Angel on Earth
Grayson
All eyes turn as soon as I step into the frat house.
Fuck, if I know why they’re staring or what the new rumor is this week, and I don’t give a shit. All I need right now is a drink to take my mind off it all.
I pick up a cup and fill it with whatever the fuck is in the bowl, downing it. I don’t know why Aiden made me come to this dumbass party. Every week it’s the same old shit. It’s getting boring. The same music, the same drinks, the same girls. Nothing ever changes.
“Stop scowling.” Aiden nudges my side, and I turn my head to look up at him. The dude is tall. He’s a basketball player scouted right from high school. He stands out. I mean, he’s 6’5, his head inevitably sticks out in the middle of the crowd.
“I’m not scowling,” I tell him.
“You look like you’re going to kill someone. Everyone’s staring.”
I glare at him. “You sure it’s me they’re staring at? You’re not exactly hard to miss with your head almost touching the ceiling.” It’s an exaggeration, one that gets me a laugh from my best friend since freshman year.
“Dude, don’t be jealous. It’s beneath you.”
I scoff. “Fuck you. I’m not jealous.”
His head shakes, laughing. Some of his teammates come to greet him as he walks deeper into the house.
I lean back on the wall, looking around the place. A group of guys play strip beer pong, and some poor girl is down to her skivvies while the guy is gloating in her misery of being almost naked at a party full of drunk, horny frat guys.
Guess that’s college for you. She takes another shot and misses. The guys around the table all cheer, and she looks terrified like she finally realizes she’s going to have to get naked in front of a bunch of strangers. She slowly reaches behind her back to unclasp her bra, but she stops and runs out.
Fucking Ben Reed. It’s the same thing every week. I swear he has a fetish for humiliating girls. He boos and his dogs follow suit, cursing at her as she races out of there, and I can’t help but roll my eyes.
“Grayson,” Aiden calls from the kitchen. “We’re gonna play some games. Wanna join?”
“Nah, I’m good,” I yell back, and he nods, but before he can escape, a swarm of girls surrounds us as they swoon over Aiden Pierce, the captain of Redfield’s basketball team.
Aiden's whole life is basketball. He lives and breathes it, and even though he came out tonight to party, he's going to be spending the whole night playing video games. I don't want to play. In fact, I don't even want to be here right now.
I need a smoke.
I lift off the wall, heading toward the back of the room, and pull out a cigarette. Lighting it up, I bring it to my lips and inhale. Shit, the only good thing I’ve got going at the moment is this smoke right here.
School’s a dud. I want to kick myself for putting up with this. If I had another way of getting the fuck out of here, I would have done it by now. But this is the only way for now. Once I’ve got what I need, I’m leaving. Leaving these people, leaving my parents, leaving everything behind, and getting as far away from here as possible.
Redfield University is my ticket to freedom, my get-out-of-jail-free card, and once I graduate, or get enough money, I’m free to leave and do whatever I want.
I refill my cup and take a swig of my drink as I look around the room, the music blaring throughout the house.
I see so many faces I’ve seen before, all the same, every week.
Aiden's in a swarm of girls that are falling at his feet. I would hate to be in his position, but he has a huge smile on his face, so I guess he's not hating life right now. Even though he’d prefer to be down in the basement with his boys.
I couldn’t deal with the attention he gets. I mean, I get my fair share of girls wanting a quick fuck, but nothing like Aiden. He can’t go anywhere without being raided by a mass of groupies. I guess it comes with the territory of being on the run-up to becoming a pro basketball player.
I could see him being in the NBA. Aiden is good, like pro-level good, and he knows it. He takes advantage of his perks, I’m sure.
“Grayson.” I cock my head to the side, seeing the douchebag I knew I’d run into if I came tonight. I knew I shouldn’t have come. Parties like these are good for business but dealing with pricks like Brent isn’t good for my temper. I bring the cigarette to my lips and blow out a cloud of smoke.
“Grayson,” he says when I don’t answer. “Hey, bro, I need another one.”
I scoff. He’s got to be kidding me. “After you duped me? The answer’s no.” I say, blowing out smoke to my side.
