“Ow ow!” Ashlei screams as Cassie covers her eyes and Erin laughs uncontrollably.
Poor Tera, the newest edition to our room squad, is blushing so hard I could probably fry an egg on her cheek.
Jess just smirks, shaking her head and filling red Solo cups with champagne before divvying them out to everyone except Ashlei — who has a water bottle, instead. “I knew you weren’t lying. I just wanted to see your tits.”
“Well, take a long, hard look, baby,” I say with a wink, jiggling them a little bit to further prove that I did, in fact, go commando under my gown.
“Does Kip know you did that?” Cassie asks, hands still over her eyes.
I pull a pair of sleep shorts and a tank top from one of my duffle bags and slip them on. “Please. He was the first to find out. Why do you think I was almost late?”
“I’m surprised you got him to let you come back here instead of straight to a hotel with him after that little fact,” Ashlei muses.
“He’s with the rest of the guys at Ralph’s until we join them,” Cassie answers for me. “Good thing we all picked smart men. They know sisters come first.”
“Damn straight,” Jess says, but eyes the glistening rock on Cassie’s finger. “Although, is that still the case?”
“Always,” Cassie promises, holding out her hand to admire the ring. “He’s my future husband, yes. But you bitches are my soulmates.” She wraps Tera in a hug next. “Yes, that includes you.”
Tera squeezes her back. “I think I picked the best sorority on campus.”
“Duh,” Jess answers easily. “And you’ve got a legacy to uphold, so, allow me to bestow upon you three golden rules.”
I roll my eyes as the rest of the girls groan in unison.
“Number one: sisters before misters, always. You’ve just been reminded of how long that one lasts. Rule two: always be the funnest bitch at Spring Break.”
“Funnest, J-Love? Really? I think I need to see that degree you supposedly got…” Erin teases.
Jess waves her off. “And rule three: avoid dating brothers at all costs.” She pauses. “But if you become an Eskimo sister? Well… whatever. It happens.”
“A… what?” Tera asks.
“Listen, the only rule out of all of that is number one. And trust me,” Cassie says, pulling her Little in closer. “It’s not hard to follow.”
“I’m going to miss you. It sucks I only had one semester with y’all here,” Tera says to Cassie, her eyes finding me next.
“Don’t worry. We won’t be far,” I promise her.
Erin gives Tera a sweet smile before wrapping her in a hug, too, and even Jess looks a little emotional before she covers it with declaring we all drink.
We clink our plastic cups together in the center, take a big gulp of champagne, and then climb into my bed.
Cassie is still in her gown, the other girls in beautiful dresses for the occasion, but we all flop onto the bed and cuddle up, not caring.
“This poor old bed,” Erin says, patting the mattress. “She’s seen more than she probably would have liked.”
“She’s definitely had her share of drama,” I agree. “God, I can still remember us in here when you told us your master plan for Kip.”
“Stop,” Erin says, holding up her hand with a cringey smile. “That’s a time in my life I would very much like to forget.”
“I’m sure there are many things we’d classify in the Happy to Leave That Shit Here category,” Ashlei says.
“Not me,” Jess chimes in. “I don’t have a single regret.”
“Not one?” Cassie asks.
Jess frowns, thinking. “Nope. Not one. Well… except maybe when I was a dick to you and Bo, Lei,” she amends. “I haven’t quite forgiven myself for that.”
Ashlei reaches over to squeeze Jess’s ankle.
“I don’t think I have any regrets, either,” I say. “In fact, I don’t think any of us should. We lived a lot of life in this house, on this campus.”
“A lot of mistakes,” Ashlei says.
“A lot of fun,” Cassie adds.
“A lot of booze,” Jess says with a tilt of her cup.
“A lot of sisterhood,” Erin whispers, and when we turn to see her eyes welled with tears, we all smack her.
“Not yet!” Cassie warns. “Please, I’ve cried so much in the last month. Don’t make me bawl again.”
Erin laughs, wiping her face. “I can’t help it. I mean, I’ve already graduated, you’d think it wouldn’t be that emotional for me but… this is it. This is the last time we’ll all be here, in this room, in this bed.”
We all fall silent then, looking around the room, at each other, the words we can’t say written all over our faces.
“Hey, maybe not the last time,” Tera finally says. “Who knows? Maybe… Maybe I’ll be president one day.”
I swear, Erin beams so bright at her Great-Grand-Little that I’m surprised she doesn’t steal all the wattage from every lightbulb in the house.