Page 81 of Endless Anger
Frankly, I’m not terribly interested in doing anything that Lucy isn’t,which means half the courses on this slip of paper are nonstarters. But since my degree is mostly finished, I needed something to fill in the blanks.
Raucous laughter floats in from behind me, and when a hand clamps down on my shoulder, I fold the schedule against my chest. Annoyance simmers immediately beneath my skin, but I reel it in for a moment while I turn to meet the gaze of the intruder.
The idiotic part of my soul is hopeful I’ll see beautiful blue eyes.
Hopeful and naive.
“Asher fucking Anderson in theflesh.” A guy with black hair steps into my path, his hold on me tightening as he flashes a sharp-toothed grin my way. “I wasn’t convinced it was you in class, since you completely ditched us to sit in the back.”
He’s flanked by a few others, Tiernan and a deeply tan brunette a few inches shorter than me. They’re all wearing matching blazers with a theta symbol in the middle of a poppy embroidered on the breast pocket.
I look at them, then back at the one touching me. “Do I know you?”
If they were sitting around me in that auditorium, I wouldn’t fucking know. I wasn’t paying them any attention.
“Ouch. I’d be offended by that if you weren’t still brand-new around here.” The guy laughs, but I notice the way his fingers dig a little deeper into my arm. “We’re friends of Muna’s. She said you might be looking for a tour guide? Maybe stuff she can’t necessarily show you?”
My chin tilts down, and I glance at where he’sstillgripping me. My stare lingers and finally returns to his, my eyebrows arching.
Waiting.
When he makes no move to retreat, I reach up, grabbing his index finger, and pry it off me. The other four digits follow, and he winces into the movement, grunting when I yank back, making his bone pop.
“I don’t need to be shown anything.”
“Well, that’s what you’d think if your orientation was lacking.” He steps away, holding his fingers and nods at the pair behind him. “Sara-Sofia and Tiernan have been on Muna’s route before. They know she’s kind of boring.”
I don’t bother glancing at the other two and continue my walk instead. The mouthy guy doesn’t move before my shoulder checks his; I barely register the impact, noting his recoil in the corner of my eye.
Still, that’s not enough. He jogs to catch up, once again putting himself in front of me. “Look. As an upperclassman, fellow RA, and FFM, it’s my duty to really welcome you to Avernia. If you decline, I’ll be forced to report the insubordination to Dean Bauer.”
“FFM?” A throuple pairing in some of the romance novels my mom reads, but surely that doesn’t translate here.
“Founding family member.”
Again, I just look at him.
He frowns, the expression on his face growing almost menacing. “Is playing dumb how you got out of trouble the other night?”
Thatpiques my interest. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“In the words of the great George Bernard Shaw,” the guy says, practically shouting into the damp air, “‘dying is a troublesome business.’ Even more so for those left behind with the body.”
Tiernan steps up, adjusting the straps of his backpack. I wonder if he’s having trouble looking me in the eye because of our last encounter. “We’re not exactly strangers to death around here, but you have to admit, a double homicide happening in your dorm, onyourfloor while you’re the RA, looks pretty shady.”
I press my lips together to keep from laughing outright. “I wasn’t aware that I was a suspect.”
“You’re not,” the girl rushes out, her cheeks darkening when my gaze meets hers. “I think what Beckett and Tiernan mean is that Avernia gets spooked easily, and some of us just want to get to know you better. There’s a party at our chapter house on Friday—it’s the big, ugly Victorian near the edge of campus, right before the fencing cuts off the property line. We’d love it if you came.”
The last party I was at burns a hole in my mind, and I consider saying no on principle.
I fucking hate people, parties, and everything about this place.
How I ever survived as a stagehand for a rock star is beyond me.
Still…maybe getting in with these guys wouldn’t be such a bad idea. It’s technically what I’ve been wanting anyway, even if these three are incredibly irritating. They’d likely knowsomethingabout what’s going on with the murders and their cover-ups.
“All right,” I reply. “What’s your guest policy?”
