Page 9 of Puck Shots (Love The Game #6)

Cosmo

“ W elcome, pledges, to Boston University’s Kappa Omicron Kappa house,” Leo Salamander and president of KOK says via megaphone, waking up the pledges in the rec room with a start.

The rest of us KOK brothers crowd behind Leo watching.

“Your journey starts today, and if you thought getting through the front door was enough, you are sorely mistaken,” he continues.

I remember this speech. I heard it last year.

Well, most of it. Mom always said I’d sleep through the end of the world.

It took two brothers tipping my air mattress on its side to finally wake me.

I smile at the memory as I watch the new pledges climb out of bed and rub their eyes awake.

The next four weeks, these guys will be put through their paces, used for every menial task in the house, and also tested on the history and rules of Kappa Omicron Kappa.

I remember Eli rattling off rule seventeen when those guys were hassling him.

If he really has the other rules down, too, he’s a step ahead of the pack, but it’s not just about doing everything you’re told and knowing how this place works, it’s about building connections with the guys who live here.

Fuck, it’s probably the only reason I got in.

I think I got three of the rule questions wrong and was the first to skip out on the gross jobs the second a brother turned their back.

It was the friends I made in those few weeks though that scored me my place, I think.

Eli’s not like most of the guys in the house.

But he can make them see that’s a good thing.

Like last night. It was kind of adorable watching him struggle to stay on top of all the conversations.

When he looked completely lost, I just had to whisper a few tips in his ear.

“Flash here has your assignments,” Leo says, and I jump up onto the box beside him, which just happens to be the box at the foot of Eli’s bed.

“Alright, line up, pledges, and see what job you’ll be responsible for in week one of your pledgeship.”

The guys all scramble to form a line down the middle of the room, Toby practically bowling over several on his way to the front.

Eli’s bed is right beside me, but instead of rushing to be first in line, he walks casually to the back of the line with a quiet smile.

Toby watches him go, muttering, “Looks like the nerd isn’t even going to try,” to the guy behind him.

“Are you done?” I say, glaring down at him.

He nods, cheeks turning a bright shade of pink.

“Good. Okay, listen up. On your card you’ll find your job for the week,” I say, holding up the stack of cards in my hand. “On each is a section where every day you have to get your work signed off by a different brother. Fail to get a signature and you’re out. Understood?”

They all reply with a “yes,” and I slip the bottom card to the top, hoping no one notices.

When Leo asked me to assign the tasks this week, I was totally up for it.

I did these jobs last year, or I sort of did them, and I knew exactly what job I wanted to give that douchebag Toby.

“After I hand you your card, make your way to the back of the line to help keep things moving.” I hand Toby the now top card and revel in the way his eager smile falls.

“Seriously?” he asks, walking to the side. “You can’t really want me to clean the bathrooms all week.”

“Yep, there are two down here, three on the level above and another three above that, then there are the ensuite in the president’s room, the VP’s and the attic space.”

“That’s a shit load of shitters.”

“It is actually, come to think of it. Who wants to help pledge Toby out here and assist with the bathrooms?” I ask, and every one of the guys avert their gaze as Toby watches open mouthed.

“Sorry, looks like you’re—”

“I’ll help,” a familiar voice says from the back of the line, and the pledges part to reveal Eli holding his hand up in the air.

What the fuck?

“Yeah. I’ll help, too,” another brother says, and then another pipes in.

“I’ll take a bathroom, too.”

And in under thirty seconds, the bathroom job I had hoped would be the end for Toby the tool has been evenly shared out, and I’m hearing the guys chuckle behind me.

“Well, Flash, what now?” Leo asks, and I grin.

“Now we hand out the rest of the jobs. Nice work, pledges. Rule two, never walk away from a brother in need,” I say with a nod.

I in no way planned for this to go that way, but as far as Pres can know, this was all part of my grand design. I move on before he can catch on how full of shit I really am.

I pass out the rest of the cards, finishing with Eli, who gets tasked with events committee gopher.

It’s a job that will get him interacting with the most brothers, starting with the guys that are the easiest to win over.

The party boys. Riley and Gareth. They plan every event we host here at the house and are always in need of a hand collecting decorations, putting up banners and stuff.

