Chapter 26: Hell Week

“Alright bitches! The time has come to show everyone what you’re made of! This is the week you have all been waiting for! This is the week that will decide which of you is worthy and which of you will lick the dirt from the winner’s shoes! Now in honor of our fallen sister, Kendra Winslow, I’ve decided that the game we’ll host is one of her favorites The Alpha Sigma Rho Panty Raid.” Rachael stood in front of the pledges with a few other sisters behind her. They all sat listening to her spiel curious what other curves she was planning to through their way; this just sounded way too easy.

“Now each of you will be asked to track down a member of our Brother fraternity and have one of them give you a pair of their boxers. The trick is they MUST be signed by the Brother and in order to get them you MUST perform one task of the Brother’s choosing. Any pledge that doesn’t accomplish this will be kicked to the curb! You cannot use the same guy twice, meaning if someone already has a signed pair from Joe Blow you’d better find someone else. You have until 8pm tonight to get this done. Get to work Bitches!”

“And Dean Myers just what? Dismissed it just like that and told you he’d take care of it? I hope you are still planning to file a police report,” Jordan sighed angrily carrying her tray towards their table. “This is exactly what I was telling you about! That damn Dean is nothing but a slimy piece of shit. He’s only concerned with protecting the reputation of the school! He doesn’t care one bit about what happened with you. He’ll do what he has to in order to protect his precious Golden Boy!”

“Well if it isn’t the little whore from Washington. Seduce anyone else recently?” Rachael’s words sawed through Christina slowly and she did her best to keep from crumbling. “I asked you a question! Did you really think Kayne had any interest in you at all? You’re just a plain Jane slut who thought she could get him into bed and when he refused what happened? You run to the Dean and claim he tried to sexually assault you? Pathetic!”

Christina had had enough. She turned around and raised her hand so quickly Rachael never had time to react. Her fist connected with power and speed instantly swelling Rachael’s lip and making it bleed. Falling to her ass in front of the entire cafeteria, Christina stood over her and ensured her every word was met with the seriousness in which she meant them. 

“Look you little bitch, Kayne is a liar, a manipulator and a rapist. What he did to me wasn’t the work of someone new to the game. He took me out and after I refused him he tried to take it from me and I am the one with the scars to prove it! He can hide behind his money and you can hide behind this entitled attitude of yours but at the end of the day everyone knows you are both nothing more than two overly dressed up, pathetic excuses for human life. If you or Kayne ever come near me again I swear to all that is Holy BOTH of you will be forever sucking your food through a fucking straw!”

Rachael dabbed at the blood on her lip as she watched Christina storm off in the direction of her dorm. Jordan grabbed her iced mocha and left the blonde with a little parting gift listening to the gasps of nearby students. “You should probably run and take care of that stain...coffee’s a bitch to get out.” 

All eyes in the cafeteria were on Rachael and she quickly hurried away to end the embarrassment. “Damn that bitch went down hard! All I saw was a flurry of red and hair hit the ground and her fat ass smack against the linoleum! MAN!” Jordan dropped onto her bed still reveling in what she’d witnessed. A huge grin was painted over her face and she laughed sitting up to address her friend. “So does this mean we’re done pledging Kappa Delta Sluts?” Jordan asked excitedly kicking her feet like a child being treated for a job well done.

“I wish. I spoke with my Mom this morning about everything…well almost everything. And I told her how the Pledge Mistress is being a royal bitch. She told me hers was like that too. She said one morning she woke up to find all of her belongings had been destroyed and thrown out to the quad. Her clothes had all been bleached, her makeup case was scattered around her room and her books were torn to shreds.”

“Damn. How did she handle that?”

“Planted a bag of weed on her during dorm inspection and got her expelled. And then slept with and married her boyfriend.”

“Haha! Your mom is my hero! I want to be just like that when I grow up!”

“Yeah and now you see why a few rumors and a little jealous rivalry on my end shouldn’t stop me from going forward. I have to do this for my Mom. She become Pledge Mistress her junior year and set a lot of new traditions for the Sorority.”

“But I’m sure if she knew the extent of crap you had to go through she would understand Chrissy. There’s no way she could blame you for dropping your bid considering all that’s happened! But I guess in a sick and twisted way it’s tradition. She dealt with a bitchy Sister and so must you. It’s a rite of passage!”

“Exactly!” Christina agreed and slid off her bed. “And that means we have a panty raid to complete in the next three hours.”

“Sorry to break it to you Sis but, Donny’s an Alpha so my job is already done. All I gotta do is sneak into his room and forge his signature.”

“Oh that’s so not fair!”

“Well if it makes you feel better, I’ll still come along for yours! Let’s just avoid Kayne’s room by any means necessary.”

