Page 32 of Deck of Scarlets
If I wasn’t holding in my vomit so hard, I would have projectile my breakfast all over the table by now. I need to stop agreeing to come to these useless events.
“I won’t lie. What she said was kind of lame,” whispered Heather.
Her comment caught me off guard, which turned into a burst of laughter I couldn’t entirely control when prissy pants front and center gave me a warning look to keep my mouth shut. Heather thought that was funny and giggled into her hands, trying to stay quiet as well.
“Now, before we begin, I have a few rules to review with everyone,” she said.
The crowd groaned, and then someone shouted behind us. “C’mon, Jordan!”
“All right! Settle down!” she demanded, then flipped the paper over. “These are the rules. First, please do not cheat. I know this rule is stupid, but you would be surprised to know that some have cheated in the past. Second, please clean up the area you participated in. The quicker we do this, the quicker we return to our dorms. Lastly, and I cannot stress this enough—”
Some guy came around Jordan and snagged the mic from her grasp. “We get it, Queen of Rules. Now, who’s ready to play?” The crowd erupted in cheers of agreement and began to slam on the tables, creating a loud drum sound from their palms.
I watched as Jordan tried to steal the mic back, but he kept turning just out of her reach. It also didn’t help that he was more than a foot taller than her.
“Let’s do this!” he shouted, dropping the mic dramatically. The sound penetrated my eardrums.
“What the heck just happened?” asked Heather over the loud crowd. Most students were standing, cheering each other and high-fiving like maniacs.
“Who the fuck knows,” I replied.
I wonder if it’s too late to drop out.
Heather chuckled and took a sip of her orange juice. I smiled in return, about to take a sip when I sensed someone watching me. The hairs on my arm stood as my eyes landed on Josh, and that chick Chloe, with others clustered near a marble pillar. Every last one regarded me from afar, with expressions carved like stone, some crueler than others. Nobody else saw our exchange, and yet I felt utterly exposed sitting there. Josh must’ve told them I knew about the Order; it was the only explanation I got for how hostile they presented themselves. It seems I peered into the eyes of the hidden members, exposed, but only I knew. Josh followed my actions with just his eyes as I lifted my glass of orange juice to my lips, giving them the same cold look, trying to keep my composure.
“Heather,” I said, never taking my eyes off the little posse.
“Hmm?” she mused in between bites of bacon.
If anyone knew, it would be Heather. “Does Columbia have a curfew?”
She slurped down the rest of her orange juice, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. “Apparently so. I guess to avoid high crime rates or something. Didn’t you read the handbook fact sheet?”
I snorted a hearty laugh. “Does it look like I read handbooks?”
The crowd continued to cheer, Heather reaching for another piece of bacon. “I don’t know. You’re mostly a closed book.”
Chloe leaned into Josh, whispering in his ear, and his eyes flashed with rage, his nostrils flaring. Josh then turned to me, his eyes darkening almost in a threatening manner, the very heat of his stare making me almost squirm in my seat. But I refused to back down. I refused to be the mouse in their cat chase.
I gave Josh my sassiest wink, reminding him that I was all for the game of finding out the truth. My reaction must’ve ruffled his feathers because he stalked off, leaving the rest of his posse to watch my every move.
At that moment, I realized the Order was dangerous, and I might have stirred the beast.
Chapter Thirteen
After Sunday’s escapade of useless games and unnecessary icebreakers—I reminded Heather never to drag me to that kind of shit again—we managed to survive our first week of college classes. It was interesting, considering I took—more like was forced—Business Management as a major, so some were dry introduction courses, others were prerequisites, but overall, I managed to navigate each one without drawing too much attention to myself. Taking five was average; in reality, I wish I had taken two and called it a day, but the way my family’s connections ran deep in New York, they would find I half-assed the experience and scold me like a child.
Sometimes I wished my parents’ intense involvement in my life would end.
Once again, thank you, Grams, for this marvelous experience.
I liked a few of my professors, some not so much, but at least some were bearable and didn’t call on me when I wasn’t paying attention. It wasn’t at all like the movies I watched growing up or the scare tactics my previous high school teachers threatened us with. I called that a solid win in my book.
I hadn’t seen Kal since our little seven minutes in heaven were cut to two by that girl named Chloe, and it was honestly for the best. Josh had been MIA since his little tantrum that day during freshmen breakfast. Whatever Chloe told him was enough for him to give me a dirty look before storming off.
What a fucking pansy.
I’d seemed to avoid them all week, and although that would’ve been amazing, it made me worry, especially for Heather. The mere thought of her getting involved with such a violent group of people set me on edge every time she left our room. Granted, I had no proof they were evil, but I couldn’t help but shake the uneasy feeling their hidden agenda was dangerous.