Trent
It was pancake Sunday.
Pancake Sunday = a tradition started by Rimmel (Romeo’s girl) where the entire family got together every Sunday morning to eat breakfast.
At first, I’d kind of been included by default, having been friends with Romeo and Braeden for a while. When Drew showed up, it seemed my place in the family became a little more solid, and I was expected at all family dinners, meetings, etc.
I didn’t have any brothers or sisters by birth, so having them now sort of filled a void in my life I hadn’t realized was there.
Basically, I loved them.
Last night, I managed to slip into the Omega house unnoticed. That almost never happened in a house full of college guys. Someone was always around, and being alone wasn’t something I ever expected unless I was in my room with the door locked.
Hell yes, I kept my door locked.
These guys were assholes.
(I mean that in the nicest way possible.)
If I didn’t lock my door, I’d wake up in the morning with a mustache drawn on my face, or worse yet, a dick.
Tom Barris would never live that shit down. The pics of him with a dick on his face (drawn in Sharpie) would haunt him forever.
Being the president didn’t exempt me from shit like that. It made me more of a target. That’s why I invested in a good lock.
It was late when we got back to town last night, since we stopped about an hour out of the way at some big car parts store we didn’t have around here. The Fastback needed some new shit after Drew pushed the engine so hard at Gamble Speedway.
Then we stopped for dinner at an Applebee’s nearby.
I wasn’t in a hurry to get back anyway. My spur of the moment support of Jack as president caused some waves. I wasn’t anxious to swim in them.
Shit, I was tired. It was nice to get away. Just Drew and the open road. We went somewhere no one knew us. I didn’t realize it would affect the way we interacted, but it had.
We were more relaxed with each other… more open. Which in turn led to moments of awkwardness.
So we were relaxed and awkward with each other almost all at once.
When I walked into the house to an empty foyer and living room, I considered it my lucky day and shot up to my room, where I stayed the rest of the night.
It gave me hope I’d get out of the house again this morning without notice.
No such luck.
Before I was even out of bed, knocking on my door made me groan. I thought about pretending I wasn’t in here but nixed the thought almost immediately. I wasn’t the kind of guy who hid from stuff.
Yes, you are, a voice taunted in the back of my mind. It made me grouchy.
I flung off the covers and unlocked the door and stuck my head out. “What?”
It was Jack, and he was fully dressed, looking awfully awake for such an early hour on a Sunday. He glanced around as if he didn’t want to be seen outside my door.
What the fuck?
“You should come downstairs,” he said low.
“Why?” I asked, making sure my tone matched his.
He shook his head. “Con called a house meeting. Doesn’t want you to know about it.”
That got my attention. “Excuse me?” I growled.
Jack took a step back and glanced at the stairs. “Hurry,” he mouthed and rushed off.
I shut the door, much quieter than I felt like, and rushed around (as much as one could rush in a tiny-ass room with barely any floor space), pulling out a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved T-shirt. I deliberately chose the one with the Omega symbol on the front and the word PRESIDENT in bold across the back.
Something told me I was going to need a little help reminding people who was in charge around this place.
I knew Conner was pissed, but to call a house meeting? Behind my back? What the fuck was he thinking? And, dude. Did he really think I wouldn’t get wind of it?
As I thought, my phone went off simultaneously. It was two texts from two different members of Omega. Both texts were variations of, Get your ass downstairs!
It was nice to see Jack wasn’t the only one who thought this was bullshit.
I didn’t bother combing my hair or brushing my teeth before jogging down the stairs. I considered my rumpled appearance and dragon breath part of the punishment for those who thought they could betray me behind my back.
Clearly, that’s what this was.
Why else would Con hold a meeting he didn’t want me to know about?
The voices coming from the dining room made my back teeth gnash together. I leave for one freaking day…
“This isn’t right. Trent should be here,” someone said.
“I agree. What kind of bullshit is this?” another guy chimed in.
“If he was doing what’s right for the house, he would be here. This meeting wouldn’t even be necessary,” Con replied, as if he were the voice of reason amongst the men.
My fists clenched at my sides, and I told myself to relax. Going in there ready to smash heads was stupid. I needed to know what was going on before I could figure out how best to deal with this.
I did know one thing for certain, though. It was a good fucking thing I didn’t back Con for president. That guy was a tool.
I stepped around the corner and let my considerable height and width fill the arched doorway. “We having a meeting?”