“You don’t even have to say it. If I see that disgusting piece of shit, I’m not even going to try and control the urge to rip him apart!”

“Well in that case perhaps we should pay a little visit to his room!” She laughed and pulled Christina behind her.

They headed towards Fraternity Row and along with a handful of girls, some pledges and some random one night stands entered inside the Alpha’s house. Jordan knocked twice on Donovan’s door and waited for him to answer. He smiled seeing her standing in the hallway and waved at Christina carefully as he stood in the buff in front of them. “Let me guess, you came for these?”

Waving a pair of leopard print shorts in her face, Christina blushed and stepped off to the side and Jordan reached her hand to take them. “Yes I did now hand them over!”

“Not so fast!” Donovan smirked and pulled the boxers out of Jordan’s reach. “If I remember this correctly you have to do something for me.” His eyebrows wiggled slyly and he leaned against the door as his girlfriend frowned towards him.

Jordan tried again to grab the shorts from his hand and he hid them behind his back exposing himself completely to Christina. She gasped and Jordan jumped towards her covering her eyes with her hand. “Are you serious right now? Put that thing away you’re gonna scare the poor girl!”

“Nuh uh, what’s the magic word?” he taunted and shook his finger at her in a scolding fashion.

“You’re such a dick!”

“Well I wasn’t going to say anything about my dick but now that you’ve mentioned it.” He took her hands and pulled her into his room, nodded goodbye to Chrissy and shut the door with a soft thump.

Christina shook her head at the two and continued up the hallway as another pledge bumped into her starting towards Kayne’s end of the dorm. She wondered how many girls seriously stopped at his door knowing Rachael’s jealousy and Kayne’s manipulation to get what he wanted. He’d probably make every one of them think they were the first to stop by and screw up their chances at pledging just to get a handful of favors.

She walked further away from the crowd and into a calmer section of the Alpha house ignoring the doors with socks on them and humming to herself to drown out the sounds of sex coming from multiple rooms. Stopping at an unremarkable door at the end of the hall she knocked and waited on an answer. 

Evan lay in the quiet of his room listening to the inane giggles of the girls as they flooded the hallways just outside his door. A brief glimpse at his calendar confirmed the day for him and he shrugged in annoyance, this was going to be a long week he could already sense it. Their Sister house, Kappa Delta Pi, was going to use them for all they were worth and the Brothers of course always took full advantage. Hearing the muffled knocks, he threw his book to the side and slowly started towards the door preparing to run whoever it was away.

“Hi I…” Christina stopped as she saw his face and recognized him from Keitano’s party her first week at Cyprus-Gray. She blushed and started to leave remembering the curt way she blew him off and hoping to avoid a repeat or an embarrassing moment but he stopped her before she could get three feet away from his door.

“Chrissy right?” She turned with a nod and slight blush on her face and he motioned her back with a crooked finger. “So we meet again.”

She bit her lower lip to stop herself from laughing at the corny line and simply offered another nod. “Evan.”

“Oh and she remembers my name! I must have made quite an impression.”

“Well it’s not every day I get offered sex and drugs for a simple dance so yeah, I remember you.”

“But at least I made it memorable right? Did you want to come in?” He stepped away from the door and she followed cautiously keeping her eye on his every step. His room was dimmed with just one light source coming from his bedside table. Like she assumed was the typical appearance of the average dorm room he lived in a messy pile of filth. 

Scum caked dishes sat on the table and countertops of his kitchenette. Old boxes of pizza and various other take out Tupperware cluttered the floor of his small bedroom area. And an assortment of books on diverse subjects was thrown about. Christina turned her nose up at the smell of sweat and dirty socks and tried to ignore the flies swarming a half eaten container of Chow Mein in the corner. She felt his hand rest at the small of her back and quickly pulled away. 

“I have a boyfriend,” she smiled sheepishly realizing the hand was just there to guide her around the pile of clothes scattering his floor so that she didn’t trip in the darkness of his room.

“Damn! You move fast! As I recall you were single and just trying to enjoy yourself. Who’s the lucky man?”

“Remington Cantrell.”

“Oh you’re Remy’s girl?” 

The words were more of a statement than a question and Evan dropped back to his bed ignoring her standing in the shadows of his doorway for a moment. His eyes loomed over the top of his book and he smiled seeing her staring at him curious over what he meant by that remark. “Now I know why he’s smiling so much more lately. I’m surprised he’s ok with you pledging!”

“Yeah I don’t know what kind of relationship you have with your girlfriends but Remy doesn’t make demands of me or tell me what I can or can’t do.” She stood defensively at his comment and when it did nothing more than produce a slick smirk on his face she turned and started for the door. “This was a bad idea.”

