bayedsolid Chapter 294 294: Huge party
Chapter 294 294: Huge party
"We're ready!" Haley announced as she walked into the apartment.Behind her came Rachel and Monica, the latter closing the door behind them.
"Hey…" Andrew, Steve, Leonard, and Howard greeted in different half-distracted tones, barely taking their eyes off the television as they remained completely focused on the game.
Haley instantly frowned at the complete lack of reaction.
She walked straight over and stood in front of the TV, blocking the entire screen, then placed her hands on her hips with the expression of a disappointed mother.
"Hey!" Steve and Leonard protested at the same time.
"Move, you're in the way!" Andrew complained, trying to push her with his leg from the couch.
Haley shoved his leg aside with a few annoyed little swats, making an irritated face.
Howard was the only one who didn't complain.
His attention had instantly shifted targets.
The Wolowitz neuron had just activated.
Haley was dressed like someone who had clearly taken time getting ready. She wore a short dress in shades of brown and dark blue with an elegant pattern, paired with a light navy-blue coat that gave her a far more sophisticated vibe. Her long hair, perfectly styled, fell over her shoulders in soft waves, and the dark blue heels completed a look that seemed straight out of a LA fashion magazine.
Howard stared a second too long before speaking. "You look incredible."
Haley smiled automatically, satisfied to finally get the proper reaction, "Thanks. Never thought I'd say this, but point for Howard."
That was when Leonard and Steve finally looked away from the screen. First, they looked at Haley.
Then, almost at the same time as Howard, their eyes shifted toward Rachel and Monica.
Monica's outfit was much simpler than Haley's, yet it still drew a huge amount of attention. She wore a tight high-waisted black skirt and a slightly cropped long-sleeve white top that revealed just a hint of her abdomen. The contrast made the entire outfit stand out even more on her.
Her dark shoulder-length hair, carefully messy, framed her face in a way that made her look even more striking and beautiful.
It was the kind of look that seemed simple until you saw it on someone with Monica's features.
And then there was Rachel. She wore a fitted black short-sleeve shirt paired with a high-waisted black skirt, along with a longer flowing layer of fabric behind it that moved every time she walked. Black shoes completed the outfit. The entire look was black, simple, and elegant.
Her blonde hair, loosely tied back, revealed more of her face, making her features and light-colored eyes stand out even more.
Steve slightly raised his eyebrows. "Okay… wow."
Leonard automatically adjusted his glasses.
"You all look fantastic," Howard said with a charming smile, clearly trying to earn as many social points as possible in a single move.
But at that exact moment, Andrew shouted while staring at the television, "I won!"
The final scoreboard appeared on the screen.
Everyone turned toward the TV and then toward him. Andrew was grinning in satisfaction.
"Shit…" Steve muttered immediately, annoyed.
Howard frowned. "Again? Taking advantage of a distraction."
Andrew was already inhaling to repeat the exact same excuse as before. "War is—"
Haley lightly flicked him on the forehead before he could finish the sentence.
"You're hopeless," she said with a tired expression, like someone who had spent far too many years dealing with him.
Andrew placed a hand dramatically over his forehead, exaggerating the damage. "You all look great," he finally admitted, now actually taking a moment to look at them before standing up from the couch. "I'm gonna change, and I won't take thirty minutes."
Rachel let out a small amused laugh. "Forty-six, to be exact."
Haley, meanwhile, seemed far less amused by her cousin's relaxed attitude and even tried to kick him as Andrew walked past toward the hallway.
Andrew barely managed to dodge it, still laughing as he disappeared toward his room.
It took him less than two minutes to come back.
Haley looked at him for barely a second before widening her eyes, "You only changed your shirt!" she exclaimed.
The only real difference about Andrew now was that he was wearing an oversized black T-shirt instead of the one he had been wearing inside the apartment.
Andrew raised his hands as if the answer were completely obvious. "The other one was a stay-at-home shirt. Besides, it's a party, not a red carpet."
Steve immediately nodded several times.
He had also showered after the game and basically thrown on the first clean clothes he could find. "Exactly. It's not like everyone's gonna stare at us the second we get there," he said.
Steve was used to postgame parties from high school. You showed up, got a few cheers, a little attention because of the result, and then everyone went back to doing their own thing.
