"Hey Drew Drew," I interrupt as Drew finishes a conversation with another student.

"Ryder, you never cease to amaze me with how annoying you can be," he laughs as the other student walks away. "Did you clean up your station?"

"Yes sir, got my burnt lab notebook and everything," I chirp as I follow him throughout the lab like an annoying toddler. I missed my final two weeks but overall I am proud of the research I was a part of. Now all that is left is to clean up my stuff and do my final exit meeting with Drew and a few of the professors here.

"Maybe keep the notebook comment to yourself," Drew warns as we walk into the conference room. I sit next to him with all our combined findings written up and printed in nice little packets for everyone.

The interview is mostly Drew talking and me nodding along, occasionally giving a comment. The whole thing is quick and painless and Drew's advisor seems pleased with us as we do the normal handshakes and leave.

"Easy enough," I muse as we head to his office. "Are you going to be here all summer again?" Last summer Drew was here and since I spent the entire summer here as well I began doing work in the lab for him right after finals week. This year I will be in New York with Francesca and I am not even sure I will be back in the fall.

"I have two weeks off to go home and such but yeah, I will mostly be here."

I nod, getting this uncomfortable feeling. Goodbyes suck ass especially with someone like Drew who was basically my therapist for the last year listening to me whine and complain even on days I wasn't suppose to be in lab.

"I do have one question," he says as he hands me my lab coat. We both weren't sure if I would be cleared to come back before finals started so Drew has some of my stuff packed, planning to drop it off to me.

"Shoot dude."

"Why did you take all the rats, why not just Penelope?"

I freeze and I can feel my cheeks heating up a little bit. The chatter around the lab was always that someone left the cage open. Drew never let on that he thought otherwise. "How did you know?"

"Dude," Drew laughs like it is obvious. I guess it is. So much for the two of us being stealthy.

"I planned on only taking Penelope but then Francesca got upset about leaving Elle and Sofie so we took them too." I shrug as I think about that whole night. I am pretty sure I could still relay every single tiny detail of that night, I think about it so often. That was the first time I looked at Francesca and felt like I couldn't breathe and like my stomach was full of butterflies. Back then it was a weird feeling I didn't understand but now, it makes sense.

"So the little ice princess turned out not to be so bad after all," Drew jokes.

"Nah, not at all. That's why I am dating her now."

Drew looks pleasantly surprised "And to think you said sharing the ice with her would ruin your life," Drew teases, sitting down at his desk to finish some more work.

"I was a little dramatic back then," I laugh as Drew shoots me a look. "Ok, maybe more than a little. Anyways, thanks Drew for everything, truly it has been a pleasure."

I begin to leave but I hear Drew call my name so I turn around as he stands at his office door. Last May he was standing in almost the exact same spot when I went to him asking if he had any positions for the summer. He was the last PhD student available and I was desperate. I am pretty sure he wasn't looking for anyone at the time but he gave me the position not even knowing what I was capable of. No interview, no resume, no transcript he took a chance on me. "Keep in touch Ryder and good luck."

I open my mouth with so much in my head I want to say to Drew but the words won't come up. Drew just smiles and turns around to go back to his desk, leaving me alone in the middle of the hall. I take one last look around before walking out the doors and heading to my car.

Now that that is done I am going to go pick up Francesca and we are going to join the rest of my team in properly celebrating Saturday's win. They started today's party at 2pm and from what I have seen the house has been packed since the beginning. The party has even spilled into the backyard on this unseasonably warm April day.

Francesca's apartment is quiet when I walk in. Maya and Parker I know went over to the house earlier and Luna I guess isn't home. "Hey Beck," I call out so I wouldn't scare her; I am not sure she ever fully recovered from our Hereditary watch party.

"Question?" she calls back.

"Answer," I reply as I walk into her bedroom. She is standing in front of her open closet in nothing but a black bra and thong. "I would like to thank Jesus for this glorious day," I mumble as I walk over and kiss her.

"Glad you finally found religion Ry Ry but I need your help," she chides as I stand behind her wrapping my arms around her stomach.

"Sorry babe, how can I help?" I ask as I kiss the side of her head softly causing her to giggle.

"What should I wear, like is hockey stuff appropriate or should I like break out a dress? Are you wearing that?" She gestures to my khakis and blue plaid button down shirt.

"No, I just needed it for my meeting, I am changing as soon as we get to the house. I would think hockey stuff is fine. I mean it is to celebrate our Frozen Four win."

Francesca nods going back to surveying her closet. When we first met she did not have a single piece of Michigan Hockey apparel, now her closet is overflowing with stuff. Granted all if it is stuff I have given her or she has stolen from me but it still makes my heart skip a beat.