Last year, they had Luka out front dressed in a banana costume, handing out Jello shots to everyone on their way into Hawaiian night.

Everyone loved Banana Luka. Who doesn’t love a guy who hands them shots?

“Okay, that’s it. Oh, actually, since you’re all taking bathroom duty, here.

Toby, you can have this one as well,” I say, flicking him another card.

This one, Drinks service. He’ll be tending bar at every party and event this week.

That should help keep him from messing with Eli too much more.

Though maybe after Eli manned up to help him out, he might give him a break.

“Divide up the bathrooms and get to work on those now. P.S, the attic one hasn’t been cleaned since last year. ”

That gets a good laugh out of the guys behind me as they all move out, and I follow, leaving the pledges to divide and conquer.

I head up to my room in the attic conversion I share with Luka.

It’s actually pretty big, and we could probably squeeze in a third bed, but we strategically placed our beds on opposing walls facing the middle, helping to cut off the space and make it look smaller than it actually is.

There is a small round window on the right wall overlooking the lawn and a long window in the ensuite bathroom that overlooks the backyard and woods.

It’s easy to get lost in the view from the shower, and suddenly the water is ice cold, startling you out of the daze.

“Anyone in here?” Eli’s soft voice asks as he knocks lightly on the half-ajar door.

“Sure, what can I help with?” I ask, and he holds up a bucket with some cleaning products and a few cloths and sponges sticking out.

“I’m here to help you. I drew the short straw, so where is this hellish bathroom?” he asks, stepping into my room, and I’m suddenly acutely aware that there is yesterday’s underwear on the floor beside my bed. I try to casually walk that way.

“I find it hard to believe you just happened to draw the short straw. Were there actually straws? Did you see the others draw theirs?”

He chuckles, and it’s like a song through the open air.

“No real straws, I just wasn’t quick enough to shot one of the others, whatever that means.”

“Ahh, well, lucky for you Luka is a clean freak, so this bathroom is probably the best of the bunch. I don’t think I’ve even seen a stray hair in there in the past year.”

“Seriously?” he asks, and I gesture to the door to my left, and when he heads through into the ensuite, I kick the dirty underwear under the bed and take the opportunity to smarten up the bedcovers.

Fucking Luka’s side is all lined up perfect like.

Even his shoes are lined up at the end of his bed like they are patiently waiting to be worn.

“You weren’t kidding. I honestly don’t think I have to do anything. I mean, I can wipe down the mirror and shower screen if you like?” he says, and I call out.

“No, it’s all good.”

“Well, I can’t just do nothing while I’m up here. Got any other jobs for me?”

His gaze moves around the room.

“I can make your bed. I’m assuming it’s yours if Luka keeps the bathroom that clean, that has to be his bed,” Eli says, dropping the bucket and moving over to my bed.

“You don’t have to.”

“I do, actually. You can’t sign off unless I’ve completed a task.”

“At least let me help,” I say, grabbing the other side of the sheet and pulling it up to the head of the bed.

It isn’t a big job, but it satisfies the task card duty, and I sign the back of his card and hand it back.

“Did you give Toby the bathroom job on purpose?” he asks, slipping the card into his back pocket.

“Maybe.”

“Did you expect anyone to offer to help him?”

“Truth?”

He nods with a small smile, like he already knows the answer. I had the rest of the guys fooled, but not Eli.

“I didn’t think he’d get a single volunteer, let alone have the whole pledge group dividing it up.”

“I figured there was a good chance I’d start a chain reaction.”

“You did?” I ask, sitting on the end of my perfectly made bed.

He nods. “I mean, I wasn’t one hundred percent sure, but if anyone was going to kick it off, it had to be me. I’m the odd one out, and don’t say I’m not, because I know I am.”

“You’re not odd.”

“Thanks, but I don’t pretend to be one of the jocks, and that helped today. Because in our world, no jock wants to be shown up by a nerd.”

It’s like I’m seeing Eli in a whole new light. This guy isn’t just any old nerd; he’s a freaking mastermind.

“You are so right. Oh my god, I don’t know why I didn’t see it. They didn’t join to help Toby; they put their hands up because they didn’t want to look like you were one upping them.”

“Exactly. Well, I should probably be going.”