Page 24 of The Casualty of Us
“Nope.” I pop the p on the word, giving him a harsh look. “If I’m getting dragged into this, then so are you, mister, and you need to have a little fun.”
“I need to keep my scholarship,” he grumbles.
“Do you trust me?” I wait until he looks up, staring thoughtfully for a minute like he’s truly considering it before giving me a single nod. “Then don’t worry, I’ll make sure you keep your scholarship.”
He pauses again before sighing. “Fine.”
“Perfect.” I grin, looking back at the other two to find them watching us with rapt attention. “And you two couldn’t manage an invitation, why?”
They look back and forth at each other a couple of times before it clicks into place and has me calling them out. “You didn’t even try.”
“We were about to!” Ollie whispers back indignantly, pointing to a guy sitting by himself a few study tables away from us. “That’s Graham Bettencourt. He’s a first-string wide receiver on the team and the guy who told us about the Ruins in the first place. Apparently he’s the one in charge.”
“And you just…what?” I cock my head at him. “Stood there mutely when it happened instead of asking for an invite?”
“It wasn’t the right moment.” He leans back, crossing his arms. “You had to be there.”
“Right,” I scoff, looking back down at my history notes. “Well, good luck to you now. Can’t wait for the party. I’ll make Holden do a shot when we go.”
“What—”
Holden’s voice cuts out suddenly from what I’m guessing is one of the guys giving him a look before silence descends. Allowing me to answer a couple more questions for next week’s workbook on my tablet before the sounds of arguing start to intrude.
“You play the same position as him,” Ollie whispers irritably. “You should be the one to ask him.”
“No way, dude.”
“Why?”
“Because I’d like to move up one day, and he could very possibly make my life hell if I get on his bad side.”
“But—”
“It should be you,” Hayes counters. “You’re the one he was talking to when he mentioned it.”
“He was talking to both of us—”
“For Christ’s sake.” I drop my tablet with a scowl, looking up to find both of them staring back worriedly at me. “I’ll do it.”
Ollie’s mouth moves a couple of times before forming actual words. “W-what?”
“I said.” I reach up, finagling my tie looser and pulling it off quickly. “I’ll do it.”
Ollie frowns. “Uh, no, very cool of you, but I’ll pass on the help this time.”
“Too bad.” I undo a couple buttons on my blouse, trying to lessen the librarian look a bit. “I have homework to do, and I’dlike to secure an invite to this place before we graduate, so what’s this guy’s name again?”
“Dude.” Ollie looks over to Hayes. “Help me out here.”
“Not sure I can.” Hayes’s eyes drop down to where I’m fingering another button in debate. Not at all to get a reaction out of him. “I’m having a lot of really conflicting feelings right now.”
“Goddammit.”
“His name is Graham Bettencourt, and he’s a junior who plays wide receiver, in case you forgot,” Holden supplies cheerfully. “Go get him, O.”
“Thank you, Holden.” I smile widely, standing up from my chair and shrugging out of my jacket. Not that my B cups are anything to write home about, but still. A girl’s gotta work with what she’s got.
“Ophelia!”
