Elite

  Clever. Bet they nearly killed off all their brain cells to come up with that one. I decided to join in the fun and drew a heart around my head with a little bubble that said MOO.

  Take that.

  I pushed open the door and immediately threw off my jacket, followed by my shirt, and then I addressed my skirt. I heard chuckling.

  My hands froze on my skirt’s zipper. I looked up.

  Nixon lay across my bed. “Please, don’t let me interrupt. Continue.”

  I flipped him off.

  He laughed harder.

  I quickly pulled on the tank top I’d worn to bed and thrown across the chair. “What do you want?”

  “Not sex, but thanks for the offer.”

  “I was not…” I took three deep breaths. Arguing got me nowhere with Satan. “Why are you here?”

  “Waiting for my sister. What else?”

  I exhaled in relief.

  “What, you disappointed I didn’t want an afternoon screw?”

  “Not at all.” I sat far far away on Monroe’s bed. “Besides if you needed one, all you have to do is knock on any door on this floor. Just be sure to use protection. I know how you are about germs.”

  “Only yours,” he sang.

  I threw a pillow in his direction hoping to smack him in the face. He caught it mid air and scowled. “Can you at least wait for her outside?”

  “Nope.”

  “Why?” I ground my teeth together. At the rate I was going I would have nothing left to grind.

  “Because, I like your bed. It’s comfortable.”

  “It has my germs and I swear to you I drooled all over my pillow last night.”

  He shrugged. “I only hate germs on people, not objects.”

  Nixon looked at his watch then put his hands behind his head and closed his eyes.

  “Why?”

  “Why what, Farm Girl?”

  “Why don’t you like people touching you? Is that your rule or an Elite thing?”

  “You ask a lot of questions for someone so stupid.”

  That stung, but I was too tired to let it sink too far into my consciousness. “It is the only way to find out how to survive in this place.”

  “You’ll survive, if you follow the rules. I thought I told you that.” He propped up on his elbow. “The system works, Trace. I know you think I’m an asshole, but if I was nice, they would eat you alive. Wouldn’t you rather I do the tasting?” He smirked.

  Damn, I was literally itching to punch him in the jaw.

  “Why can’t everyone just be nice and get along?”

  He groaned into his hands and stood. “Maybe I will wait outside.”

  “You do that.”

  He walked to the door and then stopped. “Has anyone made fun of you today?”

  “Is this a trick question?” I asked, jumping off Monroe’s bed. “You make fun of me all the time!”

  “Other than me.” He shoved his hands into the pockets of his slacks. “Tell me the truth.”

  “N-no,” I stuttered. “No one made fun of me today.”

  “I guess my point is made.”

  “The hell it is.” I bent down and picked up another pillow to throw at his face. “You think you have that much power? To protect me from them? You think you’re that much better? That what you do is better than what typical college kids could do to me?”

  His eyebrows rose. “Care to make a wager?”

  “Fine!” I poked him in the chest.

  Nixon closed his eyes as if in pain. “Please don’t touch me.”

  I backed off but only because he said please.

  “I’ll stop bothering you… but when I win — when you can’t take it anymore — when you are living in hell every single day, I want to hear it from your lips. Not Monroe’s, not Chase’s. I want you to approach me. I want you to tell me…”

  “Tell you what?” I whispered.

  “That you need me.”

  “When hell freezes over!” I snapped.

  “Bring a parka, because life’s a bitch and you just bought a first class ticket, sweetheart.”

  I was still in a crappy mood when Monroe finally arrived. True to his word, Nixon sat outside, at the door waiting for her. Why he didn’t text her or call her I have no idea.

  I couldn’t really hear what they were saying. But Monroe was yelling, and Nixon was yelling, and I was pretty sure one of them was going to throw a punch.

  So I was really surprised when Monroe bounced into the room with a wide smile on her face. “Guess what!”

  “You killed your brother?”

  She rolled her eyes. “I’m not that lucky, no.” With a huff she sat on her bed. “The Elect are throwing a party tonight and I get to bring you!”

