Palm South University Season 1 Omnibus (2 page)

Erin seems friendly, but I know any minute now the shoe will drop and she’ll start talking my ear off about things that probably don’t matter to me. “Not too bad, I guess.”

She frowns a little. “Well, hopefully by the time you leave here you’ll have a different answer to that question.” She crosses her legs, leaning in. “So, tell me a little about yourself, Cassie.”

Wow. This is the first girl who’s asked about me instead of just rambling on about how great her sorority is. “Well,” I cross my legs to mimic hers. “I’m from Phoenix, I just moved here two days ago with my best friend, Paris.” I point to Paris across the room.

Erin follows my finger and then turns back, smile still in place. “Awesome! It must be so fun rushing with your best friend.”

“Yeah,” I nod. “It really is. Although, she’s a lot better at this than I am.”

Erin cocks her head a little. “What do you mean by that?”

“I don’t know, she’s just more into the sorority stuff than I am, I guess. All the girls have loved her so far.”

“Well,” Erin says, leaning back a little. “It may just be that you two are growing up a little already, and maybe not in the same direction. Would you be okay if you ended up in a different sorority than she does?”

That thought makes my stomach lurch. “I don’t know. We moved here together, we’re rooming together , we’re best friends – it only makes sense that we’d be in the same sorority.”

Erin nods. “Yeah, it might make sense now, but don’t let her make this decision for you. It’s true what they say, you know.” She pauses. “You end up where you belong. So, follow your heart and don’t worry about what Paris is doing. If she’s your best friend now, she’ll still be your best friend after rush week – no matter where you end up.” She smiles and I return the gesture, hoping like hell that she’s right. “So anyway, what’s your major?”

I cringe. “Um, Biology. I want to go pre-med.”

Her eyes grow wide and I wait for it, I wait for the loss of interest, the
“Oh no, she’s not here to party? That simply won’t do.”

“That is amazing!” I blanch, but her smile remains intact. “I’m hoping to go to law school when I finish here at Palm South. We can be study buddies together!” She giggles and I can’t help but join her, the shock dissipating. “Oh!” she claps her hands together. “You have to meet my two best friends. You’ll love them. Come on.”

Erin grabs my hand and pulls me through the house, weaving between groups of girls until we reach a large kitchen, complete with granite countertops that remind me of home.

“Jess! Lei!” Erin drops my hand as we reach two other beautiful blondes. Uh oh, here we go. Here comes the we-all-look-alike-and-like-the-same-things. “Meet Cassie. She just moved here from Arizona and she’s a Bio major.”

“I’m Ashlei,” one of them says, reaching her hand out for mine. She’s slightly shorter than Erin and Jess, but I can tell just from the dress she’s wearing that she must be really into fitness. Her legs are toned, her arms cut – she’s gorgeous, but I can tell she works hard for it. “My grandma lives in Arizona. I love it there! Looks like you won’t have to worry about giving up the weather. It’s hot here, too.” She winks.

“Yeah, but no one told me about this humidity.” I point to my hair, which was frizzing out before I even left the apartment this morning. I’m sure it’s a complete mess by now.

Jess extends her hand to me next. “Girl, that’s one of the biggest problems living in Florida. Don’t worry, we all go through it.” She grins, running her fingers through her long, pin-straight blonde hair. Hers is a little darker than Ashlei’s and Erin’s is the darkest, but they’re all blonde bombshells. I can imagine them turning heads when they go out in public together. “So what are your hobbies, Cassie?”

Again, not one of them has told me anything about the sorority. It sounds odd, but I actually love it. It’s nice to know they’re interested in me as a person, not just in selling themselves. “I’m really into school,” I offer kind of sheepishly. “As nerdy as that sounds. And I longboard, so I’m looking forward to coasting around this campus.”

“I just started longboarding!” Jess yells excitedly. “You’ll have to help me when classes start. I’m a complete mess, but I really liked it.”

“Yeah, it’s not as easy as it looks, but it’s definitely not as bad as skateboarding. I’ll help you!” The loud music starts playing again, signaling that our time in the house is up. Even though I know I could potentially be back tomorrow, I’m kind of disappointed it’s over already.

“Oh!” Erin laces her arm through mine again. “Looks like it’s that time. Let’s head toward the front so you don’t get in trouble for being in here too long.” She winks and I wave to the other girls as we start for the door. Just before we reach the foyer, Siomara waves to us.

“Thanks for visiting us today!”

I wave in return and Erin leans in to yell over the music, “That’s my Grand Big Sister. Basically, she’s my Big’s Big.” She chuckles at my confused expression. “Don’t worry, you’ll catch on. Anyway, she’s brilliant. I’ll have to introduce you next time!”

I smile, hoping there will be a next time. After the day is over, the sororities select who they want to come back another day as do the potential new members. It’s all a secret, how the selection process works, but I know there’s a chance I could get my list of houses to visit tomorrow and Kappa Kappa Beta could not be on it. “I would love that.”

Erin offers me one last smile and a slight wave as we reach the door and I file back out into the suffocating August heat. South Florida is beautiful, there’s no denying that, but it. Is. Hot.

I shield my eyes and make my way back to Paris. I’m so excited to tell her about my conversation with Erin, but before I can open my mouth she rolls her eyes and cuts me short. “Thank God that’s over,” she mumbles. “Those girls were so boring. And did you see their house? Not even half the size of the Zeta house. Yawn.”

I frown, my mouth pulling to one side. Since when does Paris care about the size of a house? “I thought they were cool,” I say softly. “Nice. Different.”

