by Blythe Reid
She wasn’t hurt by what I did. In fact, she liked me more for it. As long as our brothers remained respectful, no one should have a problem with the party.
When I was done with my speech, I sought out Adam’s eyes again. He just looked at me and shook his head, silently telling me that my speech wasn’t good enough. He was still worried, and he still disapproved.
I shrugged and moved on. If Adam wanted to be a killjoy then there wasn’t anything I could about it.
The ritual ended, and we all sat around to plan the details of the party. We agreed on the alcohol, the day, and the time. Everyone was ready and excited, save for the few brothers who were deadly silent.
They sat together in the corner, not speaking and barely looking any of us in the eye. They hated this idea, and we all knew it, but it wouldn’t change anything. The Virgin Party was tradition, and I would be damned if I let a few guys ruin it for the rest of us.
When we finished the planning process, I dismissed everyone to their Saturday night plans. Many of them slapped me on the back and looked longingly at my headdress as they passed. As was my custom, I remained in the common room until the last brother was gone. I half-expected Adam to stay behind and voice his disapproval again, but he didn’t. He was the first one out when the meeting ended.
I stood in the deserted common room for a while longer. There were things I wanted to do tonight, but I wasn’t ready to leave just yet. This would be the very last time I ever wore the wolf headdress, and I savored everyone second of it. Finally, I took it off and placed it on the mantle. I stared at it for a few more minutes before I turned and left it behind.
Chapter 14
Scarlet
A week had gone by, and I’d only seen Lucien in class. Every Wednesday and Friday, we sat together in Professor Davidson’s class and chatted. Sometimes we were flirtatious, and other times, we were just friendly.
Seeing him was by far the best part of my day, but I wondered if he was ever going to ask me out again. I was desperate for another kiss, and my daydreams were spinning wildly out of control.
When we said goodbye that Friday, I lingered for a few seconds, hoping he might ask me out for the weekend. He didn’t. He just smiled and walked away, leaving me alone to walk to my final class of the day.
It was a Literature course that I found interesting. There were only about ten people in the class, and I learned everyone’s name quickly, but I hadn’t spoken to them. Making friends wasn’t my forte. Being homeschooled most of my life prohibited me from learning certain social skills. At NYU, I felt shy and awkward.
The class went by quickly. There was a lively debate about Pride and Prejudice, in which I finally voiced my opinion. It was the first time I spoke in class, and I was happy with myself.
Pride and Prejudice wasn’t my usual brand of romance novel, but I’d read it countless times and felt I could converse intelligently. My professor seemed pleased with my responses, and when class ended, the guy who sat two rows away from me walked over to me with a smile. He stopped in front of my desk, and I tried to remember his name.
“Hi,” he said. “That was a great discussion, don’t you think?”
“Yeah,” I said. “It was.”
“I’m Bryan,” he said, holding his hand out to me. I shook it politely. “You’re Scarlet, right?”
“I am.” I smiled.
I was surprised that he remembered my name. My cheeks felt warm as he continued to smile down at me. He wasn’t as attractive as Lucien, but he was good-looking in a dumb-guy-with-a-dream sort of way. His eyes were bright blue and very pretty. He had a round, boyish face that made him seem trustworthy.
“So,” he said. “I’m in the Delta Pi fraternity. Have you heard of it?”
“Actually, I have,” I said. “My friend Lucien is your President, I think.”
“Lucien Wolfe?” he asked.
“Yeah,” I smiled.
“Lucien’s a great guy,” Bryan nodded. “He’s probably the best president we’ve had in a long time.”
I couldn’t tell if Bryan was being sincere, but I chose to trust him. His eyes were soft when he spoke, but his tone seemed strained. If I didn’t know any better, I would’ve thought he was jealous that I mentioned Lucien. I was oddly flattered.
“He’s cool,” I said, shrugging as if I didn’t really care.
In truth, I was still very much interested in Lucien, but Bryan seemed close to asking me out. I didn’t know if I was attracted to him. He seemed nice, and I was determined to experience new things at NYU. I knew I wouldn’t say no if he asked me out.
“Well,” Bryan said. “We’re having a party tomorrow night at the house, and I wanted to see if you would come. It’ll be really fun and totally low-key. The perfect introduction to the Deltas.”
Bryan’s invitation brought a smile to my face. I was happy that my instinct was correct, but I was also excited about the party. This was finally an opportunity to meet new people and set myself free a little bit. I would be able to drink and dance. It sounded like fun, but I also knew it would be a chance to see Lucien outside of class.
“Sure,” I said with a grin. “I’ll be there.”
“Awesome!” Bryan smiled back. “Well, I’ll see you there.”
“See you there,” I repeated.
Bryan waved and walked away, leaving me to pack up my things slowly.
I didn’t realize the girl who sat beside me was still in the room until Bryan was already gone. As I tucked my notebook and my copy of Pride and Prejudice safely into my bag, I caught her eye and saw that she was watching me.
I smiled nervously and looked away. I knew her name was Lexie, but we hadn’t yet spoken. She seemed eager to talk to me now.
