by Kayla Myles
“Well, George, it looks like you got one now.” Rebecca stated. “So, what do you say we go to a party?”
Chapter 7
Spencer
“She’s eating with a girl. Red hair, purple eyes, looks like a supermodel,” I reported, watching George and her friend from the other side of the restaurant. I kept my head down and pushed my Bluetooth earpiece tighter to my ear as I scooped up some rice into my mouth.
“’Looks like a supermodel’?” Chase repeated. “You gotta give me a lot more description than that, buddy. How am I supposed to get a read on her like that?” he asked.
“I can’t risk getting close, or George will recognize me. I’ll see if I can get the info in a couple of days,” I told him.
“So, how you liking your job so far?” Chase said, chuckling.
“It’s ridiculous,” I said, not wanting to let on how I sort of liked it. I kind of felt like I was a spy, like James Bond, or some shit like that, but there was no way in hell I was going to tell my brother that. “This job is such a drag,” I added.
“Yeah, keep telling yourself that. Any hot chicks catch your eye?” he asked.
“I didn’t come here to get laid, you idiot,” I barked. “And I haven’t been paying attention to other girls because you know, I’m doing my job?”
“You can afford to let loose every once in a while, man. I’m not requiring you to tail her every hour on the hour. That shit’s just creepy.”
“I’m working undercover, genius. I wouldn’t have to do this if she’d just know who I was,” I said, rolling my eyes.
“No can do, buddy. Client’s request, client’s rules. Besides, I know you’re secretly enjoying that shit, so quit your complaining. And you don’t have to give me an update every couple of hours. Just give me a report every week or so,” Chase said.
“Will do. I’m hanging up now. This sweet and sour pork isn’t going to make its way into my belly by itself, later,” I hung up and proceeded to demolish my food, while I kept an eye on Georgiana and her friend. My phone vibrated, and I swiped at the screen, seeing one text message from Chase.
You’re still a student there, too. Don’t forget to enjoy yourself.
I snorted at his message. I didn’t come here to study, I came here to work. Besides, I didn’t think there was anything fun to do around here.
I watched George and the tall redhead get up and leave the restaurant, and I rushed to finish my meal. It was stupid of me to get lost in my own thoughts when I was busy keeping an eye on George, but I didn’t want to waste all this damn food, not when the last time I ate was back on the plane. Also, I think I forgot to bring the wad of cash Chase gave me in my bag, so waste not, want not as they say.
I paid the bill and was still chewing the last bite from my plate when I immediately spotted George’s friend’s head, and watched as the two girls walked back to their house, and I surmised they probably won’t be leaving their dorms for at least a couple of hours. That was plenty of time for me to focus on the rest of my tasks for today.
Since Chase did give me the go signal to not be a stalker twenty fours a day, I could take a break, and start unpacking my stuff. I also needed to figure out a way to place cameras on George’s house so I’d know her whereabouts. It freaking stinks that Alderman House had to be so far away from Winston, though. I wonder if I could request a transfer…
“Hey! New blood!” I heard a shout come from the other side of the road. I turned my head and waited for three guys to cross over until they were standing right next to me. “’Sup?” guy with the brown hair asked, and I nodded at him.
“’Sup?” I repeated.
“You’re one of the new kids living in Alderman, right?” he asked, and I raised my eyebrows at him, neither confirming nor denying it. Seriously, how do these students get this information? They literally know a lot more than I’m comfortable with.
“I’m Tyler Bass, President of Psi Gamma Alpha,” he said, nodding. He raised his hand and extended his thumb towards the other two guys with him. “This is Ross and Carlos. Do you have any plans for rushing?” he asked. I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion.
“Rushing?” I repeated.
“Yeah, I mean are you interested in joining any fraternities?” Tyler clarified.
“I haven’t exactly thought about anything passed unpacking my shit,” I said, partly telling him the truth.
“You should totally consider it, dude!” the one named Carlos said. “PGA is like, awesome!”
“Hey, tell you what, why don’t you come to the party over at the frat house in Avery? I guarantee you’re going to have tons of fun,” Tyler said.
“I’ll think about it,” I said.
“We’ll see you there,” Tyler corrected, confident that I was going to attend. He flicked his fingers in a mocking salute as he and his friends walked away, and I scoffed at his cockiness. Dumbass thought he called the shots when I could totally put him on the ground if I wanted to.
I walked back to my dorm and looked at my roommate curiously as he didn’t pay me any attention, keeping his eyes glued to his triple monitors. He was playing some kind of racing game, and his body swayed in the same direction as his car, making me snicker a little at how into it he was.
It made me remember how Chase and I used to beat each other up in the arcades whenever Dad gave us some money to get out of the house so he and Chase’s mom could have some “alone time”. Chase was old enough then to know what it meant, but all I cared about then was that we’d get to play outside.
While he was distracted, I took the time to look at the guy from the side. He was wearing large spectacles over his eyes, and the glint from his computer kept me from seeing what color his eyes were. His mousy brown hair was messy and went in different directions, like he had jumped out of bed and immediately started playing. His clothes were all wrinkly, like he’d slept on them, and they had…Buzz Lightyear prints on it? I furrowed my eyebrows.