“Wait a second!” Evan sighed and hopped up from his bed. Slowly moving towards her he watched the light from his bedside table brighten her expression the closer he drew. “You don’t have to leave like that. I’ll give you a signed pair of my briefs but I want something in exchange; that’s how it works after all right?”

Christina nodded and felt a funny sensation in the pit of her belly. What could this man possibly ask of her that he hadn’t already implied by his actions at the party and his slow gaze over her body. “I’m not having sex with you,” she growled before his lips parted with his request.

“Damn take it easy alright? That’s not what I was going to ask…technically.”

“What do you mean by ‘technically’?” Her arms folded into her chest and she moved back a step that was matched by Evan’s movement closer.

“Well I don’t want to have sex with you. Well I mean I do or I did but you’re with someone right now and regardless of what people think not all of us Greeks are playboys looking for a quick fuck. I mean I’d hate if my girlfriend went out and fucked some guy while she was with me so I always ask a girl before I decide if I want to go further with them.”

“Fine then Mr. Upstanding Greek, what is it that you DO want from me?”

“The same thing you denied me the night of the party.” Again his statement caused Christina to step away and Evan chuckled in spite of himself. “No, not that. Before you told me that you weren’t interested I was working my best game to snag a kiss from you. I think if you want a pair of my boxers you will have to plant one, right here,” he caressed his mouth seductively and watched the indecision on her face.

“Uh…”

“And I don’t mean one of those lame friend pecks or kiss on the cheek either. I want a real kiss; one that will put all other kisses to shame.”

“I don’t know. As I said I have a boyfriend.”

“Who ‘doesn’t make demands or tell you what you can or can’t do’,” he grinned as he threw her words back at her.

“But expects that his girlfriend is faithful to him, which I am. Thanks but no thank you.”

“I understand. Not trying to make you lose your morals or anything. Just know that though I said we’re not all horndogs, the ones of us who aren’t manipulative bastards are few and far between. There’s no telling what the other Brothers will ask of you when you knock on their door. At least this way you’re getting off easy.”

“I don’t know about ‘easy’.”

“Well would it make you more comfortable if you asked your boyfriend for permission first? I can wait.” Christina chewed her bottom lip as she thought about the offer. He was right, there’s no telling what other perverse things the rest of the frat had in store for their favors and Evan seemed decent enough. She backed against the wall and remembered her previous night and the way Kayne pushed himself against her and jumped. “Are you ok? We don’t have to do this Chrissy.” He added noticing the hesitation on her face and slowly backed away.

“No I just...I,” she sighed and looked up at the sweet smile on his lips. Maybe this was the “easy” way. And after all she did tell Jordan she’d tough it out. “Fine. One kiss, no fondling and keep your tongue to yourself!” Christina tilted her head back preparing herself for his kiss stubbornly cradling her arms against her chest and Evan laughed and moved forward.

“Are you ready now?” he smirked as her eyes shut tight and she leaned towards him.

“Just get it over with!” Evan shook his head and pressed his lips to hers. Moving her head to the side to suit his movements, he guided her mouth gently with a tender caress against her cheek. Slowly his lips moved against hers causing her temperature to rise a little. Christina felt a flutter in her stomach and tried to pull back only to find she was stuck against the wall. Rubbing his lips over hers he raked his teeth sensuously over her bottom causing an unconscious moan to push against his mouth.

Quickly his tongue seized the opportunity and parted her lips, grazing the roof of her mouth as he pressed himself tighter against her. She pushed her hands into his chest causing a small degree of separation just as he’d pried her tongue from her mouth and gave it a small suck. He sighed as he released her and walked over towards his bureau. “Remington’s a lucky guy.” Signing the briefs he handed them over and pulled a strand of hair from between her lips. “Good luck on your bid Chrissy.”

“Thank you.” He pulled open the door for her and she stopped just outside and turned to face him. “What did you mean by being surprised Remy ‘let me’ pledge?”

Evan shrugged and stepped closer. Leaning against the frame of his door he rubbed at the scruff on his chin and smiled at her. “Just that he’s one of those GDIs that try and make life hell for us Greeks.”

“GDI?”

“‘God-damn Independents’; it’s what we Fraternity and Sorority inclined folk call those unworthy of the letters or the brotherhood. Simply stated he thumbed his nose at us saying he didn’t need the guise of solidarity to get girls and he wasn’t interested in defiling himself in any of our ‘drunken debauchery’. I don’t know. It’s really not meant for everyone. I did it for the scholarship opportunities believe it or not. And after my parents cut me off when they learned about the small dealing I did on the side I had to get through college somehow right?”

