Chapter 4

Primrose

Matthew gave me a look like I was high once we were out of the rink, heading back for the cafeteria.

“What’d you choke for? She looked like she was about ready to jump you on the ice.”

“First off… no thanks.” I shoved my hands deeper in my pockets, hunching my shoulders. “Fussing my jacket like that to get it to pop and flash her was already weird enough. And I’m not sure how I feel about seeing her look directly at my boobs.”

“Isn’t that the whole objective?”

“Are you going to order your pretty-boy little soy latte again?”

He rolled his eyes. “I will, just to make you and Zachy-poo mad.”

We got into the cafeteria before much longer, walking under a lattice woven with thick ivies and pushing in through glass double doors and checking in with our student IDs, and I got to dwell on the whole experience at the rink while I grabbed food and Matthew went off to harass the in-house barista for a soy latte.

Giselle was talented as hell. Must have been a pretty penny to train her so perfectly. Maybe I almost pitied her—she’d clearly been molded to be that way long before she could have any say.

Still, she was damn good. I could see why she was repping the whole school when it came to figure skating. She was already pretty—a tall woman, standing a good few inches over me at five ten or so, with a lean, graceful build and long dark hair she’d kept pulled back into a simple ponytail, sharp eyes and a defined point to her chin that gave her a striking appearance. And when she took off into the segment of her program she was practicing, there was something about the way she became one with the ice…

I was still ruminating on it when Matthew and I sat down by the small windows looking out over the Commons Field, the red-brick structure of the Chemistry Building standing at the edge with a row of angled flags gliding lightly in the breeze, just about the only movement we could see on a Sunday.

“I’m positioning myself as off-limits,” I said, turning my attention back to Matthew as he sipped his pretty-boy soy latte. “I want it in her head that she’s the one who wants me, not the other way around. Hence you being there. And the awkward pulling away and leaving.”

An incredulous smile spread over his features. “So you’re the forbidden fruit. That’s your move?”

“It would be easy to get her infatuated by moving quickly, but it wouldn’t hurt enough that way.”

He went back to his food, quietly taking a bite of his chicken burger and going through a few sweet potato fries before he dabbed his mouth clean with his napkin and sank back, kicking one leg up over the other. He cast a long gaze out the window, and I frowned.

“Spit it out. Brooding doesn’t suit you.”

“This whole thing just feels like a lot. I don’t like her, but I don’t know if just breaking up with Andrea really warrants all this.”

“Someone hits FIRE, FIRE hits back.”

“Still, she has the right to end a relationship…”

“You’re spineless.” I dug into my food, and Matthew spoke before I finished.

“If this is about Chris Torres—”

“It’s not that.” I wiped the sauce from my mouth, scowling at him. “And it’s not just about Andrea, either. Giselle was part of the clique that pushed Veronica Walsh out.”

He went wide-eyed. “Seriously?”

“And not only that, but her dad helped make sure Cruz didn’t make it to student governance.”

“There’s no way that’s more than a wild rumor.”

“Track the receipts yourself. Just a few convenient donations of a thousand dollars here, a thousand dollars there. You and I both know student governance has the power of a wet paper towel thrown at a brick wall, but Cruz was symbolic against donors’ influences in campus politics. Mister Lawson didn’t like that much.”

“So she’s to answer for her father’s crimes?”

I sipped my drink lightly. “I’m not seducing her father.”

He wrinkled his nose. “I’m glad for that, but…”

“She knows what he did. And she knows what her clique did. And she still dated a FIRE. At this point, it’s getting a little too targeted, and she hasn’t faced any consequences for any of it. FIRE hits back.”

He made a face—he didn’t look entirely convinced, but he didn’t say anything. I leaned forwards.

“If you’re getting nervous, you can back out.”

“I’m in. I have to admit I’m fascinated by your… process. What’s next on the agenda?”

I guess that meant we’d be fine. I took another bite of food before I answered, feeling a smile come on. “Next up, I get Ava in the party.”

He went wide-eyed. “Not Ava Reyes. How are you getting her to do anything you want?”

“Oh, come on. You know she has a soft spot for me. At any rate, she’s sympathetic to our cause, and I’m not asking much, so… at most I just have to bribe her with snacks.”

“So, what, Ava is helping you seduce Giselle Lawson?”

“Giselle’s going to meet my roommate and get a chance insight into me as a person. My goal at this stage is still to remain mystical, intriguing, distant but impossible not to pay attention to.”

“Ava’s going to shit-talk you to her.”

I laughed. “I know. But any attention is good attention. It’s going to pique Giselle’s interest either way.”

He put his hands up. “Don’t let me ever think of trying to stop you, Prim.”

∞∞∞

Ava didn’t look too happy to see me. I wasn’t going to take it personally. Mostly, she just looked like she was scowling about whatever was happening on her phone, and the less I knew about it, the better.

