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I elbow him.
Sarah tries to keep a friendly face, but the signs are clear. She looks extremely serious when she nods. I have a habit of picking up on all the little details that make usus, and what I see from her doesn’t look like friendliness at all.
Could there be something between Sarah and Tucker?
Immediately, I feel that my body is on the defensive. Yeleen nibbles on her fries and says, “So, where’s Tucker?”
TJ glances at me before answering, “He’s sorting something out with Dan.”
He doesn’t say anything more, but the girls seem to understand because they nod with a knowing look, leaving me in a state of incomprehension. But it’s not like I should care, right?
I hold back for a few seconds but the questions finally come out on their own, “So, what’s with this Pack thing? Is it more than a group of friends?” I admit, I ask more than I wanted to, but curiosity drives me to do it.
“Yeah. You’re looking at the kings of the campus, baby,” TJ replies.
I raise my eyebrows. I’m not really into this kind of thing, people who think they’re the kings of the world or something. Yeleen shakes her head, easing my irritation by cutting off her friend, “I know how we’re seen by everyone here, but I promise we’re not the kings of the world or big tyrannical snobs! But if these morons want to let us have the best seats in the lecture halls and to polish our shoes, we won’t complain.”
TJ looks offended for a second before leaning in my direction, “But of course we’re the kings of the world and big bullying snobs. You don’t get to the top by playing Care Bears. Here it’s the law of the strongest. You have to show them who’s boss.”
I tilt my head to the side.
“Well, it makes you really want to join the TJ Empire,” I say.
Yeleen elbows the young blond man to show her disagreement. “Don’t listen to this idiot. I assure you we’re pretty cool.”
“And how did you create your ‘group?’”
Yeleen swallows what she had in her mouth before answering me. “Freshman year, I met Tucker and TJ. We started hanging out together without mixing with the others, just the three of us. Then Sarah joined us, and a few others you don’t know.”
“And we started throwing the best parties ever,” TJ continues, his eyes shining. “No limits. No restrictions. The world of nightlife was open to us. Not many students were invited. Rumors started flying and we let it happen. It was kind of fun…and then it got bigger and bigger as it went on.”
Parties with no limits. I know I can’t allow myself to be attracted to this. I can’t attend stuff like this if I want to keep a totally stable life.
“But one rumor is true,” Yeleen finished. “If you touch any of us, we will destroy you. It doesn’t matter who messed with our buddy. If you hurt one of us, you have to deal with the others. Maybe that’s our strength. We stick together.”
And I finally understand the meaning of the name The Pack.
I wonder what the sentence on the flyer means. They’re letting new people into the group? Why?
But I don’t ask them a new question. I’m not looking for a buddy group. I just want to live in peace, to build a new life where my past has no hold.
“So, which player on the baseball team were you talking about before I came in?” TJ says, stifling a yawn before staring at the remains of my sandwich. “Are you going to finish that?”
“No one,” Yeleen and Sarah exclaim in chorus as I hand my leftovers to TJ.
“Come on girls, be nice,” he almost begs, his mouth full.
“So that you can go find your little teammate and make fun of me? No, thanks.”
TJ shrugs his shoulders and takes an innocent air. “Male solidarity, I can’t help it, honey.”
“Are you on the baseball team?” I ask.
He nods, swallowing his last bite.
“So, have you thought about it? Are you coming to our little party next week?” he asks me.
“I’m not sure she’s a lamb,” Yeleen cuts him off with a chuckle.