Hushed silence filled the room, and I felt all eyes on me. I didn’t look around. Not yet. Instead, I stared straight at Con, who was standing at the podium.
My spot. The president’s spot.
“I’ve called a house meeting,” Con announced.
I didn’t like his haughty tone.
“Kinda hard to have an Omega meeting without the Omega president,” I said casually.
“Under the bylaws of Omega house, as written by our founding fathers,” Conner stated as if he had rehearsed this speech a hundred times before, “I am exercising my right stated under the presidential code of conduct that any house member can make a movement to have any president voted out of his position with due cause.”
I chuckled. He was trying to get me unseated.
How cute.
I was pretty sure the sound of my laughter raised the hair on the backs of some necks in here because people started shifting uncomfortably and clearing their throats.
“And what due cause are you claiming to have?” I lifted my eyebrow and stared directly at Con.
“Disloyalty to Omega.”
I laughed again. This time it was a little deeper, a little harsher sound. I pushed out of the doorway and stepped farther into the room. “Is that so?” I drawled.
Some of the confidence Conner carried just seconds ago seemed to evaporate, and a look of doubt crossed his eyes.
Good.
“So you think I’ve been disloyal to this house?” I stated, making sure my voice carried over the entire room. “You claim I’m somehow a traitor to my own brotherhood and therefore should be unseated as the president, a position I’ve held for almost two years?”
“He wants you out of the frat completely.” One of the upperclassmen nearby spoke up.
I crossed my arms over my chest. It was getting harder to contain my anger. This was some serious shit.
I moved to the podium, walking with deliberate care. When I got there, I stood right at Con’s back, my excessive height and weight towering over him, and I enjoyed it. “You’re in my way,” I intoned.
He moved.
Once in my rightful place at the podium, I made it a point to make eye contact for several seconds with everyone in the room. Some of them were hesitant to look back. I just stared at them until they relented.
I would not be pushed around in this house. Hells no. I would not be pushed around by some angry lower classman that was acting like someone took away his shovel in the sandbox.
“On this day, my loyalty to the Alpha Omega frat of Alpha University has been called into question. The accuser, presidential candidate Conner Nichols, under bylaw three five section one, has called a house meeting.” I glanced back at the turd. “I assume you planned on taking a vote?”
He nodded curtly.
“I’d like to know the evidence you have to support my alleged disloyalty.”
Conner’s face flushed. “You left brothers’ night! It’s a sacred and time-honored tradition.”
“Ah.” I turned my back to him. “This past Friday was brothers’ night. I left. Something came up, and I needed to leave. It was the first brothers’ night I’ve ever missed in my four years at this fraternity.”
Low murmurs went around the table.
Conner took that as a sign he was losing and making himself look like an ass. “That’s not all!” he shot out. “He’s stretched himself way too thin! He puts other people—people who are not members of this house—ahead of his own brothers! As a president, the men in this house should come above ALL others. This weekend was just an example of how you put us second!”
I kept my back turned to Con because I was sure if I looked at him, I’d deck him in the face. “I don’t like the fact my integrity is being called into question here.” The anger in my voice could not be missed. “I’ve spent the better part of two years dedicating myself to this fraternity. I’m the one who built the case against Zach to get him out. I’m the one who made sure there was sufficient evidence to make sure he stayed gone. I spend hours and hours every single week going to meeting after meeting and representing this house in a respectable manner.
“We all know once Zach left, no one wanted to associate with us. The Omega name was sullied. I’m the one who turned that around. I fought to get us invites, to get us to events where people could see us doing good. If you want to question my dedication to this frat, perhaps I should pass around the official logbook. Every single hour I spend on Omega business is documented. If that isn’t enough, I’d be happy to call the dean, on his personal cellphone, and ask him on this fine Sunday morning what he thinks of this bullshit.”
My chest was heaving when I finished talking. Shit. I was pissed.
“Maybe we should call Drew. Ask him how much time you spend with him.” Conner taunted.
Like a frayed string, I snapped. My hands made a sharp sound when I slapped them on the podium and gripped the edges until the wood dug into my hands.
“Just what the fuck are you implying?” I growled.
“That maybe the brothers of this house don’t want to be represented by a fag.”
The earsplitting sound of wood cracking splintered through the room when the podium hit the floor. I spun so fast to face Conner that my vision was actually blurry.
But I could still see enough.
“What did you just say to me?” I bit out.
His eyes widened.