It wasn't that serious.
Haley let out a long sigh while looking Andrew up and down. "Having the genetics you do and still dressing like this should honestly be considered a crime."
"I'm a football player, not a model," Andrew said, sounding almost offended. "And look on the bright side, we match," he added as he walked over to Rachel and stood beside her.
Both of them were dressed completely in black, and together they visually fit a little too well.
Rachel couldn't help smiling at the comment. "That's true."
But as she spoke, her eyes automatically started inspecting him.
She noticed a small wrinkle in the black shirt and reached out to smooth it almost on reflex. Then her gaze lowered slightly more and she frowned.
The pants were fine. Black. But the sneakers were mostly white with dark details.
"What?" Andrew asked, noticing her expression.
Rachel pointed directly downward. "Your sneakers are white."
Andrew followed the direction of her finger and then looked back at her, narrowing his eyes slightly in confusion while trying to understand where she was going with this. "…And you want me to change into black sneakers?"
Rachel nodded as if it were the most logical thing in the world. "Yes. You said we matched, but we can't if you're wearing those sneakers."
"Fine…" Andrew finally said.
It wasn't like changing shoes was that much effort. And clearly Rachel and Haley were taking the whole outfit thing very seriously.
He went to his room and came back less than a minute later, now wearing completely black sneakers.
Rachel nodded immediately, satisfied. "There we go."
"This is starting to feel like a military inspection," Andrew muttered as he sat lightly on the kitchen counter.
By then, Leonard had already turned off the console and the television. Everyone was standing near the living room waiting to leave.
Andrew told them they had to wait for Justin to arrive so they could all head to the party together.
Rachel and Haley immediately exchanged excited looks.
Honestly, part of the reason they had dressed up so much was exactly because of that.
Not because they desperately wanted Justin Bieber's attention or anything like that.
They just wanted to make a good impression.
After all, they were about to meet the most famous young couple in the world. Literally one of the most heavily publicized relationships that existed at the time.
Monica, on the other hand, was much calmer about the whole thing.
She obviously knew how famous Justin and Selena were. But it didn't really affect her that much. She had never been particularly into that kind of music or the ultra-teen-pop world.
Besides, she had already gone through something similar.
Andrew had practically been one of her internet idols for years thanks to YouTube and football. Now, for the past ten days or so, she had been living with him to the point of arguing about football or watching him insult people on Call of Duty from a couch with Steve and the others.
After that, meeting celebrities stopped feeling quite so unreal.
Andrew's phone vibrated. He checked it quickly and looked up, "They're here. Let's go."
Everyone started leaving the apartment.
They went down together in the elevator and crossed through the building lobby before finally stepping out into the LA night.
Outside, a spotless black SUV was waiting for them, its paint reflecting the yellow glow of the streetlights.
One of the doors opened first.
The first person to step out was someone who could literally be recognized in most countries in the world: Justin.
Behind him came Selena Gomez, followed by a young man and woman. Then another guy stepped out who, despite not wearing a suit or anything particularly formal, completely looked like private security based on his build, height, and the way he constantly scanned the surroundings.
"Hey, man!" Justin greeted as he walked straight toward Andrew with complete ease.
The two confidently shook hands.
"Ready to celebrate?" Justin added.
"Hey… of course," Andrew replied in a slightly strange tone.
Less than twenty minutes ago, he had been arguing with Steve, Leonard, and Howard over whether to keep playing Call of Duty or start some movie marathon.
Then he greeted Selena more casually, since he had already seen her not too long ago on the field after the game.
After that, he quickly started introducing everyone else. "These are my friends. Steve, you already know him. Haley, my cousin. Howard, Leonard, Rachel, and Monica."
Justin and Selena looked at each person as Andrew pointed them out.
Everyone responded with calm greetings and slight nods.
That honestly surprised both Justin and Selena.
On one side were Leonard and Howard, who had a much geekier energy and felt completely different from the usual celebrity or athlete circles Justin and Selena were used to. Justin already knew Howard because he had appeared in some of Andrew's YouTube videos as the cameraman and interviewer.
And then there were the three girls.
Haley, Rachel, and Monica were all incredibly attractive, but each gave off something completely different.
What caught Justin's attention the most, however, was that none of them reacted the way most girls reacted when they saw him.
