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CHAPTER SEVEN

Since the crappy morning, I wasn’t in the best of moods the rest of the day. Thankfully, Grace noticed and gave me a wide birth. Of course, I instantly felt guilty at the relief of not having to talk to her, but I couldn’t help it. Bryce wanted me to go to counseling, there was no way I was going to be in a good mood. And that meant that I’d probably not be the nicest person to Grace, especially to Grace who deserved it the most. So after I hightailed it out of class, I breathed in relief because it was my last one and I headed to the mailboxes for one last check before welcoming the weekend.

Of course, I would need to run into Leah, who I would’ve normally relished the thought of taking out my aggression on but couldn’t because of Bryce’s newfound desire for a ‘nice Sheldon.’

Instead of the normal scantily-clad Leah, I was surprised to find a fully clothed one this time. She was dressed in a tight pink cardigan, long sleeves, and snug jeans with jeweled back pockets. Her hair was swept back in a high ponytail that actually looked classy.

Shocker.

As she turned from her mailbox, I knew when she caught of me because she froze in place.

I sighed and turned to my own mailbox. Maybe she’d ignore my presence. She’d be smart if she did.

“Are you going to do the usual and call me a slut?”

Nope. Not a chance.

I turned, plastered a forced smile on my face, and commented, “You look very nice today.”

“Liar,” Leah snorted and shifted to rest a hand on her hip.

“You do.” I kept it simple. It was the truth.

“What’s wrong with you? You always tell me how much of a slut I am or something like that.”

I smiled, thinly, “Sniff, sniff, Miss Overly-Suspicious.”

She frowned, “That makes no sense.”

“It shouldn’t have to be. I gave you a compliment. Deal with it and walk away.” I bit back the ‘bitch’ part. I really would’ve enjoyed saying that.

She narrowed her eyes, frowned even more deeply, and ran an absent-minded hand through her hair that fell naturally onto her shoulders. “What’s wrong with you? You’re odd.”

Again, I forced a smile and murmured as I swept a strand of hair behind my shoulder, “Just…you really want to know why I’m being nice to you and telling you to walk away?” This girl was killing me.

A fleeting look of panic crossed her face, which was followed with genuine suspicion. I waited and then I saw pure confusion. “Is this one of those shows where you’re, like, tricking me? Are there cameras around? I don’t get it.”

“Really?!” I couldn’t believe her stupidity. “Walk away.”

Leah froze, still confused.

And I realized my own stupidity. “Never mind. I’m leaving.”

As I moved around, Leah stepped in front of me, blocking me. And I reared back. I so wanted to unsheath my claws, but I started a silent mantra of ‘nice Sheldon, nice Sheldon, nice Sheldon…’ in my head. I could almost feel Bryce watching me from behind, like he knew this was my first challenge to overcome for him.

Leah must’ve saw my battle because I caught a quick smile flash over her annoying face and then both of us jumped as two blondes in skimpy red polo shirts over matching blue jean miniskirts appeared out of nowhere in front of us. They flashed twin blinding smiles and cheeks that literally sparkled from glitter. “Sheldon, right? You’re Sheldon Jeneve, girlfriend of Bryce Scout and friends with Corrigan Raimler?”

I almost fell backwards from their energy. It oozed out of their breast implants.

“Excuse me?”

Leah scowled beside me. “Shoo away little flies. You’re nothing but pests.”

The taller blonde frowned momentarily, but remembered her façade and plastered a bright smile back on as she said politely, “We can be civil around each other. Just because you’ve maneuvered yourself inside of Alpha Mu doesn’t mean that we’re automatically enemies.”

“Speak for yourself,” Leah snorted. “You guys didn’t want me as a sister and Theta Delta did. You’re just pissed because you missed a good opportunity.”

The shorter blonde huffed out, “We didn’t know you’d be as close to the guys as you are.”

“Natalie!” The taller one looked aghast. “We don’t air those grievances in front of outsiders.”

Excuse me.

Leah laughed outright and shook her head. “You guys are stupid.”

“I mean,” the tall one sputtered. She looked at me and gushed, “I didn’t mean…Sheldon, you’re not the outsider. I meant Leah because she deferred to a different house.”

Glancing between all three of the girls, I shrugged, “Whatever. I’m not a part of this. Nor do I want to be. I’ve got a counselor to hunt down.”

“No, wait!” Natalie firmly planted herself in front of me. I shuffled over, two steps, and she shuffled to match me. She was smack dab in front of me. And I was suddenly feeling captive.

“Move,” I glared. I was still trying to be polite, but my patience had already worn thin with Leah.

“Okay, okay. My name is Cadence and this is Natalie,” the taller one introduced herself. Finally. She extended a golden hand and continued, “I apologize for starting off on the wrong foot. It’s just that some people are not in my personal good graces—”

“Personal good graces? You’re crazy. I’m not anything personal to you at all. You guys didn’t want me as a sister—” Leah bristled.