Before he could say anything, I grabbed him up by the front of his shirt and lifted. His feet came up off the ground easily, and he dangled there like an empty piñata.
I couldn’t stop myself. I was like a train already derailed.
The sound my fist made plowing into his face gave me nothing but satisfaction. When I let go of his shirt, he sagged to the ground, and I yanked my arm back again.
I was so enraged I couldn’t think. All I could do was feel.
Hurt. Anger. Confusion. Betrayal.
“Whoa!” A few of the upperclassmen who’d been with me since rush restrained me and pulled me back.
Con sat up and pressed his fingers to the gash on his cheekbone. I’d split the skin open with the force of my hit.
The blood was what brought me down off the ledge. The sight of the red stuff oozing out of his face and the look of it on the tips of his fingers.
I didn’t regret it. Like fuck I would.
I wanted—no, I itched—to punch him again. But once could be considered a lack of judgement. Twice would be considered a choice.
“I’m good,” I said to the guys holding me. “I’m straight.”
Reluctantly, they let go but stayed at my sides. I turned to the rest of the men all sitting there and watching with interest.
“It’s clear to me the real traitor in this house is the douche who’s trying to get me cast out secretly. I find it funny he didn’t find fault with my leadership until Friday night when I backed Jack for president, not him.”
Another murmur went around the room.
“But I digress. Y’all want me out, it’s your call. Just know I won’t be around to clean up the mess he makes next year like I was when Zach left.” To the guy next to me, I said, “Put it to a vote.”
He cleared his throat and stepped forward. “All those in favor of dethroning the current president of Alpha Omega, say aye.”
No one said shit.
I made sure I waited several long, silent minutes to make it clear as day that Conner was a complete loser.
“That’s bullshit!” he spat and jumped to his feet.
“All those in favor of removing Conner as a presidential candidate for the upcoming election, say aye,” I boomed over the room.
Everyone lifted their hands and spoke.
I glanced at Con. “You’re out.”
“You can’t do that!” he cried like the little bitch he was.
“Since you seem so familiar with the bylaws and codes of this fraternity, I am sure you are well aware that I can.”
“You can’t kick me out!”
“You’re not out,” I said mildly. “You’re still a brother, but you won’t be president of this house.”
He started to say something, but I made a slashing motion in the air with my hand, and he flinched.
“We now have only one candidate for house president,” I stated. “Is there anyone who would like to throw their name in the ring for election? You will be welcomed.”
Conner laughed. “Are you kidding? Everyone is scared of you now!”
“The only person who should be scared of me is you,” I replied.
“That was a threat!”
“I didn’t hear any threat,” the guy beside me said. Everyone else started to say the same.
“Anyone?” I asked after a few moments.
No one came forward.
I glanced at Jack. “That means Jack will be our next president. Hope you’re up for the job.”
“I’ll do my best,” he spoke out.
Conner started talking again.
“Get him the fuck out of my sight!” I yelled.
He was carted away.
“We’ll still hold a formal vote to make it official,” I said to the remaining men in the room. “And I’ll start mentoring him now.”
Everyone nodded and shifted like they weren’t sure what to do.
I cleared my throat. “I’d like to thank everyone here for their loyalty today. You did the right thing by not following him. I’m thinking that’s enough house drama for one day. Meeting adjourned. Enjoy what’s left of your weekend.”
No one left the room. It was like they were all glued into place.
I glanced down at the cracked podium.
“We’ll take care of that,” my buddies offered.
“Thanks. I’m just gonna go get some air. Be right back.” I walked out of the room, my neck prickling the entire way.
Soon as I turned the corner for the front door, people started talking. It was low whispers. Some excited and some filled with awe.
I heard the word “gay” whispered by more than one man.
I walked right out the front door into the frigid morning air.
I kind of sensed what Con believed on Friday when he told me to say hi to Drew. Such innocent words spoken with so much underlying meaning.
I ignored him. I thought he was just being an asshole. I never thought of it as a threat.
Not only had that little pecker head just tried to get me kicked out of my own damn fraternity, but he also told everyone I was gay—and he said it using language that made me cringe.
I wasn’t gay.
I yanked my cell out of my back pocket and texted Drew.
Can’t make it to breakfast. Frat business.
Everything okay? he texted back.
Yeah. TTYL.
After my terse reply, I shut my phone off and shoved it back in my pocket. I didn’t want to talk to anyone right now.
Especially Drew.
I wasn’t gay.
Except… maybe I was.