There were no screams. No extreme nervousness. No phones instantly raised.
Just calm greetings and curious looks.
Sure, Haley and Rachel were clearly more excited seeing him and Selena. That much was obvious. But even that was still far calmer than what Justin was used to.
"Ahem."
A throat-clearing sound snapped Justin out of his brief distraction as he observed the group, especially the three girls.
Selena had already started narrowing her eyes slightly and was probably seconds away from elbowing him lightly.
Justin quickly turned his head. "This is Alfredo. My friend and photographer."
Everyone greeted him quickly.
Alfredo looked slightly older than them, maybe twenty or twenty-one, and had the typical energy of someone used to constantly being around celebrities and events.
But the moment he saw Andrew in person, he clearly wanted to take advantage of the opportunity.
He immediately extended his hand, and Andrew obviously shook it politely.
"Great game, bro. You destroyed Rice," Alfredo said with a grin. "We should do a photoshoot or something someday. It'd be awesome to work together."
Andrew smiled courteously. "Thanks… though I'm not really thinking much about that right now."
"Ahem…"
Another voice spoke up immediately afterward, clearly expecting to be introduced too.
It was the other girl who had stepped out of the SUV.
Her hair was so blonde it almost looked white under the streetlights, and she dressed elegantly even by Los Angeles standards. Everything about her looked carefully put together to stand out.
"This is my friend, Raquelle," Selena said while looking at the group.
'Raquelle?' Rachel thought the moment she heard the name, slightly furrowing her brow.
On one hand, it was basically her own name, just in French form.
And on the other, she immediately noticed the way Raquelle had looked at Andrew the second she saw him.
The bright eyes. The smile that came too quickly. The slightly exaggerated enthusiasm when greeting him.
Rachel recognized that kind of look instantly, and she didn't like it very much. Not out of jealousy. More like competition.
After the greetings ended, Andrew quickly sent the fraternity's address to Justin and, shortly afterward, everyone got into their respective vehicles.
Andrew ended up in his BMW with Steve, Leonard, and Howard.
Meanwhile, Haley drove her car with Rachel and Monica.
That way, two cars and an SUV started heading toward the Sigma Alpha Epsilon house.
The fraternity really wasn't far. Barely five minutes away by car, maybe even less.
They were already in Westwood, and the SAE house was practically right next to UCLA, even if it technically sat off campus.
That whole area around Hilgard Avenue had a very particular energy to it.
A mix between a college neighborhood and a miniature student version of Beverly Hills. Huge houses turned into fraternities, modern apartment buildings packed with students, palm trees lit by streetlights, and far too many expensive cars being driven by people between eighteen and twenty-two years old.
Even at that hour, groups of young people could still be seen walking along the sidewalks, probably students moving from party to party.
Inside the BMW, Howard adjusted his hair using the sun visor mirror before spraying breath freshener directly into his mouth. "Raquelle is gorgeous. I need to make my move."
Leonard slightly turned his head toward him, and a mocking smile slowly formed on his face. "You have an unbelievable amount of confidence."
"And she seemed extremely interested in Andrew," Steve commented, turning around with an amused smile.
That immediately got a reaction out of Howard.
He instantly leaned forward from the back seat to look at Andrew, who continued driving completely calmly. "You're not interested in her, right?"
"He has a secret girlfriend. So he's not interested," Steve commented with complete confidence before Andrew could even answer.
Everyone knew exactly what he was referring to: Andrew's mysterious outings every Wednesday at the exact same time, where he never explained where he was going.
Andrew didn't even take his eyes off the road. "I do not have a secret girlfriend."
He paused briefly before adding in a perfectly calm tone, "And no, I'm not interested in her."
Howard dramatically let out a relieved breath from the back seat, "Perfect. Then this is my chance."
"If you actually get somewhere with her, I'll call you dad for an entire month," Leonard said.
Steve immediately started laughing.
Howard turned toward Leonard looking completely offended, though at the same time clearly motivated by the idea. "Challenge accepted. Get ready, son, to hear how I met your mother."
Leonard stared at him in confusion. "How would that even make sense temporally?"
"Back to the Future," Howard replied as if that explained absolutely everything.
That instantly sparked yet another absurd argument about time travel and alternate timelines.
