“Yeah, and what would Chelsea say about that?” I ask, arching a brow in his direction.
“Chels wouldn’t say shit,” Raf snaps. “She knows the deal.”
“Sureshe does,” Ford teases.
Raf leans over and jabs out a fist, landing a hard punch on Ford’s bicep.
“Ah, what the fuck, man!” he laughs, rubbing his arm.
Raf rolls his eyes, pushing up to stand and striding my way. “Hey, payment came in for that last run we did for Gideon,” he remarks, fishing a rolled-up stack of bills from his pocket and tossing it in my direction.
I snatch it out of the air, glancing down at the cash critically. “This feels like more than my cut,” I mumble, noticing the thickness of the roll as I test the weight of it in my hand.
Raf shrugs noncommittally. “Keep it. No big deal.”
I frown, winding up and slinging the roll of cash back toward him. “I don’t need your charity,” I growl as it smacks against his chest, then drops to the floor.
Raf, wisely, doesn’t respond. He just clenches his jaw tight as he stoops to pick up the money, heaving an annoyed sigh as he slips it back into his pocket.
I grab the chip bag off the counter and pop another in my mouth, cutting Raf a glare as I turn and head for my room, stopping off to scoop up my backpack along the way.
“It’s not charity if you earned it!” Ford calls after me.
I ignore him as I stomp down the hall, stepping into my bedroom and kicking the door closed behind me. The slam rattles the walls and moments later, I hear the faint murmur of a hushed conversation between my friends.
It’s not like I don’t know the guys mean well. The problem is, when they do shit like that, it only calls attention to my family’s shame. It puts me in a bad mood every fucking time.
I cross the room and slump down in my desk chair, glancing at the family photo pinned to the bulletin board above it as I angrily crunch down on another chip. I can hardly stand to look at the well-tailored suits, designer gowns, and easy smiles– all a cleverly crafted ruse.
If only I’d known at the time it was all a fucking lie.
CHAPTER 4
AVA
The dormshere are a hell of a lot fancier than the ones I’ve seen in movies. I enter my room to find a nicely appointed space with two matching beds, desks, and dressers, along with a sizable closet on either side. It actually takes me a moment to discern which half of the room is already occupied because my mystery roommate is impeccably tidy, only a few of her personal effects in sight. And of course, since she’s not around, I decide to snoop a little.
She’s got a book resting on her nightstand–Alpha Gray, some cheesy werewolf romance novel– and a couple of framed photos displayed on her desk. Both pictures include multiple people, so it’s hard to narrow down which one of the smiling faces belongs to my roommate. I suppose I’ll know soon enough.
Also atop her desk is a fancy fountain pen and personalized stationery with the name Richelle Colburn embossed in gold across the top, so that solves the mystery of my new roommate’s name, at least. Though I don’t know who the hell writes actuallettersanymore. Maybe it’s a rich kid thing.
The only other personal touches are a lilac throw blanket folded across the end of the bed and a small coffee maker on the corner of the desk. I’m thankful for that, because I hadn’t evenconsidered how I’d be getting my morning coffee fix. Then again, it’s not as if I had much time to prepare before coming here.
My three black suitcases are lined up neatly at the foot of the other bed, and there’s a welcome packet on my desk with a key sitting beside it– presumably to this room. I approach the desk and swipe up the folder, carrying it over to the bed, sinking down on the edge, and flipping it open to thumb through the contents.
There’s alotof information inside. A course guide, which is of little use since my stepfather apparently chose my classes when he enrolled me, as well as deadlines for the add/drop period and a list of requirements for each major. Behind that is a rundown of general rules for the campus and the dorms, a listing of clubs and organizations, and an event calendar for the semester. Then there’s a menu of the offerings in the cafeteria– which, judging by the fact that it’s calledThe Bistro, seems super fancy– and parking guidelines for the students who brought vehicles here with them. The thing that catches my eye, though, is the campus map tucked into the back of the folder.
I slide it out, studying the artistic rendering of the campus that has each building marked with a designated letter, coordinating with a little guide in the corner that identifies the name and purpose of each place. I only give the administrative buildings a cursory glance, zeroing in on the places I’ll likely be frequenting the most.
I narrow that down to the library, the buildings designated for classes, and the student union, which houses the cafeteria, gym, coffee shop, and lounge. It’s probably where most of the student body hangs out, other than the grassy quad in the center of campus, so I make a mental note of where it’s located in proximity to the dorms, figuring I’ll check it out when I head over there for dinner this evening.
A few things on the map come as a surprise. In addition to the school buildings, there’s an expansive trail system that runsthroughout campus, as well as a decent sized lake on the west side. With all the amenities, this place almost seems like a luxury resort… which is at odds with the huge stone wall fencing the campus grounds and the armed guards at the gate. I can’t decide if Corvus College feels more like a safe haven or a prison.
It’s with that thought that I close the folder and toss it aside, leaning back to rest against the pillows on my bed. At least it’s comfortable. The mattress is soft, topped with a cushy blue duvet, and the pillows are ultra plush.
My head flops to the side and a dark mark in the corner of the white pillowcase catches my eye. I push up on an elbow and lean over to get a better look, brushing my fingers over the double C’s embroidered in the same shade of blue as the comforter.They certainly like their branding here.
I’m still lounging on my new bed, running my fingertips over the thread when I hear the door open. I jolt upright with a start, a small Asian girl stepping into the room and halting in surprise when she sees me lurking inside.
