Page 3 of Lords of the Campus

The officer nods, then speaks into the radio on his shoulder. “Find those Hudson boys,” he says. “They’re the ones who did this.”

A few minutes pass in silence and I pray fervently that they don’t find the boys for a while.

“We got ’em,” a voice crackles through the radio. “They were trying to sneak out the back way.”

Archer, Levi, and Zane are dragged out of the main entrance to the school by several officers, their hands behind their backs.

As they pass, they see me standing with Madison and the police and it feels like time passes in slow motion.

Archer looks angry, Levi’s expression is wounded, and Zane’s eyes widen in shock as they’re shuffled into the back of a squad car.

But I can’t explain myself. They’re too far away and even if I wanted to, Madison has a tight grip on me, holding me from behind as if to protect me.

Everything is a blur after that, it all happened so fast. The boys are blamed for the prank and face charges. Their parents get the charges reduced by promising to send them off to a military-style high school that will “straighten them out”.

Even though I try, their parents won’t let me see them. Finally, the day they’re supposed to be sent off, I bike over to their house, desperate to say goodbye, to explain myself.

But they don’t want to see me. “You did this,” Zane hisses as he looks at me with contempt on his face. “You sold us out.”

“Don’t ever talk to us again,” Archer bites out as he climbs into the waiting bus which has been sent to bring them to the school hundreds of miles away.

I open my mouth, needing to get through to them. “Levi, please. I can’t…”

But Levi shakes his head and brushes past me, boarding the bus without another word.

Once I get home, I head into my room and grab the jewelry box under my bed. I pull out the little white stick and stare at it, despair welling up as tears start rolling down my cheeks.

The positive pregnancy test seems to mock me, reminding me that I’m the one who ruined my own future. I don’t know what I’m going to do, but I’m going to have to do it completely alone now.

2

ZANE

As I stroll through the paths of Sterling Heights University, my head held high, a confident grin playing on my lips and I feel on top of the world. The sun bathes the well-manicured lawns and stately buildings in a warm, golden glow and the air buzzes with the frenetic energy of students rushing to classes, chatting in groups and lounging on the sun-drenched lawn.

As I make my way down the main path, I’m greeted by nods, waves, and enthusiastic hellos from all sides.

“Hey, Zane!” a group of girls calls out, their eyes wide with admiration.

“Great game last night, man!” another student shouts, giving me a thumbs-up.

I acknowledge each greeting with a nod or a friendly wave, my chest swelling with pride. Being a member of Alpha Lambda has its perks and moments like these are a constant reminder of how far my brothers and I have come. The sting of our past is now a distant memory, overshadowed by our current status as the lords of Sterling Heights.

My thoughts drift back to high school, to that fateful night during the welcome-back pep rally. The fire, the chaos, the blame that unjustly fell on Archer, Levi, and me. It was the lowest point in our lives, ripped from everything we knew and sent to military school, our reputations tarnished. And Lyric… Her betrayal still stings.

But those dark days are behind us now. We clawed our way back, proving our worth through sheer determination and resilience. Alpha Lambda became our sanctuary, a brotherhood that not only accepted us but celebrated us. Archer, Levi, and I rebuilt our lives, transforming from disgraced outcasts to revered leaders on campus.

My phone buzzes in my pocket, pulling me from my reverie. I glance at the screen and see it’s a text from Archer.

Meeting at the house in 10. Got some new pledges to evaluate.

I smirk and slip the phone back into my pocket. Life is good. We’re on top again and nothing can bring us down. As I approach the grand, ivy-covered façade of the Alpha Lambda house, I can’t help but feel a surge of satisfaction. Nothing can break my spirit right now.

That’s until I’m frozen in my tracks by the sight of the last person I ever thought I’d see again.

A blur of motion catches my eyes and I blink, the sight of a head of curly hair and rounded cheeks taking me back two years into the past. I rub my eyes, uncertain whether what I’m seeing is true, but as the blur pauses for a moment, stopping in front of a vending machine, I’m able to get a better look.

The person is still too far away to tell, but my heart says that it can’t be anyone else but her. Lyric is here, at Sterling Heights.

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