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Strangely, it’s something I’m jealous of—although I’d never tell him that. Not his choice of clothes, but the fact that he just doesn’t give a shit.
“I’ll drive,” Royal says.
Nodding, I follow him outside to our golf buggy. The campus is too small to drive to each building in a car, but we’ve been given permission by the dean to use this.
Permission… more like, he was informed we would be using it, and it was in his best interest not to disagree. The man is smart enough to know one call to my father is enough to get him booted out so quickly, he wouldn’t even stand a chance at teaching in a middle school in Arkansas.
We arrive at the dining hall in the middle of the breakfast session, but before I can walk through the door, my phone rings. I pull it out of my pocket and frown. “You guys go in,” I say before I walk off to the side to take the call.
“You missed the first initiation ceremony.”
As usual, Preston doesn’t bother with greetings. He’s also stating the obvious, considering he said he would take my place when I told him I wouldn’t be back from China in time.
“How did it go?” I ask.
“Salaway is going to cause us problems. I suggest we don’t allow him to pass his initiation.” Before I can respond, Preston hangs up.
“Dick.”
I don’t like the guy. I have to tolerate him because he was the President before he graduated, and I took the position. And he was JP’s friend… but honestly, I’m just glad I don’t have to spend another year with the guy.
But Preston du Pont is not important anymore.
I put the phone back in my pocket and walk into the dining hall. The crowd parts as I walk through, heading straight for our table.
There’s no assigned seating in here, but everyone knows the table in the back corner is reserved for the President and Vice Presidents of the Elite. It always has been. I join Royal and Gemini, who have already been served their breakfast.
As usual, Gemini is eating kids’ cereal. Today’s oversized bowl of choice is Cocoa Puffs, the liquid having already turned to chocolate milk. And Royal, despite spending more hours in the gym than me, and being Point Guard for the Keyingham Wildcats, is eating a heart attack on a plate.
One of the initiates steps forward, keeping his head lowered as he sets a glass of orange juice on the table in front of me. “I’ll get your—”
“Did I ask you to speak, neophyte?” I pick up the orange juice. From the corner of my eye, I see him turn red, clamp his mouth shut, and take a step back.
This year, there are twelve freshmen who think they will be invited into the Elite. There were thirteen. Even though at least one of their parents was also a past member, they’ve still had background checks performed on them.
This is what sets us apart from the Greek system.
Every past member is influential. There are members of the military, the government, the police… Lawyers, doctors, and some of the wealthiest and most powerful businessmen in the country. Together, that gives us the ability to get anyone out of—or in—trouble.
Of course, very few of these members know exactly who is pulling the strings.
The initiation serves one purpose: find who’s willing to follow orders. And if they can’t, throughout the process, we’ll have obtained enough material that later, they will anyway.
As my father told me, it’s not the public that puts a man in the White House, and it’s not just the president who gets laws passed.
The initiate returns, setting my eggs and spinach in front of me. He’s learned, this time, keeping quiet as he does.
As he backs away, Royal leans towards me. “She’s here.”
Instantly, I sit up, scanning the tables. It doesn’t take long before I pick her out, sitting on the other side of the room with Penny Bergmann. I had Gemini look into her before she started, as well as having a private investigator follow her.
For the last few years, she’s been keeping her head down. Not long after the trial started, she deleted all her social media, and hadn’t been back online since. She’s been keeping a low profile—as she should. So why did she decide to comehere, of all places?
I’ve seen her once before.
The day the judge delivered his verdict, she was in the courtroom. She was about fifteen then. Blonde hair bleached practically white and wearing too much makeup.
She’s all grown up now and looks like a woman instead of a kid playing dress-up. Her hair is much longer now, and a darker shade of blonde. She’s wearing less makeup too. Overall, she’d be quite attractive…