“Dude, are you still wearing kiddie pajamas?” I couldn’t help but ask, my mouth gaping.
I waited for him to reply, but he didn’t say a word and just kept playing his game. I shook my head and grabbed my duffel bag, wondering if I could chance letting my cameras out while my roommate was distracted and get started on placing them everywhere. I mean, he seemed pretty immersed with that game of his—
“Toy Story is kind of my thing,” I heard a squeaky voice coming from behind me, and I turned around almost to shit myself from how close my roommate was standing next to me.
He adjusted his glasses and blinked his large green eyes at me, and I blinked back, leaning back.
“Who are you?” he asked, leaning closer and peering up at my face with those ridiculously bug eyes of his.
“I’m your new roommate,” I said quickly. He stepped back and I righted myself up, coughing a little to hide my initial freak out. “I’m Spencer, and you are?” I asked politely.
He continued to hold the stem of his glasses, staring at me silently.
“Elliot Ferguson,” he said. He turned away and walked back to his computers, picking his controller up from his seat and sat down. He went back to his game, and I just stood there like an idiot, wondering what the hell just happened.
“Uh,” I said, trying to come up with something to say. Fuck it, I sucked at small talk. “So, um…you hitting this party up at Avery?” I asked.
He paused his game again and turned his head around to look at me like I just asked him the most ridiculous thing he’d ever heard.
“Do you honestly believe that I am the sort of person who would blend in at a party?” he asked, the question almost sounding rhetorical. I shrugged.
“I don’t know. I’m not much of a party goer myself,” I admitted.
“Now you are just trying to sound sympathetic,” he said, scoffing a bit. I crumpled my brows at him in annoyance.
“Quit acting like you know who I am,” I snapped at him. “Look, dude. I don’t know how the system works
around here, and frankly, I don’t give a fuck. I’m trying to talk to you because we’re staying in the same room together, and it’s going to be a huge hassle for me if we didn’t. So stop being so defensive,” I told him.
His eyes widened in shock and I sighed.
“I’m sorry,” I muttered. “I didn’t mean to snap at you. It’s just been a long day,” I said as an excuse. He nodded.
“I apologize for my behavior as well, Spencer. I’m quite used to students who belittle and humiliate me, so I have kept my guard up in order to avoid such altercations,” he said, and I held my tongue from asking why he talked like a robot. “Shall we start over?” he asked, and I nodded.
“So, are you sure you don’t want to go to this party?” I asked, and he shook his head with a grimace.
“Psi Gamma Alpha’s parties are not really my cup of tea,” he explained. “They’re too loud and too rowdy, and most of the people who terrorize me would be in attendance, and I would really appreciate a peaceful day without becoming a target for those imbeciles.”
I couldn’t take it anymore. I really had to ask him about it.
“Dude, no offense, but why do you talk like you swallowed a dictionary?” I asked, realizing too late how crass I sounded. He shrugged and didn’t seem to mind, though.
“I’ve always thought that a rich vocabulary showcased intelligence,” he said, matter-of-factly. I bit the inside of my lip, unsure of how I was going to say my next words without offending him. He stared at me and smirked.
“You don’t have to censure yourself to me, you know. I am quite capable of telling the difference,” he said.
“Dude, I’m not stupid. But maybe you could try to dumb it down just a little bit? I’d really appreciate it, and I think other people would appreciate that, too,” I blurted out. He casted his eyes down on the ground, and I quickly tried to amend my statement. “I mean, not everyone is able to keep up with you, man,” I added. He kept his eyes on the floor but he nodded.
“You have a point there, Spencer,” he said, and I released a sigh of relief. He looked back up and grinned. “It was nice talking to you today, Spencer. I shall take your suggestions into account,” he turned back towards his game and continued playing, and I turned back and fell on my bed, spread-eagled and exhausted all of a sudden. Talking to Elliot really took a lot out of me. Students here really come in all shapes and sizes.
Just what have I gotten myself into?
Chapter 8
Georgiana
The scent of her skin was intoxicating, driving him almost to the brink of madness. His fingertips tingled as he explored each and every inch of her body with his hands, feeling the soft and supple texture of her creamy white skin. She arched her back as his hands explored her, his lips following the invisible trail they left behind until she could feel his breath hitting her core. He flicked his tongue out and she cried out, the pleasure shooting through her like a—
“What are you doing?” Rebecca asked, and I snapped my laptop shut.
“Nothing,” I lied, looking at her innocently. She narrowed her eyes at me, and I grinned, hoping she would drop the subject. She shrugged and walked back to her closet, rifling through her clothes.
“You should start getting ready. The party’s already started,” she said. I bit my lip nervously.
“Yeah, listen, Rebecca. I don’t think I’m going to go,” I said softly, and she turned her head to look at me.
“What do you mean? I thought you wanted to experience every college milestone,” she asked, and I sighed.