“I guess,” she says, sighing a little, like she’s too bored to argue. “Anyway, I’m excited for the Tri Phis after lunch. They have a swimming pool!” She jumps excitedly and we fall in line behind the rest of the girls marching towards the cafeteria. As we walk, I can’t help but think back to what Erin had said about us maybe ending up in different places at the end of this week. My heart aches at the thought and I wonder if I’ll even have the strength to write down a different choice than Paris when the time comes.

She smiles over at me and nudges me playfully and I smile back. College is about change, my parents have always told me. My sister said the same thing when she gave me my graduation gift. It’s about growing, finding who you are and who you’re not. It’s about daring to live differently than you ever have before.

I wonder if part of that means friendships change, too.

“PLEASE PROMISE ME you’ll have beer available when this week is over,” Skyler whines into the phone and I chuckle, dropping the Xbox controller and moving back through the Omega Chi Beta house toward my room. It’s the week before classes start, but already the house is filling up with brothers. It’s loud as fuck and no matter how clean our housekeeper kept it over summer, we’ve somehow already found a way to make it dirty and smelly in here.

“Well hi to you, too.”

“I’m serious,” she says, but laughs a little this time. “I need alcohol. And also to not wear high heels for like, a year.”

I close my bedroom door and fall back on the small bed, staring up at the ceiling. “You know we always have a rager on Bid Day. Too much freshman tail to pass up that opportunity.”

“If I were there, I’d smack you.”

“Whatever. You know your sisters do the same when we have rush week in the spring.”

“Can’t argue that,” she says, sighing in defeat.

“How was the rest of your summer?”

“Busy. I had a tournament practically every week. It’s weird,” she adds, pausing. “People are starting to notice me. Like, they know who I am when I enter tournaments and stuff.”

I lift my brows. “Yeah? That’s awesome, Sky.” Skyler Thorne is a sophomore, a year younger than me, but she’s one of my best friends. We met last year on the annual Kappa Kappa Beta and Omega Chi Beta spring break trip and I recognized her from a poker tournament I watched on TV a few weeks before that. She was shocked that I realized who she was, but I follow poker pretty closely. Well, I follow
all
sports pretty closely. We started hanging out more and more after break and over summer until I went home to visit before the school year started. My face hardens at the thought of home, but I shake it off and focus on Skyler. “You know it’s only going to get worse. You’re too good not to get noticed, Sky. You’re a winner. Winners don’t get to stay in the background for long.”

“Yeah, well, if I ever get that good, I’ll have to enter tournaments with bigger prizes. I had to work all summer to pay for this year and I still couldn’t give as much to my family as I wanted to. But I’m not ready for the big tournaments yet.”

“Why do you say that? You know you could win them. You’re skilled, Skyler. You know your shit.”

“I’m not that good, Bear.” She sighs. “I still have a lot to learn before I belly up to play with the big boys.”

I shake my head. “Whatever you say. You know I’m in your corner when you do decide to go pro.”

“I know, and you know I love ya for it.” I hear a loud voice yell in the background and Skyler huffs. “Gotta go, practice time. Apparently we aren’t cheering loud enough.”

I bark out a loud laugh. “Good luck with that. I’m going to go drink a beer.”

“Hate you.”

“Love you, too.”

I go to end the call, but just as I’m about to push the large red button, my Mom’s face pops up on the screen. I frown, but click the button to end the call with Skyler and answer hers.

“Hey, Mom.”

“Clinton Pennington, why haven’t you answered my phone calls? I’ve called at least ten times since you left last Saturday!”

I groan inwardly at the use of my full name. No one at Palm South has called me Clinton since my freshman year. I gained the nickname Bear after flag football season due to my tall, fit build and aggressive technique – in other words, I tackled people a lot. Skyler always says I’m more like a teddy bear, but that’s really only with her. I don’t show my soft side to many people.

“Because I’m busy. Why? You all out of drug money? Need me to break into my savings and send you more?”

“Don’t get smart with me, young man. I’ll drive down there and slap your black ass so hard my grandkids will feel it.”

I sigh. “What do you want, Mom?”

“I wanted to check in and see how my son was doing, but apparently there’s a crime against that in your book.”

“I’m fine. Class starts next week. How are you?” I say the words flatly, not hiding the lack of respect I have for her. I know I shouldn’t talk to her the way that I do – or at least, if she were a normal mother, I shouldn’t – but she never earned the respect she demanded from me. And I’m finally getting to the point where I’m tired of giving it for no reason. I love the woman, I do – but I have no respect for someone who uses and abuses everyone in their life the way she does.

“Well that’s good, sweetie,” she says, her voice softening. “I miss you. Wish you would have just stayed up here for school.” She pauses, waiting for me to say something but I don’t. “Anyway, your brother is bringing the kids out this weekend. I’m sure he’ll want to call and talk to you.”

“Can’t wait.”

She huffs, but doesn’t press me on it. My older brother and I are far from close and she knows it. The only person in that whole family who I genuinely care about is Clayton, my baby brother. He’s only twelve, but already he’s being exposed to the things I had to fight to get away from in Pittsburgh. He’s the only reason I even visit during breaks. I’m the only positive role model he has, and I have every intention of reminding him what he can accomplish if he gets out of that house.

“Well I guess I’ll talk to you then. Have a good night, Clinton.”

“You too.”

I end the call and toss my phone to the other end of the bed, letting out a long exhale. I don’t have the chance to think about my fucked up family long before I hear my brothers yelling for me from the living room. I smile, leaving my phone and heading back toward the group.