She glanced up from the picnic table where she sat with her physics textbook and notes spread out everywhere, her phone holding the papers down as the wind rustled the edges and stirred the trees overhead. Not far away, just past the entrance to the apartment complex, Sooyeon stood on the volleyball court chatting with a couple other girls, but she pretended she didn’t see me—she was more openly FIRE than I was, and she was careful not to publicly acknowledge me too often.

Ava, though, didn’t know the meaning of subtlety.

“What do you two want?” she said, turning on the picnic bench and sitting sideways, straddling the bench. She had her cat-ear hoodie on again today, hood pulled up, brooding underneath the brim.

“Your help.” I planted my sneaker up on the picnic bench, hoisting myself up and sitting on the table. “With the Lawson situation.”

Ava wrinkled her nose. “Take care of your girlfriend yourself, Rosie.” She turned back to her phone, and I turned it off in front of her, earning a dirty look.

“I’m not making a big ask. It’s for FIRE.”

“Ask Matthew.” She gestured at where he’d gotten distracted, peeled off to go chat with Sooyeon. I think a blind old turtle could tell the little hearts he got in his eyes around her, but Sooyeon had never shown so much as a flicker of interest. “You two are tight,” Ava said, and I shook my head.

“It’s a you thing. I need her to meet my roommate.”

She wrinkled her nose, looking back at her phone. I sighed, shifting closer.

“C’mon, Ava. I’m not expecting you to do it without a return favor, so get to it.”

“You’re so persistent.” She turned her phone face-down, looking back to the volleyball court. “If you want to do me a favor, guess we can make it even. Go meet someone for me.”

“Date you changed your mind about?”

“Business. She doesn’t know yet it’s business, though.”

Sounded shady. Who would I be to judge, though? “It’s a deal. Who am I meeting, when, where, and why?”

She popped open a baggie of chips, crunching on one and talking with her mouth full as she went back to her notes. “Cassandra Meyers. There’s a club event going on in the Dechamps building, some snacks and networking and stuff. Cassandra’s waiting for an envelope. We said we’d be happy to hand it over, out of the goodness of our hearts, and dumbass seems to believe it.”

“Easy enough. What’s the catch? There’s got to be a reason you won’t go.”

“Don’t know if there is one. Just that there might be people watching for me there. And if anyone’s looking for me, they’re not going to notice you.”

I sighed, hanging my head. “Kittycat. You went and got someone pissed off with you again, didn’t you?”

“It’s not my fucking fault someone’s lonely enough to think I’m in love with them because I give them attention. I should be doing what you’re doing, I’m clearly a natural.”

I shook my head. “Fine, I’m doing it. Where’s the envelope?”

“Coat closet, lockbox. Be there at seven tomorrow. Now, tell me where I’m meeting your girlfriend, and tell me I’m not supposed to gas you up.”

I grinned. “That’d be the good news, Kittycat. I want you to fucking drag me.”

Ava’s eyes brightened, looking up from under the brim of her hood. “Oh, yeah? Should have led with that.”

“Say whatever you want. Just make sure not to be moderate. I just want it to make me stand out in her mind.”

I jumped when a hand clapped on my shoulder, and I glanced back at where Sooyeon smiled at me, her face flush with exertion. “Who’s dragging who?”

“I’ve just gotten my dream assignment,” Ava said. “Going to go find Giselle and talk shit about Primrose to her.”

Sooyeon gave me an odd smile. “That’s your approach?”

I shrugged, pulling my knee up into my chest, planting my foot on the table. “I’m taking the long way this time. Just trust me.”

“Whatever you say. Kittycat, share.” Sooyeon reached for Ava’s chips, and Ava tossed her the bag. Sooyeon closed her eyes happily as she took a chip. “What’d you give Ava in exchange? I know pint-bottle over here isn’t doing things for free.”

Ava scoffed. “I’m a generous soul!”

“I’m meeting someone on her behalf tomorrow. If I get jumped by creeps, it’s on her.”

Sooyeon relaxed into a bright smile. “You’re taking over for the meet with Cassandra? I’m relieved. I’d been worried Ava was getting herself into trouble with it.”

I glowered. “So it’s okay if I get into trouble?”

“You can handle trouble like an adult. Ava will start breaking knees if there’s trouble.” Sooyeon leaned on the table, taking another chip before she tossed the bag back to Ava. “You going to be at Zachary’s place on Tuesday, Kittycat?”

“Yeah, I’ll be there. Wouldn’t want to leave you to deal with Andrea singing karaoke all by yourself.”

“So I get you singing karaoke instead. Even better.” She glanced at me. “You coming?”

“Going to be busy… Giselle’s got a special something on Tuesday, and I’m planning on coincidentally being there.”

She grinned, giving me a playful shove. “You’ve acclimated too well to hitting on a girl. If you’ve decided to change teams, let me know, half the volleyball club girls are gay.”

I swatted her. “Do not. It’s not like I like this. I’ll live, though…” I dropped down from the edge of the table, landing deftly. “Guess I’ll check out Cassandra’s club and see what I’m walking into. In the meantime… either of you ever wanted to learn to skate? I could use some practice.”