Page 26 of Cruel Legacy

“There’s like ten empty seats over there. Why are they only picking two?”

“Because they lost two people over the summer and have to replace them.”

“Say what now?”

She shushes me again, seconds before dickhead number one,Pax, starts talking.

“I know you all heard we lost two of our table mates over the summer. I won’t go into details, but know their dismissal is permanent. We now have two slots to fill. We’ve reviewed everyone’s application and have made an interim decision.”

Application? Interim decision? To eat at the same table with these assholes? God, this is so pretentious. I understand filling an opening for your crew, when someone with a certain skill set gets pinched, but the criteria for joining isn’t something any of the gangs in Nags Creek would ever put on paper. Doing that’s just asking to get caught. You go by reputation and word of mouth. What dickhead number one is saying sounds a lot like a job interview.

He calls out the first name and I see someone from the jock table stand up. He high fives and fist bumps people as he walks to the center of the room to stand next to the guy, Finn. Today he’s wearing a red beanie to match the red and white sneakers he’s wearing.

A second name is called, and that person comes from the influencers and actors’ table. He goes to stand next to book guy, Holden, then they all file out of the cafeteria. As soon as the doors swing closed behind them, the conversations starts up again. That’s it? People were on pins and needles for that shit? Talk about anti-climatic.

“Seriously, LJ, explain to me what just happened? They called two names and left. Why is that even a thing that needs a huge audience?”

“Rho Beta Psi is one of the most exclusive fraternities on campus, and you see that table?” She points to the one near where they were standing. “Remember, I told you it’s the legacy table?”

I nod.

“Everyone wants to hang with the legacies. To do that, you have to actually be related to a legacy family or be invited, and the only people who usually get invited are those whose family can be an asset to them. That’s why Connor and Leo weren’t sitting with them already. They’re Rho Beta Psi members as of last year, but they aren’t legacies, so they couldn’t eat at their table, and there were no rooms in the frat house. Now that they’ve been picked, they’ll eat at the legacy table and share a room at the frat house for the next thirteen weeks. This could change their lives.”

“Okay, so jack hole one, two and three live in the frat house?” She’s giving me a look. “What?” I ask, lifting my brows.

“Did you call Pax, Holden, and Finnjack holes?”

“So?”

“So nobody disrespects them behind their backs.”

“Oh, don’t worry.” I say, rolling my eyes. “I’ve already done it to their faces. I’m just covering all the angles.”

Now she looks like she’s swallowed a lemon. I circle my finger in front of her face. “What is wrong with your face?”

“Thea, please tell me you’re kidding.”

“I’m not. The reject boy band and I had a run in last week, and I was happy to tell them all to fuck off in the most posh way possible.” I give her the double salute to demonstrate.

“Youdidn’t.”

“I did.” I laugh at how scandalized she looks. “Now you were saying they live in the frat house, so this little show was to make people feel even shittier than they already do for not being picked first for dodge ball?”

She shakes her head and says with a dreamy sigh. “They don’t live in the frat house. The Triums live in Vale Tower.”

“Really? I’ve never seen them there.” I’ve obviously said something else wrong, because she’s doing that thing with her face again. Geez, I need an instruction manual around here.

“Oh god, Thea, please tell me you’re not trying to hang out over there.”

Now it’s my turn to give her a weird look. “Yes, I hang out there. Every night from dusk til dawn, as a matter of fact.”

“You need to stop. Don’t go back there.” She says in the sternest voice I’ve ever heard her use.

I lower my parfait cup. She looks nervous and scared. “Hey, LJ? What’s happening here? Why are you freaking out?”

“Whoever invited you to Vale Tower must be up to something. I don’t want you to get in trouble or hurt for breaking the rules.”

“Okay, one, I’m not scared of anyone hurting me. I’ll give as good as I get. Two, I don’t know what pretentious ass, self-made rules I could be breaking. My dorm assignment is Vale Tower.”

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