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Catching glimpses of my green hair in the mirror, I was fuming. Did he work with Toccarra to get me in trouble? Why? Because I didn’t sleep with him as soon as I got here?
Looking out my window, I could see the Boat House in the distance. Torches were lit outside, lighting up the darkness like a runway leading to that party. Students were funneling in. The more I stewed, the more I wanted to go to his fucking party and cause a scene. Give him a piece of my mind. He wasn’t just bullying me. He was jeopardizing my whole future.
With Toccarra gone, I searched her closet. She’d said I could borrow anything anytime. I never took her up on the offer before. Right away, I found something expensive looking to wear, but casual, like he’d said. Her designer jeans fit me like a glove. I paired it with a black lace top that looked more like a bra. To fit in, I threw on a satin black blazer over it. I found her highest heels, black with red bottoms.
On the way to the Boat House, I regretted the heels. The night air was cool, so I was so glad I wore the blazer. As I made my way down the cobblestone path leading to the fraternity, the thumping of bass broke through the quiet night. The Boat House was a grand wooden structure, not unlike a big boat itself. I flashed my gold card at the door. The guy looked at me funny as he took my card and swiped it. He radioed my description to someone else before he let me pass.
“Once you’re in, you’re in. You’ll need to swipe out.”
Nodding, I stepped inside to the smell of expensive cologne mixing with the faint fishy smell of the river. And I thought everyone was gone? To my right was a bar, complete with a bartender in tails, serving top shelf liquor and champagne. Laughter cut through the air as I passed a group of students trying on a vintage diving suit that I could only assume usually decorated the room like all the other oddities.
My eyes darted around as I searched for Anubis. Still enraged, all my senses were on alert. I heard others in a heated exchange. It caught my attention. I listened in as their voices rose and fell, but discovered they were arguing over which yacht brand was the best.
God, I was out of my league.
I couldn’t help but feel like an outsider just observing the spectacle of excess. Then I spotted another shimmering glass-topped table with some white powder. A group crowded around it, sharing designer paraphernalia embossed with logos. Stuff couldn’t be real. Their focus intense, they moved with an air of invincibility that was frightening.
I wanted to be an outsider.
Stepping out back, a more familiar smell hit me. The pungently sweet smell of weed that Rock smoked all day long. But I wondered if this was that luxury strain of Mary Jane that they all whispered about on campus.
The river was a dark mirror reflecting the starlit sky. And it was alive with swimmers. A guy shouted as he jumped from the roof of the boathouse right into the water. I held my breath, waiting for him to emerge alive. Several students lounged on bespoke blankets, passing around glass pipes. Others chilled in the boats decked out with plush velvet pillows as they sipped from crystal flutes.
Through all this, as I searched for Anubis, I was invisible to everyone, green hair or not. They were inside their bubble, and I smashed my nose against it to catch a glimpse of their carefree lives.
“To the Nile,” someone shouted. A cheer rang out. A throng of party goers pulled me along to the water’s edge. Students in various stages of undress were all jumping into the river. I grabbed a cocktail from a silver tray and downed it. I strained my eyes for Anubis. My heart skipped when he beckoned me to the other side. I stepped around someone, and my heel caught in the sinking earth. Time slowed as I teetered. My arms flailed for balance. All eyes were on me as I plunged into the ice-cold river, gasping as the water enveloped me.
Strong hands grasped me, tugging me to the surface. Heaving, I was drenched. I could’ve drowned. I expected Anubis, but no. The stranger who had signaled me introduced himself as Dave as he offered a towel. I’d been mistaken. Chattering my teeth, I thanked him and rushed to the nearest bathroom to salvage what I could of my outfit.
There I stripped and wrung my clothes out. More than a frat house, the lavatory had powerful hand dryers. Lost in thought, I got to work on drying my clothes. Where was Anubis? It’s not like I even had his number. I realized I shouldn’t have come.
My jeans weren’t getting dry either, so I decided I would try the top. Once the dryer stopped, I heard people shouting outside the door.
Only in my panties, I hollered, “I’m in here.”
“Cops,” they screeched.
Then hurried footsteps filled the air.
Fuck.
As the door burst open, I froze. The stern faces of the campus police were getting an eyeful. They didn’t care as they ushered me out. Holding my wet clothes and my bare breasts, I realized I left my roommate’s shoes behind.
The lawn was all flashing lights and disheveled students. The ones who didn’t get away. And I was in the middle of it all, in nothing but a black lace thong. They let us go, but not before checking our IDs.
Talk about a walk of shame back to the dorms. Plus, I was freezing.
The dean’s office the next morning felt even colder. I was staring at that evil-looking dog again.
“Caught naked at the pauper’s party?” Mrs. Mence read the Campus Police report.
“Come again?” I asked. Paupers?
“The party. Did you think the crew invited you to party? All the Houses invite the slums every year to use the Boat House while they are away to pledge.”
I didn’t miss the fact she called me the slums. “This is sanctioned?”
“Yes. But there were illegal substances found,” she clarified, with an evil smile.
