by Dakota Lee
That earns me a few more laughs. I put the picture back on the easel. Dropping my paintbrush in my cup. Jordanna grabs her bag, scurrying out the door like a frightened rabbit.
"Way to go, asshole." Noel mumbles as he moves back to the front of the class.
She can't handle tits in class or a little teasing. I can mark off one person who I know won't be showing up at The Rift.
When we step through the door of our Econ class, Bella's face pinches so tight I worry she'll get her first wrinkle before she makes it to her seat. We all watch as she climbs the stairs of the lecture hall to confront Jordanna, intentionally raising her voice, so everyone can hear. Bella doesn't like to do anything without an audience.
"You're in my seat."
The new girl ignores her, and Bella repeats her statement. "I said you're in my seat."
"Well, I checked twice, and I didn't see your name on it. Unless, it's written in ass print. Which I doubt, because the indentation in this one is a little big for yours. Besides, the other day you said your seat was in the middle. This is the back."
"Anywhere I decide to sit is my seat. So move."
Jordanna shifts from side to side. "Happy now? I moved." Someone snickers behind me. So the charity case has some bite. I'd be impressed if it wasn't a foolish move. Nobody challenges Bella. Not in private, and damn sure not in public.
"You think you're funny?"
"I think, you're in my personal space, and I intentionally sat at the farthest end of the classroom, so you can have your seat. Now you want this one. Tell me something, do you break out the single white female thing with everyone?"
"You don't wanna make an enemy out of me, new girl."
"Well, you didn't want to make a friend out of me when I tried to apologize, so I guess we're at a stalemate."
Bella leans forward, getting in her face. "Last chance, go somewhere else and be insignificant."
"Sure, princess, just as soon as you go somewhere else and be a bitch."
That seals Jordanna's fate. A part of me admires her grit and spunk. It's in short supply with the women on campus. I just hope she has enough of it to carry her through whatever hell Bella's about to put her through.
Chapter Six
I was upset about the critique of my work. That's the only explanation I have for mouthing off to Bella the way I did. I was supposed to come here, keep my head down, and be invisible. Not piss off the entitled brats whose parents own this school. What the hell is it with her and seats, anyway? I'll have to do a better job at staying out of her way. My education and my artwork are my focus. Both of those things are what's going to get me out of here next semester.
Kassidy raps on the open door before coming into my room. "Oh, no, you don't." She warns, pulling my textbook from my hand.
"Hey, I need that to study."
"You can study tomorrow. Tonight, we're going out."
Kassidy's been great so far, and it's not my thing to judge, but based on what was happening with her movie night; I doubt we run in the same circles. "Kassidy, I'm really not in the mood to go anywhere."
"Come on, Jordanna. School started last week and you've been cooped up in your room every night. We're young and away from home we need to be careless and reckless now, because in two years’ time, they'll expect us to be responsible adults, living lives devoid of fun. Do you wanna be one of those women lamenting about all the times you should have been getting twisted but didn't?"
"I've already had two years of fun. Now I think I should focus on being serious for the next two."
"Nice try, roomie, but that shit doesn't count if it happened in another school. We're going out and that's final."
My excuse that I have nothing to wear also falls on deaf ears. I pull open my closet door and throw an outfit together. My favorite pair of ripped jeans and a cream off the shoulder v-neck sweater, paired with heels. I choose a brown and gold makeup palette for my shadow and lips, throw my hair in a loose fishtail braid, letting it fall over my shoulder and spritz my pulse points with my favorite perfume.
Kassidy's waiting for me in the living room with a shot in her hand. "Don't tell me I got dressed to drink shots in our living room. I could've worn sweats for this."
"This is the appetizer. We have a drink here so we're not nervous when we get to the party."
"Why would you be nervous? These are your friends, right?"
"You're right, these are actually for you, so you won't be nervous. This is your first VDU party and they can be a bit… daunting for newcomers."
"Come on Kassidy. It's a college party. How bad can it be?"
"This place is home of the rich and spoiled. They were raised like the world is their dumpster and they party hard enough to set it on fire."
"I like how you pretend you're not one of them."
"I married in. Or my mom did, when I was twelve, so I've had some time to acclimate. But I still remember how much of a culture shock it was when we first moved to Kingsley Hollow. I don't spend too much time with my nose in the air, that I can't remember how the rest of the world lives."
Kingsley Hollow is the town proper. It’s the richer part of town, and less than an hours drive from here. The Bluffs where we moved is almost two hours away and has a median income of 70K a year. Not poverty level by some standards, but still blue collar to the folks that live in The Hollows.
Kassidy passes me the shot glass, instructing me to, "Drink up."
I tilt the plastic cup of apple vodka to my lips, enjoying slide over my tongue and down my throat. This is my first party of the school year and I'm going without the most important people in my life. My best friends Tiffany and Marina, or my boyfriend, Robbie.
I snap a selfie, sending it to our group chat, then send a private text to Robbie. I miss him most of all. This was supposed to be our year. The year we started planning for what our lives would be like after graduation. Grad School is definitely in our future, but we're also supposed to be talking about the trip we're taking after graduation, and moving in together. It's hard to coordinate through phone calls and video chats.
