Three Kings, Two Palms, Zero Signal

The can pyramid glittered in the backyard floodlights—thirteen Red Bull stacks, a wobbling monument to Jordan's social capital. My palms were sweating so bad I could practically slide my phone right out of my grip.

"You coming?" Marcus whispered, bumping my shoulder. "The gradient look is fire tonight."

The gradient. Their group chat name, because that's how it worked now—top tier, sliding down to basic. Jordan and his two friends at the peak. Everyone else somewhere in the middle. And me? Still proving I belonged anywhere near this party.

My iPhone buzzed in my hand. Mom. AGAIN. I swiped it away like I was brushing off actual dirt.

"Yo, let me see," Marcus said. "Bet your feed's popping tonight."

I unlocked my phone. Three notifications. Two from Jordan's thread (just reactions to someone else's post), one from my mom asking if I was okay. Nothing personal. Nothing that said Tyler Williams mattered to anyone here.

The pyramid crashed. Cans everywhere. Jordan's laugh cut through the music—that sharp, genuine sound that made you want to be the reason it happened.

"Whoops!" He was already rebuilding it, grinning like failure was just another flex. "Someone help a brother out."

Marcus moved instantly. I froze.

This was it. The moment. Jordan kept throwing these little tests, and I kept missing them because I was too busy overthinking everything. My palms had gone from nervous to straight-up gross.

I wiped my hands on my jeans and stepped forward.

"Got it," I said, somehow sounding normal. I stacked two cans. They wobbled.

"Steady, bro," Jordan said, but not mean. Like he actually wanted me to get it.

I placed the third. It held.

"There we go," Jordan said, and this time when he laughed, it included me. "You joining the pic or what?"

He held up his iPhone for the group shot. Marcus pulled me in. My palm pressed against cold aluminum as we all reached for the pyramid like we'd built it together.

The flash blinded me for a split second. When my vision cleared, my phone buzzed again.

Tagged in post. @jordan_d: building empires with the crew tonight 🔥

I was in the photo. I was in the caption. I was in the gradient.

My palms were still sweating. But my thumbs were already typing: best night.