Usually, I liked the quiet of the dorm before everyone arrived for the start of a new semester. The anticipation of new people and classes and possibilities exhilarated me. Today, all I noticed was the weird silence of a mostly empty building and the snow falling straight down. Without a car, I was basically stuck by myself.
“This is ridiculous,” I said into the emptiness of my room.
Swinging my legs over the side of the bed, I stood and stretched then pulled out my desk chair. I had a couple of days before the semester began and syllabi for all my classes. Might as well get a head start on my course reading. As I pulled up some articles on my computer, I chuckled to myself. Reading ahead was Jamaica’s thing. She’d finally rubbed off on me.
“Finn asked about you when I was over at the house the other night,” Jamaica said as we sat in the Union for our afternoon coffee date the first week of classes. “I was so distracted with all the Tory Miller drama during finals, I think I missed the part where the two of you apparently hooked up.” Her narrowed eyes demanded I spill all the tea.
“Who told you that?”
“I might have overheard Bax and him talking about it.”
“Bax is clueless. I returned Finn’s hoodie. Then a bunch of jersey chasers showed up with cookies ‘for the boys,’” I added with air quotes. “Bax came home right behind them, and I left. End of story.” I busied myself with removing the lid of my cup, blowing on my coffee, and refitting the lid before taking a sip.
She leaned toward me. “You’re hiding something.”
I gave her my coolest raised-brow response and kept my mouth shut.
My friend didn’t buy it. “I’ll get it out of you. You know that, don’t you?”
With a shrug I said, “Nothing to get out of me. There’s nothing going on between Finn McCabe and me.” At least that much wasn’t a lie.
Giving me a sage nod, she said, “Uh-huh. Famous last words.”
I rolled my eyes.
“So, did you hear the big news?” Pure delight colored her tone. Before I could react to the abrupt change in subject, she plowed on. “The football program severed ties with Buzz Miller. He can give them money, but he can’t influence NIL contracts, have any access to players or coaches, is barred from serving on any committees associated with the team, and has to issue a public apology to Callahan for all the trouble he caused last semester.” She vibrated with giddy excitement.
“Seriously? I can’t believe the university would be willing to do that to a major donor.”
Jamaica’s expression turned grave. “Callahan didn’t give me all the details, but the team captains went to the head football coach and gave him an ultimatum. Apparently, this isn’t the first time a Miller girl went after a football player with the intention of ruining his life by saddling him with her.”
“Wow.” I sat back in my chair. “I still can’t believe any college administrator would willingly give up alumni cash.”
“They will if they think accepting it on Buzz Miller’s terms could cost them their jobs. Dr.Dair is on probation, and he lost tenure. He’s lucky to still be teaching here after everything that went down last semester.”
I laughed. “I hear a certain amount of satisfaction in your voice, you vindictive girl.”
“Tory’s the one who should be on probation.” Jamaica sighed. “Her dad’s money still has some influence.”
“Guess that explains the exodus of freshman mean girls moving out of Hanover and into Delta Chi this semester.” I rolled my cup between my palms. “Can’t say I’ll miss Tory’s crowd. But I will give her props.”
At Jamaica’s stunned expression, I clarified. “At least she recruits the nasty ones like her, leaving the fun girls behind for us to hang out with. The atmosphere on my floor is already lighter in the first two weeks of the semester than it was at the end of last semester, and I only had two of those girls living in my hall.”
“I asked that Tory be made persona non grata at Hanover. Hopefully, Becky agrees and sends her a letter.”
“After everything that’s gone down with that girl over the past two years, I can’t imagine our supervisor doing anything less. Saves her almost as much stress as it saves us.” I finished my coffee, stood, and walked the empty cup to a nearby trash can.
“That’s enough Tory Miller for one day—or week—or month. If I never see that girl again, I’ll consider myself having lived a charmed life.” Hefting my backpack over my shoulder, I glanced toward the loud giggles coming from the main door into the common area of the Union. As though I’d conjured her with my words, in sashayed the devil herself with her little group of mean girls all surrounding one Finn McCabe.
“What was that you were saying earlier about Finn asking about me?” Nodding in the direction of the doorway, I said, “That might be the reason I don’t believe it—and why you shouldn’t believe anything you hear about Finn and me hooking up.”
The man in question smiled at something one of the jersey chasers said to him. Then his gaze snagged on mine, and the smile dropped right off his face, replaced by an expression that looked a whole lot like guilt.
Jamaica stood beside me and shook her head in Finn’s direction, her disappointment obvious in the set of her shoulders.
“I think I’ll grab a coffee to-go,” I said.
“I’d join you, but I’m headed down to the Sweet Shop for my shift.”