After three minutes there are still no dots on my phone, so I slip it into my pocket, telling Kassidy I'm finally ready to go, with the warning that I'll bail without her, the minute the stupidity gets to be too much for me.
Chapter Seven
Foolish. That's the second word that comes to mind when Jordanna shows up with Kassidy. The first word is hot as fuck in that sweater and those form fitting jeans. Her roommate should've warned her about the consequences of showing up here after what happened in class the other day. Standing up against Bella guarantees retaliation, and whatever form it takes will be loud, public and messy.
It's why the seat on my right is empty. The last girl who occupied it was a fun distraction, but she thought our hook ups meant more than they did. That they gave her a firmer standing in our crew. So, she made a power play behind Bella's back; and by the time Bella and her friends were done with her, she had no other recourse, but to transfer schools.
I warned her it was a stupid move when she started hinting about us ruling the school together, but she thought her head game was enough to get me to back her play. Don't get me wrong. She sucked me off like a pro, and I miss her mouth on nights like tonight, but it wasn't enough for me to disrupt our current power dynamic.
We all come from money. The wealthiest of us are groomed to lead in all facets of life, and Bella's leadership style has a take no prisoner's component that rivals the staunchest dictator. She solidified her power base years ago. Many have tried, none have ever succeeded in taking her down. My eyes flip over the women surrounding her like ladies-in-waiting. As far as the school is concerned, Bella is its queen.
I see the exact moment when she finally spots Jordanna. Bella's good at masking her emotions, but I can tell by the way she keeps looking at the door that she's pissed. It's easy for a student to feel self-righteous and bold when there are teachers or faculty members around. Not tha
t they always intervene. Even the staff knows to pick their battles. But here, tonight, the only people making the rules are us.
I settle in to watch the show. I usually ignore these kind of catfights, but Bella has a new mouse to swat around and I was getting bored looking at the same old drinking games.
Tabitha takes her usual place beside me on the couch. She tries her best to stay away from the female drama. Out of all the girls in our circle, I prefer Tabby's company the most. Over the years, she's become like a sister to me. Maybe because at one point she could've been my sister. Her mother and my father used to hook up back in the day whenever they were between marriages. "How long do you think it's gonna take before the charity case is running for the front door?,” she asks.
Hal squeezes into the space beside her. "Nine minutes tops."
Jordanna scans the crowd and gives a small wave to someone on the other side of the room, drawing our attention away from the circling shit storm.
Hal grimaces. "Is that Noel? What the fuck is he doing here?"
There was a time when Noel was the king of Van der Borne University. Back before he lost a bet and was overthrown by yours truly. He and his frat buddies are grad students now. They still hold a lot of weight on this side of campus, but they don't belong here. Not tonight at an undergrad party.
I watch as a beer changes hands and Jordanna leans closer as he whispers something in her ear. Noel still garners respect as the former king of VDU. If she’s on his arm, she's protected from Bella's wrath, at least for tonight.
"I hate that bitch." Says the bitch queen, herself. "I mean, who does she think she is, anyway? Coming up in here, then latching herself onto Noel's arm like a leech? How does she know him, anyway?"
Bella only cares about what she cares about. "He's teaching Grace's life study class."
"Well, he won't be able to protect her for long."
The scholarship kids usually get a bit of a lead in before we decide to make their lives hell, and I don't think I can remember the last time someone got under Bella's skin this badly for something as simple as talking back. Her reaction is almost enough to make me curious about the girl standing next to Noel.
Bella flounces off with her friends in tow. She turns, crooking her finger at Tabitha when she notices one of her squad is missing. Tabby stands to her feet with an exaggerated groan. "I guess it's time to plot the new girl's destruction."
I swat her playfully on the ass. "Good luck."
Hal scoots closer, and I can see out of the corner of my eye that he's watching me. "Spit it out or swallow my man. Nobody likes it when you're indecisive."
"You okay with that?"
"Bella doing Bella? Why the fuck should I care?"
He shakes his head and extends his beer hand towards the kitchen. "I mean Noel being here."
"I don't care about that shit either. If he wants to hang out with us and relive his hey-day, who am I to get in the way of that?"
The crowd floats towards the center of the room. It's almost time for the inaugural first dare of the school year. It's like an icebreaker for the freshman class. A carry over tradition from the previous ruling classes and a tamer way to test student's limits while working up to full-fledged bets. Of course, the newbs don't get as creative as we do. But those with potential just might earn an invitation to hang with us in a more intimate setting.
Shauna's standing by the door leading to the east wing of the frat house wearing a shirt so thin and tight I can see the outline of her nipples from here. Going shirtless would've been more subtle. I watch two guys from the football team angle up to her, leering at those tits. They're salivating like wolves around fresh meat and her tits are nice and begging to be touched. I had a quick intro to them, they're in for a treat.
Prospectus shows Shauna's quickly moving up the ranks, but is she ready for the big leagues yet? Our next party will be the night we find out.
