Okay. I passed Falcons’ Nest, which is the other girls’ dorm, and looks like a luxurious mansion.
I stayed on the path as the map instructed me to do.
Then I took a left.
“Son of a bitch.” I walk forward a few steps until I see another dorm. Only the wooden plaque out front does not say Foxes' Den. Instead, it says Vultures’ Roost, which is one of the boys' dorms.
I was never supposed to go left. I should have gone right. Dammit, I should have just accepted Elias’s help.
Stupid, stupid maze of a campus!
Spinning around to backtrack and try this again, I come face to face with a couple of girls wearing teal plaid skirts with matching polos and knee-high socks.
“Lost already?” the tall blonde says as she pops open an umbrella. She’s like something straight out of Cosmo magazine. At least three inches taller than me, tan legs, and flawless skin surrounding her bright blue eyes.
“I…yeah. I think I am.” I squint at her. “Do I know you?”
“No. But we know you. Everyone does. You’re Scarlett Sunder. Forgive me for my lack of manners.” She extends her hand. “I’m Melody, and this is my best friend, Hannah.”
I give her hand a subtle shake while my eyes skate from Melody to Hannah. The two girls are like night and day. One tall and blonde, the other short and brunette, but both are wearing the same cringey uniform that I’ll soon be wearing myself. “How do you know my name?”
“Everyone’s been expecting you, Scarlett. When word got around that a newbie from the Aima Chapter was coming in late, we were all beside ourselves. A girl who knows The Lawless, up close and personal.” She claps her hands together excitedly. “We’re all expecting some juicy secrets.”
“Oh. I don’t know them well, so there’s nothing to tell.” It’s a lie. The truth is, I know them far more than I care to admit. How could I not? We grew up in the same chapter and attended all the same functions.
I know Jagger is an adrenaline junky and always seeks out a thrill, whether it’s climbing the tallest mountain or hooking up with the girl who shot him down—not that it happens often. He’s a catch in the eyes of the female population.
Crew is the one that everyone gravitates toward because he’s witty and cute—at least, that’s what he wants everyone to believe. I used to think he was one of the good ones, but he proved me wrong there.
Then we have Neo—dark, mysterious, and the biggest asshole of the bunch.
Our Society is comprised of over a hundred chapters all over the nation. Each chapter has anywhere from a dozen to three dozen families. Our chapter, Aima, is on the smaller scale, but one of the more well known, considering the founder of The Society was an Aima.
Melody gives me a look, as if I’m holding back pertinent information. “Oh, I’m sure you’ve got some stories to tell.” She adjusts her bag on her shoulder while holding tight to the umbrella she doesn’t bother offering to her friend.“We have to get going, but we’ll see you tonight?”
I sweep away the rain dropping on my arms. “Tonight?”
“The Gathering?” She says the words like I’m supposed to know what the hell she’s talking about. When I shake my head, she continues, “The annual kickoff to the school year party at The Ruins. Everyone attends.”
“Oh,” I click my tongue on the roof of my mouth, “hard pass. Large crowds aren’t really my thing.”
“Scarlett.” She drags out my name with a big smile on her face. “You just have to come. It’s the perfect chance to get to know your tribe. After all, that’s what this place is all about.” Her eyes dance around the forest. “Embracing our privileges as Blue Bloods. Learning the ins and outs in order to lead the next generation.”
Embracing our privileges?More like being pushed into a pit of flames. I didn’t ask for this. I’m here because my parents forced me to attend. I know my future rests in the hands of The Society, but it doesn’t mean I’m ready to embrace it—or that I ever will be.
Giving up the fight, I tell the girl what she wants to hear. All I want to do is find my room, make my bed, and lie in it for the next eight months. “I guess I’ll see you later, then.”
“Wonderful.” She turns to walk away, Hannah following. “Oh,” she hollers over her shoulder, “Foxes' Den is that way.” She points a finger in the opposite direction I was heading.
Folding up the map in my hand, I say, “Thanks.”
She seemed nice. The brunette, that is. Quiet is my type. The blonde was as fake as the smile I put on my face. Now let’s hope my new roommate is also on the anti-social scale and the school year will be smooth sailing.
ChapterThree
SCARLETT
I’m breathinga sigh of relief when I see a large building, similar to the main one where my parents dropped me off. It resembles more of a Roman cathedral than a campus dormitory, but I dig the vibe. Ivy vines climb up the sides of the five-story building and there are stained-glass windows scattered all over, each one etched with its own design. A wooden plaque out front has the wordsThe Foxes' Denengraved on it.