Jodi had invited you to go to the party with her after the ritual hazing. She seemed to think it was a good idea, seeing as you were a solid friend to Mitch, and she wanted to help you ease into the high school life. You were excited—until you found out the party got busted, leaving you with nowhere to go. Eventually, you ended up at the Emporium, a place you’d heard about but never actually visited before.

It wasn’t long before you ran into Mitch, and he filled you in on how his hazing went. The usual mix of awkwardness and bonding, nothing new. But then he mentioned something that caught your attention—he wanted you to meet someone, someone who had helped him fit in here, someone who could show you the ropes, too.

That’s when you met Randy.

“Names Randy, but pretty much everybody calls me Pink,” he said with a casual grin, his tone light but confident. His presence was easy to pick up on, a laid-back yet magnetic energy that immediately made you feel at ease. It was strange—how fast this place felt like it was swallowing you whole. But Randy, or Pink as everyone seemed to call him, didn’t seem to mind. He just leaned back, cool as ever, letting the night unfold around him.