Page 49 of The Initiation

Instead, I was surprised when Syn merely informed me it was game day tomorrow.

Even Royal didn’t elaborate before he left the house.

Until this morning, I’ve been certain if Syn isn’t going to follow through with his threat of having me be the only cheerleader, that he’d make me wear a wildcat costume and be the mascot.

In fact, he’s not even mentioned a requirement for me to be at the game at all.

“Remind me again why we’re here,” Penny asks me. She looks around the center before moving closer to speak into my ear. “Because I feel like I’m in some weird horror movie.”

Leaning away from her, I angle my body to show her the back of the basketball dress I’m wearing with Davenport on the back.

Penny wraps her hand around my bare upper arm and pulls me back to her. “You know this is girlfriend behavior, right?”

“I explained this earlier.”

“Yes, but we were pregaming in my room, although I’m not sure if I’ve had enough to drink, or not enough.”

No one—not even Royal—told me to come to the game. But even if that hadn’t felt like some kind of trap or test, I still figured spending a couple of hours cheering for Royal would put me in his good graces. He’d helped me out with the exec meeting the other night.

I’m not stupid. He is Syn’s best friend, and I know where his loyalties lie. But after asking him for help, I know I need to commit.

Which is why, this morning, as soon as the shop opened, I took another chunk out of my limited funds to buy this personalized, form-fitting dress. Then I messaged Penny and asked her to come to the game with me.

It had taken until early afternoon, after Penny returned from brunch with her grandmother, for her to respond.

Penny: I’m gonna be there because I’m your friend. But I’m not going to be there sober. I’ve got wine in my room if you want to pregame with me.

I’d had to tell her three times why I was going to the game, and each time, she told me I’d have been better spending that time searching the house.

Maybe she was right.

Time alone in Denali House was limited.

But getting someone inside that house on my side feels equally as important, and Royal is the easiest option. I’m convinced he wouldn’t have helped me with the meeting if I hadn’t asked, and if this doesn’t work like I want, then there’s always the next game.

“And by the way, if anyone ever tells me that a person can wear a sack and still look hot, I’m going to call bullshit,” Penny tells me.

From the direction she’s glaring, I don’t need to look to know she’s got her eyes fixed on Syn, but I look over anyway.

In the last two weeks, even when I’ve been living under the same roof as him, the most casual I’ve ever seen him dressed is a polo shirt and slacks. Tonight, he’s wearing a pair of jeans and a basketball shirt. There’s something so absurd about his look, that I was half expecting the basketball teams to come out and play in tuxedos.

Annoyingly though, I have to disagree with Penny. The look doesn’t suit his personality, but Syn still looks good.

It’s Gemini that looks weirder.

He’s scraped his hair back into a tuft of a ponytail on the top of his head, which he usually does when he leaves the house. But instead of wearing a hoodie and hiding beneath it, he too is in a Wildcats T-shirt.

My attention is ripped away from the two of them when the center erupts into a deafening roar of cheers, clapping hands, and stomping feet.

The Wildcats, led by Royal, are entering the court.

Before I can think twice, I jump onto my seat, ignoring the protests behind me. “Go, Royal!” I scream as loudly as I can, waving the pair of blue and silver pom poms I bought at the same time as the dress.

My call has the desired effect as Royal whips his head in my direction and grins.

“Attention whore,” the girl behind me says as I get down off the seat.

Ignoring her, I keep my focus locked on Royal as I lean closer to Penny. “I think it worked.”

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