Page 133 of Let Us Prey

Delores

If I thoughtthe fall semester was exhausting, it did not prepare me for spring at all. If we thought our teachers were in a frenzy during the winter exams, the new semester is a flurry of time-consuming assignments. Finishing everything requires so much energy, I’m barely able to keep my eyes open.

I swear, they’re trying to keep students studying behind closed doors twenty-four-seven.

I don’t have a frame of reference, but Cori and Rufus are equally worn out. I spend most weeknights with them, buried in books, while munching on takeout and guzzling caffeine like addicts to stay awake.The theme of our dinner break tonight is all about venting our frustrations about being chained to our rooms like house-elves.

“What’s the point of having five fucking boyfriends if I’m not able to, you know, do shit with them regularly?” I grumble, as I dip a crab Rangoon in sauce.

Rufus snorts, smacking his thigh. “Oh, Coco, our girl is growing up! She’s complaining about not getting laid enough!”

The polar bear chortles in response, grabbing the container of vegetable lo mein. “Never mind that we’re not getting any, either. I barely had time to chat with a hot chica in the library before having to bail with the book I was looking for.”

“Oh, shit, Cori. Don’t get caught making out with someone there or I’ll never hear the end,” I groan. “The big guy hates people defiling his library.”

“Except you, right, Dollypop?” Rufus gives me a smirk as he picks a meat skewer clean suggestively.

I shake my head, eyes wide. “Even me. No hanky-panky in the library proper is a rule.”

“Uh-huh. And what kind of hanky-panky is going on outside the library proper?” Cori snatches the crab from me with a knowing look.

My face flushes. “Not much. I mean, I’ve had sex with Fitz, Chess, and Rennie. The other two are still more hands-off than I’d like. I guess it takes time, but sometimes I wonder...”

My sex life is taking a massive hit from this academy lockdown.

“Girl, I applaud your demand for more dick. Too much is never enough.” I shoot Rufus a look and he shrugs.

“Maybe it’s the boredom talking. We’re all locked up like handmaidens, and you have at least three guys on active duty, so I have to live vicariously.”

“Rufus, you’ve run through five guys since Valentine’s Day. You are not hurting,” Cori chides. “I, however, am amid an epic dry spell.”

I give her a sympathetic smile. Cori is always sassy sunshine, but she’s obviously struggling to find someone to connect with this year. My spunky friend doesn’t go into detail about her disappointment, but I wish I could find her someone to share the enormous amount of love she has to give. Unfortunately, I’m a walkingdisaster, and until I get all of my issues sorted, I feel like I’d be more of a hindrance than a help.

“Coco, we need to get out of this stuffy burg. We’re far too fabulous for these plebs. Maybe we can see about the Apex exchange program?” Rufus says, yawning broadly. “That is, if we survive these fucking exams.”

“Agreed. We need to get through this shit so we can graduate, and then the world is our oyster.” I rise, walking over to the coffeemaker to make another giant tumbler. I won’t be able to stay awake if I don’t consume more caffeine.

“Make me one, too, Dolly,” Cori sighs, as she opens a thick textbook and settles against her bean bag.

We’re in for a long night.

The morningof my first exam, I stretch my limbs and rub my hand over my face and shift uncomfortably.

When the nurses helped with my birth control, they also gave me the lowdown on how to take care of my various ‘sex marks’. Bettina gave me some lotion called arnica to use, which made all of them titter like young girls. I might have to put some on my muscles today despite my pointed lack of hanky panky lately.

Paired with the grit in my eyes and the ache in my bones from days of hunching over laptops and books, my entire body is killing me.

That’s not counting the hours of dance and vocal rehearsals…

“Okay, Dolly. You have four more days of this and then it’s Spring Break. All you have to do is make it through four more days.”

It sounds easy when I say it out loud, but I have no idea how I’m going to survive it.

Stumbling to my closet, I decide I don’t give a fuck about the Apex dress code today. If some asswipe wants to give me demerits, more power to them—I’m wearing the PJ pants I stole from Rennie, Chess’s worn tee shirt, and Fitz’s hoodie.

And my goddamn bunny slippers. Fuck ‘em if they can’t take a joke.

I grin to myself as I toss my hair into two messy pigtails, grabbing my bag to head for Shifter Basics. Felix won’t give a shit if I look like a trash panda, and Zhenga has been less acidic since the guys dropped by class that one time.

---