“Listen,” she said, her tone serious. I glanced around the room to find that we were the only two left. “I know we don’t know each other, but that party is not a good idea.”
“Your name is Lexie, right?” I asked, not paying attention to her warning.
“Yes,” she nodded, clearly impatient. “And you’re Scarlet. It’s nice to meet you.”
“You too,” I said, trying to smile.
She continued to watch me closely, and I quickly became uncomfortable. With a nervous smile, I pushed myself to my feet and made my way out into the hallway. Lexie followed me closely. I glanced at her, letting her know it was okay to talk to me.
“I’m sorry to be so pushy,” she said. Her tone was softer this time, more kind. “I just… You’re new here, right?”
“I am,” I nodded. “This is my first semester.”
“You seem really sweet,” she said sincerely. “But you also seem kind of innocent. I don’t mean that as an insult, just an observation.”
She wasn’t wrong, but I didn’t appreciate her bluntness. Lexie seemed like a good person, but she was being pushy, and I didn’t understand why. Bryan invited me to a frat party, it wasn’t the end of the world.
She was starting to get on my nerves as she followed me outside. We walked together until we reached a coffee cart. I stopped to buy a latte, and Lexie got herself something too.
“It’s just a party,” I said when we both had our coffees. “I mean, it’s not a big deal.”
“I know,” she said. “I’m sure it won’t be, but since you’re new, I just thought I should warn you.”
“About what?” I asked.
“Delta Pi,” she answered simply.
“What about them?” I asked.
She hesitated for a fraction of a second, her eyes searching mine. Lexie had deep grey eyes that were unlike any I’d seen before. Her short blonde hair was cut in a pixie cut that made her look slightly edgy. She was pretty, but not in an obvious way. I got the feeling that she wrote poetry or played the guitar.
“They just don’t have the best reputation,” she explained. “You wouldn’t know, but they’re notorious for being the bad boys on campus.”
“Are you sure?” I asked. Lucien didn’t seem like a bad
boy, and Bryan seemed even less the type. “The guys I know from Delta seem okay.”
“How many do you know?” she asked.
“Just two,” I admitted. “But they’re both really sweet.”
“I’m sure,” Lexie said, but she sounded anything but. “I just wanted you to know what you’re getting yourself into. Obviously, it’s up to you if you go or not, but I thought you should have all the information first.”
“Thanks,” I said with a smile.
I meant it. At first, Lexie annoyed me, but the more we talked, the more I began to appreciate her. She was honest in a refreshing way. I got the sense that she really was just trying to help me out. She didn’t want to impose her opinions on me, but she felt an obligation. It was nice, in a weird way.
“No problem,” she shrugged. “Us girls have to stick together, you know?”
“I do,” I smiled.
It was nice to have a fellow female to talk to. We found a bench and sat down to enjoy our coffee. We were both done with classes for the day, so we spent a few hours just sitting and talking.
I found out that Lexie was from Boston and moved to the city when she was just seventeen. She started college early, but she took a couple years off to travel around Europe. She was twenty-two and about to graduate.
From the way she spoke, she was worldly and extremely smart. I was happy we met. Finally making a friend on campus felt amazing. It was different than with Lucien or Bryan. They were both sweet and slightly flirtatious, but I wondered about their intentions. With Lexie, it was just fun.
“Listen,” I said after a couple hours of talking. “You should come with me tomorrow.”
“Hell no,” Lexie said. “Didn’t I just tell you how much I hate Delta Pi?”
“I know,” I said. “But that’s why you should come. I told you, I was a horribly sheltered child. I have literally no social experience. I could use a babysitter.”
“Nope,” Lexie said. “I like you, Scarlet, but there is no way I will set foot in that house. Not a chance in hell.”
“Fine,” I said.
“Are you still going to go?” Lexie asked.
She wasn’t pushing me one way or the other, but her eyes were anxious as she waited for my answer. I knew what she wanted to hear. She wanted me to say I wouldn’t step foot in that house either, but I couldn’t promise her that. Aside from the fact that I already told Bryan I would go, I wanted to see Lucien again. I knew he would be at the party, and I hoped I might even be able to get another kiss out of him.
“I’ll think about it,” I promised her, but I knew I wouldn’t.
She was my new friend, and I wanted to make her feel better, but I was excited about the party. It would be my first ever frat party. There was certain to be a ton of people, and I was eager to make new friends.
Now that Lexie and I had met, I felt less lonely. I knew I would have at least one friend on campus, but more couldn’t hurt. Even if Lucien didn’t pay attention to me at all tomorrow night, at least I could use the party as a way to meet new people.
“You’re totally gonna go,” Lexie sighed.
“What?” I asked, surprised that she could see right through me.
“You’re practically drooling with excitement,” she teased.
“I am excited to see Lucien,” I admitted.
“Lucien Wolfe?” she asked.
“Yeah,” I nodded. “He was actually the first person I met here. Him and his friend Adam. They were on my plane from France.”
“Wow,” she said. “That’s an interesting introduction.”
“They’re nice,” I defended.
“They can be,” she said. “But they’re Deltas. Worse, Lucien is their leader.”
“President,” I corrected.