“Anyway, he seems like a pretty decent guy; we have the same interests in art and architecture,” he sighed pointing towards the schematics he’d drawn up on his desk. “You tell him I said he’d better treat you right. Otherwise he’s likely to lose you to someone more deserving.” Evan winked and smiled at the small grin on Christina’s face. She motioned towards the boxers and thanked him before heading back to her dorm.

“Judge Philip Winslow has met the same fate as his daughter.” Howard’s voice croaked in the darkness as Smitty shut his front door and dropped his bags in the foyer. Turning the corner he found the Dean sitting in his living room. He’d helped himself to a glass of whiskey and was slowly sipping it as he leaned forward in the small arm chair.

“Yeah I know. I just came from his place. There are cops crawling all over it. I was however able to get to the lockbox he talked about.”

“You did?” Dean Myers audibly perked up and he stood and moved closer to Smitty yet trying to keep himself concealed behind the semi opened blinds. “And where is it?”

“What do you mean where? I destroyed it like what should have happened all those years ago! I don’t know why he would hold on to something so incriminating and I wasn’t going to risk someone else getting their hands on it and blackmailing me too!”

“You son of a bitch!”

“Me? For years you’ve used the contents of that damn box against me like some carrot on a stick to keep me in line! I was not about to live under your shadow for the rest of my life. It’s far worse a punishment than any prison could have administered. And let’s not forget I’m not the only one with blood on my hands here Howard! You had a part in this scandal too.”

The Dean’s face shifted visibly from anger to shock and Smitty backed up a little. “Oh yeah, Old Judge Winslow had EVERYTHING documented including what he’d done himself. Now I suppose you want to thank me for destroying it and apologize for the shitty way you’ve treated me over the years.” Smitty moved over towards his bar and grabbed the bottle the Dean had helped himself to. Ignoring the formality of using a glass he poured a large gulp down his throat and relaxed as the slow burn eased his mind and the contents of the blackmail box as it lay in smolders at the pits.

“I’ll see you tomorrow.” Dean Myers turned without another word and quickly jumped into his car and backed away. Smitty watched from his living room as the Dean’s taillights faded off into the distance. Pulling his bottle to his lips again he took another swig and dropped it to his coffee table. 

He walked into his foyer and grabbed the duffel bag from beside the door where he’d left it. “Yeah I’ll see you real soon.” Carrying it back into the living room he dropped it to the floor, the metal box inside clanked loudly and he opened the bag to reveal the blackmail box he’d assured the Dean he’d destroyed. Starting a fire in his fireplace, he emptied the contents onto the table and began analyzing them piece by piece. Within Judge Winslow’s security safe were documents and pictures detailing a gruesome event that took place nearly two decades ago.

The names of every individual involved was written on a court record concealed inside a rolodex and their statements labeled to reveal the lies they told to authorities when first questioned by police. Every one of the men Smitty knew well. He’d not only helped clean up after the mess they made but he took part in the acts too. Dean Myers held him accountable for his actions yet the rest of the men, because they came from money, were all released; their crimes forever buried in the town’s history.

Well no longer. He’d see to it that every last one of them paid for what happened that day. He’d make sure they all suffered as he had under the Dean’s thumb every day for the last twenty years. Grabbing the pages that made reference to himself, he quickly shoved them into the fire and watched the edges of the paper curl up and char before smoldering within the flames. “So long Boliver Shagnasty,” he chortled and became entranced by the dancing of the blaze.

Thumbing the last page in his hand he prepared to chuck it in with the rest. As he lifted the sheet for one final inspection a shadow moved just over his shoulder and he tried to turn towards it. Finding his attacker right on him and a rope thrown around his neck, Smitty’s hands came up in defense and he did his best to remove the noose before it tightened too much but to no avail. The animal leaned forward, tightening the rope across his throat and listening to the breath struggle from the man’s esophagus.

Smitty’s felt his lungs contracting the more air he lost. His chest was burning and every cell in his body begged for oxygen as he slowly lost his battle to the furry creature standing behind him. With every ounce of strength it had, the beast threw Smitty to the floor and began dragging him towards the staircase. Hauling his weight up each step, the monster tied the rope off onto a post beside the banister, looked Smitty right in his eyes and threw the janitor over the side of the railing.

In one quick pop Smitty’s neck snapped and his shoulders slumped forward. His body bobbed aimlessly up and down beneath his staircase as a roll of drool dribbled out of his opened mouth. His eyes bulged from his face and small hemorrhages had formed over the surface of his skin from the many burst blood vessels just beneath. The animal descended the staircase once more and reentered the living room. Sliding the contents from the table into the metal container once more, it scooped everything up and exited out the same way it had entered.

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