While she figures out what to wear I sneak off to the kitchen knowing that Maya baked today. She sent pictures of it in our new group chat, the group chat specifically for Francesca and her roommates and their significant others. Stan was added yesterday but neither will confirm or deny what that means. I cut a large brownie and eat it over the sink trying to hide all evidence that I ate such a big chunk.

"You're such a pig," Francesca scolds, brushing some crumbs off my face.

"You're so hot," I beam with a big smile as I take in her outfit. She is wearing her white air force 1s and short jean shorts with a cropped Michigan Hockey shirt. The shirt wasn't originally cropped but in a fit of anger Luna took a pair of scissors to it. It is shorter than most crop tops and whenever Francesca raises her arms I can see the bottom of her sports bra that she changed into.

I grab another piece of brownie before I get dragged out by my tiny monster of a girlfriend. I am a whole foot taller than her and yet somehow she wears the pants, very clearly, in our relationship. My team finds it hilarious that I let someone so much smaller than me boss me around but they've never truly been on the receiving end of her wrath. My right nipple is still sore from the time at practice I thought it would be funny to pull her hair a little and she turned around, pushed me to the ground and twisted the poor thing till she nearly ripped it off.

When we reach the house, Francesca runs off to greet her roommates while I change and put away all my stuff I brought home from the lab. I take my time not worrying about her while she is with our friends, who I know will look after her in my absence. "Be good girls," I sing to the rats as I close their cage after giving them fresh water before heading back down to the party.

When I rejoin Parker is holding Francesca's legs as she does a keg stand. Her shirt is falling over her face exposing her yellow and blue Michigan themed sports bra to the entire party. I am not usually the jealous type but I will admit all the guys staring at her irks me just a little.

When she is dropped back on her feet again I wrap an arm around her protectively. "Impressive Beck," I praise, truly impressed. Half my teammates wish they could do that.

"Thanks," she burps then covers her mouth, her cheeks going firetruck red instantly.

I burst into laughter as we walk toward the rest of our friends. She swats at my arm playfully, her cheeks still flaming. Luna and Tristian have arrived and we all head inside for drinks and to play beer pong since I can't dance. Ironically, I finally want to dance and now I can't.

"So Alex, will you be coming to pyramid next week?" Tristian looks at him with a curious look. Those two are being so tight lipped about their relationship we all are left questioning, not that Stan is currently talking to me anyways.

"What is pyramid?" Me and Bray ask in unison, whipping our heads toward the 4 roommates who all are giggling to each other.

"Don't bother showing Carson, you're bottom of the pyramid anyways," Luna smiles before flipping me off.

"What the fuck does that even mean," I huff looking to Tristian for an answer.

"It is from the show Dance Moms. After competition Abby would rank all the dancers so now every week apartment 509 does their own pyramid. Sometimes I am included, sometimes I am not, I guess now we are including all the boyfriends?" Tristian asks and they all nod their heads.

"But Abby didn't rank herself so how do you all decide who is on top?" Bray asks. Has everyone seen this show but me?

"We send out a google poll and so no one votes for themselves or so Luna can't sabotage whoever she is mad at that day you have to explain your ranking," Parker explains as Tristian grabs Luna carefully as she lunges for him.

"We will need headshots for you all," Francesca says as if most people just have that laying around.

"No, it's fine, I have for them already," Maya interrupts.

Everyone looks at her and Parker puts a hand on her shoulder as she hangs her head sadly. "Maya," he sighs.

"I like hockey," she defends weakly, despite her out of all of us knowing hockey the least. Stan kisses her temple and whispers something to her and she perks back up. We continue playing games until everyone is sufficiently drunk and the figure skaters plus Maya are basically frothing at the mouth wanting to dance.

We all head back outside and the 5 of them run to where everyone else is dancing while Bray and Stan stay with me sipping on drinks while we sit on the railing of the back deck. I am the most sober of our group since I am still taking my pain meds and Francesca is by far the drunkest.

"Are you still not talking to me?" I ask Stan who is sitting on the other side of Bray, purposely avoiding me.

"You had no right Ryder, I didn't do that shit to you," he barks, his tone barely holding the conviction he is pretending he has. He wants to pretend he is mad at me for telling Maya everything but it worked out for him.

"Yeah, if you think I am going to apologize fat fucking chance. She kissed you, clearly you two have something going on so not really sure what the issue is," I bite back in annoyance.

"You both are annoying," Bray whines. "Ryder you shouldn't have aired Stan out like that to Maya without at least telling him first but Stan you can't keep dragging this out. Whatever, Ryder was an ass for telling her but it worked out; besides Ryder has horrible social cues, what did you expect when you told him?"

"I expected my best friend to keep a secret," Stan defends himself.

"This is stupid, she admitted she liked you and you knew she did and still weren't making moves! You weren't mad at Beck when she aired out Maya and told you she had feelings you fucking hypocrite. Besides, was I supposed to just sit back and watch you miss your chance? I wanted to make sure next year, when I am gone, you fucking had someone Stan."

