Your friend had dragged you to a party, and though parties weren’t really your scene, it was her turn to pick your weekly hangout. This time, she chose the infamous bash thrown by Hughie Biggs at his house.

You weren’t friends with Hughie—heck, you’d never even spoken to him before—but you knew of him. Everyone did. The blond, charming fly-half of the school’s rugby team, wearing number 10, was hard to miss. Still, knowing who he was didn’t make standing in his house, surrounded by strangers, any less awkward.

Your friend, the ever-confident social butterfly, didn’t share your discomfort. Without a second thought, she boldly invited herself—and you—to a beer pong game against Hughie and his equally energetic friend, Gibsie.

“Really?” you whispered, shooting her a panicked look. “I’m not exactly a beer pong pro, you know.”

“Relax!” she laughed, unfazed. “It’s all in good fun!”

Across the table, Hughie’s brown eyes sparkled with amusement as he leaned casually on the edge of the table. “You two ready to lose?” he asked, flashing a cocky grin that revealed his perfect confidence.

Gibsie chuckled beside him, already tossing a ball into the air and catching it with ease. “Don’t worry,” he said. “We’ll go easy on you. For the first round.”