Tavi: course
“Octavia hasn’t gotten a message. At least not yet.”
Erik must have unwrapped his hands when he woke up. The scuffs over his knuckles are an angry red that makes me want to get him a cool compress. He drinks his coffee with his left hand, and his right comes to rest on my leg. I think it’s the first time he’s casually touched me, and I love it.
“What’s the plan today? Can you stay here until practice?” Erik asks.
I shift to turn toward him, slipping my left hand under the table. “No. I need to go by the Beacon West building, to the offices.” My hand rests lightly on his forearm, my thumb tracing the letter A. We’re having a secret conversation with our hands, which causes warmth to swirl in my chest. “The course is locked, and I’m getting auto replies from Dr. Smith-Hall’s email since he’s out of state.”
“Yeah, he’s got a new TA, and the TA hasn’t got the email forwarding right,” Avery says with a grimace. “But I heard from him, and the administrative assistant can unlock things temporarily for us to upload.”
“You had an extension?” I’m surprised because Avery isn’t an athlete.
“It’s not that.” Avery’s face flushes. “I got an internship at Ralston, and they’ve asked for some advance materials, so the professor is going to review them for me.”
“While he’s on sabbatical? No favoritism there or anything,” Declan says.
“I would say he’s a dick to you because you’re a dick,” Shane says. “But you’re right. Avery’s the teacher’s pet. Because she crushed it last semester. Highest score on every assignmentas a freshman. And for that end of year presentation… the others should’ve just stayed home.”
“Right, and it doesn’t hurt that she’s not related to a family he hates,” Declan says. “Or that she’s young and pretty.”
Shane raises a middle finger.
Everyone knows Shane and Declan are best friends and that Declan is made of GU gold, so it’s funny to hear that Shane’s freshman girlfriend is in the good graces of one of the toughest business profs on campus, while Declan is not.
“Or if you don’t want to forward me your stuff, Arya, we could walk over together?” Avery says, ignoring the guys.
“Yeah.” I lick jam from my fingertip. “I’m skipping classes but have to go to campus for practice.”
Being there will give me a chance to connect with Erik after he meets with the dean. I don’t trust Nyball. Or any Lambda Delta, past or present.
Now that I’m rested, anger has replaced shock and sadness. Bray posted on social media overnight, so just as Erik said, he’s alive. Brayden’s post was cryptic and bitter, which pisses me off. Octavia and I tried to leave well enough alone. It’s what the LDKs should’ve done, too. Instead, they came en masse to hurt us. They got what they deserved when Erik beat them up.
If any of them tries to get Erik in trouble, I will go straight to the news stations with the story. Then they’ll lose their charter for sure. And it’ll shine a light on the toxic culture that’s allowed to thrive at GU. Another blow to its reputation.
Tavi and I are leaving, so we’ve got nothing to lose.
Let the truth come out. I hope it destroys Lambda Delta house.
* * *
ERIK
Despite havingtwo cups of coffee, I’m tired.
Outside Declan’s, Shane and I speak briefly and privately about what we’ll say when questioned by Dean Nyball. If asked, I’ll deny having seen Shane with a firearm. If asked, he’ll deny seeing me grab Brayden Delmer by the throat and pound him twice in the face while he was on the ground.
I make a trip home to shower and change clothes, which energizes me. Afterward, I drop Arya’s bags at Declan’s. We’re going to live there until after the dance competition, and so are Shane and Avery. There will be armed guards outside, and Shane, Declan, and I inside. Strength in numbers.
It’s twelve-fifteen. Shane and I wait for our back-to-back appointments with the dean. Nyball keeps us waiting. Shane glances at his phone, checking the time again, and we exchange a look. The dean seems to be making a point about who’s in charge.
When Nyball’s executive assistant stands, we both look up.
“Mr. Sorensen, the dean is ready for you.”
Inside the inner office, the dean sits behind a giant walnut desk and doesn’t stand to greet me. I’ve been in the office as a football player with Declan and our head coach. Under those circumstances, Nyball jumped up and came around the desk to welcome us.
I glance at the map of New England that hangs behind his desk, and then around at the framed photographs of Granthorpe through the years.