Bray and Stan go still. We haven't really talked about what happens when we leave this summer. The idea that Francesca would come back without me sucks but I know after graduation we will live together again. As for Stan and Bray, I will never live with them again. Bray will be going to the Flyers and Stan is going to work for his dad. Of course I will see them and we will talk but it won't ever be the same as these last few years.

"Ryder, stop trying to replace yourself in our lives, if you aren't here next year Maya or not won't change that it will be weird and lonely no matter what."

"But it would be easier," I mumble. "You'd have her to spend time with."

Stan nods and then gets up and moves to sit next to me so now I am in the middle instead of Bray. With the tension between me and Stan now resolved, the 3 of us watch our significant others dance.

Luna and Tristian soon branch off just the two of them and Parker stumbles over to us whispering to Bray. Shortly after, Maya who was dancing on the elevated surface with Francesca, slips and gets mud on herself. Stan shoots up from his spot and runs to help her before I can even blink. Francesca continues to dance alone after she is sure Stan has Maya. I watch her and occasionally she waves wildly at me before returning to dancing, perfectly content dancing by herself. I guess this is assurance to me that she will be ok here without me even if all our other friends are in relationships.

Francesca dances for a while by herself with me watching from the deck or bringing her more drinks. If she wants to get drunk I don't care, as long as I am around to take care of her. Besides, out of everyone Francesca especially deserves a day to just relax and be young without any worries.

At around 8pm the party really ramps up. Everyone is out of class for the day and filling up our house and yard. The music apparently can be heard from campus and someone set up a slip-n-slide in our front yard. The dance floor is more crowded now and with the sun fully set I struggle to keep an eye on Francesca but the last time I went into the crowd I got elbowed so hard in the ribs I started seeing stars, so I stay on the deck carefully watching. Occasionally I send in Maddie or one of the other girls that I know to check on her for me.

"Ryder, you might want to go grab her and take a break for a bit," Maddie says when she returns. She has some guy from the lacrosse team following behind her with heart eyes but she pays him no mind as she comes over to me.

I push off the deck from my spot and search the crowd for Francesca. "Is everything ok?"

"She is fine, relax. This guy is like trying to dance with her and she keeps moving away unbothered but I don't think he is getting the hint and she is so trashed she doesn't really realize. I just would rather you go handle it just in case since she didn't want to leave the dance floor with me."

I don't say bye, I don't thank her, I don't even acknowledge Maddies words as I jog off to go find Francesca.

I find her toward the back corner of the yard where it is pretty dark. She is so drunk she is slurring the words to the song with her eyes closed. This dude tries to press up behind her and put a hand on her waist but she flings it off and stumbles away. Instead of getting the hint, just like Maddie said, he moves with her trying to keep dancing with her and whispering in her ear even as she pulls away.

I see red as I grab the collar of his shit and tug, hard, sending him flying to the dirt. Ignoring his yelling I kiss Francesca's forehead. Her eyes open and her whole face lights up with pure happiness when she sees me. "You're dancing with me?" she slurs, tripping on herself and crashing into me.

"We are gonna eat some dinner babe and then we will dance, ok?" It isn't really a question as I pick her up in my arms, stepping over the guy, kicking him harshly as I do, and walking into the house.

Francesca is just a giggly mess in my arms so I take her upstairs to my room to sober her up a little. I plop her on the bed as she continues to wiggle around to the loud music. I hand her a water and then take my phone out to order us dinner.

"Pizza, burgers or wings," I ask her and she finally stops jumping around to consider my question.

"All," she smiles. "Give me the yummies!" she yells excitedly. Drunk Francesca is fucking adorable and I can't stop myself from grabbing her and dotting her face in little kisses.

"All it is, babe."

I order dinner for us and then watch Francesca try to drink her water but ending up spilling on herself instead. Normally drunks annoy me but my love for Francesca seems to overshadow that. I have a low tolerance mostly because of my parents. Sober them was bad enough but add in a few drinks and well...the few times my dad ever hit me was when he was drunk. I keep that to myself though, I get enough pity from my friends. I don't want them to know why I always locked my door and hid during parties, I would rather them just believe I was anti-social.

Francesca flopping on my lap pulls me from my thoughts. "Hi babe," I smile. She grabs the air attempting to grab me but she is seeing double.

"I love you so much Ry Ry, sometimes I dream about marrying you," she slurs as her hand finally finds my face.

I freeze as her words wash over me. I never really thought about marriage, being tied to a person for life. I am not even sure I would be a good husband. Honestly the jury is still out if I am even a good person. When life gets tough beyond college, when it is more than just hockey and class, when the real world hits, will I be just like my parents? I have no idea, but for Francesca I am willing to try. I want to be her husband and whatever sacrifices that requires from me, I will make just for her.