“Ha!” Sophia laughed humorlessly. “I hear that a lot.”
Xander nodded before saying, “So when you say your little brother, is that like…” He gestured between Sophia and me.
I suddenly realized if Cody were my brother, he should be hers too, a fact Sophia had clearly picked up on after Aniyah’s comment. I was so slow on the uptake sometimes.
“How does that work that he’s your brother but not Sophia’s?” he asked.
My heart picked up its pace as my fight-or-flight instinct kicked in, and I felt adrenaline rush through my body. It was one of those moments where you feel your stomach tense instantly and you wonder if you’re going to shit yourself.
I wasn’t sure what I actually looked like in the moment, but when my eyes went to Sophia, I had a pretty good guess. She looked pale—well, as pale as her complexion would allow—and almost sick.
I hadn’t been kidding about being a bad actor. The fact that we’d been able to keep all of this going for this long had been a miracle even Mother Teresa would have been impressed by.
Neither of us seemed able to speak, and I felt the light closing in around me like I was about to faint in front of a roomful of people I barely knew. Maybe if I did, they’d have to call for help and they’d forget about Xander’s question completely.
How had we been so careless? How had I been so careless? I’d held up the phone so everyone could see it said Mom when she’d called. Had I said it was my mom? Had I said anything at all? My life—or rather Brody’s life—was flashing before my eyes in a moment that seemed to drag on endlessly. Until suddenly from the depths of my mind, I pulled out an explanation that made complete sense.
“We have different moms,” I said, feeling the color come back to my face and my breathing settle.
I looked to Sophia, and her shoulders seemed to relax a bit. I wondered if anyone in my group noticed the change in our appearance.
“Right, brothers from another mother,” she said at the same time I told them, “Sophia and I share a dad.”
Had she just said Cody and I had different moms? I felt like I was trying to solve a calculus question under water. Nothing made sense, time was running out, and I was in desperate need of rescue.
After a few more seconds, Toby was the first to speak. “Wait, you and Cody have different mothers, and you and Sophia have different mothers? So you two have the same dad, but it’s not the same dad Cody has because he’s not Sophia’s brother.”
His words were slow, deliberate, but that didn’t change the fact that none of the pieces were going to fit into a complete puzzle.
“But wasn’t it your mom who called about Cody’s party?” he continued. “Why does she care about Cody’s party if he’s not her son?” He seemed to be talking out loud as he pointed between us, as if hearing the words would cause them to make more sense.
Prepare to be disappointed, Toby.
I looked to Sophia, hoping like hell she could fabricate some sort of explanation that would magically make all of this believable. Unfortunately, she was staring at me with a look that said the same.
I’d nearly gotten us out of this mess when she’d thrown us back into it. There was no way I was capable of delivering two plausible explanations when I’d barely come up with one. We muttered some “yeahs” and then a few “nos,” trying to buy ourselves more time, but it only made the story more convoluted.
“It’s a funny story, actually.”
It was Taylor who’d spoken. I looked to her with hope. She was coming to save us—running down the beach in her red swimsuit, her blond hair waving in the breeze as she jogged in slow motion.
“When we were all kids,” she continued, “Brody used to tell people Sophia was his little brother because he’d always wanted one, and Soph was a huge tomboy.”
There it was. The rescue tube we’d been waiting for.
“I was?” Sophia said as more of a question, and I looked over to the kitchen counter to see if there was any tape around so I could put it over her mouth.
“I mean I was,” she said, more confidently this time. “Short hair, polo shirts, baseball caps, these really saggy pants with boxers showing. It wasn’t a good look.”
I was tempted to shift my focus from Sophia to the others, but I was scared if I looked away from Sophia, she might blurt out something we wouldn’t be able to get ourselves out of. She’d already confessed to wearing boxers.
“She always shortened my name to Bro,” I cut in, just so Sophia wouldn’t keep talking. “So then I started calling her bro because she looked like a dude.” I turned to Sophia. “Right, bro?”
“Yeah, Bro,” she said slowly.
“How old were you guys?” Xander asked, appearing truly interested.
This time Sophia and I made eye contact so we wouldn’t say something different than the other. “Uh, what were we, Soph, like…five and seven or so?”
“Something like that,” she agreed.
“So whose idea was it for you to get your hair cut short?” Aniyah asked.
“And did your parents buy you the boy clothes on their own?” Xander added. “Or did you ask for them?”
Sophia hesitated before saying, “I can’t remember. Does it matter?”
“It does through a sociological lens. This would’ve been before assigning a gender to your child would’ve been considered taboo to some of our society, so the details seem important to your development as a young woman.”
Toby was studying us like we were guinea pigs in an experiment he was conducting. “This is all so interesting. I’d like to know the specifics as well.”
“You know,” Taylor said, clapping her hands together once. “It was an awkward phase. Sophia doesn’t really like to talk about it.”
“Right on,” Xander said. “Whatever you’re comfortable with.”
Toby and Aniyah nodded and muttered their agreement. “We can drop it.”
