Page 4 of The Fake
Sydney lets the dress fall to her side and tosses it on her bed. “Thanks.” It’s no more than a whisper and then she hurries out of our room carrying the black dress. I give the neon dress an apologetic smile. Poor dress. I’ve probably just ensured it never gets worn again.
Our room is set up with each of our twin beds pushed against the far walls and there might as well be a piece of tape dividing our halves for how much either of us has crossed into the other’s space. Bri and Emily share a room on the other side of the suite with a similar setup.
I shove off my bed and decide to plan my own outfit for the night. The athletic mixer is mandatory for the entire team—free drinks and appetizers, mingling with alumni and boosters. Under normal circumstances, I’d be excited about a night of dressing up and going out, but since I have zero friends here, I’m not jumping for joy about being the social leper standing in the corner all night. It’s embarrassing enough to hide away in my room, but I’ve never walked into a party alone like I know I will tonight.
I close the closet door behind me and pull the cardboard box labeledMisc Junkfrom the top shelf. Settling on the floor, I tug the flaps open and let out a sigh at the contents. Every overpriced piece of clothing I own is carefully folded and safely stored inside a plastic, zippered bag.
When I transferred to Valley, I thought it would be best if I left all traces of my life in California behind. It’s not like I was walking around campus in couture, but I had nice, designer brand clothes, an off-campus apartment in an area that college kids shouldn’t be able to afford, and money to blow on pretty much anything I wanted thanks to the allowance my parents transfer to my checking account like clockwork on the first and fifteenth of every month.
I don’t fancy myself some sort of saint for attempting to rough it at college by wearing cheaper clothes and only buying necessities—this is all about self-preservation, but I’m sort of proud of how easy it’s been to give up the things I thought I couldn’t live without just a few months ago.
That being said, a whirl in my favorite dress might be just the bright spot I need in an otherwise crappy start at a new school.
I lift the dress, a beautiful light pink lacy Dolce Gabbana number that is feminine and sexy, and with my summer tan still intact highlights my blonde hair and green eyes perfectly. I empty it from its protective bag, shove the box to the top of the closet, and then head back out to the room and lay the dress on my bed.
Grabbing my shower caddy, I prepare to face my roommates. There’s only one way to the bathroom, and I’ve gotta go by them to get to it.
The common living room between our bedrooms is small but comfortable. The girls already had a blue couch and a TV when I moved in. My first day in Valley, I made my initial mistake when I went out and bought a floral print armchair, a rug, and a lamp to contribute to the room. I’m sure they’d already pinned me as the spoiled princess type from the rumors and news articles, but I found out real fast that flaunting my money was not the way to win them over.
Bri sits where the armchair should be, but it’s pushed against the wall, and she’s on the floor with her back to me. Sydney and Emily are on the couch with their dresses held up in front of them. Emily avoids eye contact with me altogether, hiding behind her blonde curls. Sydney smiles and then catches herself and looks away faster than I can return the gesture of friendliness.
I’m two steps from the freedom of the hallway when Bri calls, “Are you coming tonight or is this type of thing too lowbrow for you?”
I fight back a witty and cutting remark. “Yep, I’ll be there.”
I slip out and head to the ladies’ room. Freddy dormitory is a co-ed dorm, but the guys and girls have separate bathrooms. It hasn’t stopped me from walking in on the random guy coming out of one of our toilet stalls or spotting two pairs of feet under shower stalls, but mostly, everyone seems thankful for our separate spaces.
Freddy is where the majority of the student-athletes are placed at Valley. All the volleyball girls, with the exception of a few who live off-campus, are here. Before we arrived, all of our doors were decorated with our names in cutesy cutouts that matched our sport. Volleyballs, soccer balls, tennis racquets, and so on. There’s at least one person from every sport living on my floor.
It’s busy for a Wednesday afternoon. Doors open and shut all down the hallway, laughter and conversations filtering out and giving the place a fun and party-like vibe. It feels decidedly less depressing walking the twenty steps to the bathroom than it does being in my own room.
I spot a sophomore soccer player who lives across the hall coming out of the shower with a big fluffy yellow towel wrapped around her. She’s one of the few friendly faces I’ve met, and I don’t have to force the smile that comes when she walks toward me. She’s one of those people who seems to know and like everyone.
“It’s a madhouse in here,” I say after waving hello.
“Give it another thirty minutes, and there’ll be a line for the shower. I bet the guys’ bathroom is a ghost town. They won’t start getting ready until fifteen minutes before the mixer starts.” She rolls her eyes.
“I didn’t realize everyone was going tonight. I thought it was just a few teams.”
“Ah.” She squeezes the ends of her wet, red hair. “Yeah, it’s mandatory for everyone. It’s a big deal. Lots of local media on top of the alumni and season ticket holders.”
My stomach sinks with the new information. The last thing I need is more PR. I fake excitement. “Can’t wait. I guess I better snag one of those showers before everyone else gets the same idea.”
I stand under the hot water until my skin is pink from the heat and the stress tension I’ve been carrying in my neck disappears. When I step out, sure enough, a line has formed for the showers and a dozen more girls are using the mirrors to do their hair and makeup.
With my robe on and caddy in hand, I head back to my room. I take a deep breath before I enter the suite, feeling my neck muscles tighten at just the thought of facing Bri. I relax when I find the common room is empty and the door to Emily and Bri’s room is closed.
But the tension comes screaming back when I walk into my room. Bri sits on my bed. Dark brown hair falls into her face, blocking me from seeing her expression, which I’m positive is smug. Her ass is planted on my comforter and both feet are pulled up on top of my dress while she paints her toenails a bright blood red. I’m not sure what’s more shocking—the audacity to blatantly disrespect me or her choice in nail polish color.
Sydney’s face turns a rosy shade as she glances between us. “Chloe’s back now, Bri.”
“Sorry, just finishing up here.” She takes her time giving the toes on her right foot a second coat before screwing the lid on the bottle and swinging her legs off the bed. “Oops, looks like I got a little spot on your dress. You weren’t going to wear this tonight, were you?”
My blood pressure spikes, and I feel a little woozy that her words might be true but force myself to calmly move to the bed and grab my pink dress to hold up for inspection. She wouldn’t. The Dolce and Gabbana dress was on sale, but it’s still the single most expensive piece of clothing I’ve ever owned. I bought it for a Golden team event not so different than the one we’re attending tonight. It’s so beautiful, and I’d felt just as beautiful in it.Wastoo beautiful.
Little red smudges mar the pink lace fabric along the bust of the dress. I clutch it to my chest and feel my eyes start to burn. “You ruined my dress.”
She laughs. “Oh, relax, Mommy and Daddy can just buy you a new one, right? Just like they bought your way into college.Twice.”
