The day after my party was a write-off; I couldn't get out of bed until I had to go to my late afternoon review class armed with multiple bottles of water and a massive hangover. I hadn't even been sure it was worth going, but I couldn't miss another exam review class and still expect to be prepared for my exams. Luckily, Anil had gone to the review class I missed and offered me his notes, so I didn't feel quite so bad for playing with puppies when I should have been in class.

      I looked at the clock on my desk again as I poured through review material for my exam on Monday. I'd given Lark my car to go pick up Cal at the airport. She'd asked me to drive her, but I couldn't stomach watching their loving and tearful reunion knowing she'd most likely slept with Matias the night of my party. I hadn't asked her, but I knew she'd done the walk of shame the next afternoon – not even the next morning.

I had no idea what I was going to do when Cal showed up. It made me feel queasy to even think about it. Somehow, I had to pretend that it wasn't weird to see her with a boyfriend when she'd been acting, for the most part, like he didn't exist.

      There was a knock on the door, and I dropped all my highlighters to grab it. I pulled the door open to find Ashley standing on the threshold.

      "I took a risk that you'd be home. Can I talk to you for a minute?" Ashley fidgeted with her hands and looked anxious. Her long dark hair cascaded down her back and looked like she'd spent some time on both her hair and her makeup. I wondered if she was going out later or if all of this war paint was for me.

      I stepped back from the threshold and motioned to Lark's lawn chair. "Have a seat," I said, going back to my desk chair, looking at Ashley expectantly as she closed the door and sat down.

      "I just wanted to check with you to see what you were planning to tell the coach about," she hesitated and then said, "initiation."

      I pursed my lips and looked her up and down. "What do you want me to tell him? I planned on telling him the truth. Honestly, Ashley, I thought initiation was a little tame. I was kinda disappointed. Well, apart from the red hair; that was a mistake."

      She gave me a half smile. "Yeah, it didn't really rinse out as well as the box said it would."

      Few things worked as well or as poorly as the advertising claimed, but I didn't figure it was the conversation Ashley was hoping to have with me. The red hair had horrified my parents. My mom had called her hairdresser and got me in for a quick fix while I'd been home at Thanksgiving. Although I'd pretended annoyance at my mother, I'd been pretty happy not to have hair a weird shade of red for the rest of the semester.

      "I just – I wasn't sure if you were going to tell him that it was all in good fun or not," she said, still sitting in the lawn chair.

      "I had fun. Have you talked to Cathy? She's the only one that I can think of who might not have had a good time. Everyone else seemed on board." I thought back to that night again, and even still she was the only one who seemed out of control drunk.

      "I did, yeah. She, well, she said she didn't rat us out." Ashley played with the hem of her shirt and didn't relax into her chair.

      "So, she's going to tell Coach that she had a shitty time? Is that why you came here?"

      "I'm going to see Faith, too. The two of you seem to have the most influence on the rookies, and I need help keeping everyone on side with this. I could get kicked out of the school. Other Seniors could be in trouble, too."

      I sat back in my desk chair and watched her for a few minutes without saying anything. I was starting to wonder if she wanted me to operate as some kind of enforcer. I didn't have that kind of influence; I was a good swimmer who worked hard. I wasn't intimidating, at least I didn't think I was.

      "What are you suggesting?"

      "Just that maybe you could chat with Cathy about her experience that night." Ashley shrugged, like what she was asking wasn't a big deal.

      "I'm not going to push Cathy to tell the coach something she doesn't believe, Ashley. If she had a shitty time, that sucks. But, I'm not going to ask her to lie for you," I said, standing up and heading for the door. "I'll see you at practice tomorrow."

      "If it comes up in the change rooms..." Ashley trailed off, rising from the lawn chair.

      I sighed and shook my head. My brain was spinning trying to figure out the right choice to make. "I get that you could get in a lot of trouble, Ashley. I get that a lot of people could get in a lot of trouble. But, it happened. I'm not going to lie, and I'm not going to ask anyone else to lie."

      She frowned and nodded as she turned in the doorway. "Mark's really worried that the team is going to get canned if this goes to the Head of Athletics."

      "Then maybe Mark should be asking himself why he feels that way. Do you know what they did that night, Ashley?"

      She shook her head. "No. Do you? Did Tim tell you?" She was holding onto the door frame so I couldn't just shut the door in her face.

      "No. But, I think you're going around asking the wrong people the wrong questions. If this blows up, I don't think it's going to hinge on whether I try to influence Cathy or not. That's what I think," I said, trying to ease the door shut.

      "Just think about what I said," Ashley pleaded as I closed the door on her.

      I put my back against the door and took a few deep breaths. When I was pretty sure she'd have gone down the stairs, I opened the door and peeked out. She was gone. I looked back at my studying materials on my desk and sighed. I was going to fail.