And thank fuck they did. If it wouldn’t have made an already strange situation even stranger, I would’ve kissed Taylor right then and there. She’d saved our dumb asses.
“But if you need any help planning Cody’s party,” Aniyah offered, “I’m happy to help.” It was a clear effort to ease the tension and transition to a subject Sophia was comfortable with. She probably didn’t actually have any intention of helping with Cody’s party, but she’d offered, and it’d be rude of me to decline.
“Thanks,” I said. “That’d be great.”
S O P H I A
Drew and his group got back to work pretty quickly after that, and I was happy to have things go back to normal. Or as normal as they could be anymore.
Taylor looked at me wide-eyed as we headed to the kitchen to grab some snacks. I wasn’t sure if it was the tequila or the conversation I’d just been a part of that had me feeling queasy, but something told me it was probably a combination.
Taylor started opening up cabinets like she was raiding a house in some sort of apocalyptic society. Apparently, people there survived on Wheat Thins and peanut butter, because she currently had both in her hands, and she was clutching them to her chest like she was afraid someone might tear them from her grasp.
I didn’t want to tell her that person would be Drew. The food was his. She probably wouldn’t give it up even if she’d known, so I’d just have to replace the items later. I couldn’t blame him for being possessive over his Wheat Thins.
Taylor opened the box and dug into the bag, pulling out a handful of the crackers and tossing a few into her mouth. Planning on getting something of my own, I managed to restrain myself for only a few seconds before I caved and realized I couldn’t resist them. I’d be replacing them anyway, so what the hell.
We each poured ourselves a glass of wine—at least that was mine—as we ate and chatted some more about the party I’d be throwing in November. Aamee was doing a costume party for Halloween—a musical couples’ theme. So I’d opted for a black-and-white theme with the twist of allowing green and si
lver accents, which were the school colors.
We were just deciding whether we’d encourage any shade of green or if it had to be the Lazarus University hunter green when Xander spoke up from his spot on the couch.
“So you’re just having people follow a dress code like we’re in some kind of elitist private school?” He laughed, making his comment seem less insulting than it originally came across.
I spun the barstool I was sitting on so I could face him. “It shows school spirit, which is important since I’m running for president of a school-sanctioned group.”
“It’s cute,” Taylor added.
“It’s lame,” Aniyah said. “You need something innovative and trendy that’ll make you stand out.”
While she did have a point, I hesitated to admit it. It would not only mean going back to the drawing board, but I also had no idea what was considered trendy and innovative. Pretty much every theme had been done at one point or another. All you had to do was Google it. Which we’d already done for forty-five minutes before deciding on the black, white, and green theme.
“Okay, did you have an idea?” I asked, careful not to sound rude. I was honestly curious.
If Aniyah had anything good to offer, I’d be more than happy to entertain the option. I’d go with whatever would result in the best turnout and most funds raised. And unlike Aamee, who valued her own opinion more than any other, I thought it was important to gather a mix of perspectives. Even if a few of them would never step foot in a sorority event.
Aniyah thought for a minute, putting her pen to her lips before looking back up at me. “I don’t, actually. But I bet if we all thought about it, we could come up with something better.”
“Okay,” I said, looking to each person in the room to gauge if they seemed like they were on board to brainstorm.
Toby was on the edge of his seat. Literally. He’d probably never been involved in something social at school, let alone a party with so many females. He looked ready to explode with excitement.
Xander, on the other hand, appeared less thrilled. He pulled his beanie down lower so it almost covered his eyes and settled back against the couch cushions. I wasn’t sure if he was preparing to tune us out or take a nap.
“Do you guys really want to help?” I asked.
“Of course we do,” Xander said slowly and with so much sarcasm, it practically bled from his pores. Then he looked to his other group members out of low eyelids. “We’re never finishing this project, are we?”
“Relax,” Drew said. “We’re almost done. I can type the rest of it up tomorrow and share it with you guys to edit.” He looked to me at the mention of typing, which almost made me laugh. But I’d be happy to help him, especially since he’d been so helpful to me.
“Okay,” Xander said. “Let’s think about this logically. Most of the same people who attend Aamee’s party will be the ones attending yours, right?”
“Yeah, I’d assume so. Why?”
“I’m just thinking they aren’t gonna want to go to two parties that close together.”
Taylor looked at him like his head had just fallen off his neck and she was trying to figure out how he was still able to speak. “Do you know anything about college kids?”
“Uh, yeah. I am one. I get that they like parties, but there are a million of them. Sophia should do something different. Something that will raise a lot of money and still have a ton of participation.”
“Obviously,” Taylor said. “That’s the whole goal.”
“Yeah, but I get what Xander’s saying,” I said. “If they pay to get into Aamee’s party and they’re bidding on things or whatever she’s planning to do to raise money, they aren’t going to want to do that again, especially right before Christmas break when people have to put out money for other things, like flights home and presents and stuff. We have to make it something they feel like they’re missing out on if they don’t attend. Something they get something out of if they’re paying.”