“Whatever,” she said. “Just be careful.”
“I will,” I said, using the same tone I always used with my mother.
Lexie rolled her eyes. She could tell I was just placating her, but she didn’t care. We’d only just become friends, but I already felt like I could be myself with her. She was worried, without being judgmental, which was a nice change of pace.
With my mom, it was all judgement all the time. Lexie just wanted me to be safe.
We said goodbye, and I headed back to my grandmother’s house. As I thought about our time together, I smiled. Lexie was my first real friend in New York. Lucien was great, but he was my crush more than my friend.
With Lexie, I could see us bonding more and more over time. I had a feeling we would share a lot of memories together, and I couldn’t wait. I hadn’t had a lot of friends back in Paris, and I hoped that by meeting Lexie, that would all change now.
Her warning about the frat party weighed on me, but I tried to relax. The party would be fun. Enjoyable. It was just going to be a night of reckless abandon, but I wouldn’t do anything stupid.
I knew Lexie’s warning was well-meant. She was being a friend. Still, I couldn’t pass up the chance to experience something new.
Chapter 15
Lucien
Our first party of the year was under way, and I couldn’t have been more excited. As the President, I wasn’t obligated to bring a girl, but I invited a couple freshman just in case the other guys didn’t. When they arrived, they each hugged me and quickly disappeared to get a drink.
I was thrilled to see so many girls there. Most of the brothers delivered. Everywhere I turned, a new girl was maneuvering her way through the room. I stood off to the side with Adam, watching over everything.
“You going to dive in?” Adam asked pointedly.
He eyed me with a smug expression that I wanted to smack off his face.
“Soon enough,” I said. “I want to make sure everyone’s taken care of first. Besides, I can’t win two years in a row.”
“True,” Adam said. “But you can defend your title. Even if you can’t keep the headdress, everyone will know you won.”
“I’m sure I will,” I said with a shrug.
I was concerned about winning, but I also didn’t want to give Adam the satisfaction of thinking he was right. My hesitation had nothing to do with morality and everything to do with my presidential responsibilities. If anything went wrong tonight, it would be on me. The fraternity was my job and mine alone. I was responsible, more than the other seniors and even the other officers. Before I dove in, I had to make sure the other brothers would behave themselves.
“Better hurry,” Adam said. “A couple guys already look ready to make their move.”
I glanced around and saw that he was right. Stephen and Andrew both had a girl on their arm. They were leading them toward to the bar, ready to ply them with more alcohol.
To me, getting the girls drunk was just a notch below cheating, but it wasn’t technically against the rules. If that was how they chose to seal the deal, then that was their business. Me? I preferred my women sober enough to enjoy the pleasure I gave them.
“Unless you changed your mind,” Adam said, pulling my attention back to him. “Maybe you finally agree with me. Maybe you think this entire thing is ridiculous and disgusting.”
“Nope,” I said with a shake of my head. “I haven’t changed my mind, and it’s not disgusting or ridiculous.”
“It’s both,” Adam said firmly. “These women deserve better.”
“No one is forcing them to be here,” I snapped.
“They’re drunk,” he said. “If they have sex tonight, it’ll be their first time, and then what? How do you think they’ll feel in the morning?”
“That’s not my problem,” I said. “They can make their own decisions.”
Adam just shook his head and walked away. He grabbed a beer and made his rounds. His job tonight was self-assigned. He was determined to make sure the brothers behaved. He didn’t want anyone acting like an ass and forcing themselves on the girls.
If a brother was too drunk or too handsy, Adam sent them upstairs and banned them from the party. I didn’t approve of his
tactics, but it wasn’t worth fighting. He had his opinions, and I had mine. They didn’t have to agree.
With Adam gone, I began scanning the room for my conquest of the night. There were a few options, all young and attractive. A couple blondes caught my eye, but it wasn’t until I saw a flash of red hair that I did a double take.
With a frown, I took a step forward and narrowed my eyes. There was a group of people standing by the fireplace, all with a drink in their hands. It was mostly guys with only one woman standing among them. The woman was a strikingly beautiful red head with emerald green eyes. I recognized her immediately. Without thinking, I hurried across the room.
When I joined the group, I noticed that all eyes were on Scarlet. She was standing in the middle of the group, laughing and sloshing a bit of beer down her shirt.
My stomach felt tight as I watched her. She looked pretty, but she was obviously drunk. I had never seen her drunk, and I wasn’t sure she’d ever had so much as a sip of alcohol before tonight.
My jaw clenched as I looked at the men surrounding her. These guys were my brothers, my friends. I trusted all of them, but the idea of them taking Scarlet home filled me with rage.
Trying to keep myself in check, I took a long drink of my beer and breathed slowly through my nose. As president, it wouldn’t have been right for me to steal a girl away from the others, but I longed to whisk Scarlet safely upstairs.
The more she laughed, the more the guys stared at her with excitement in their eyes. They were all vying for her attention, and I knew she would end up with one of them. The thought made me sick. I couldn’t stand the idea of her being with one of my brothers. When Bryan’s hand grazed her lower back, I knew it was time to act.
