Page 61 of River of Deceit

I doubt it’s supposed to be.

“Tonight, you get to memorize the history and the lyrics. You’re going to be tested tomorrow. And there will be a little icebreaker game too. Think about what you’d like to share about yourself with your future brothers. It better be juicy. Your favorite color isn’t good enough.” Zayden glances at Blaze. “You want to add anything?”

Blaze shakes his head. “Nah, you covered it all. Good luck, pledges. It’s not going to be easy, but if you make it through the pledging process, know that you’ll have lifelong brothers.”

Lifelong brothers who will always remember making our lives miserable for at least one week, if not several. We’ll be making memories, but they won’t be good ones.

I start to think about what information I could give them. There isn’t much. Most of the skeletons in my closet need to stay there. I can’t get kicked out for not having anything, though, which means I need to make something up.

As soon as Zayden and the others leave, the pledges around me scramble for their bedding. I notice the door to the basement click shut.

We’re locked in.

Franklin lets out a long sigh. “All the mattresses are already claimed,” he says morosely, sitting down on a sleeping bag close to us.

I shrug. They’re a bunch of rich brats who have probably never known a day of discomfort in their life. I settle onto a sleeping bag, starting to flip through the pages of the frat’s history, aswell as the lyrics to their song. It’s a lot to remember, and I really need to be cramming for my first quiz, but I’ve always been quick.

“So are you here because you want to be or because Daddy wants you to be?” I ask, keeping my voice down. I’m curious, though. It’s never too soon to start building up information, and who knows? Maybe I’ll make a friend along the way.

“It’s the most prestigious fraternity on the east coast,” Franklin says. He looks down at his own phone. “My dad was a member of it too. He says it opens a lot of doors.”

I nod. “Yeah. Mine wasn’t a member, but he?—”

“Would the two of you quiet down?” someone hisses from one of the mattresses. “Some of us want to study.”

Rolling my eyes, I lie down on the sleeping bag. It’s as uncomfortable as I expected it to be, but a little discomfort isn’t going to scare me away. I fold the top for a makeshift pillow and focus on memorizing the text.

The song is really, really stupid, and I’m going to hate singing it.

Everybody reads quietly, until one person goes to turn the lights off without even consulting the rest of us. There’s grumbling, but I tuck the papers away and close my eyes.

The sooner morning comes, the sooner this will all be over.

Somebody yanks on my arm,hard, and I instinctively punch them in the gut.

“What the fuck!” a familiar voice cries out.

I blink, trying to get my bearings. I’m still in the basement, surrounded by other men. Chaos brothers are forcing the pledges to get up.

Judging by the small window at the top of the basement wall, it’s nowhere near morning yet.

“This asshole punched me!” Zayden says. “That’s grounds for getting kicked out right now.”

“You woke me up out of a sound sleep by grabbing my arm,” I retort, trying to wake up fully. It’s on the tip of my tongue to say something nasty, but I refrain, if only barely. Instead, I temper my voice. “I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”

It probably would, if the asshole is stupid enough to grab me again.

Zayden glares at me, then shakes his head and turns to Blaze. “He’s your responsibility, Bouchard. Since you vouched for him.”

Blaze rolls his eyes, but he strolls over. Asch is right behind him.

They’re both carrying wooden paddles.

I freeze, and my heart starts to race.

I lick my lips, trying to swallow around the lump in my throat.

I’d thought I was free from that, if only for a little while.