Page 2 of River of Deceit

It's early evening and the sun is beginning to set, but the party appears to have started early and is already swinging along. The lawn in front of the two houses is filled with students talking and laughing. A drinks table is set to one side, and when I check it, I'm surprised to only see soft drinks and water.

The tall blond guy behind the table is wearing the preppiest outfit I think I've ever seen outside of my literal prep school. "Hi there!" I say, slapping a wide smile on my face. "I take it I'm in the right place for the kappa-alpha-whatever-whatever party?"

"Kappa Alpha Omega Sigma," he corrects me with a crooked grin. "Don't worry, you'll get used to it." His eyes roam appreciatively over me. "And us, hopefully. I'm Zayden. I run the place."

Zayden is cute in a "small town boy next door" kind of way. Sandy blond hair, green eyes.

Appearances are deceiving

Kappa Alpha Omega Sigma istheelite of elite fraternities. In the university, in the country. The name is intrinsically tied to power. If Zayden is in charge, then it's likely that the "cute boy next door" is the son of a judge, or a Senator. Or worse. There are many worse options.

I can't help but flirt anyway. "I'm Pandora," I say. "I'm definitely down for one of those drinks, but… be honest, is this theonlystuff on tap?" My appearance is equally deceiving. Not that he knows that, yet.

"Of course it is," he says. "We'd never tempt the underage ladies into anything against campus policy." He grins at me. "They're welcome to make their own decisions once they're inside. You're a big girl, aren't you Pandora?"

"Yep. I'm nineteen and ready to make all the big girl decisions!" We both laugh, and I step away so that others can get to the table for drinks of their own. I weave through the still-growing throng of partygoers and make my way into the frat house.

The Greek letters adorn the doorway, painted in an arch. Right inside the door in the open foyer is an "artistic nude." It's in black and white, but it's clearly a pair of tits. The classiness is overwhelming, and I roll my eyes.

People are trying to squeeze past me, to get both into and out of the house, so I move to less congested parts of the house to look around. There's a beer pong game set up in what appears to be the dining room, and the smell of beer is strong in the air.

There's a set of stairs leading down, and a few people coming up from below are red-faced and unsteady on their feet. I guess I know where all the booze is.

I'm just making my way in that direction when a body steps in front of me, blocking my way. He's tall, around six feet, with short dark brown hair, and an easy smile. He's wearing a dark blue button-down shirt over a pair of jeans. "Looking for the good stuff?" he asks. "Here." He offers me a cup.

I give him an unimpressed once-over.

"Oh, right. I'm not a creeper, just looking for someone to hang out with." He takes a gulp from the cup before offering it to me again with a wink. "I promise, I'm being a good boy."

I smile, accepting the cup this time. "And does this good boy have a name? So I know what to tell the cops when I wake up later naked and sore?" I take a sip from the cup. It tastes like the cheap beer Uncle Slayer sometimes buys from the corner store to piss Papaoff.

He rolls his eyes. "Asch Alvarado, at your service." He flashes me a cocky grin. "I don't need drugs to show you a good time, and you'd never, eversleepthrough what I have to offer."

That makes me laugh, which earns me another smile. "Good to know, Asch. I'm Pandora." The lack of last name is calculated. While most people wouldn't recognize it, in a place like this I won't take my chances. It's not just the leaders of the world who send their children here. The rich underworld needs to network too.

He doesn't make an obvious joke about my name, which earns him a few more points. Instead he says, "How about I show you around? Then you can decide if I'm worth having another drink with."

"Sure," I say with a wide smile as I loop my arm around his. "You won't be shocked that I'm a freshman. Just arrived on campus today, in fact."

Asch glances questioningly at my touch but rolls with it. "Did your parents cry when they saw you off?"

"Oh yes, full waterworks," I agree blithely. "Not my mother, she was fine. Papa was the one close to throwing a tantrum because I was all grown up and abandoning them, running off to destroy the world all on my lonesome, that kind of thing."

"Yeah?" He grins at me. "Gotta say, I can't wait to find out if you're really the world destroying type, or if you just talk a good game."

"Mostly game," I admit. "The things I destroy most are men's egos."

Laughing, Asch leads me back into the main room of the frat house. It's buzzing with activity even as early in the evening as it is. Later it will get even busier. "Men's egos are so fragile, aren't they?" he agrees. "It's not even hard. A few words and bam."

"Mhm," I nod. "All I have to do is take one peek inside those pants and start laughing. Ego, utterly shattered."

I can pretend to be meek and quiet if the situation calls for it. For a little while at least. But that’s boring.

I know I'm easy.

I know I'm a slut.

But damn, it's just so muchfun.