  Excuse me while I pull out my pom-poms. “Swell.”

  “Boots, don’t go raining on my parade. Besides, Tex will be there and…”

  I raised an eyebrow.

  She flushed. “Fine. I like Tex. Happy?”

  “Does Satan know?”

  “He sees all,” she grumbled.

  “Is that why you guys were fighting?”

  “What should I wear?” Monroe clapped her hands. “I don’t want to look too easy, but I still want to look hot, you know? Hmm, maybe a red dress? You think? With Loubuitan heels?”

  “Uh… Louib—who?” I laughed. “You’re beautiful in pajamas. Just wear something you feel confident in.” I didn’t miss that she changed the subject, but I decided maybe it was best if I didn’t know all of the happenings of their family.

  Monroe began pulling clothes from her closet and tossing them onto the floor. Finally, she chose a purple dress with a plunging front and back. Only it was covered with some sheer material so technically it could not be defined as slutty.

  I did say technically.

  “Your turn.”

  “Um, I have a lot of homework and—”

  “—Nope, you’re going. Nixon said you could.”

  “Oh well, if the great and powerful OZ said I could go….”

  Monroe threw her head back and laughed. “Can we please call him Oz from now on?”

  “Sure, he’d love that.” I smirked. “He’d probably threaten me again.”

  “Whatever.” Monroe rummaged on the floor and grabbed a tight t-shirt and short jean skirt. “Here.” She tossed them at my face.

  I caught them. Both pieces of clothing were smaller than the tank top I wore to bed. How was that supposed to work?

  “Um, Monroe, this outfit is kind of—”

  She rolled her eyes. “Wear flip flops so you don’t look as tall, and we’ll give you a leather jacket. It will look awesome. Trust me.”

  I wasn’t sure I could trust anything coming from her mouth, considering she was the one wearing a purple get up that would make the Jersey Shore blush.

  “Are you sure I should go? I don’t know, Nixon and I got in a fight and—”

  “I need you!” She stood to her full height and stomped her foot. “I need a wing person.”

  “For Tex? You’re kidding right?”

  “Please?” She jutted out her bottom lip.

  I glared, but she kept giving me that pitiful stare of hers. “Fine, I’ll go.” I had a really bad feeling about this party.

  Chapter Eight

  Note to self — if you have a bad feeling about something… If your gut is twisting at the idea of following through with a bad choice… Just say no. Do not be a yes person. I closed my eyes and opened them again. Maybe if I closed my eyes I’d become invisible. I tried it again. Nope. No such luck. Crap.

  “Monroe, I should go,” I yelled above the music.

  “No! Stay!” She was dancing with Tex. I mean, I guess you could call it dancing. His hands were everywhere, and honestly I was waiting in anticipation for Nixon to punch him in the nose for holding his sister that close.

  But Nixon was nowhere to be found.

  Not that I was looking for him.

  And even if I was looking
for him, it was only out of self-preservation and survival. Like on the Discovery channel, when the antelope see a lion. They don’t just hang out and give the lion a chance. No, they run like hell.

  “Okay, five more minutes,” I chanted to Monroe, but she was too busy making out with Tex. Hmm, I’d never really found red heads attractive, but he was kinda cute. When his tongue was in his mouth and he wasn’t completely drunk and humping my roommate.

  So basically he was cute this afternoon. Tonight? Not so much.

  “Hey, New Girl,” a male voice said from behind me.

  I turned.

  Phoenix stood there two drinks in hand. His Harvard good looks would get him far. His sandy blonde hair was slicked to the side, but it totally worked for him because it made his thick black eyelashes stand out against his chocolate eyes.

  “Drink?” He held out the red plastic cup.

  “Did you put a roofie in it?” I asked nicely.

  “If I did I wouldn’t tell you,” he said with a deadpan expression.

  And there goes that sick feeling again in my stomach.

  He smiled warmly and tilted his head. “Take the drink, Trace. I promise I didn’t drug it…” I grasped the cup and took a tentative sip. “This time,” he finished.

