# Chapter 5: The Party, The Crush, and the Ride Home
Hello everyone, it’s me again! How are you all doing? Today I will continue to walk with you and review Chapter 5 of *The Deal: Off Campus*. Get comfortable, because this chapter is a cocktail of awkward parties, unrequited crushes, sharp banter, and one very unexpected ride home. Hannah is about to spend a night caught between the guy she wants and the guy who simply will not leave her alone.
The chapter opens at the Sigma house, where Allie is being the kind of best friend who takes her promises seriously. She has vowed not to leave Hannah’s side, even though Sean has been begging her to dance since they walked through the door. Hannah feels guilty enough to shove Allie toward her boyfriend, insisting she go have fun. Allie hesitates, makes Hannah promise to text if she needs help, and then disappears into the crowd. Hannah is alone now, and the party around her is a living, breathing organism of Greek life, drama majors, field hockey players, freshmen, and sweaty bodies dancing under lowered lights.
Hannah tries to people-watch in peace, but her outfit—chosen by Allie—is doing exactly what Allie intended: drawing attention. A guy named Jimmy from British Lit sidles up and introduces himself, though Hannah doesn’t remember him. He’s cute in a preppy way, but his eyes keep dropping to her chest, and Hannah’s discomfort grows. Then, like a bad omen in a black T-shirt, Garrett Graham walks in.
Hannah immediately ducks her head, hoping to become invisible. No such luck. Garrett is swarmed by girls near the bar, all batting their lashes and leaning in. Jimmy rolls his eyes and admits he can’t stand Garrett, even though they’re technically frat brothers. That moment of shared dislike leads Jimmy to ask Hannah to dance. Hannah doesn’t want to—not even a little—but then she spots Garrett heading her way with that determined stride. So she grabs Jimmy’s hand and says yes, mostly to avoid the conversation she knows is coming.
Of course, the music betrays her. The Ramones fade into a slow version of Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face,” and Hannah ends up swaying awkwardly with Jimmy while Garrett watches from across the room, hands hooked in his belt loops. When their eyes meet, Hannah gives him a half smile, and Garrett narrows his eyes like he knows exactly what she’s doing. A blonde touches his arm, and he disappears with her, leaving Hannah to suffer through the rest of the dance.
Jimmy fills the silence with gossip about Garrett: he doesn’t live at the frat house, he brags about his off-campus place, and his father is supposedly paying the rent. When Hannah asks who his dad is, Jimmy looks shocked. It’s Phil Graham—forward for the New York Rangers, two-time Stanley Cup champion, hockey legend. Hannah has no clue, because her family only watches the Blackhawks, but it explains a lot about Garrett’s entitled swagger. The song finally ends, and Hannah lies about needing the bathroom just to escape.
Allie finds her in the front parlor and tries to convince her to stay. Then she lowers her voice and tells Hannah not to turn around—which, naturally, makes Hannah turn around immediately. Justin has arrived. He’s with teammates, no dates, and Hannah’s heart takes off like a kite in a storm. Allie drags her back to the living room, teasing her about the crush, and Hannah admits how stupid it feels. Allie insists it’s healthy, not embarrassing. Then she catches Garrett staring at Hannah and asks why. Hannah explains the tutoring demands, and Allie laughs that Hannah might be the only girl who has ever turned Garrett Graham down.
Sean calls Allie over for beer pong, and Hannah encourages her to play—without beer, because Allie promised to stay sober. Hannah even releases Allie from their old freshman-year deal, wanting her friend to have fun instead of babysitting her. For a while, Hannah watches the game, but she’s painfully aware of Justin across the room. Eventually, she goes to use the bathroom.
And that’s when the chapter gives us the moment we’ve been waiting for. Hannah leaves the bathroom and slams straight into Justin’s chest. He steadies her, smiles, and introduces himself as if the whole campus doesn’t already know his name. They talk about Ethics, their midterm grades, and football. Hannah admits she finds football slow, and Justin laughs that low, husky laugh that melts her into a puddle. Then he invites her to come to one of his games. Hannah is stunned, thrilled, already imagining what it might mean—until one of his teammates yells for him. Justin says he’ll talk to her later and disappears into the bathroom.
Hannah floats back to the living room on shaky legs, but her glow is short-lived. Garrett blocks her path, ready to push the tutoring thing again. Hannah tries to ignore him, but her attention is snagged by Justin, who is now talking to a pretty brunette. The girl touches his arm, leans in, whispers something, and giggles. Justin doesn’t back away. Hannah’s heart plummets. Whatever connection she thought they had in the hallway suddenly feels imaginary.
Garrett notices exactly where she’s looking. With his usual blunt cruelty, he deduces that Hannah wants Justin and tells her it’s never going to happen. “You’re not his type,” he says. The words sting, but they also land like a harsh dose of reality. Hannah thanks him coolly and walks away, only to find Allie making out with Sean on the couch. Not wanting to interrupt, she texts Allie that she’s leaving and heads outside into the cold October night.
She’s coatless, embarrassed, and ready to call a campus cab when Garrett follows her. He apologizes—sort of—for insulting her, but then doubles down on the truth: Justin Kohl has a type, and that type is cheerleaders and sorority girls. He even offers again to go out with Hannah to make Justin notice her. Hannah refuses. Then Garrett offers her a ride home.
Hannah doesn’t trust him. She doesn’t get into cars with strangers. But Garrett, frustratingly, makes a decent argument. He snaps a selfie on her phone so she can send it to her contacts, proving who she left with. He promises he’s only had half a beer because he has practice in the morning. He’s annoying, smug, and far too sure of himself, but he’s also persistent. Finally, Hannah gives in. She accepts the ride—but makes it clear this does not mean she’s tutoring him. Garrett’s smile turns unbearably smug. “We’ll discuss it in the car,” he says.
## Reader’s Impressions & Star Rating
This chapter is a masterclass in secondhand embarrassment and slow-burn tension. Hannah is so achingly relatable— desperate to be noticed by Justin, mortified when she isn’t, and completely unable to resist Garrett’s verbal sparring. The party setting feels alive, and the contrast between Justin’s charming hallway moment and his casual flirtation with the brunette is brutal. Garrett remains a walking red flag with a smirk, but there’s something magnetic about the way he sees through Hannah. The chapter balances humor, humiliation, and the first real spark of the central dynamic. I loved how Allie’s loyalty was handled, and I hated how easily Justin made Hannah doubt herself. But that ending—Garrett following her outside, the photo, the ride—sets up so much delicious tension.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rating: 4.8 / 5 Stars
## Next Chapter Prediction
The next chapter will almost certainly take place inside Garrett’s car, and it’s going to be charged with banter. Garrett will keep pushing the tutoring arrangement, but this time he’ll offer something in return: help with Justin. He knows Justin’s type, he knows the social landscape, and he’s arrogant enough to believe he can make Hannah visible to the one guy she wants. Hannah will resist, but the deal will start to take shape—her academic help for his romantic help. I also predict we’ll see a softer, more vulnerable side of Garrett beneath all the cocky remarks, and Hannah will begin to realize that hating him might be more complicated than she planned.
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