“Damn it, Delilah.” She turns off her music and crosses her arms over her ample chest. “It’s the first day of class. Don’t tell me you’ve already fucked up in some way.”
“I haven’t, unless you count talking to Professor Ames about his signet ring after class.”
She slowly shakes her head, staring at me like I’m a terminal cancer patient. “What did I say about him? You know nothing, Jon Snow.”
I plop onto my bed with a sigh and toss my arm over my face. “This is all Ben’s fault.”
“Explain.”
“So, I grew up in the foster system. I’m not trying to get out my violin and play my sad song, but it was rough until my lastthree years. My foster mother Gloria is an angel. Before her, it was just me and Ben, my foster brother. There are also two little girls that came to live with us that are like my little sisters.”
I pause when my eyes prick with tears. After clearing the emotion in my throat, I continue. “They were my family and the only good things in my life. Ben got a scholarship to South Harbor, and he’s been here for the last three years. The long distance was hard on us, but I thought that would change once I started school here. Except he hasn’t responded to any of my texts or calls. It’s been days now.”
Raven nods solemnly. Then she gets to her feet and walks over to my bed, sitting next to me. “You’ll hear from him soon. It sounds like you were in the trenches together, and that kind of bond doesn’t disappear overnight.”
“Maybe it did over the last three years.”
She scoots closer on the comforter. “A ride-or-die doesn’t just continue on riding without you. So that leaves dying, which I would’ve heard about by now. Gossip travels through this place faster than a viral video on social media. So that means it’s either a possessive girlfriend, or he’s in an over-involved alumni group.”
I smile at her. “You’re brilliant. You know that?”
“Duh. Now tell me why.”
“Ben has been wearing a gold signet ring for a while now. It’s identical to the one Professor Ames wears, except there’s a different letter engraved on it.”
She taps her chin in thought. “And that’s why you talked to him and risked failing his class. The things we do for love.”
“Oh, no. It’s not like that between us. I only see Ben as my brother.”
“That’s cool, but love comes in many different forms. Whatever label you want to give it doesn’t matter. What’simportant is that it’s strong enough to get you to take action, and with that comes risk.”
When I scrunch my forehead and give her a side-eye, she waves a hand in dismissal. “Anyway, what did Professor Ames say?”
“That it’s a family heirloom and part of the fraternity, the Obsidian Order.”
She tilts her head. “And you’re sure Ben’s not part of the founding families?”
“The what?” I frown. “Ben and I were orphans, so that just leaves the social club.”
“Hmm. What was the letter on his ring?”
“‘M.’”
Raven jumps to her feet and crosses the floor to grab her laptop. Unlike mine, it’s brand new and top of the line. She types rapidly, the clicking sound the only one in the room.
“Boom shakalaka!” she screeches. “Who’s your mommy?”
“Erm…”
I slide from my bed to walk over and peer down at her screen. “The founding families in South Harbor, Massachusetts are as follows,” I read quietly. “Gage, Kent, Shipley, Felton, Emerson, Paine, Barnum, Ames, Donovan, and McKenzie.”
My knees give out, and I sink onto the mattress beside my friend. “You don’t think that’s his real family?”
Raven shrugs. “It’s possible and an avenue of inquiry we shouldn’t ignore.”
“Avenue of inquiry?”
She grins at me. “You can call me Sherlock Fucking Holmes, baby.”
