Page 11 of Fight or Flight
“Have you heard of the Belmont Ball?” Felix asks.
Myles leans forward at the same time Felix does, like they’re about to share some state secrets. “Who hasn’t heard of it?”
“Right?” Felix exclaims excitedly. “Okay, so this is what Eden told me…”
I only half listen as Felix fills us in on the latest drama his best friend told him. I don’t really care about what’s going on at Belmont, and hearing drama about people I don’t give two shits about isn’t enough to keep my attention right now.
It’s funny how different Myles and Felix are, but how they’re also eerily similar. Felix is the type who looks like he could murder you in your sleep, but he’s actually a giant softie. Myles seems like a sweet nerd who wouldn’t hurt a fly, but in reality, he’d have no issues dropping someone if he needed to.
They also get along like sleepover besties, which makes all our lives easier. I might love to cause chaos and sprinkle a little craziness around wherever I go just for shits and giggles, but I hate drama, and life is better for everyone when I don’t have to deal with drama.
The topic switches from campus drama to a party the Keepers, one of the other frats on campus, are hosting next week, but I’m too busy replaying the highlights of the meeting to give the conversation more than surface-level attention.
Having the meeting on a Friday night was weird enough, but add in how little information they actually gave us while obviously feeling that whatever is going on is important enough for us to know about, and nothing about tonight makes sense. It’s not so much what they did or didn’t say that’s tripping my Spidey sense; it’s the fact that they said anything at all.
The Rebels might look and act like a fraternity to the outside world, but in reality, it’s a secret society that’s steeped in traditions and secrecy, and there’s a hierarchy of members.
Those whose families were part of the initial founding of the frat are considered founding legacies and are at the top of the food chain. Then you have the regular legacies and the first-years, who are the first of their families to be tapped for initiation, rounding out the bottom.
Jax and I, along with our cousins, are founding legacies, and thanks to how well-connected our families are and the particular skill sets we have, we’re at the top of the frat hierarchy and pretty much second only to the leaders.
If there were an issue with the security of the frat, we would be the first to know about it. The fact that we only heard about whatever’s going on in a general meeting with the rest of the membership is weird.
On campus, we’re known as Rebels, but that’s just a nickname that was coined by our founders to keep the true name secret. Members aren’t even told what the real name is until after they’ve finished hazing and are granted full membership at the end of their freshman year. And it’s strictly forbidden for members to tell anyone, including spouses and non-member children, anything about the society and its traditions. We’re not even supposed to say the real name out loud unless we’re in a secure room with other members.
All of this paranoia and secrecy means that most of the guys who live in Hamilton House have no clue about what actuallygoes on and are only brought into things if and when they need to know about them.
This is the first time there’s been a house meeting specifically about the importance of our security and security protocols outside of the yearly orientation we have to sit through at the start of every school year.
Something is going on, and not knowing is making my brain itchy.
Loud laughter brings my attention back to the group, and I do my best to pay attention and take part in the conversation so no one calls me on my distraction, but I’m still stuck on the meeting and what could be going on.
“Well,” Felix says, giving Killian a knowing look. “I’m getting kinda tired. How about you?”
Killian smirks. “Oh yeah. I’m definitelytired.”
Felix rolls his eyes and smacks Killian on the thigh. “Could you be any more obvious?”
Killian’s smirk morphs into a smile. “Is that a challenge?”
Felix shakes his head. “You’re hopeless.”
“And you’re horny,” I tease. “Go on. We all know you’re not tired and you wanna escape so you can bone. No need to pretend like you’renotgonna jump Killer the second you get back to your room.”
“You think they’ll make it that far?” Jax asks. “Felix seems like he’d be down for some elevator fun.”
“Or perhaps some stairwell sexy times,” I muse. “I bet the acoustics in there would make for a good time.”
“They definitely would.” Jax nods thoughtfully. “Imagine what the acoustics are like in the pool?”
“I don’t have to imagine,” I say with a smirk. “I still have access to the cameras down there.”
Felix’s audible gasp and horrified expression tell me my bluff paid off.
It’s true I still have access to the cameras in the basement, but I haven’t looked at them since we wrapped up the whole “someone is trying to kill Felix” thing. And I definitely don’t have any desire to check them when I know Felix and Killian are in there alone when Felix goes to do his laps at night.
But they don’t need to know that.