“A Quidditch tournament!” Toby said with a level of excitement that directly mirrored everyone else’s level of No fucking way! “Teams could pay to participate. People could even place bets.”
“I don’t think the school would like us gambling to make money,” I said.
“And I don’t think anyone likes Quidditch,” Taylor added, causing everyone else to agree.
Drew looked at Toby. “I don’t even know what that is.”
Toby opened his mouth to speak, but thankfully Aniyah spoke up before he could explain the rules and regulations.
“Maybe not Quidditch,” she said, “but the idea isn’t bad. We could do like a Powder Puff football game or something. Maybe Carter could get the team on board, and each girl could be matched with a different football player or something. Girls could pay to play. I don’t know all the ins and outs, but we could work out the details, I’m sure.”
Drew looked skeptical. “I think that would get an okay turnout, but would we raise enough money? I mean, we could charge people to get in, but how much would people pay to play or pay to watch?”
I shrugged. “No idea. I think paying for something is key though. So let’s run with that for a minute. What do people pay for?”
Answers came from all areas of the room: alcohol, food, entertainment, sex. The last suggestion had come from Toby, causing everyone to stare quizzically at him.
“I mean, I wasn’t talking about myself,” he clarified. “I was speaking in general terms.”
“Maybe he’s on to something,” I said.
Drew laughed. “I don’t think turning the sorority house into a brothel is the best way to get you elected as president when you got evicted for letting a guy study in your room.”
I got up to smack him on the arm and then sat down on the floor next to the comfy chair he was in. “I was actually thinking of a bachelor auction.”
Xander rolled his eyes. “Of course you’d want guys to be the fresh meat. Flipping gender roles doesn’t make it any less sexist.”
“Worried no one will bid on you?” I teased.
He balled up a piece of paper and threw it at me, but it soared over my head, even though I was only about three feet from him. Suspicions confirmed: Xander had no athletic ability.
“I’m serious, though,” he continued. “Just because people are bidding on guys doesn’t mean people won’t be offended. What if the situation were reversed, and a frat was auctioning off women?”
“That’s a good point,” Aniyah agreed.
“But people are offended by anything these days,” I said. “You’ll have people claim the black-and-white theme is racist or something. And I was thinking of auctioning guys off so they could do things for people. It can be simple things like carrying books to class or bringing someone lunch. But we could have them outline their strengths when they volunteer, like if they can repair things around the house or cook or tutor or something.”
The more I spoke, the more excited I got about the idea. I hoped everyone would see the potential in it, but even if they didn’t, I might have to consider doing it anyway.
“Maybe it could even have to do with their majors,” I continued. “I bet some of the guys in the fitness and nutrition programs would love to create workouts or meal plans for people. They can use it as volunteer work, so it’s a win-win. We could open up the bidding to the sorority legacies if we wanted.”
“We’d have to create some pretty strict rules,” Drew said. “You don’t want some elderly woman making an eighteen-year-old freshman mow her lawn in nothing but a Speedo.”
“Um, that’s exactly what I’d want if I were an elderly woman,” Taylor said.
“Let’s worry about the specifics later,” I suggested. “Do you guys all think this could work?”
Aniyah was the first to speak. “I do.”
Drew agreed. “You’d probably get a pretty big turnout, and people might pay a lot of money for someone depending on what their skills are.”
I looked
to Toby, who nodded, and then to Xander, because even though their opinions didn’t really matter in the sense that it wasn’t a formal vote, they mattered to me.
“You better not expect me to be in the auction,” Xander said.
“I’d never dream of it,” I said with a smile.
I finally had something I could be truly excited about. Something that was “trendy and innovative,” as Aniyah had suggested. Something that could raise a shit ton of money for a charity of my choice. And something that would hopefully show Aamee and the rest of the sorority who was the best fit for president.
I just prayed I was right.
Chapter Eighteen
D R E W
We’d all gotten sidetracked talking, and by the time we realized we were starving, it was almost eight. I felt bad I hadn’t thought to have more snacks on hand for my group, but whatever. Hindsight was twenty-twenty.
“We should go out,” Aniyah stated after poking around in the kitchen and coming up empty.
“There’s a sandwich place down the street that’s pretty good,” Toby offered.
“No, I mean out out,” Aniyah corrected. “We should go somewhere that has greasy food and dancing.”
Xander looked at her cautiously. “You want to go somewhere people congregate to dance?”
The look she gave him would’ve made the balls fall off a lesser man. “Are you implying I’m not a people person?”
Xander simply smirked. “Not implying it so much as indirectly stating it.”
She crossed her arms over her chest and popped a hip out. “I go out all the time.”
Nodding slowly, Xander said, “I totally believe that,” in a tone that showed he didn’t believe it at all.
The rest of us watched the two of them as if they were partaking in the world’s most violent tennis match. There was a weird tension that radiated between them. Something that was close to hate but narrowly missed the mark and jettisoned them toward something even more incendiary. Which for Xander was probably a bad thing.
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