Page 125 of The Deceptions

"Yup?" he questions with a watery grin.

"Fried Pickles," I say.

"Fried pickles, those sound delicious. You know, we could get some later and OH!" He stops suddenly like my phrase smacked him in the damn face. "Right! Well, it was nice to hang." Simon suddenly grabs my arm and drags me along. Well, stumbles is more like it.

"You can slow down," I say breathily, digging my feet into the grass until he stops.

My ribs ache from the sudden movement. The bruise on my jaw pulsates with my damn heart rate. My head still aches from my graceful attempt to cover up earlier. And my period. Fuck. I'm a hot mess, and I need to just go to bed. The alcohol isn’t helping to numb anything for me. If I had more of it in my system then maybe I wouldn’t feel so miserable. But seeing JJ and Waffles all at once, has my fight or flight kicking in. And right now? I’m choosing flight.

"Are you okay? Is it..." His eyes travel toward my crotch area and then back up at me with fear wide in his eyes. Fuck. Right. My period. It has calmed since we came here, but I can feel the cramps building back up and the agony waiting for me later tonight.

I rub a hand over my stomach, feeling the small cramps that are coming through the pain meds.

"Yeah," I say with a nod, twisting my face.

Simon slumps. "Back to our little nest then. We shouldn't have come," he tuts, shaking his head. "We should have just stayed with Buffy and not moved an inch."

"I..." my words trail off when I take in the lone glass jar sitting on a table under the large Magnolia tree.

"You want to join?" Simon whispers frantically.

"Maybe. Is it a bad thing?" I shrug, looking at him.

"I mean, no. But then you wouldn't be my roommate anymore," he pouts with a sniff. "But you'd get a lot of leeway on campus. Never get in trouble. Have perks of missing classes and well, damn... There really aren't any downsides." He shrugs, thinking it over. "Maybe I'll put my name in there again, too." He drunkenly grins at that, stumbling over his feet again. I catch him before he falls, grunting at the sensation rocking throughmy damn ribs. Pain ricochets everywhere, but I don't show it. I simply grit my teeth as we make our way to the jar.

A few names on pieces of paper sit folded at the bottom of the large jar. None that I can see, but they obviously have interest in their frat. Something I need to investigate more. But no one seems to have the answers I'm seeking.

"Don't many people sign up for this?" I question, righting Simon so he's standing tall and not weaving back and forth.

He shrugs. "There are rumors, too. Like... they're involved with illegal things. They can get you off a murder charge." He leans in closer. "Their dad is like... super important around here. He even helps fund the university." He hiccups slightly. "So, let's do this." Right. Let's do this. Let's sign our lives away. "But don't get your hopes up. They never pick people," he hiccups again, swaying to the right, until he stumbles over his feet and lands on his ass. He barks out a drunken laugh, making a smile spread across my face.

"Noted," I chuckle, offering him a hand and pulling him to his feet. No matter how much it hurts my ribs. The second I get into our dorm, I'm removing the binder and not putting it on until Sunday. If anyone needs me, I'm one with my bed.

"You're a good friend, Oli." Simon grins, picking up two pens and two slips of paper, offering a set to me.

Here it goes. I'm signing my life away to the very people whom I escaped from.

If I get in, I guess. From what Simon has said, they're very selective in who they accept into their frat. It seems very private.

With a deep breath, I print my name. Oliver Davenport. And then, we drop them in the jar together. Simon lets out a squeal of delight and turns to me.

"No turning back now, Oli," Simon snorts, putting his arm over my shoulders. "Now, let's go snuggle."

"Don't say that out loud," I huff, shaking my head as we make our way and exit the booming party, heading to our dorm where we plan to get into bed and do nothing but eat and relax.

"Why'reyou looking off like that?" I ask JJ, narrowing my eyes when his gaze snaps back to me with a frown.

Really fucking suspect, if you ask me. He's always been a little in his own head and quiet. Maybe too quiet. He's like a devious little mouse with a knife in his hand and on the attack.

But right now? He's suspect as hell.

"No reason," he huffs, gazing toward the cemetery's opening and losing focus on me. Again.

Rude.

"Well, stop it. We've got a party to host and all that shit." I take a chug of my beer, peering around our annual party.

It's a celebration of us. Our frat. Our lifestyle. So many of these suckers wish they could be us and live in our skin. Wait. That's weird as fuck. But the truth. They look at Hux, JJ, and me and see our lucrative lifestyle. The cars. The mansion. The casinos we'll inherit one day. Okay, Huxley will inherit one day.He's the only one Franco signed his name on the dotted line for, adopting him officially.