Page 86 of Devious Gambit

“Maybe those two are related,” I laughed.

“Some traits can be taught.” I heard the rustling of a paper bag, followed by Tris crunching on something.

“M&M’s?”

“Yep. I’m hanging out for a fucking doobie, I tell ya. Maybe something stronger. I need something to get me through the next few hours.”

“Poor Tris.”

His voice softened, “I gotta go, Rhysals. Merry Christmas. I love ya, cuz.”

“Merry Christmas, Tristals. I love you too.”

“Get off the phone and get your ass down to Kilbernie ASAP!”

“Yes, sir!”

Heeding Tris’s bossy order, I slipped warm and reasonably presentable clothes on, and then tread my way in the snow to Kilbernie Hall.

The inside of Kilbernie Hall reminded me of the inside of a whale with exposed ceiling beams of golden wood arched like a set of ribs. The walls were adorned in fairy Christmas lights as were the long wooden tables with added centerpieces of pinecones and conifer branches, likely picked from the gardens. My stomach roared loudly as my senses were steeped in the giddy, nourishing scent of roast meat and vegetables. I suddenly realized how hungry I was.

Typically, I dropped my head down avoiding eye contact with the many chatty students and staff trapped in KVU for the holidays, and quickly found a spare seat several spaces away from a group of seniors. Moments later, someone took a seat next to me and I pretended I had messages on my phone to deal to.

“Hi,” the girl next to me said.

I wasn’t really in the mood for small talk, but Tris’ scolding voice in the back of my mind forced me to be amicable, just for today. I glanced up to see a familiar face. “Becca?” She’s in a couple of my English Lit classes and invited me to study group, an offer I hadn’t taken up. It wasn’t because I didn’t want to, I just got busy with work and a broken heart.

“Janey and Chelsea have gone home for the holidays, so I’m here alone.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. Why haven’t you gone home too?”

“My parents are spending the Christmas break in Italy.”

“And you’re not invited?”

“Um, no.”

“Wow. Mean.”

She laughed. “Yeah, I know, right. So, how are you traversing Chaucer?”

I groaned. Chaucer and groaning go hand in hand, especially since our lecturer preferred us to study the original text written in old English, not the translated version. “I’m not finding it easy.”

“Same.”

“I thought I was smart until I came to college,” I admitted. “Popped my bubble a little.”

She smiled and gazed off to the side, suddenly becoming distant. I wondered if I was boring her. Hell, I must be incredibly boring to bore a fellow English lit student while talking about English lit. Kill me now. There were several minutes of awkward silence where I wished I was dead, before Becca turned back to me. “Did you have bangs before?” she asked, looking curiously at my face.

“Oh!” I patted my fringe, always forgetting about the new do. “Yes, my friends got me drunk and forced me to change my hair. I had no say in any of it.”

“Sounds like you have good friends.”

“They are. I’m sorry I haven’t contacted you for study group-”

She waved her hand dismissively. “Don’t worry about that. I know you’re busy working at Stads and you have a boyfriend…”

“-No, I don’t. That’s…I…no boyfriend.”

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