The campus was already awake when Dorian stepped outside.
Students flooded the paths between buildings, coffee cups in hand, backpacks heavy with the week's exhaustion. The dining hall line snaked past the doors. Someone's phone was playing music too loud. A flyer for the mixer was taped to every lamppost.
Five days left. The mixer tomorrow.
He walked fast, keeping his head down, the cold air sharp against his face. The science building loomed on his left. The fountain glittered ahead. Everywhere he looked, the campus hummed with the ordinary rhythm of a Wednesday morning—students heading to class, professors clutching coffee, the endless shuffle of people who didn't have a timer counting down in their skull.
His phone buzzed.
Tyler: BLIMP LAUNCH TONIGHT. PRE-MIXER EXCLUSIVE. YOU IN?
He typed back.
Dorian: Working prep.
Tyler: VISIONARIES DON'T REST.
Tyler: Kyle is setting up the merch table. He's very focused.
Dorian pocketed the phone.
---
The dining hall was crowded. He found a corner table, pulled out his phone, opened Pictura.
500,000 likes. 40,000 followers.
He scrolled past the comments, opened his DMs. 127 unread.
He started scrolling.
"Hey, your post came up on my explore page. You're really cute."
"DM me if you want to hang out 😏"
"Your girlfriend is lucky."
"I'm in your area. Just saying."
"You single? Asking for a friend. The friend is me."
He stopped.
Elise: Hey, I saw your post. You seem really cool. We should grab coffee sometime if you're ever free.
He clicked her profile. A candid shot—hair in the wind, smiling, a bikini strap visible at the edge of the frame. Local. Her bio said she was at Westbrook, a campus fifteen minutes away.
He typed back.
Dorian: Hey, thanks. I'm usually busy, but maybe next week? What's your name?
He hit send.
A shadow fell across the table.
Marcus slid into the seat across from him.
"Hey."
Dorian pocketed the phone. "Hey."
They ate in silence. Dorian's heart hammered.
Marcus finished his eggs. Wiped his mouth.
"Priya's been talking about the mixer all week. She's excited."
"Yeah?"
"She's been in a good mood lately." Marcus looked at him. "I don't know what she's doing, but it's working."
He stood. "See you tomorrow."
He walked away.
Dorian sat there, the words pressing against his chest.
---
The student union was quieter today. Jenna was already inside, directing a small crew of last‑minute workers. Rachel was untangling streamers, her movements efficient, her eyes flicking toward the door when Dorian walked in.
Jenna handed him a stack of tablecloths. "Back corner. Make it inviting."
He worked. The minutes passed. His phone stayed quiet.
Then it buzzed.
Priya: I need to see you. Today. Not coffee. Somewhere we won't run into anyone.
Priya: I know a place. Off-campus. Quiet. I'll send the address. Shippo.
He looked up. Jenna was across the room, arguing with Rachel about centerpiece height. He typed back.
Dorian: When?
Priya: Now.
---
He made an excuse. Jenna waved him off without looking up.
Outside, the campus was bright, the air cold. He walked fast, cutting between buildings, avoiding the main paths. The address Priya sent was a park behind a strip mall twenty-five minutes away.
His phone buzzed while he was walking.
Unknown: I sent Marcus the photo. The one from the lecture. Thought he should know what his "friend" is up to.
He stopped.
Unknown: Tick tock.
His hands shook. He typed back.
Dorian: Why?
Unknown: Because you're moving too slow. Tomorrow's the mixer. I want front-row seats to the drama.
Unknown: Don't disappoint.
He shoved the phone in his pocket and kept walking.
---
The park was empty. A single bench, a walking path that disappeared into bare trees. Priya was pacing when he arrived.
"You came." She grabbed his arm. "I've been thinking about you all day."
She kissed him. Her hands slid under his jacket, her fingers pressing against his skin. He kissed her back, but his mind was on the photo, on Marcus, on the countdown.
His phone buzzed. He ignored it. Buzzed again.
Priya pulled back. "You should check."
He pulled out his phone. Sarah's name.
Sarah: Hey! Are you at prep? I was going to surprise you but my class ran late. ❤️
He typed quickly.
Dorian: Just finishing up. See you tomorrow at the mixer?
Sarah: Can't wait! 😊
He pocketed the phone. Priya was watching him.
"That your girlfriend?"
Dorian shrugged. "It's not that serious. Just a fling, really."
She raised an eyebrow. "A fling."
"Yeah. Nothing serious." He kept his face calm, his voice even.
She studied him for a moment. "You said it's a fling. That means you're not hers. That means you're free, shippo." She smiled. "Don't waste it."
She kissed his cheek, quick. "I just like this. Like you. Don't make it weird."
She walked away.
Dorian stood alone, her words pressing against his chest.
---
He took a different route back. Through the science building courtyard—empty, cold, the brick walls holding the silence. He thought about the kiss. The photo. Marcus's quiet voice. I don't know what she's doing, but it's working.
He was halfway across the quad when he saw him.
Marcus was coming out of the library, a book under his arm. He stopped when he saw Dorian.
For a moment, neither moved.
Then Marcus nodded. "Hey."
"Hey."
Marcus walked past. Didn't ask where he'd been. Didn't mention Priya. Didn't mention anything.
Dorian watched him disappear into the student union. The silence was heavier than any accusation.
---
The dorm was empty when he got back.
He sat on his bed. Pulled out his phone. Elise had replied.
Elise: Hey! Sorry for the late reply. My name's Elise. I'm at Westbrook. You're the guy from the viral photo, right? I thought you were with someone?
He typed back.
Dorian: It's complicated. You free this weekend?
Elise: This weekend? Maybe. Why? 😊
Dorian: Thought we could grab that coffee. If you're still interested.
Elise: I'm interested. Let me know when.
He set the phone down.
His phone buzzed three times in rapid succession.
Priya: Tomorrow. The mixer. Don't be weird about it.
Sarah: I'm so excited for tomorrow! Finally, a night where we can just hang out ❤️
Unknown: Enjoy the calm before the storm.
He stared at the screen. Elise's message glowed underneath.
Elise: Let me know when.
System: 5 days remaining. 5B, 5D, 5E incomplete.
The door opened. Tyler strode in carrying a folding table. Kyle followed, holding a stack of white BLIMP cans.
"Focus group. Now." Tyler set up the table in the center of the room. "We need consumer data. The people have to speak."
Kyle arranged the cans in a perfect grid. Tyler pulled out a clipboard.
Dorian watched from his bed. "Who's the focus group?"
"You're looking at it." Tyler handed Kyle a can. "Taste test. Compare BLIMP to the leading competitor."
He produced a bottle of generic campus water from his bag and poured a cup.
Kyle drank from both. His face didn't change.
Tyler: "Notes?"
Kyle: "Wet."
Tyler scribbled. "Good. What about the finish? Does it linger?"
Kyle: "No. It's water."
Tyler wrote furiously. "Crisp finish. Minimal aftertaste. Excellent mouthfeel."
He looked up, eyes shining. "This is working. The people are speaking."
Kyle sat on his bed and picked up his book.
Tyler turned to Dorian. "He's a natural. The people will love him."
Dorian's phone buzzed. He looked down.
Unknown: Tomorrow. Don't forget: I'll be watching.
The screen glowed.
He didn't look away.
[END OF CHAPTER 20]