Fan Service

by Rosie Danan

“I fully believed Colby was in love with Nathaniel.” Devin pinched the bridge of his nose. “Why does everyone think that?” “Are you kidding me?!” Despite herself, Alex’s voice rose. “How else do you explain Colby whimpering while Nathaniel drank blood from his femoral vein?”

He’d done a lot of drugs in his life, and nothing held a candle to huffing Alex Lawson straight from the source.

“Brian Dempsey is one of those guys who isn’t ugly but he’s, like, forgettable-looking. You know how ugly guys can have rizz?” Alex gaped. “Did you just say ‘rizz’?” “Did I use it wrong?” Devin thought he’d correctly identified the meaning using context clues, but you never knew what those kids really meant in their Reels. “No…I think that’s right.”

Devin began shucking his tracksuit, waiting for Alex’s heartbeat to speed up, for her cheeks to turn pink. He loved her crush on him. She didn’t even bother looking up. Devin told himself he wasn’t disappointed. Alex must have come to the same conclusion he had: whatever attraction existed between them should be suppressed in favor of a professional working relationship that prioritized their shared mission. Damn. Sometimes being mature really bit the big one.