      I closed the door and wandered down the hall to Josh's room. The door was open, and Tricia was sitting in his desk chair as Josh laid on his bed tossing a football up in the air and chatting to her. I was in the doorway for a moment watching their easy comradery, and I wondered why Tricia wouldn't give in. Every time he glanced at her, it was so obvious that he was completely head over heels for her. Maybe that was it – this way, she had him without having to risk anything.

      "Tricia?" I called from the door.

      She turned, her green eyes lighting up. "You're done studying already? Yes! We're going out tonight after all, Joshie!" She leaned over and slapped his arm, knocking the ball to the ground.

      "No, no. I'm still studying. Just more swim team crap – Ashley came to see me to ask if I'd influence someone else on the team to lie about that night."

      Josh sat up slowly and looked at me cautiously. "You said yes, right?"

      "No," I said, frowning. "I'm not going to ask someone else on the team to lie about their experience that night. I had fun, sure, but if she didn't, that's for her to say."

      "Liz, your team could get canned. People could get kicked out of school. It could start a whole investigation into other teams. It's a really big deal," Josh said, his annoyance clear on his face and in his tone. He was usually pretty easy going so I knew he was not very happy with me.

      "Okay, but what if I try to get this girl to change her story and that comes out, too? Then what? Don't I put myself in jeopardy then? Right now, all I've done is go along with what was planned that night and not report it to anyone. That's it. But if I try to get her to change her story, I'm guilty of trying to cover it up, not just participating." I looked at Josh for a long time. "You're telling me you'd risk your own education like that?"

      Josh nodded towards the door. "You should probably come in instead of talking about this with the door open." He gave me a pointed look. "There are a lot of journalism students on this floor who might think getting a scoop would make their future career a little easier."

      I closed the door and stepped into the room, hovering between the bed and the desk chair. Tricia hadn't said anything so far, but she spoke now, "I think Liz is right. She can't risk her education for something she didn't even have anything to do with – you know, other than participating."

      "I'm just saying that if this goes big, we're all in trouble. We're not the only two sports that have been holding secret initiations. Everyone does it; no one talks about it."

      Except us with the door open on a floor full of journalism students. A ball of anxiety started to form in the pit of my stomach. "I'll think about it. I wasn't in charge of making sure everyone was okay that night; I don't understand why I'm suddenly the one who has to help clean up the mess."

      Josh rolled his eyes. "It's called being part of a team. You know – being a team player. Maybe swimmers don't have that instinct to look out for each other."

      "Ouch, Josh," Tricia said, slapping his arm and standing up. "We're leaving and next time you want to hang out, make sure you've apologized to my roommate. That was such a dick move." Tricia grabbed my arm and opened the door, pulling me out.

      "I can't believe he just said that to me." My face was flashing hot and cold, and I was pretty sure I was actually in some sort of shock. "I really liked Josh."

      "He's just worried about the football team. They're his life – the team is the whole reason he came to this school. If it's gone, he has to transfer and sit out a year. It's not personal – even though he just made it super personal there. He's just worried and not handling it very well."

      We were just about to enter our room when Lark shouted down the corridor. The shout was followed by the most girlish giggle I'd ever heard come out of Lark. The tension that was already in my shoulders increased one hundred fold. I didn't know how I was going to make it through a whole week if that giggle was going to be a permanent thing. It was unnatural, kind of like her relationship with Cal.

      Tricia didn't seem to be having the same problem. She turned and grinned at them coming down the hall. Cal was tall - probably over six feet - and was wearing a button up shirt and jeans. I'd seen pictures and thought he was cute – nothing more - and seeing him in person his brown hair and brown eyes still seemed to suit that impression. Cute – nothing special.

      Lark reached us and introduced me and then Tricia as her bestest friends while she clung onto Cal's arm like he was some sort of lifesaving device. I had to consciously tell myself that multiple eye rolls were not only inappropriate but probably fight inducing.

      "Liz's boyfriend, Rob is who you'll be staying with. Well, unless Jill stays with Tom and then you can stay in the room with me. We can kind of figure it out as we go," Lark said, grinning at all of us.

      Lark had been right that Rob wouldn't say no to me, but the whole malarkey had caused a fight between Rob and Tom. They'd spent my hungover day not talking, and I wasn't sure of their status today. I'd heard the words "wanker" and "tosser" thrown around a lot that day in my room by Rob and Tom's voice overly loudly calling out from Jill's room next door.

      Today, Rob had, rather irritably, told me that he needed to study for an exam before his room was invaded by 'some bloke he didn't know.' We were all supposed to go out tonight, and I hoped that Rob would be in a better mood at that point. I hoped I was in a better mood, too or else I was pretty sure we'd end up in our first fight.