An argument that didn't last very long because they finally arrived.
Andrew ended up parking a few blocks farther away, on a street that was much less overcrowded than the main ones. Even so, it was still packed.
Cars lined both sides of the street, groups of students walked along the sidewalks, laughter echoed everywhere, people crossed between houses, and music blasted in the distance.
Definitely coming from where they were headed.
Besides, Andrew also didn't want to create instant chaos the moment they arrived.
It was much better to park farther away and walk.
Once the groups from the three vehicles reunited, they started making their way together through the streets of Westwood, following the sound of the music.
Andrew, Justin, and Alfredo walked in front, talking casually.
A little farther behind were Steve, Leonard, and Howard, who were still arguing about the ridiculous challenge the last two had just made.
Meanwhile, Haley talked with Selena and Raquelle with an almost insulting level of social ease. She had always been incredibly good at quickly connecting with people, especially in environments like this. She seemed capable of starting a conversation with absolutely anyone without the slightest effort.
Rachel and Monica walked together a bit farther back, quietly talking between themselves. Much more comfortable around familiar people.
And bringing up the rear were Justin and Selena's two security guards, discreetly keeping a few steps behind.
It wasn't some presidential-level atmosphere or anything like that. And technically, it was still a semi-private college party, not some massive public appearance.
But Justin and Selena were still ridiculously famous.
The closer they got to the fraternity, the more obvious the true scale of the party became to Andrew and the others.
The music got louder with every street they crossed. More and more people were walking in the same direction. And when they finally turned toward the SAE area, they saw there was even a line to get in.
Andrew slightly raised his eyebrows as he looked around at everything. 'Okay… maybe this isn't such a typical party,' he thought, now sounding far less confident internally.
He even spotted some guy vomiting against a tree in the distance while two friends tried to hold him up with very little success.
For the moment, nobody seemed to recognize them. There were too many people moving around and the lighting was uneven.
But that didn't last long.
A guy leaning against a palm tree while smoking glanced toward the group by chance. His eyes widened instantly.
"Oh shit, that's Andrew!" he muttered in complete shock.
Purely out of instinct, he turned even more toward the rest of the group, and his eyes widened further.
"Justin Bieber!?"
Then he saw Selena.
"Selena Gomez!?"
Without thinking twice, he practically sprinted toward the house. He needed to warn Tyler and the rest of the fraternity guys.
He completely ignored the massive line wrapping around part of the entrance, and the security guys let him through the second they recognized him as a regular SAE member.
It didn't take long for him to find Tyler, Mason, and several others talking near the main living room.
"He's coming!" he blurted out, nearly out of breath.
Tyler immediately stopped talking and turned toward him. "Andrew?"
The guy nodded several times in a row. "Yeah! And he's not alone! He's with Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez!"
There was a second of absolute silence, and then the reaction exploded.
"What the hell?" Mason blurted out in total disbelief before starting to laugh.
"This party just became historic," another SAE member said, putting both hands on his head. "Best party ever."
Tyler, meanwhile, instantly switched into organization mode. "Move," he ordered immediately. "I want the entrance cleared."
Several people quickly started moving while Tyler, Mason, and other important SAE members practically rushed out of the house at full speed.
The moment they stepped outside, they realized the news was already spreading on its own.
There was commotion everywhere. Growing murmurs, people turning their heads, phones being raised.
A few meters away, the group finally appeared walking toward the house.
Andrew in front alongside Justin and another guy.
Steve, another UCLA starter, laughing a little behind them. And a group of beautiful girls, including Selena, drawing countless looks.
"Holy shit…" Mason muttered as he watched the scene.
Several people in line started recognizing them almost at the same time.
The applause came quickly, along with shouting, whistles, and even more phones appearing.
"ANDREW!"
"JUSTIN!"
"NO WAY!"
Tyler quickly walked toward them, trying to maintain some kind of order while smiling like he had just won the social lottery of college life.
"Bro, you actually came," he said enthusiastically as he shook Andrew's hand.
"Yes..." Andrew replied while internally wondering how many times he had been called bro today.
He had met Tyler a couple of times throughout his more than six months at UCLA.
Then Tyler quickly greeted Justin and Selena, trying to act relaxed even though he was clearly blown away. "Welcome to SAE."