  “Good to know.”

  He put his free arm around me and guided me to the outside. I hadn’t realized how stuffy it was in that tiny room until now. It was some sort of party house located on campus. One that security literally guarded so that kids could get wasted without having to worry about driving or doing something stupid.

  Were there really no rules here?

  “Rule number six…” Phoenix folded his arms across the banister of the balcony and sighed. “Never accept drinks from a stranger.”

  “Do you qualify as a stranger?” I asked, taking another sip.

  “No. We’re…” He seemed to think about it for a few seconds. “Friends.”

  “Wow, that must have been hard to say out loud.”

  “You should be more careful.” He sighed into his hands. “Look, I don’t even know why I’m telling you this. If Nixon finds out, he’ll kick my ass, but he’s just trying to protect you. You don’t know what the people are like here. I mean, you’re from a farm for crying out loud.”

  “You sound just like him.” I played with the plastic cup in my hands and then set it on the balcony. “Everyone here is under the age of twenty-one, right?”

  He shrugged. “Some are, some aren’t.”

  “And they’re so bad that you guys have your own mafia to keep everyone in check? I don’t believe it. Sorry, but what about the security, what about the adults, the teachers?”

  Phoenix looked down at the ground. “They look the other way.”

  He started to look like he had two heads. I licked my lips. My throat suddenly felt really dry. I drank some more of the liquid from the cup. I felt parched. Finishing the drink, I put it back on the banister and looked at Phoenix.

  “I… I’m so thirsty.”

  He smirked. “Really? Do you want some of mine?”

  I reached out to grab his cup and it tipped over the edge sufficiently landing on someone’s head. They flipped me off. Or at least I think they did. I saw like twenty fingers.

  Something was wrong. My mouth felt like cotton. “Y-you said no drugs…” Why did my words sound so funny?

  Phoenix laughed loudly. “I also told the new history teacher that I was a virgin in need of an older woman’s expertise…” He pulled me close to him and tilted my chin up. “Now you’ll see why you need us. Don’t worry, I won’t let anyone hurt you. I’m doing this for Nixon, so he can see. He needs to see. Nobody can control us, especially not some farm girl who moos in front of the entire student body.”

  I was being carried or pushed. I wasn’t really sure which. But suddenly we were back inside, and he was carrying me down the stairs and out to the front of the house. I tried to fight him, but it was like I had no strength in my body. This was bad. So very bad.

  “H-help.” It was a weak pitiful yell. Actually, it sounded loud to my ears but everything sounded loud.

  “Phoenix… pleashhh.”

  “Sorry, Trace. I really am. But this is for your own good.”

  How is drugging me for my own good? This is what I wanted to yell to him, but when I opened my mouth nothing came out.

  “What the hell, Phoenix!” I heard another male voice. Please let it be a teacher or someone, or Tex even!

  “She’s drunk. I’m taking her back to her dorm.”

  “Like hell you are! And her dorm isn’t in that direction. What are you doing?”

  I saw Chase’s face. Well, I saw three of them. At least I think it was Chase.

  “I’m doing her a favor, doing us a favor. Back off, you’re already on Nixon’s shit list. I’m making everything better, you’ll see.”

  I lifted my hand up to grasp Chase. He looked concerned but not enough to do anything. I wanted to cry, but then again, I wanted to keep my tears in. I felt so dehydrated.

  “I’ll take her,” Chase mumbled.

  “You’re going to do it? Really?”

  “Just let me do it.” Chase held out his arms. I was being transferred. That was a good thing, right? I mean, Chase gave me boots!

  Chase mumbled something under his breath as he carried me to a waiting car. He gently placed me in the front seat and drove off. I tried not to nod off, but it was hard. And Chase kept mumbling something like, “…Can’t believe she’s pushed him this far. What is Nixon thinking?”

  That was the last thing I remembered until everything went black.

  ****

  A loud bell ringing woke me up. Apparently I had been run over by a truck the night before. I remembered the party, and then I remembered drinking something from Phoenix. He looked hot last night, and then Chase? Had Chase been there?