“Moving on.” Cadence rushed forward. “I wanted to formally introduce myself and invite you to a House social.”

“They’re super fun,” Natalie bounced closer, excitedly. “We start by getting ready for the night and drinking together. And then we all go out as a house, usually to a frat house or a bar sometimes. It’s a great way of bonding, especially with the new sisters.”

Cadence nudged her aside. She opened her mouth and closed it as Leah deadpanned, “They want to be invited to your party tonight. And they really want to use you because you’re best friends with Corrigan and boning Bryce Scout.”

Both sisters gasped, taken aback.

I hated to admit it, but I was starting to feel a weird kinship with Leah. I needed to remember that I didn’t like her…and that Michael Reveritt wanted to bone her.

“What do you want?” I got to business. I really did need to track down Miss Connors.

Natalie looked entranced, oddly, but Cadence skimmed me up and down shrewdly. I matched her, eye to eye, and knew she was getting a better read on how to handle me. And then she snapped to her decision and drew upright to her full height. “We want to come to your party, but not because of your best friend or boyfriend. We want to come because you’re hosting it and you’re connected in ways that could benefit our house.”

“So you want to use me?”

Leah rolled her eyes and huffed beside me.

Cadence narrowed her eyes and replied, cautiously, “We were hoping it could benefit both of us.”

“And how could you benefit me?”

“You don’t have girl friends. We could be your friends.”

“I don’t have female friends for a reason.”

“I can hurt any other guy, but girls…that’s different. I can’t hurt that Grace girl if she hurts you. I don’t like those rules.” I shivered as I remembered Bryce’s words, but it didn’t matter. Having girl friends wasn’t his problem. They were mine.

I focused back on Cadence and replied, “No offence, but girls are catty and I don’t have time for that in my life. I’m friends with people I trust. And I highly doubt I’m going to trust a houseful of sorority girls. No offense.”

“None taken, but let us prove you wrong,” Cadence bargained, confidently.

Natalie piped up, “You can trust us. We’re not like normal sororities.”

“Oh please,” Leah groaned.

“Whatever. I don’t care to be your friend, but you can come to the party. I have to go.” And I did. I needed to track down Miss Connors, do something to show Bryce I meant what I said I’d do, and still plan a party that night. I turned quickly on my heel and strode away, but I didn’t miss Natalie’s squeal or Leah’s outburst of curses. When I rounded the corner, I looked back and was struck by the surreal stillness from Cadence. She didn’t look like a sorority girl that had been granted some heavenly access to my ‘connections.’ She looked triumphant, like she’d just won a battle on her way to winning a war.

Weird. And whatever. I had more important things to figure out.

As I weaved through a crowd in the middle of a quad, I heard my name being shouted. I looked back, saw Michael Reveritt, along with Raz and Corrigan. I wasn’t sure who said my name, but I yelled back, “I promised Bryce. I’ve got to find Miss Connors. See you tonight.”

And then I was swallowed up by another herd of college students. I made it to the sciences building in record time and was able to find Miss Connors in her office, alone. When I knocked on the door, she looked up from her computer and blinked, as her eyes seemed to have a hard time focusing on me.

“Wha—Sheldon? We don’t have class until next Tuesday.”

I shut the door and plopped down on the metal chair in front of her desk. I ignored the mess of papers spread out on her desk and really ignored a peek of something that looked like an exam tucked inside our class’ textbook. “I need you to counsel me again.”

“What?” Shocked, she fell against her plush black chair and ran an absent hand through her hair. It was her thing. She did that when she was scrambling to think.

“Bryce thinks I have anger issues and he wants me to talk to someone about it. I trust you. And I want you to help me with this.”

“Oh.” She pushed her glasses higher up her nose and blinked again.

“Say something.” It shouldn’t be that surprising.

“I…I am just surprised, I guess.”

I narrowed my eyes and leaned forward. “What’s your issue? You don’t want to counsel me? You don’t want to hear about my mess of a life?”

“No. No! No, Sheldon. It’s not that. It’s just…this is sudden. What brought this on?”

I snorted. “Why with the questions? Do you or don’t you want to be my counselor?”

“Sheldon.” Miss Connors fought back a smile. “You realize that you need to put up with questions if I’m going to be your counselor. It’s what we do. We ask those questions, the hard ones.”

I waved a dismissing hand. “Oh come on. Just talk to me about my anger. That’s all you need to ask about.”

“Sheldon.” Miss Connors shook her head and slowly stood up. “I don’t think you’re ready for this, at least…maybe not with me.”

Wha—huh?

I stood up as she rounded the desk. “What are you talking about? You don’t want to counsel me?”

“I don’t think I’m the best fit for you anymore.”

“What?” I was dumbfounded. Not going to lie.

“You…I think you need someone new, someone who has a fresh set of eyes and can hear what I can’t anymore. I’m too emotionally invested with you. I’m blind to things that you would need from someone else.”