      "Do you think it's okay if we go down and get Cal settled in Rob's room?" Lark asked, looking at me expectantly.

      I held in my sigh and looked at Tricia who seemed increasingly able to read my mind.

      "Why don't you both come in our room while Liz goes down to check with Rob? I think he was hoping to get some studying in today before we go out tonight. Right, Liz?" Tricia asked, ushering Lark and Cal into our room like some sort of hostess. "Tell Rob I've put the kettle on; that'll make him happy." She winked at me as she followed Lark and Cal into the room.

      I walked slowly down the hall toward Rob's room, feeling a little like I was on death row. Although Rob had said yes, I was pretty sure he'd back out in a heartbeat if he thought he could. The door was closed, and I knocked hesitantly. I still hadn't had a chance to ask him why Rachel had been so upset the other night. 

     While I waited for Rob to answer, Rachel opened her door down the hall with some books and paper in her hands, saw me and went back in. That was weird.

      Rob's door popped open, but it wasn't Rob, it was Tom. "Is Rob here?" I asked, feeling a little startled by a shirtless Tom with his pants partially undone.

      "He's in the study room. Jill and I were a little too loud." Tom grinned and winked at me.

      Could this day get any worse? "Oh, ah, sorry to interrupt," I said, turning on my heel and heading for the study room a few doors down. I opened the door slowly and saw that Rob was the only one sitting at one of the cubicles. At least that was working in my favour.

      "Hey," I said, sitting down beside him.

      He turned and looked at me, but his expression was closed. A frisson of fear snaked down my spine. He never looked at me like that.

      "Are you okay?" I asked, trying again for a better response.

      "Yeah, fine." He gave me a tight smile. "Tom's still being a right tosser."

      "I feel like that's my fault," I said, rushing in. "I can just tell Lark that Cal has to go to her parents' friend's place instead of staying here."

      "No, it's fine. It'll sort itself out. Not sure Lark will like what Tom's got planned though." Rob frowned and turned back to his work.

      "What?" I asked, afraid for a different reason now.

      "He reckons it's about time he and Jill spent a few nights in Jill's room rather than staying in ours." Rob raised his eyebrows. "I fear it may all go a bit pear-shaped."

      "Shit," I said, looking up at the ceiling. There was a weird brown stain and some chewing gum. I didn't want to think about how that had happened.

      "It's all a bit pants, really," Rob said, talking to me but focused on the book in front of him.

      "Should I talk to Tom?" I asked, wondering if it was possible to defuse the situation.

      "Won't help. I reckon he's lost the plot," Rob said, giving me a look and then turning back to his book.

      I sat and translated Rob's British slang for a moment, wondering how I was going to stop Tom from outing Lark on the first night Cal was here visiting. I thought it was probably inevitable that he'd find out something; Lark had been a little too obvious with her flirting, and she'd gone home with someone else two nights ago. At some point, there was a part of me that thought it was only fair that Cal knew what she'd been up to for the last few months. But, I did not want it to be Tom or Rob or me who blew her cover. Part of me thought it might be important for Jill that Tom wasn't the one to do it either.

      "I'm going to go talk to Tom," I said, decisively. I stood up and started to leave, but Rob grabbed my wrist.

      I looked down at him, and his eyes looked sad. My heart contracted. Something wasn't right with him or with us – I didn't know which, but it made me sit back down immediately.

      "What's going on?" I asked, worried, searching his face for whatever he wasn't telling me.

      "Lark's always on the pull when we're out. Always looking for someone who's up for it. If I was her bloke, I'd wanna know."

      My heart sank. Not him, too.

      "I'll talk to Tricia," I whispered, standing up again. "I just..." I trailed off, not sure what to tell him. I didn't disagree with him, but I didn't know how to just let it all fall apart without doing something. "Lark was wondering if Cal could drop his stuff off in your room," I said, knowing I had to get it out.

      Rob gave me a disappointed look and nodded his head. "I reckon Tom's done shagging Jill by now. I'll be down in a tic to get his stuff. It'll be easier if I take it into the room for him," Rob said, turning back to his work. "Got one or two more things to look at here, first."

      I nodded and pulled open the study door, almost bumping into Rachel.

      "Oh," I said, "Sorry." I stepped around her and then turned back before she entered the room. "It's just Rob in there," I said, giving her a questioning look.

      "Oh," she said, frowning. "I was just looking for a quiet place to study. I'll try the common room instead." She turned on her heel and walked the few doors down the corridor to the common room and pulled the door open without another word.

      I walked back down to my room, wishing that my life was simple. The drama was starting to wear me out, and I had a feeling that the next week with Cal here and the ensuing tension was going to knock me out.

Author's Note:

Do you think Rachel knew Rob was in the study room? Do you think someone should tell Cal what Lark has been up to?