  The bell rang again. I shook my head and rubbed my eyes. Where was I? I felt comfortable, like I was in my bed, but it wasn’t my bed.

  Oh no.

  I jolted upright and noticed the room was masculine. Definitely not my room. I didn’t do anything though. I had all my clothes on, my body felt fine. Well, other than the pounding of my head. I quickly grabbed my jacket and bolted out of the room.

  The guys’ dorm. Of course. At least nobody was there to witness my shame. And then one by one, doors to the hall opened, and guys poked their heads out.

  “Ah! He bagged another one! Go Tim!” A guy shouted, and then a giant wall of muscles greeted me via the bathroom. The guy was Asian with killer golden eyes and an even greater smile. I gulped.

  “Tim bagged the new girl!” Someone else shouted.

  I tried to get by the guy, but he kept blocking me.

  “What is your problem?”

  He smirked and leaned in so close I could smell his toothpaste. “What baby? No good morning kiss from the guy you spent the night with?”

  Anger and shame washed over me simultaneously. I didn’t do that. I would never do that! My eyes darted to all the guys around me. They were high-fiving and texting, and of course taking picture of me. Great.

  “Get the hell away from me!” I pushed against his muscled chest. But he only pulled me closer. I struggled out of his grasp, mainly because he let me get free, and jogged down the hall only to find the door to the main lobby already open. And there stood Phoenix waiting. Chase was by his side.

  As well as about one hundred other males from the dorm.

  I launched myself on Phoenix, but Chase blocked my way. “Let it go, Trace.”

  “You son of a bitch! Why would you do that to me?”

  Phoenix smirked. “Maybe you shouldn’t drink so much next time.”

  Chase released me. His eyes were sad, but I didn’t care. I charged out of the lobby to the sound of guys screaming and calling me a whore.

  By the time I reached my dorm, tears were streaming down my face. I checked my pocket for my key card.

  It was gone
.

  I guess I’d already used my one elevator ride anyways. I jogged up the stairs, sweating by the time I reached the third floor.

  And, to my utter horror and humiliation, I was welcomed by several girls clapping. “Way to go, New Girl, bagging the quarterback of the football team. Well done!”

  “What a slut!” another girl yelled. “Tim has a girlfriend! Who does that?”

  I choked back sobs as I reached my door, and pushed it open. Thank God it wasn’t locked.

  Monroe was still sleeping.

  I didn’t know if I wanted to wake her. I didn’t know if I wanted to tell her. I paced the room five times before finally making the decision.

  “Monroe.” I sobbed. “Please wake up! Please!”

  She jolted awake and then cursed. “Where the hell have you been?”

  “Oh you know, getting my brains screwed by the quarterback of the football team.” I didn’t even try to hold the tears in as I collapsed on her bed and told her the whole story or at least what I remember of it.

  “Are you sure?” she asked when I was finished.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Are you sure you didn’t just drink too much and leave with Tim?”

  “Yes!” I shouted. “Why don’t you believe me? Why doesn’t anyone believe me!”

  “Whoa, calm down.” Monroe stood and yawned. “I’ll talk to Nixon, he’ll fix it.”

  “He won’t.” Dread filled my stomach until I thought I was going to puke. “He told me he was done protecting me.”

  “Come again?”

  “We kind of made a wager…”

  Monroe threw something against the wall. “Why the hell would you make a deal with the devil?”

  “He provoked me!” I yelled.

  “Wow…” Monroe paced in front of me. “Well, at least you don’t have to face any of them during lunch time that would be… catastrophic.”

  Crap. Crap. Crap. “I kind of lost my access card.”

  Monroe slumped to the floor. “Girl, I hate to be the one to say this, but you are totally and completely screwed.”

  I nodded. I knew it was true. And I hated that I had to face all those people today.

  “How do I eat?”

  “I’ll think of something, okay?” She bit her lip. “It’s just the only one who has passes is Nixon. I’ll bring it up to Tex and see what he says.”