“That makes no sense,” I sputtered out. Was it me? Did she not want to help me anymore?

“I want to help you, Sheldon. And I think it’s great that you are seeking further counseling, even if you’re a bit coerced from Bryce, but nonetheless; you’re getting help. That’s good. You need it. You went through an awful awful thing and I know it’s still affecting you. Bryce is right. He’s good for you, Sheldon. He’s very very good for you.”

I frowned. “I already know that. It’s why I love him. But I need someone to help me with this anger stuff. If you can’t, who then? I trust you.”

“And you’ll trust someone else. There are plenty of great counselors out there.”

“Who are all idiots! I know you.”

Miss Connors patted me on the shoulder, soothingly. She smiled encouragingly. “I will find someone that is a good fit for you. I promise. And this is a very very good thing, Sheldon. A very good thing. I’m proud of you.”

“I feel like a two year old. Put a star next to my name.”

Miss Connors ignored me and said instead as she opened the door, “I will have someone for you by Tuesday. I promise. And it’ll be someone who you’ll trust and who I’ll trust. It’ll be fine.”

I started past her, but turned back around to proclaim, “Are you moving? Is that why you don’t want to be my counselor?”

“No. I’m not moving. It really is because I feel you need someone new.”

New could go to hell. I didn’t want someone new.

“Fine,” I sniffed, angrily. I stepped out into the hallway and stalked away. As I neared the bathroom, I looked back once and was surprised to see that Miss Connors had already closed her door. That was…she would’ve normally waited until I looked back and smiled reassuringly, like she used to do when I’d leave in a huff. But now…her door was closed. I didn’t like it. That was new.

“Hey.”

I rounded, eyes wide, and gasped in relief when I saw Corrigan behind me. Smacking him, I exclaimed, “Don’t do that to me. Ever. Again.”

Laughing lightly, Corrigan caught my hand and squeezed it gently before letting go. “Sorry. I just wanted to talk to you and you said you needed to find Miss Connors. I wanted to ask if everything’s okay.”

“What?”

“You and me. Are we okay?”

“Why wouldn’t we be?”

Corrigan’s face twisted in mockery and frustration. “I don’t know, Sheldon. Maybe because I gave you a low blow last night and you literally threw yourself at me, fists flying and all that. Maybe that’s why. I have no idea.”

I drew upright. “We’re not going to be okay if you keep that attitude.”

Rolling his eyes, he ran a hand through his shaggy golden brown hair and shrugged. “Look. I didn’t really get to say what I wanted last night. I mean, there were…there was an audience, you know.”

Oh boy, did I know.

I stiffened, waiting.

Corrigan continued, “Anyway, listen, I’m sorry about Grace. I really am. I knew…if it’s any consolation, I actually did think I had feelings for her then. But afterwards I knew it wasn’t right and it was just because things were screwed up with Logan. And it’s no excuse. I was a dickhead.”

“That apology isn’t to me. You should say that to Grace.”

“I know, but,” Corrigan hung his head and stuffed his hands in his front pockets. Right then and there, he wasn’t the playboy that an entire campus already loved. He was my best friend and I saw his vulnerability. He wasn’t apologizing for what he really wanted to apologize for. He looked back up, his blue eyes startlingly piercing with sadness and regret. “I’m sorry, okay? We haven’t been cool for a while and I’m just glad we are again.”

A knot formed in my throat and I tightened my hold on my purse. I fought back the tears as I knew he meant more than just this summer. “Are you coming to my party tonight?”

Corrigan cupped my shoulder and just held it for a moment. We stood there like that for another second, neither of us spoke, and then he rasped out, “Yeah. I’m coming to your party tonight.”

“Good.” I nodded, blinked rapidly, and brushed away a tear as I moved away. “I have to go. I’ve got to order the food and kegs.”

“Sparky’s?”

“Sparky’s,” I confirmed with a tight nod before I rounded the corner. I cursed underneath my breath as I realized my arms were trembling. I could barely hold onto my purse, but I kept going until I noticed a pair of shoes in front of me and drew up short. Gasping, I looked up and saw in horror one of the reporters from the other night. She drew upright, equally startled, and gasped as she quickly swung a handheld camera towards me. She pointed it at me, flipped it on, and asked professionally, “Sheldon Jeneve, what’s wrong? Why are you crying? What’s upset you?”

I shouldered past her, but she followed and persisted, “Is this because Guadalupe arrived in LAX two hours ago? I heard rumors that she’s going to attend Bryce’s first Suns game. Does that concern you at all? Is that why you left Spain, because of her?”

“Hey!”

I didn’t stop when I heard Corrigan’s shout. Bending forward, I pressed through the doors and heard a slight shuffling behind me before the reporter cried out, “Let go of me.”

“Leave her alone,” Corrigan cried out.

Just as the doors closed behind me I heard, “Are you her new boyfriend?”

I didn’t hear Corrigan’s response.

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