personal’ but you basically called me the fun police? Where the captain is Nico?”
“Well when you put it like that it is a very low blow, you do seem cooler than him.”
“Oh I am,” Tatum says seriously before smiling, Leighton mimicking the look on her face.
“I said seem , I don’t know you. And you’re also outside of a party all alone so you’re not really helping your case either.”
“Well you could get to know me,” Tatum says. Leighton looks at Tatum, and before she could even think of something to say, her phone vibrates while a car slows to a stop at the end of the driveway.
“Looks like this is you,” Tatum says, gesturing to the car that just pulled up. Tatum kind of wishes Leighton would have invited her. For what, she’s not sure, maybe for that aforementioned ‘get to know you.’ Leighton kind of wishes she would invite her too. Only because Leighton isn’t exactly abundant in friends at Essex yet, like she had been her whole life. And because she would like to get to know Tatum, maybe at arm’s length for her own sanity. And because she’s insanely gorgeous. But that would defeat the purpose of why she’s leaving in the first place, so instead she gets up and says,
“Yeah. Have a good night. Oh, and you didn’t see me here.”
“See who, where?” Tatum says feigning seriousness.
Leighton smiles and turns to walk away.
“Goodnight, stranger.”
“Goodnight, stranger,” Leighton says, turning one last time before getting in the car.
“Wait!” Tatum calls before following Leighton to the car.
“Give me your phone.”
“What?” Leighton questions, handing her phone to the older woman anyways.
Tatum begins punching her number into Leighton’s phone. “I didn’t see you or see you go anywhere. But if I did see you disappear into an Uber alone at night, I’d at least want to know you got someone safe tonight. So,” she hands the phone back. “Let me know?”
“Yeah. Thanks.”
“Have a goodnight, Leighton.”
“You too,” Leighton says before Tatum closes the door and watches her drive away.
And if Leighton subconsciously decides to meet up with a random blonde tonight, she doesn’t think anything of it the next morning.
Of course, after texting the contact named Stranger From Theta “I’m safe” and getting an “I’m glad” in response.