"I've always wanted to go to a frat party," Justin said pretty casually.
The screams, phones, and chaos around him didn't seem to affect him much. Honestly, this felt way more relaxed compared to his fans, who cried, shoved each other, and completely lost their minds just from seeing him breathe.
And most of the attention was actually on Andrew.
Tyler quickly started guiding them toward the entrance while several fraternity members cleared a path through the crowd.
The second Andrew crossed the front door, the atmosphere inside the house exploded.
There were easily more than three hundred people just on the main floor alone, spread between the entrance hall and the different connected rooms.
The loud music came from the backyard, which clearly looked like the true epicenter of the party.
And a huge number of people seemed to have been waiting specifically for that moment.
The applause started near the entrance.
Then spread through the entire house like a wave.
Tyler and several SAE members kept guiding Andrew, Justin, and the rest of the group through the crowd as they made their way toward the backyard.
Andrew constantly received congratulations as he passed by. Pats on the back, shouting, and people handing him cups.
"Five touchdowns, bro! You're insane!"
"That pass to Shaq was ridiculous!"
"The Heisman is yours!"
Steve walked just a few steps behind, staring at everything with an expression of complete disbelief. "This definitely does not look like high school postgame parties," he muttered.
"I need my asthma inhaler," Leonard said while looking at the absurd amount of people around them.
Nobody knew whether he was serious or exaggerating.
"Social status, baby," Howard commented, trying to sound confident, though even he had a certain nervousness hidden behind the smile.
Because everyone walking alongside Andrew had automatically become the center of attention.
Everyone was looking at them.
Even for Haley, Rachel, and Monica, this was something completely new.
Sure, they were used to drawing attention. But this was different.
They finally crossed the back doors and reached the backyard, and only then did they truly understand the real scale of the party.
The backyard looked more like a professional event than a simple college party. There was a huge stage set up for the DJ, lights installed throughout different sections, improvised drink bars, a completely packed dance floor, and hundreds of people spread between tables, outdoor couches, and the illuminated pool.
There were even more people here. Easily over four hundred.
The DJ even lowered the volume the second he noticed all the commotion approaching.
Tyler quickly pushed his way through the crowd and climbed onto the stage alongside Andrew.
"HEY! HEY! ATTENTION!"
Little by little, the noise started dying down.
Tyler grinned broadly while looking toward Andrew. "I want you all to properly welcome the quarterback who just had probably the greatest debut in NCAA history… Andrew Pritchett-Tucker!"
The reaction was immediate: more screaming, cheering, and applause.
Several people started chanting his name.
"ANDREW!"
"ANDREW!"
"ANDREW!"
Even some members of the football team started banging on tables to the rhythm of the chant while Steve, who had already climbed onto the stage too, raised both arms completely enjoying the atmosphere.
His adaptation to the chaos had been immediate.
"I can't hear you, louder!" Steve shouted while waving his arms around.
Andrew let out a small incredulous laugh as he looked around and raised one hand, greeting the entire crowd.
This was definitely very far from the typical college party he had imagined.
Tyler handed him the microphone, and little by little the noise began lowering again.
"SHUT UP! Football Jesus Christ is gonna speak!" someone yelled from the back.
That immediately triggered laughter across different parts of the backyard.
Andrew simply smiled faintly, already far too used to the nickname to genuinely react anymore.
He brought the microphone closer and stayed silent for a second while looking at all the madness in front of him.
Then he raised his free arm, holding a red cup full of beer that someone had handed him during the walk to the stage.
"Till the break of dawn!" he shouted.
The backyard exploded once again with screams, applause, and cups raised everywhere while the music returned at full force and the DJ made the giant speakers thunder again.
Andrew took a sip of the beer while looking around from the stage.
The energy was unbelievably high. Without a doubt the most enthusiastic party he had ever attended.
He even spotted an inflatable doll being passed from hand to hand over the crowd like it was a concert.
Andrew let out a quiet nasal laugh. 'Till the break of dawn… if the cops allow it,' he thought.
Because the music was at a completely ridiculous volume.
Even though Westwood was used to college parties, neighborhood noise and curfew laws still existed. Especially in an area filled with massive houses, rich students, and neighbors who probably hated SAE every single weekend.
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