Page 2 of Kings of the Campus

I head out into the sun-drenched day, walking absent-mindedly toward the Comms building, not paying a lick of attention until I almost run into someone.

“Oh shit, sorry,” I say, holding the door for Ryan Carter, his baby face blinking back at me. He’s one of the junior investigative reporters on staff at theSentinel. “Didn’t see you there.”

Ryan seems nervous, almost skittish. “Oh, hi Tessa,” he says, glancing over his shoulder. “Sorry, can’t talk right now. Gotta go.”

He pushes away without another word and takes off in the opposite direction. I wonder what’s got him so keyed up but before I can speculate, I spot Dr. Reynolds and hurry to catch up to her.

She stops when I call out her name and waits for me to catch up. Dr. Reynolds is my advisor and my mentor, as well as the professor of the class I’m heading for.

We chat as we walk into the classroom together and I head for a seat near the front, eager to start my last year of journalism studies. We get an assignment right away and I mentallycalculate how much time I’ll have to work on the assignment before Valencia drags me off to the Sigma Theta party tonight.

It seems I’m right about the timing because as soon as my classes are over for the day, I try to head to the library but Valencia insists on having me come over to Delta Pi’s sorority house to help her get ready.

I sit on her bed, running my hands over the fuzzy purple duvet on the bed as Valencia tries on outfit after outfit for me. “What about the pink dress?” I offer, trying to get this show on the road. I have a schedule and I prefer to stick to it, but I’m willing to be there for my best friend.

Valencia holds it up on the hanger in front of her “You don’t think I look too young and innocent in it, do you? I want to look sexy and glamorous.”

“Then maybe the black one?” I offer. “I know the black and the pink look similar, but I think the black might have the vibes you’re going for.”

“Great idea,” Valencia says, beaming as she tosses the pink dress on the bed. “Are you going to change too?”

“I wasn’t sure what to wear,” I tell her. “I’m not usually one to go to frat parties.”

“Let me help you then!” Valencia insists. I blush, ducking my head. Is it weird I’m strangely looking forward to the party? I guess part of me is curious if Sigma Theta can truly turn over a new leaf.

Once Valencia finishes putting her outfit on, she frog-marches me to my dorm where we spend another hour picking out an outfit for me.

She’s got me in a black, ribbed turtleneck and an A-line pinafore with a houndstooth pattern. She even gives me graphic liner and pins my hair up in a high half-up bun, making me look like I’ve traveled from the 1940s to the 1960s.

“You look great,” Valencia assures me, linking our arms as we head for the Sigma Theta fraternity house together.

Once we’re there, Valencia fusses around getting me some punch before disappearing to find her boyfriend in the crowd. I bring the cup up to my face, sniffing it suspiciously but don’t detect any scent of liquor. One of the conditions of Sigma Theta returning is alcohol-free parties.

The place is packed already and it’s still early in the evening. I make my way around, trying not to look like I’m snooping as I surreptitiously check out the place. It’s surprisingly tidy for a frat house and I wonder if the university hired someone to deep clean the place during their year of suspension.

So far everything seems in order, but I find myself drawn to a door that’s shut near the end of the hallway on the first floor. When I try jiggling it, it’s locked. My reporter instincts kick in and I wonder if I can use the bobby pins in my hair to unlock it.

I step back, studying the lock for a moment before deciding that I should at least pretend to be social first, since I promised Valencia I wouldn’t go looking for trouble.

Just as I turn around though, I bump straight into someone, my nose colliding with a firm chest. Jumping backward, I clutch my nose and groan, eyes flicking up to see who I hit.

A gasp escapes me, shock traveling through as I realize who I’ve just collided with.

2

ALEC

As the afternoon wears on and the sun starts to sink below the horizon, I place the finishing touches on the party prep, lining up cups across the kitchen island while Jace haphazardly stuffs soda cans into the already full fridge.

He shoves the rest of the twelve-pack of Coke into the crisper drawer and turns, leaning against the counter.

“You ready for this?” he asks, grin spreading across his mouth. His long blond hair hangs over his face and he pushes it out of the way, deep blue eyes sparkling with a hint of mischief.

I nod, giving everything a once-over as I pull a paper towel off the roll and wipe the counter needlessly. “As ready as I’ll ever be, I guess.”

“C’mon, Alec, this is our chance to show everyone that Sigma Theta is more than our past,” he says, lip curling into a half smirk. “We just gotta stay focused and make damn sure everyone else does too.”

“As long as we stick to the purpose of the fraternity, we’ll ensure that no class after ours leaves a stain on our legacy,” I say, quoting myself from the elections last spring.

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