Page 15

“Oh here.” He reaches into a box by the front door and tosses me a button. It’s white with word PLEDGE written in black ink. Underneath are the Greek Zeta Sig letters. “From now on, you have to wear that all the time.”

I push the pin through the fabric of my shirt. “All the time?”

“Morning, noon, and night. In the shower, pin it to your dick. Although that may make it a little hard to jerk off.” He winces, then grins again, but I get no implication that he’s joking. “Just don’t get caught without it, or the consequences will be fierce.”

“Thanks.” I step into the foyer, looking for some distance from Knox - or any of the officers. Getting past Knox isn’t my biggest concern. I only met him a few times since he’s so busy with rowing but now that I’m past the front door, my job is to blend in. It’s not hard with so many people. No, with so manydrunkpeople. It’s like a completely different place than when I was here earlier, but it’s not my first party at the house. Royer brought me to a few in the spring. It’s where I first met Andrea. I felt so important and honored to be the high school girl invited to a college party. Now I realize all of that was a just part of the long-con.

I pass through the hall and a member hands me a drink. “Drink up,” he says with a grin. “Initiation starts tomorrow. Enjoy yourself.”

The first sip tastes like medicine, but I drink anyway. Not to enjoy myself, but to calm my nerves. What Royer would do to me if he found out… I wouldn’t just have to leave the school; I’d have to leave the country. The whole scenario freaks me out and I grab two Jell-O shots off a passing tray.

I suck down one and pretend like I fit in, causally leaning against the wall alone. My eyes sweep the room, searching, I know, for Royer. Instead, they lock with a pair of watchful eyes by the fireplace.

Miller.

My stomach rolls, and he lifts his chin in greeting. I return it with a tight smile and grab two more shots from a passing tray. I wonder which one of these girls he plans on assaulting tonight?

“Can I have one of those?”

I turn and see the girl from before, Brianna. Her cheeks are flushed, and she holds herself by propping her bare shoulder against the wall. Her skirt hikes up her thigh. “Sure.” Although don’t think she needs it.

Brianna holds the tiny cup to her mouth and flicks out her tongue, scooping out the yellow gelatin. She swallows it down and grins. “The Zeta Sigs have the best shots.” She narrows her eyes and pokes the button on my chest with her pointed, manicured nail. A small diamond is embedded in the tip. “I didn’t see you around during recruitment.”

“I skipped that part.” I swallow my shot. “Got here late. They’re letting me initiate, anyway.”

She snorts. “Good luck. I hear they’ve got an epic list of challenges this year.”

“Yeah?” Maybe if this girl spills tonight, I can be done with this charade. “Like what?”

“Well, I was in Royer’s room last night and—”

“You were in Royer’s room?” I blurt, voice an octave too high.

Her eyebrows rise. “Yeah? So?”

“Nothing. I just…” I swallow back pain, humiliation, and another shot. “I heard he was dating that GE. Andrea something.”

A guy walks by with another full tray of shots. She grabs four and hands me two.

“Royer is the president of Zeta Sigma. He doesn’t just fuck one girl. He fucks whoever he wants, and it’s a goddam privilege to be in his bed.” Her eyes are unfocused, and I’m pretty sure she won’t remember any of this tomorrow. Honestly, with the way my head is spinning. I may not either. How much did I have to drink? Or is this what it feels like to have truth bombs thrown your way? “Since he can get whoever he wants, he’s sloppy about it. Leaves his shit around because I suspect he thinks we can’t even read. That’s not what we’re here for.”

“We’re?” I ask, fingers moving anxiously to the side of my head, looking for my hair to fuss with.

“Females. Sloots. Pussy.” She rolls her eyes at my startled expression. “Yeah, we know what we’re called. It’s better to know than to be blindsided.”

“I guess?”

“You heard about how they pulled one over on that freshman, right?” I nod, hoping the wave of nausea in my belly stays down. “God, that poor girl. Like Royer’s settling down with a high school girl. So fucking naïve.”

Ouch. Another bomb. Another wound. “If he’s such a dick, why do you sleep with him?”

She slaps her hand clumsily down on my shoulder and leans toward me. “Because if I’m giving him what he wants, he won’t humiliate me in front of the whole school like he does the other bitches around here.” She gives me a look. “It’s smart to stay in the inner circle.”

Through blurry vision I stare at this girl, wondering if she’s really this clueless. Does she not know he’s already humiliating her? Or even more so, that she’s humiliating herself? WhatIknow is that it’s not my problem.

“Look, I like you. You’re cute.” She tussles the swoop of hair hanging in my eyes. “Let me suck you off—give you a good night before hell week starts.”

Oh God. I knew I may get discovered. That Royer or even Miller would recognize me, but it didn’t cross my mind that someone may want to see my non-existent dick. “Uh…”