Chapter Eight
Frat houses. They're the epicenter of the male college experience, no matter where you go. Though, I suppose you would call this place a frat mansion. I lost sight of Kassidy about an hour ago, and if it weren't for Noel, I would've gone back to the dorms. He convinced me to stay and I'm actually having a pretty good time with his friends. They're still drunk and rowdy, but they're older and nobody's acting an overt ass towards me.
"So how is Noel doing as a teacher?" Grad student number two asks.
"He's a harsh critic, but I deserve it."
Noel squeezes my arm. "Come on, Jordanna. Your work isn't that bad."
"That bad, is what people say when they're trying to pretend something's not as horrible as we believe it is."
"It's not. You have a lot of potential. I can tell you've never taken a life study class before. The first time is a little daunting for everyone. You'll get there."
He reaches behind him, plucking another beer out of the cooler. I decline when he shifts it my way. "I shouldn't."
"Come on. You don't have classes tomorrow."
"I know. I just haven't finished the one I'm holding and I really need to use the bathroom. Would you mind pointing me in the right direction?"
"The safest one to use, is probably upstairs. Third door on the right."
"Thanks. I'll be right back."
With a relieved sigh I enter the bathroom, grateful there's no line. I'm at the top of the stairs heading back to the party when a sound on the opposite side of the hallway catches my attention. I walk the length of the plush blue carpet, with the VDU emblem on it, towards the source of the noise. The door in the middle of the hall is wide open. The vodka and beer have slowed my brain and it takes longer than it should to process what I'm seeing. The printer in the corner whirls and whirs, while the guy in front of the computer collects payments from the line of students in the room.
The guy with the moussed out hair, in the front of the line, steps forward and says, "Algebra. Mr. Conyx's class."
"Algebra test on Thursday. Answer key. Fifty questions. That's a C-Note."
Money changes hands and paper spits out of the printer again. This dude's accessed the teachers’ accounts and is selling answers to their tests. Their heads whip around to face me, when my beer bottle clanks against the door. Shit. I back away, scampering down the steps to the safety of the party. Noel's relocated from the kitchen to the other side of the room closest to the library. I catch up with him right before he steps onto the makeshift dance floor. "Jordanna. You're back."
"Mm. I think I'll take that second beer now."
He cracks the top of the one he's holding and passes it to me. Fucking entitled ass kids. I had to meet a certain grade point average to get admitted here, and I have to work my ass off to keep my scholarship. But these pricks that can pay for their education are cheating? Just one more reason why I need to get back to my real life where there's a level playing field.
The glass doors swing shut behind me when I exit the library. I heft my book bag higher on my shoulder, when I reach the back trail behind the science building. I was too tired to study yesterday when I woke up and had to work on my sketch for the art symposium last night. Then, Kassidy had friends over this morning. They get loud, so I burrowed down at the library to get some studying in.
Three steps onto the paths and I see taking the shortcut was a bad idea. They're here. All of them. Bella and her merry band of friends, - who I've dubbed ‘the Beautiful People'- are standing by the back door of the humanities building. Their conversation halts when they spot me, and I sense rather than see Bella scowling at me.
"New girl, let me talk to you for a second."
I continue walking, ignoring the entrepreneur who was printing test answers.
"I said come here so I can talk to you."
I hear the order in his voice. They all talk that way. Ordering people to do their bidding, as if free will doesn't matter around here. Fuck that. He can talk to his goddamn self. I keep my eyes facing forward. Just a few more feet to my destination.
I'm so focused on the path ahead of me, that I never saw his friends flank off. They step in my path as he grabs me from behind.
"Did you fucking hear me?"
"Get your hands off me." I shriek, twisting out of his grasp.
"I saw you spying on me at the party."
"I wasn't spying and if you don't want people to see you, try closing the door, idiot."
Strong hands grip my arm when I try to dart around him. I'm being dragged and pushed like a tackle dummy. "Let go of me or I'll scream."
His buddies push me against the cool stone of the building. He’s standing in front of me, chuckling at my threat. I can see he's not used to people keeping their word. Well, fuck that. I open my mouth and let out a scream to bring the dogs and campus police out. His large hand comes up to my neck, silencing me mid yell. I struggle to get away, but there's nowhere to go with his body pressing me against the wall. The hand on my throat tightens, cutting off my air.
"Let's get one thing straight. I don't need to close the door, because people know how things work around here. I can see you need a lesson. Here it goes. You didn't see anything. You didn't hear anything. Say it!"
The hold tightens, and I claw at his hand. Doesn't he realize I need to be conscious to agree? I raise my knee and aim for his balls, but he swats it away like it's an annoying fly. I'm losing oxygen fast, but I continue to fight with every bit of air in my chest. What the hell is wrong with these people? We're not out here alone. I know others can see what's happening. I take one more shallow breath. Any moment now, I'll be seeing spots.
"You didn't see anything. You didn't hear anything."
I see Bella smirking over his shoulder. This bitch is enjoying my torment. I nod, agreeing to keep quiet, if for no other reason than to get him off of me.