I looked over my shoulder and to the side to see if people were watching. I didn’t know if anyone from the fraternity had eyes on me or if any of the niggas were in my class. First impression was everything, and I didn’t need a chick who was a friend of Xavier talking to me like we’d been kicking it for years.
I sat up in my seat. “Sup?” I mumbled.
She came down the aisle I was on, and it only annoyed me. I leaned over, trying to whisper. “All these open seats and you got to sit yo’ ass right here?”
She sucked her teeth. “You should be happy somebody wants to sit next to your crazy ass. I mean, no one can be worse than your girlfriend. I haven’t forgotten she drugged us,” she muttered.
I slammed my hand on the table. “Watch yo’ mouth!”
Everyone’s head turned to look at me. Phoebe had the nerve to even mention Samara, and it wasn’t like she was trying to kill them; she was trying to calm everyone down. My eyes cut at her, and a smirk was plastered on her face. I slowly nodded. I knew none of these people knew me like that, and I was trying to be on my best behavior, especially since Zeus was paying for my education. I tried to look at this as my second chance since being here in Toussaint. However, these muhfuckas were making it hard, and if they kept on, Dionysus was soon going to turn back into Demonysus.
As class started, the professor discussed her expectations and began asking questions. Some people knew the answer, while others looked dumbfounded. That’s when her eyes landed on me. “Shit,” I mumbled.
“Mr. Jackson, what is the difference between mass and weight?” Professor Muhammed asked.
She was a fine-ass professor. I wondered if she spent her college years here before teaching. She smiled as she waited for me to answer.As soon as my mouth opened, Phoebe began to answer. “Weight is the—”
“Damn, is your name Mr. Jackson or me? You need to chill,” I said to Phoebe. “Mass is the amount of matter in an object, like those,” I pointed to Phoebe’s shoes. “Those thick-ass Doc Martens, while weight changes based on gravity,” I smirked.
Phoebe dropped her head, and I knew I got her ass. My intentions weren’t to embarrass her, but she had the right nigga on the wrong day. Here I was, a nineteen-year-old trying to wear the pants of a grown-ass man. Not only was I the prince of the Zoo, but I had also now decided to step into the world of frat life, and my girlfriend wouldn’t even talk to me. The last thing I needed was a dark nerd trying to call me out. She needed to worry less about me and more about that nigga Xavier, who was probably fucking anything walking.
A chuckle came from the professor, making me look at her like she was crazy. She clapped her hands together in excitement. “Change of course plans. Let’s start the semester off right. Nuclear Scattering Simulation,” she paused. “Dionysus and Phoebe, I think you two will be perfect partners.”
I ran my hand over my face, “How is it that we’re giving a project on the first day? Can I pick who I want to work with?”
Doing a project was one thing, but working with Dark and Lovely was another. She had already tried to challenge me, and now I had to work with her crazy ass. The timing was off. My eyes slowly rolled her way as she shrugged. Knowing her, she was probably excited as hell just so she could ask me about Street's half-walking ass. All I knew was she better have some brains under all that hair because if she thought I was doing all the work, she had a nigga like me fucked up.
My phone buzzed with a text. I flipped it over to read itand saw it was from one of the big brothers in Chi Kappa Chi. I blew out a sharp breath because I knew shit was about to get real.
SAMARA
“Can you tell me what that was?” I asked Paige.
Paige, Alyse, and I had met up at the Blue Café while I had a break between my classes. The café was a vibe; they played decent music, had comfortable seating, and the food was great. Students were in and out of this place; some studied, some met up to do what we were doing, and some sat in corners, gazing out the window, trying to figure out their lives. Paige and Alyse had become my closest friends. With them both having boyfriends within the Zoo, it was almost inevitable for us not to be friends. The only person we were missing was Morgan, but she didn’t attend the school.
Alyse scrolled through her phone while Paige pretended to be doing something on her laptop. I let out a loud sigh to catch both of their attention. “Fine. Don’t tell me anything.”
Paige’s eyes peeked over her laptop while Alyse stopped scrolling and shifted in her seat. “I mean, you know, it was a moment,” Alyse said to me.
I rolled my eyes. “Duh! I know that, but was it like some initiation thing?”
Paige looked confused. “Wait... You and Dio live together, and you have no idea about any of it?”
I shrank. “No,” I mumbled.
Now I felt dumb for asking. However, I felt like Dio was keeping something from me, or maybe it was the fear of missing out. I knew I shouldn’t have let it bother me, but it did, especially now that he moved out for the semester. I wanted to tell them, but I was embarrassed because I honestly didn’t know where Dio and I stood. Both of them stared at me before Alyse smirked.
“It’s coming. All I can tell you is it’s a great experience, and prepare yourself. Girl, you are the princess of the Zoo with or without an Orange Light Special. I mean, shit.”
Orange Light Special?I gave them both a weak smile. “Don’t worry about it. I’m sure I’m just being impatient. Anyway, Paige, are you excited about graduation?” I asked.
She gave a weak shrug. “I guess, but this thesis is whooping my ass. It’s been a four-year drag, and it’s almost over. I—”
Her eyes widened as she looked over my shoulder. My head turned slightly to see Jesaiah and a group of guys sitting at the table behind us. When he caught me looking at him, his eyes narrowed in on me.
“Sup, Samara?” he said before smiling.
“Hi,” I mumbled.
