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I replay our conversation in my head. From the moment I fell on my face to the way it felt when he walked out of my room without looking back. Without pausing in his retreat.
That turned out to be a good thing considering Max was lurking around, on his way to see me.
"He's made up his mind," I state, slamming my economics book closed. "I'm not begging."
Sierra is sitting on her bed, resting her back against the wall, and when I make eye contact, she smirks at me and gives me a little shrug. "If you say so, but I have a feeling you'll be begging him eventually. For something at least."
The last part was added under her breath, but not quiet enough I didn't hear her.
"Get dressed. We're not wasting our Saturday studying."
"Uh," I start, when she picks up my red LSU hoodie off the back of my desk chair, tossing it at me. "Where exactly are we going?"
"It's homecoming, Evie."
"And the game starts in like six hours. We have plenty of time."
"Homecoming isn't about the game. I mean, it partially is, but it's mostly about the experience. And since you've bailed on me all week to hide away in here, your first official homecoming festivity is going to be tailgating. Now, get changed."
She leaves little room for discussion as she begins stripping out of her pajamas. Staring at the hoodie in my hands, I attempt to come up with an acceptable excuse as to why I can't go with her, but my mind draws a blank.
Looks like I'm going tailgating.
"Evie!"I hear Max shout my name three times before I finally stop walking and scan the area. He's jogging toward where Sierra and I have stopped outside the Zeta tent.
When Sierra said we were going tailgating, I expected literal tailgates. Trucks. Camp chairs. Maybe a grill or two. People getting pumped for the game with foam fingers and painted faces.
What I found when we finally arrived was a large parking lot made into a fairground. Hundreds of tents, sponsored by various organizations and clubs. All offering free samples of food or beverages.
Streamers in signature LSU red and black were strung from tent to tent. Music was playing over the loudspeaker. Carnival style games were being held, and food trucks were parked sporadically throughout the lot.
It is amazing and overwhelming.
"Hey," I greet Max once he's finally within ear shot.
"What are you doing over here? The Kappa tent is on the other side of the lot. The fraternity houses were put closest to the entrance to the field."
Good to know. Now I have a safe way to avoid not only Leo, but my brother and his watchful eye.
"Thanks, but we're going to walk around and check things out for a while. We'll stop by later." Max's eyes slick to Sierra who's standing by my side, but he doesn't say anything. "Have fun."
Turning my back to my brother, I hear him call my name, but I continue walking away. I'm not in the mood for Max's games today. All he does is bring me down, hovers over me, and tries to control my life. I'm over it.
And he needs to learn that.
"Step one: stand up to your brother. Nice. I never thought I'd see the day." Sierra's giggling to herself as we get in line for the taco truck we were headed for before Max interrupted us.
"Laugh it up."
"Oh, it's funny. The look on his face was priceless. He didn't know what to do when you walked away. It was like the strings of his puppet had been cut, and he realized he didn't have control over it anymore."
Is that what I've been? A puppet.
Fuck. How did it get this far?
"Consider the strings cut." My statement is made with new resolve. I will not let my brother run my life or interfere anymore. He can try, and he will, but I plan to stand up for myself. For what I want.
"On that note, I think I'm going to see if there's a pizza truck." Sierra's words are rushed as I dig through my purse for cash.
