Wicked (Somerset University #2) - Ruby Vincent Page 0,45
sure this guy is enjoying himself.
I stalked up to him, leaning over his vice president to get in his face. “Ezra’s great. The gang that you used to blackmail him and the guy who shot him have been taken out. Care to share how you found out about the Sons of Slaughter in the first place?” I matched his smile. “I am president now. It’s my job to collect all the secrets.”
“Everything’s fine.” I backed away, claiming my spot across the table from him. “Let’s get started.”
The Sallys’ treasurer and recruitment chair were seated and apparently in the middle of chatting with Aiden and his vice when we walked in. They perked to attention as I settled.
Blair sat next to me and my guards took their place in opposite corners of the room. Everyone gave them curious looks, but it was Aiden who got a stare in return. I wonder if he read the warning in their eyes, because he shifted around, giving Juliet and Hadley his back. Of course, my guards knew about him and his part in Sawyer’s nighttime ride.
In front of us were the agendas Blair wrote up. I scanned through it while she, Aiden, and Matthew exchanged less hostile greetings.
I glanced up as Ortega pulled out the chair at the head of the table. “I hope you don’t mind if I sit in,” she said to my questioning look. “Not to step on any toes, but Mrs. Kessler wanted to ensure you had all the support you need. It won’t be easy juggling the Sally house with school while living off campus.”
“So much can happen while you’re away,” Aiden said.
A shiver went up my spine. That he was up to his forehead in the disappearance was indisputable. As was his taunting.
“Let’s get started.” I kept my tone and expression even. I had to work with this guy if I was ever going to find Teagan and Sawyer. “We’re holding off on pledging this semester, so we don’t have to worry about that.”
I crossed the first line off the list.
“Bonding activities,” I read. “We can keep doing the game nights, movie nights, and joint house parties. I was also thinking we could start celebrating the sisters’ birthdays. That would count as bonding and girls would love it.”
“Great idea,” praised Miss Ortega. “I could collect birth dates and make a chart for the living room. We’ll know who we have to plan for that particular month.”
“That would be perfect,” Blair said. “Also, let’s get more fun with the bonding activities. Have scavenger hunts or horror nights leading up to Halloween where we pig out in the living room in our pajamas, watching scary movies.”
Aiden raised his hand. “The Sams are on board with the pajama party.”
The others laughed. I didn’t.
“I mentioned cooking nights in my speech,” I said, skating past his comment. “I’d like to make it a weekly thing and the girls in the house who cook can volunteer to choose the recipe and teach everyone to make it. Using the ingredients from the pantry, so it doesn’t sit in there going bad. This can double as a bonding and health activity for the week.”
“You can’t—”
“Actually—”
Aiden and Miss Ortega spoke at the same time.
“If I may,” Jade continued. “The health requirement is meant to be filled by at least seventy-five minutes of strenuous exercise a week. Cooking nights will not count.”
“It doesn’t say that in the charter.”
I knew what the damn thing said backward and forward. Memorizing the charter was another in a long list of pledge tests.
“Since when do we have to do strenuous exercise?” I asked.
“It’s an addendum to the charter. I’ve printed out a copy of all the recent changes. It’s beneath the agenda.”
Forehead scrunched up, I took up the second packet, scanning the new info, and jaw dropping as I read.
“What the hell?” I breathed. “Strenuous activity is required to meet the exercise requirement. These activities are limited to running, jogging, swimming laps, uphill hiking, basketball, or cycling at more than eleven miles per hour,” I read. “When were these changes made?”
“As I said, they are recent.”
I looked her in the eye. “‘In the last twenty-four hours’ recent?”
Miss Ortega didn’t reply.
Blair leaned forward. “We planned to introduce yoga and Pilates. Val even thought of doing dance lessons.”
“Those are all great ideas for bonding activities,” Ortega replied. “Unfortunately, they cannot count toward the health requirement.”