Rushed (The Rushed Series) (11 page)

I shook my head. "Just the opposite—they wish I'd never been born."

"That can't be true." She smiled tentatively, like I must be joking or exaggerating. Like every parent wanted the kid they were stuck with.

"It's the absolute truth. Ask them yourself." I held my phone out to her. "Their numbers are programmed in."

Her smile faltered. "Shut up." She pushed the phone away. "You're crazy."
 

"Certifiable." I laughed to cover the truth and put her at ease. People who haven't fucked up their childhoods and who've grown up with normal parents don't understand how a mother and father can hate their kid. I didn't feel like explaining.

She punched a button on her phone. Mine rang a second later.

"You're calling me?" I stared at my phone. "This better be good. This is an emergency contact number only for girls in the house. If you haven't tripped a circuit breaker, blown out an outlet by plugging in too many flatirons and blow dryers, overflowed a toilet, or locked yourself out, I'm unavailable."

She stared me in the eye as my phone kept ringing. "Shut up, houseboy. I'm calling Zach, my study partner. I want him to have my number."

I answered her call. "Hey, study partner." I couldn't help grinning. If I didn't watch myself, I could fall in love with this girl. If you believe in love at first sight, maybe I already had.

"My number is not for emergencies only," she said. "It's open to friends any time, day or night. Whenever they need to talk. Or want to discuss music. Or just need to hear another person breathing. I'm here and I'll listen."

She hung up. I swallowed hard.

"Away from the house, you aren't a houseboy to me, Zach. And you're never a servant. Or a lower class." Her tone was fierce. "You're just Zach and I'm just Alexis, and all those other trappings don't matter."

"You really think that will work?" I wished I were as innocent as she was.

She was so naïve.

She shrugged. "I don't care if it works for anyone but you and me."

"And in the house?" I asked, curious.

"You're my favorite houseboy."

I laughed again, seriously doubtful her plan would work. "Fair enough."

"Zach?"

"Yeah?"

"As my favorite houseboy, I could use your advice about house politics."

"What? I'm the houseboy now? I'm off the clock."

"Please?"

"You know I'm a sucker when you beg. I'll answer as your friend. What's on your mind?"

Her face lit up. "You were there yesterday when Kelly announced I was the top pledge and I got to pick my roommate. When I picked Emily, they seemed to approve. Why? Was Emily their second choice?"

I couldn't tell whether she was just playing naïve now or seriously thought Emily was their second bid pick. If she'd studied her pledge class at all, she would know better. "You and Emily are friends?" I had observed that much. "That's why you picked her?"

She nodded.

I sighed. "You aren't going to like what I'm going to tell you. This stays between you and me, got it?"

"Absolutely."

"Your friend Emily barely made the cut. She was their last pick. They wanted a couple of other girls more. But you know the politics. They have to coordinate with other houses because the Greek system can only offer one bid to each girl. They reluctantly took Emily as a compromise. Even the Double Deltsies don't always get their way.

"When you picked Emily, the other girls approved of your choice of a girl who was no competition to you. Your strategy proved that you really are one of them."

Chapter Seven

Alexis

Was I really one of them, a Double Deltsie deep down? As I tried to get my mind off Zach and concentrate at study table, I began doubting myself. Was I missing something? Was I really that good a fake? Should I tell my parents I was done living the exact life they wanted for me?

Em sat across from me writing a paper for English 101, freshman composition. I had laughingly asked her if the topic was
What did you do on your summer vacation?
Wasn't that always the subject of the first paper of the year?

I thought about what Zach had told me about her, too. There was no way I would ever mention it. What didn't they see in her? She was puppy-dog enthusiastic about being in the house. And trying so hard to impress and do everything they asked of her.

And Zach, I couldn't figure him out. I had been so certain he was about to kiss me. He was certainly flirting with me. Then he drew back, just like that. I understood I was playing with fire by flirting with him, that we could both be kicked out of the house if we started something. But I had never felt this kind of attraction to a guy before. I couldn't stay away. I had to be near him, even if I could only be his friend.

But I also wanted to know more about him. What drove him? Were his parents really as bad as all that?

Studying made me hungry. Dinner was long past, but the kitchen was always open. Unfortunately, Betty, our cook, was rumored to lock up most of the cupboards when she left for the night.
 

As soon as study table hours officially ended, I took a chance she had left something edible out. "I'm going to get something to munch on," I whispered to Em. "Want to come with?"

She shook her head. "Not now. I'm on a roll."

Never interrupt a writer in the zone. I left her alone.

I was hoping to find Zach in the kitchen. Instead Kayla was sitting on the counter next to the sink, laughing and talking with Seth.
 

I walked in. "I'm starving. Did Cook leave anything out? Or have you two scarfed it all up already?"
 

Kayla swung her legs and laughed. "If there was anything left after dinner, it's long gone." She nodded toward Seth. "These guys inhale food. Is study table over already?"

I nodded and frowned my disappointment.

"You soon learn to stock up on snacks and hide them in your room," Kayla said. "Under lock and key. If it gets out you're hiding food, you'll never see it again. This time of night, your best bet is the grocery store or Lates, which is run by dining hall services. But it's across campus."

