“And yet, it holds,” I say. “But if you want to get together with the elder Swans just to make sure, we can call them to join.”
“I told you, we don’t include them anymore,” Baron says, sounding annoyed.
“Then I guess we’ll have to be inducted by the current members.”
“I put Harper Apple forward for induction as a fully vested member,” Colt says, his voice strong and firm as it echoes over the parking lot. Lightning flickers overhead, and a chill rises on my arms. I can feel the charge in the air, the weight of Colt’s words hanging there as everyone waits to see if they still carry the weight they once did.
For a moment, no one speaks. Then Duke raises a hand, his eyes wary as they meet mine. “I second the motion.”
I want to fucking cheer, but I keep my cool and turn to Baron. He stares back at me, his jaw clenched.
From the corner of my eye, I see a flicker of movement.
“Third,” says a voice I recognize as DeShaun’s, though he’s shifted so I can’t make out anything but his silhouette in the blinding headlights.
Baron turns to him. “Seriously, man? Why?”
DeShaun’s broad shoulders rise and fall in a shrug. “I joined the society thinking we’d be doing something that would look impressive on college applications, not tearing down everything the founders built all those years. I know the Midnight Swans itself looks good to schools who have alumni there, and you know Royal’s my boy, but… I’m down for a change.”
“You didn’t like the way Royal ran things?” Baron asks.
“It was fun as hell,” DeShaun admits.
“Hear, hear,” Duke cheers, holding up his beer to let the headlights spill through the amber bottle.
“But we’re seniors now,” DeShaun says. “I’m ready to do something besides pulling pranks and making our forefathers look bad.”
Gideon shifts on his feet. “Isn’t the whole point of the Midnight Swans to make its members look good and give us a head start with the best schools?”
“Exactly,” DeShaun says. “Don’t get me wrong, it was fun, but how’s the society going to makeuslook good if we’re making the whole thing into a joke?”
“Maybe you should have thought of that before,” Colt says. “You think the Swan on the admissions board at Berkely or Yale is going to look at y’all and think you’re cool for kicking their sons out and using their organization like a high school frat? This town may have caved to the Dolces, but the Darling family name is strong with every living generation of the rest of y’all’s families. The Swans have connections in every Ivy League school, and I guarantee they won’t be happy about what you did to their organization.”
“Facts,” DeShaun says. “I wouldn’t mind it being something different this year. We can still party after the games.”
That leaves Baron, Cotton, and Gideon. I’m a little curious why Rylan isn’t among the guys, since he rounds out the group at lunch, but now isn’t the time to ask. I turn to the three holdouts.
“If she’s completed all the challenges, I don’t think we can block her just because she’s a girl,” Gideon says. “But I’m still a pledge, so… I’m not sure I get a vote.”
“Half vote,” Duke says.
“Cool,” I say. “That’s three and a half for, two against. Guess we should head to the basement before it starts raining.”
“What about her?” Cotton asks, nodding at Gloria.
“She’s also completed the challenges,” I say. “I’m a Swan. She fought me in the hall. She faced her fears by coming to school every day her sophomore year, when you heathens did God knows what to her. She betrayed Royal for me—Again, I’m a Swan. And I’m pretty sure she’s passed the gauntlet.”
“What’s the gauntlet?” Gloria asks.
“You have to let us run a train on you,” Cotton says, looking her up and down the way he did me. Guess he’s down to fuck whoever. I shouldn’t be surprised. You can’t exactly be picky when your normal M.O. is taking advantage of whatever girl passes out first at the party.
“What? No way,” Gloria says. “I have a boyfriend.”
“It’s fine,” I mutter to her under my breath. “You’ve already done it.”
“She never expressed interest, though,” Baron says.
Gloria shakes her head and backs away. “He’s right. I’m out. Sorry, girl.”