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“I barely had a drink.”
“This is your second strike, Ms. Divore. Do you know anything about baseball?”
I bowed my head.
“People who grow up on hotdogs usually get the reference,” she said with a satisfied smirk. I was beginning to think she wanted me to leave. “This behavior is not befitting a student of our influential institution.”
Her attitude only made me want to get to the bottom of who was setting me up. But I knew who. He was, after all, the bad guy in my story. The guy who invited me to that party, he wasn’t even at.
Believing we were done, I turned to go. But her strident voice sounded from behind me. “You must join an organization. You’re too undisciplined. Those who have grown up poor have entirely too much time on their hands. Idle hands do the devil’s work. Please let me know you’ve joined an activity by the end of the week.”
CHAPTER THREE
Joke was on Mrs. Mence. I wanted to join the campus paper, the Howler. If only to understand who was messing with me. Even if I suspected two people, my roommate and Anubis. Putting my green hair into a messy bun, I dressed for my interview. I entered Toccarra’s closet again since she wasn’t back from California. And she hadn’t returned my messages. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one upset about our fight.
To beat all her leaving last weekend meant she was pledging to a House. Something she hadn’t shared with me as we both discussed we wouldn’t be joining a sorority. As soon as she was sure I wouldn’t join, she went to sign up. I felt so betrayed by someone I thought had my back. If I had known she was joining, I may have joined a House, and I wouldn’t be on strike two.
Then I was slapped again. Walking into the office of the Howler, the first thing I saw was their storyboard. In the middle, there was a picture of me from last weekend, hiding my titties.
“You’re not printing that,” I said to the girl studying the board.
“Of course, not. We’re not a gossip rag. I was covering the lack of political protest on campus, but someone erased my board last night and replaced it with this shit. Is that you?” She did a double take.
No one else had green hair. She introduced herself as Kate and took me to the editor’s office. Harry Hadley of the Howler waited for me behind a desk. It was a mouthful. A graduate student, he was plump but in a cute way, like a football player. Edenvane didn’t have a football team.
Joining the paper wasn’t as straightforward as an interview, he told me. “We’re not just looking for writers. Anyone can fire up a chat bot these days and string words together. We need someone who can bring something unique to the table.”
“Like what?”
He leaned forward, his voice dropping to a whisper. “Get us some dirt on the Skulls, and you’re in.”
It caught me off guard. I’d heard fleeting rumors about secret societies. Who hadn’t? Folks said that the Skull Society was an elite circle of students who dabbled in everything from witchcraft to crime. And that was in college. Out of it, we were talking about the deep state, illuminati bullshit. Hearing the editor of the Howler mention it had been rich.
“This has to be a joke.” It was a question. I felt like I was being set up once again.
Harry shook his head.
“You can’t be serious?”
He narrowed his eyes. “I would think you, of all people, would be suspicious. You grew up in their town. You’re one of the famous lottery winners. They picked you for something.” Harry spoke of the Edenvanes as he scratched his chin. “They shut down the press in Crestwood because of the story that leaked about the society.”
Rolling my eyes, I couldn’t take him seriously. “Where would I even begin?”
“At the top. People say that they saw you with Anubis. Few can get close to him. And check out the archives at the library if you think I’m joking.”
Anubis, the captain of the Rowing team, would be at the river, he told me.
“Alright, Sherlock,” I said as I was leaving. I’d already figured that much.
Fuck. I had a bone to pick with the bad guy anyway, but also, he was my best lead.
Making my way to the river, I tried to decide how I’d approach him. Chew him out or butter him up for intel? However, the scene that soon unfolded before me was an echo of the party’s aftermath. The flicker of police lights, the flash of an ambulance and a crowd of onlookers, their faces marred with concern, surprised the hell out of me. Couldn’t be another party since it was the afternoon. Someone had gotten hurt.
Amidst the commotion, I found Anubis. Not a victim, thankfully. He was a central figure surrounded by his team and a few officers giving a statement. Even soaking wet, a towel draped over his shoulders, his presence was commanding. I hesitated, unsure whether I should approach the scene, considering all the trouble I’d been in. I didn’t want to be connected to any more problems. But I watched him scan the crowd, his face a mask of shock and horror. As soon as our eyes connected, he hastened toward me, his strides long and purposeful.
Pulling me into an embrace, he murmured into my hair, “It’s your roommate.”
Everything paused. His words sank in deep, stabbing me in the heart.
