Fourteen
Eloise
I ended up cooking for Blair and her roommate, Kristen, last night before the party. I’d gone all out, enjoying my shopping trip to the various markets around Thistle. I’d prepared a venison and scallop dish with puréed carrots, a tri-color salad and chocolate soufflé for dessert.
We’d had a really nice dinner, all in all, and it was good to branch out from the lot I’d surrounded myself with since I arrived here. Kristen and Blair were just fun, normal birds … and they talked about regular things like where to get the cheapest manicure in town or what the best kind of drunk delivery service for food was in the area.
Later, they’d been so drunk on good food and wine that I could finally broach the subject of the social clubs without being detected.
“So you said something about Greek row the other day, give me all the nitty gritty.”
Blair pats her stomach, leaning back in one of the high-top chairs that surrounds her small dining table in the two-bedroom apartment she and Kristen share. Their place is cute, in a first apartment kind of way, with artwork from thrift stores and dollar store silverware. I love the simpleness of it, and that they make no apologies for the radiator noise and the hallway that smells like curry.
Kristen gives Blair a look that I can’t read. “You should stay away from those people.”
I wait them out, letting silence further the conversation.
Blair waves her hand. “See, there are two types of people at this school; those in the social clubs, and those who are not. I prefer not to be under the thumb of Gretchen Bauer and her squad. Mostly because I don’t like taking orders, but also because I am not the type of person to delight in others’ downfalls.”
“And the boys, don’t even get me started. Pigs, every single one of them. You don’t know how many times I got tricked into one of their beds as a freshman. They appear to be so upstanding, handsome and put together … when in reality, they’re slimeballs. And then there are the rumors …” Kristen trailed off, looking at Blair.
“What rumors?” I press them on, needing to know what I might be walking into.
Gretchen’s whispers in the Charter House the day I’d walked in unannounced have been haunting me. What were they talking about, and why all the secrecy? And was Colton really what he seemed, or was he just as bad as Kristen said they all were?
Blair is the one that speaks now. “I don’t know what your involvement is with them, but if you’re anywhere near their hallowed halls, be careful. There was an … incident last semester with a pledge at Charter House. Whispers of assault, date rape, that kind of thing. It never came to anything, but there were some guys in Keil and Yardsley that were implicated and threatened with suspension. Then one day, the girl just up and left, no one heard from her again. The rumor is that Gretchen’s family paid her off to keep quiet.”
Of course, I couldn’t confirm or deny that I was pledging, that would be breaking one of Nina’s precious rules. But the meat and seafood in my stomach suddenly soured, thinking about the whispers and the secrets I knew the girls at Charter must be hiding.
And now I’m right in the thick of it, sitting with the rest of the Charter House girls and pledges at the first Jade Mountain basketball game since winter break.
I’ve been to football stadiums in the UK, I’ve experienced rugby matches and games at Wembley, where the crowd is as insane as a bunch of virulent wasps.
But the energy in this arena, the lights and showmanship, is so raw and pure that you can almost taste it. These fans are crazed, I can feel the beads of sweat forming on my back as we get closer to the opening minutes of the game.
“I have to admit, I know absolutely nothing about basketball.”
Amelia leans across Abby. “Lucky for you, it’s pretty simple. Five players on the court from each team at a time. The goal is obviously to get it in the basket. If you shoot it from behind that line, you get three points added to your score. If you are in the lines, it’s two points. Players can get all up in each other’s junk, but not to the point where it gets super physical, then they’ll get a foul. If the ball goes out of bounds, the clock stops. There are a bunch more rules, but bottom line is, they have to get across the court and score a basket in any way possible.”
Okay, sounded a bit like European football, except you could use your hands. It wouldn’t be so hard to follow.
“And are we going to win?”
Abby shrugs. “St. Mary’s is actually pretty good, but we’re undefeated, so we’ll probably smoke ’em. If Colton is hot tonight, which he always is, we’ll kill them.”
My stomach dipped … Colton. Why couldn’t I get that cocky boy out of my head? Oh right, because I’d practically seen him naked last night, and the impressive bulge in his skivvies left little to the imagination. I’d practically crawled back to my dorm room, thankfully Jane hadn’t been there, and had to help myself out with my trusty old vibrator.
Blair’s warning barely registered as I’d played the drinking game with him last night … there was something about him that was too damn blinding, and bloody irresistible. I still didn’t know if I’d act on any of the heavy flirtation going on, but Christ, he was nice to look at.
Rap music blares out of the speakers, and everyone gets to their feet, peering down onto the court below. We have pretty good seats, thanks to the Charter House name I’m sure, and I watch as the Goliaths with our school colors, green and navy, charge out onto the hardwood. Their eyes blaze, their heads are down and bumping in time with the music, the cheers of the crowd charging their batteries past one hundred percent.
I spot him then, dribbling a ball on the far side of the court kind of by himself. He begins to shoot it, making every basket from various points on the floor. It’s like watching an artist paint his canvas, the arc of an arm here, the fluid, elegant motion of his body when he coils and releases. Colton moves like a panther, striking at the exact right moment.
Suddenly, my fingers begin to tingle in anticipation, wanting to see him in action.
“Here we go!” Amelia cheers, and I can see that she is really a fan.
All of the players meet in the center of the court, Colton facing off with one of the St. Mary’s player. The whistle sounds and he jumps, soaring high above the heads of the other men, and sending the ball flying toward his teammates.
It’s even better than I expected, watching him in his element. For the duration of the game, he uses his body and strategy to outmaneuver the opposing team. This man, a formidable machine out there, scores point after point after point. My heart is in my throat following his path down the court.
If it’s possible, Blair’s warning goes right in one ear and out the other. Because after seeing how passionate he is, how skilled he is … I’m just about ready to let him catch me the way he said he would the next time we meet.