“I know, I know. But like I said earlier, I’ve never been to a party before. I wouldn’t know the first thing about how to fit into that kind of scene. What if I mess up?” I asked. Rebecca rolled her eyes and walked over to me, placing her hands on my shoulders and squeezing.
“First of all, George, relax. Second, this is a party. There’s no proper way to act, so just be you. No one is going to care,” Rebecca said. “And if anything bad happens, which I assure you there won’t,” she said quickly as my eyes widened in fear. “I’ll be right beside you. I’ll make sure nothing like that ever happens, okay?”
I nodded, feeling a little better. Rebecca smiled as I got up and showed her all of my clothes. After a long moment of her mixing and matching my stuff, she finally decided on a powder blue crop top, and my black pair of jeans, all the while muttering we needed to overhaul my entire wardrobe. I just rolled my eyes and wore what I was told.
She sat me down afterwards, and curled my hair a bit before dabbing a light pink shade on my lips, and then brushing my cheeks with makeup.
“How can a girl never learn how to use any eyeliner?” Rebecca asked incredulously, and my cheeks blushed in embarrassment. “It’s practically a necessity of living!”
“Maybe to you. I’ve never had to wear it before,” I pouted. She shook her head as she finished putting all the makeup she deemed ‘necessary’ to complete my look, and then we were off to the party. We saw Cassie headed in the same direction, so the three of us chatted as we made our way to the Avery House.
I immediately felt really out of place the moment I stepped inside the house. The place was packed. There was a big pool table at one end of the floor with a few guys standing around it clutching beers and laughing loudly, while there was a bigger crowd gathering around a big rectangular dining table with beer filled solo cups lined up, and a couple of ping pong balls on top of them. Cassie waved goodbye at us and disappeared through the people dancing around, while Rebecca followed my line of sight.
“They’re playing Beer Pong,” she stated, and I tilted my head curiously. “See that guy holding the ball?” she said, pointing to the brown-haired guy standing on the edge of the table. “If he lands the shot in an empty cup, he wins. If he doesn’t, he takes a drink,” she explained.
“What happens when he wins?” I asked, watching as the guy throws the ball. “Depends. Usually they just take a drink, too,” she answered. I wrinkled my brows at her.
“Then what’s the point of the game?” I asked, flummoxed. She shrugged.
“To get drunk,” she said simply. “But hey, sometimes there’s more involved. I just told you the basics. This one’s probably got some bets riding on it,” she added. I looked back towards the game and see another guy approach the player, and hand him a couple of bucks. I nodded in understanding.
Rebecca pushed me forwards lightly, and I squeezed through the people, muttering apologies just in case I stepped on their toes accidentally. I looked around for someplace to sit, and perked up when I spotted an empty loveseat. I signaled Rebecca over, and pointed towards the seat, but I suddenly a couple at down and started groping each other and making out.
Rebecca saw the look of horror on my face and laughed.
“Shouldn’t they be doing this in private?” I asked, unable to take my eyes away from the live sex show happening in front of me.
“All the rooms were probably occupied,” Rebecca said, shrugging again like it was no big deal. My eyes went wide as saucers as I turned my head and stared at her.
“You mean everyone’s having sex upstairs right now?” I asked, and she snickered.
“Well, what did you expect? It’s a party. It’s kind of a given that someone was bound to get laid.”
I shook my head in disgust, and Rebecca laughed, patting the top of my head like I was a puppy or something.
“You’re so innocent. It’s so adorable,” she said, tapping my nose lightly with her finger. “Don’t worry, young Padawan. You will learn the ropes soon enough,” she assured me, and I gulped.
I’m not sure those were the lessons I had in mind.
I turned away from the couple, and was looking around for the kitchen, because I felt parched all of a sudden when I saw Spencer coming from another hall. I smiled brightly and started waving my hand in the air, trying to catch his attention. He saw me and grinned before turning his head and addressing someone behind him. Finally he nodded towards me, a
nd a guy wearing glasses followed him, the latter pulling at his collar with a grimace. Spencer stopped in front of me and smiled.
“Hey, fancy seeing you here,” he said. I felt Rebecca sidle up next to me whispering in my ear.
“Who are your friends?” she asked, crossing her arms and looking at Spencer up and down with her eyebrows raised. Spencer tilted his head and checked Rebecca out in the same manner, while his friend just adjusted his glasses and looked at all of us. I coughed and went to introduce everybody.
“Spencer, this is my roommate, Rebecca,” I said. “And Rebecca, this is Spencer. We met on the plane and later found out we were actually enrolled in the same university,” I looked at Spencer’s friend and smiled politely. “And you are?”
“This is Elliot, he’s my roommate,” Spencer said. “So, did you guys just get here?” he asked, and I nodded.
“Yeah, pretty much. What about you guys?” I asked.
“We’ve been here awhile. The party’s kind of a drag,” Spencer replied.
“Actually, we were making our way out of this place when you called us over,” Elliot said, and I caught Spencer elbowing him in the stomach.
