Page 2 of Pretty Little Fears

“Timeto go, sweetheart.”Hequips.Hergaze swings to me once more.Whenshe doesn’t see whatever the fuck she was looking for, she nods.Hereyes are laced with confusion, yetIfeelImade myself perfectly clear.Rollingmy eyes,Ihead to the kitchen to grab a drink without giving her another glance.Goodbye,Lorelei.

Neveragain.

AsIhear the door slam shut,Ilet out an irritated sigh.Walkingover to the fridge,Igrab a water bottle, then make my way over to the island and sit on a stool.Grimmtrails in shortly after, looking at me likeIhave two heads.

“Whyaren’t you ready?It’sthe first weekend before classes start, dumbass.Theceremony begins in an hour.Getdressed, we need to leave andIwill not be late on account of your boyish needs.Youhave five minutes.”Fuck.Fuckthis ceremony.Fuckthis school.Andmost importantly, fuck the dean.Ilet out a sigh, wishing this would be the last ceremonyI’dbe in attendance for.

BlackwoodUniversityis a prestigious college for pricks and the rich.Butwhat many aren’t aware of is the elite society that's housed under the grounds of the campus, theRedSkullBrotherhood.Rumorsare spread here and there.Tomost, it’s more of a conspiracy than a fact.

Everyyear before the first week of classes, theRedSkullBrotherhoodholds its annual initiation ceremony.Pledgeswho have completed their assignment during the prior school year come together with those who came before them.It’syour basic slicing of the hand, bonding through blood, and a small humiliation segment kept as blackmail, should anyone try to turn their backs on us.

Iwould much rather have a girl sucking the life out of me right now, or to indulge in any kind of activity that will release this stress, but duty calls.Igroan and head to my room, changing into my uniform that the society requires.Inevery meeting, it is crucial for us to wear all black and dress to impress.

Standingin front of my mirror,Iadjust my all black, form fitting button-down and stare into my forest green eyes.Notonly are they the same pair of disapproving eyes my father has, but they hold all of my soul’s splintered pieces out on display thatI’veworked so hard to cover up.

Afamiliar ringing begins to quietly seep into my ears and the feeling of disgust creeps in with it.Itcourses through my veins like it has many times before.Myheart pounds a little harder, a sensationIknow all too well.

Iam being forced to partake in this life.ThethingsIhave to see and do that only benefit my father, have obliterated any sense of normalcy for me.Anysense of humanityImay have had left.Butthat started long before my time here atBlackwoodUniversity.Momentsof my childhood flash through my mind.Theringing in my ears gets louder asI-

“YoEm, let’s go!”Ifaintly hearGrimmfrom outside my room.Noisesslowly start trickling back in asIrealize how hard my teeth are clenched and that my fists have balled.Ilook down at my tattooed hands and shake them out.Lookingat some of the open spaces,Imake a mental note thatI’mdue for a new piece.Thepricks of the needles help me feel something other than this self-loathing that sits heavy on my heart.

Nowis not the time to be weak, especially whenI’llbe seeing my father soon.Hedoesn’t need any more ammunition against me.Blowingout a short puff of breath,Icurse while attempting to pull myself together.

“Alright, alright,I’mcoming!”Ishout asIbrush back the lone strand of onyx hair that has fallen in front of my eyes.OnceI’msatisfied with my appearance,Iswing open my bedroom door, immediately coming nose to nose withGrimm.

Hestands before me, a smug grin on his face.I’venever wanted to slap him more thanIdo right now.

“Ifyou wanted to join us last week, you could’ve just asked.Unlessyou wanted her all to yourself.”Hechuckles and shrugs.Ishove past him while shaking my head.

“Grimm.Please,Shut.The.Fuck.Up.”Igrumble while making my way to the front door.Grimmcatches up with me while throwing an arm around my shoulder.

“Nocan do, man.Now, let’s get the fuck out of here.”

CHAPTER TWO

BLAIR

BlackwoodUniversityisan elite school that has housed many of the most influential people.Thethought of being able to, one day, stand here is the only thing that helped me persevere throughout these past few years.

I'mstill in shock about my acceptance,Isimply can’t believe it.I'vebeen standing here for close to ten minutes, staring at the entryway and the enormous iron gates that hold my future behind them.

Thelarge and imposing structure, staring down, intimidating the fuck out of me.Thereare ornate wooden carvings, monstrous towers, and tons of beautiful bay windows that look like natural light streams inside, illuminating the lecture halls.There’sivy wrapped around the archway and a gorgeous bed of blood-red flowers on either side of the path.Thegrass is a luscious and healthy, bright green.Astark contrast to the building’s smokey, midnight exterior.

Ituck my long, sandy brown hair behind my ear and away from my face asIsmile to myself.Despitethe imposter syndrome slithering its way to the forefront of my mind, all my hard work has finally paid off.Igot into the most prestigious university on a scholarship, unlike half of the student population who got in with their daddy’s money.

Igrew up with enough to understand that althoughIdidn’t have elite status,Iwas still more fortunate than most.Myparents had enough to give me a good education, wonderful holidays, birthdays, and anything elseIcould have wanted.Wehad money, but not “buy your way into prestigious universities” money.Especiallynot after the tragedy that struck our home a few years back.

Tosay the last few years were hard would be an understatement.Thedeath of my father came suddenly and shook our world.I’man only child, so when he died, it was just my mother andI.Alot changed after his passing.Mymother always carried herself with such fierceness.Shewas strong and confident and her presence never went unnoticed.Iwatched all the thingsIloved about her die out along with my father.

Ihad gotten intoBlackwoodat the time andIwanted to share my excitement with her.Iworked diligently on my admissions essay and felt so much relief whenIwas accepted.Mydedication toward pursuing a higher education had finally paid off.

Except, without dad and no one to run his restaurant, there were no funds to cover my tuition.Momcouldn’t do it alone.Guilthung over my head asIwent back and forth, deciding ifIshould give up my spot atBlackwood.

IknewIwould never get an opportunity to attend my dreamschool again.Asmy mom fell lower and lower into a deep depression, her beautiful spirit swiftly wilted away in front of my eyes.Aftercareful consideration,Imade the decision to take a gap year to stay home with her.

Dayin and day out,Ispent hours learning how to oversee all the backends of running a business.Iwas picking up shifts at the restaurant and helping in any way that was needed of me, while occasionally working for additional cash through tips.Iwill never regret the choice to stay, it’s possibly the only reason her smile came back.

Mom’schange in her outlook and attitude helped the restaurant progress andIwas able to let go of the reins a bit.Sheencouraged me to apply toBlackwoodagain and hereIam, not only living on campus but also on a full fucking scholarship.

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