I sighed. "That's a long walk when you're weak with hunger."

Kayla laughed. "If you're really on the edge of death, I'll drive you."

"Hang on." Seth pulled a key from his pocket and held his finger to his lips. "Don't tell anyone." He unlocked a cupboard and tossed me a granola bar.

I peeled back the wrapper and took a bite. "I am forever in your debt."

"Don't tell him that!" Kayla gave Seth a playful shove. "He'll find a way to call that debt in."

The way Seth looked at Kayla, I thought for a minute he had a thing for her. But it was clear from her end she just considered him a friend.

"How are you adjusting to living in the house?" Kayla asked.

She had just given me the opening I needed. "It's only been a day. Generally, I love it! Except for the sleeping porch." I made a heavenward glance.

She laughed. "Doesn't everybody. You'll get used to it."

"Lucky houseboys," I said. "You guys have your own rooms."

Seth got a wolfish look in his eyes as he wiggled his eyebrows and grabbed Kayla around the shoulders. "Damn, I would rather be sleeping in the sleeping porch with you girls."

"Shut up!" Kayla laughed and pushed him away. "I bet you would. Seth is the reason we have the no-dating-the-houseboys policy."

"But fraternizing with the frat boys is perfectly okay. Encouraged, even." Seth was ostensibly still teasing, but there was an edge to his voice.

"If you're talking about Eric, then shut up again," Kayla said. "What I do in private—"

"Seriously, Seth," I said. "What do your parents think of their son living in a sorority?"

He shrugged good-naturedly. "As long as it helps pay the bills, they're all for it. Why do you ask?"

"Just curious." I tried not to let my true motives show.

"Are you polling all the houseboys? Is this for, like, Psych 101? The effects on the male psyche of living with one hundred women in tight quarters, or the guarding-the-harem-effect on non-eunuch males." He laughed again.
 

When he saw my expression, he paused. "Oh, I get it. I saw you walk back to the house with Zach this afternoon. You're trying to figure us out so you can figure him out. Good luck with that!"

"No—" I tried to act casual.

Seth slipped his keys back into his pocket. "The girl protests too much!"

"Seth, leave the pledge alone." Kayla's eyes twinkled. "All of us have had a crush on one of the house guys at one time or another."

"Have you, babe?" Seth studied her too intently, like he wished she were crushing on him.

Kayla laughed. She was an easy flirt. "Oh, yeah. I'm not saying on which one, though. Or when."

Seth shook his head. "If it was Dillon, I'll have to throttle you."

She shrugged. "I'll never tell."

He leaned close to Kayla like he was conspiring to overtake the house. "Should I give the little pledge the scoop on my roommate and dispel her romantic notions of him?"
 

"If you're hoping for transference, let her down gently, Seth." Her laugh was perfectly flirtatious.

Easy to see why guys fell for it. If I could flirt as beautifully as Kayla did…

"I'll do my best." Seth focused his attention back on me. "You're wondering why a guy like Zach, with everything going for him—high school big shot, jock, practically perfect GPA, hot, according to the girls I overhear, anyway—chose to be a houseboy? Aren't we all?
 

"Did he tell you his dad is some kind of big shot at a Seattle advertising firm? And his mom and stepdad own a furniture store and rake in the money?

"They're crap parents. They cut him off after high school. Don't give him a dime for college. I should know. I've seen him struggle to get by and scrape up gas money to go home for break. He even donates plasma for cash when he has to and volunteers for those odd psych experiments that pay you a few bucks for your participation. Working here beats being a professional plasma donor, I guess."

"
Why
did they cut him off?" The words came out before I thought. They were too breathless and eager. I couldn't understand it. Zach seemed like the perfect son. What had he done to tick them off?

Seth turned to Kayla. "We have an inquisitive one on our hands." His gaze returned to me. "I dunno. Because they're psycho?"

I frowned and tried to match their teasing tone. "I hope it's not hereditary!"
 

Seth crossed his arms and leaned against the counter next to Kayla. "Yeah, you and me both. I share a room with the guy." He laughed. "Relax, Zach's fine. Normal. His parents divorced when he was little, like four or five. He feels responsible for it. Like he broke up the family. That's all I know."
 

Kayla chimed in. "Little kids get lots of funny ideas and blame themselves when their parents divorce. Like if they'd just been perfect enough, good enough, it wouldn't have happened. I've seen it happen to friends. Maybe that explains Zach, the overachiever."

"It hasn't seemed to impress his parents," Seth said. "They just let him keep believing he's the source of all evil. My educated guess, as a guy who got an A in Psych 105, is that it takes the pressure and responsibility off them."

I frowned, my heart breaking a little for Zach.

"Don't feel too sorry for him—he claims living in the house has been good for him. That he's learning how to relate to girls as people, not just sex objections." Seth laughed again like that was the funniest thing he'd ever heard.

Kayla shook her head. "Ignore Seth. Zach's a good guy. I totally believe him. He's like a brother to all of us here." She shot Seth a pointed look. "As he should be."

"You would believe him," Seth said, like she was incredibly trusting. He turned to me. "Don't get any ideas about bagging Zach. He's a tough nut to crack." Seth grinned like guys do whenever someone mentions nuts. "And believe me, others here have tried."