Icarus Reincarnate || The Secret History

three

After the forgotten orgy, I let myself have a proper breakdown and decided I'd avoid the grecophiles aside from Richard. I was successful for about a week until Henry started popping up. I've come to realize I've gained a slight crush on Richard. Either that or codependency but with Henry, I feel unease. At least with Bunny I know he hates me and I know why. Henry, however, always seems to have an ulterior motive and one which I can never figure out.

One day I picked up a latte from a cafe near campus when Henry appeared next to me and paid before I had the chance to. I look at him and try to diminish the alarm in my eyes. "You didn't need to do that, but thank you." He shoves his hands in his pockets.

"Oh, I don't mind. We're acquaintances after all, are we not?" This feels like a loaded question so I do the polite thing and agree.

"My classmates and I are having a study party of sorts tonight if you're interested." My eyebrows raise at the invitation. "I don't know I-" I pause to think of a lie but come up short. "I don't have your classes." I think I saw amusement flash on his face at my pathetic attempt at evading his invitation but it disappeared at a moment's notice.

"We're not all doing the same assignments, it'll be no issue." My coffee is finished and I grab it from the barista. "I guess I can swing by, will Richard be there?" I freeze. Too obvious, way too obvious.

"Oh, he'll be there. Just head to his room at seven, we'll pick you two up shortly after." And he's gone. I notice a couple of people from school looking our way and I grimace then leave for my 12:30 class.

I show up to Richards room with two cans of slice and bake cookies and my homework at 7 sharp and although he's dressed, my male friend seems confused. "We're we supposed to hang out tonight?" I shake my head no. "Henry invited me to your study session tonight, I thought he would have told you beforehand." I say when he zeroes in on my hands.

"He invited you so you brought cookies to bake." I frown at his judgmental tone. "You're becoming so uptight, Richard. Didn't you know there's no reason to study in groups if a sugar high isn't involved." He smiles slightly. "This isn't a potluck, you don't have to bring sweets." He laughs slightly, a bit strained.

"Then I'll eat it myself," I say. "Honestly If your group is going to keep singling me out then I'll just have to start being myself and hope I repulse them by sheer annoyance." He rolls his eyes. "Whatever, you'll just be giving them more bait." If only I knew his true his statement was at the time.

Soon enough Francis collects us and we end up at his place with where I finally meet the twins. When I meet Camilla I tell her she's pretty and the blonde smiles in flattery and suprise. She's quite like a princess.

Charles doesn't seem to like me very much, but not enough to say so. I take that as a win. Bunny looks at my hands and questions what I have. Richard answers for me. "Slice and bake cookies."

Everyone's eyes look at me oddly but Camilla begins to laugh. "She's cute Richard. You don't have to bring food with you, we're not expectant like that."

I feel as though I have stars in my eyes, finally meeting someone you've wanted to befriend is nice but a good reaction is nicer. Richard takes them from my hands and heads to the kitchen. "Don't let me fool you, In all honesty I just wanted cookies."

I can't tell how having me around benefits anyone really but cookies were a hit after the smell wafted through the apartment. Even Bunny was on his best behavior. Everyone was having a discussion about a certain translation while I was busy editing a story for creative writing.

"I must ask," Bunny begins "What prep school did you go to?" My eyebrows furrow, "Phillips Exeter. Why?" He nearly died a double take. "A gentleman told me you went there but I thought he had lied. You seem like a public school student." He says and I try to decipher why his statement felt so backhanded.

"I'll take that as a compliment considering the kids at my school were unnaturally full of themselves." I answer.

"You're rich." Richard states. "No, that would be my dad. Oddly enough I am going to be living in a box on the street if I don't figure out how to spell sacrilegious." Camilla is on my right and grabs my paper fixing my error when her eyes widen.

"This can't be an assignment. It's nearly thirty pages." She comments thumbing through the papers. I sigh, "The requirement is actually forty pages. I still have a fourth left to go."

Half of the room is in a different conversation but Camilla Richard and I talk amongst ourselves about my assignment when Henry looks at me in interest. "What is your story about?" Henry never seems interested. Soon enough everyone is paying attention while I explain my story.

It's essentially about a Christian man who disrespects what others believe in and has to endure the hell of every other religion before he can make it into heaven. In the end, he finds himself respecting everyone and reaches enlightenment of each belief becoming a god himself.

"That seems controversial." Camilla comments. "Exactly! My professor thrives off of stories that go against the grain."

"I thought you were atheist." Richard comments. I shrug. "Yes, but I'd also like to think people are judged by their individual beliefs. I guess that makes me agnostic more than anything."

"Ha! You can't possibly believe every religion is correct." Bunny rejects my story.

"The very belief in religion suggests a higher being. I don't believe in higher beings, but should one exist yes I fully think several others could exist as well." I retort.

"And where do you think you'll go?" Francis asks, deep in thought. I smile. "To sleep, of course." He smiles finally in a way that seems more genuine than teasing. Bunny scoffs. but says nothing further.

"You should let me look it over before you turn it in." Henry comments. Camilla smiles widely. "You should, he's great at revising." I nod and bid a thank you for this offer. I finish three more pages until people are drinking the sugar crash begins to settle in.

I go to sleep with Camilla due to the lack of beds and we both wake to Charles knocking. "We have class in an hour and he disappears promptly. Camilla wakes slowly then rise all at once. "You remind me of Belle."

"The princess?" She asks. When I nod she smiles sleepily. "You're too kind. Is this where I get a true loves kiss?" My mouth gapes and I just stare are her causing her to laugh delightedly. "Try not to take everything so seriously for me." She says and kisses me on the mouth and beings changing like nothing out of the ordinary happened.

I suddenly realize the outside world doesn't matter with the grecophiles. It's like the Greek Studies department has an origin story of their own and they get to decide how things work. Once again I find myself draping a miscellaneous college sweatshirt over my pants from the night before. this time I'm wearing denim shorts rather than a skirt.

I notice Henry getting with the bathroom door open. "You're leaving?" He asks. I nod.

"It's just a ten-minute walk, besides I have a lecture at eleven and want to take a shower first." He nods and bids me by. Bunny pretends I'm invisible as I'm leaving but I humor him anyway. "I'll bring you cookies again should I get invited again." I state as I head out of the door. I was busy writing last night but it didn't slip my sight that Bunny ate a quarter batch of cookies all on his own.

I don't know why I bother trying to get Bunny to soften up. He's racist, homophobic, sexist, and probably several other morally unjust words that go against the civil rights act. Yet, I want him to be kinder and see things differently.

Over the next month, it grows colder and I find myself with a tolerable Bunny and a new unlikely enemy. Charles.