Rigs Redding University: Bexley 2

Chapter Nine

BEXLEY

Ryker was low level furious with me when I made our French class sing Nelly's Hot in Here as the final song of the semester. I think it's mostly because it's catchy and hard to sit still through, even Ryker struggled to keep his dignity and not shake a leg, either way everyone ended up obsessing over it. The most joyful moment of the semester came when we were at Puck's and everyone from our French class, Ryker excluded, got wild, jumping around on the dance floor singing to it in French.

Eli laughs now that anyone who didn't know who I was before that point knew for sure after and also now knew how disruptive I am.

Monsieur Sarat told us that several other language classes will be using the song translation idea in coming semesters to get the students more excited about learning. I don't think there's an excitement problem with these students though, everyone's pretty aggressively academic here.

I can't go home and have my tutor disappointed in my grades, she'll accuse me of trying to make it so she can't get a job. If I'm a failure so is she, blah blah blah. I'm no Artemis when it comes to school, but I work hard to do well. My father always tells us that whether our job is a difficult one or a undemanding one we should do our best and work hard to be great at it. Pride in your work no matter what that work is and etc.

My favorite thing about this semester, though, is that Willa Klerik is gone and will remain gone!

To her surprise, you cannot push a fellow student down the stairs at the college's arena and remain in good standing. She's on leave from school for the remainder of the school year, though she was allowed to finish her classes online and was given supervised but virtual versions of the final exams since she's a spoiled little princess and the Dean of the school has a spine like a soggy noodle.

They should have expelled her. I could've pushed but I started feeling bad. After all, I kept what she wanted and I plan to keep on keeping what she wants.

Ryker is mine.

I'm happy right now, just watching him and Oz from my library carroll as we study. Feeling content to just quietly sit with them and work. Everyone's starting to look worn out as we get towards the end of finals week and prepare to leave campus. I have one more exam along with Oz, Ryker, and Kai and then I'm done and can head home for winter break.

Artemis and I will both need to rest before Christmas and New Year's. She's as worn out as I am, but of course she's pulling off perfect scores and above in all her classes whereas I'm a middling to low A in all mine. It's fine, though, I don't try to compete with Artemis at school.

Eli is talking about going somewhere tropical after New Year's but I'm not up for it. I miss my father and want to spend time with him and Artemis. It's not that I don't want to see my boyfriends over the month long break, it's just that I want to spend time with my father more, and I'll be back at school at the end of January. Surely we can go four weeks without seeing each other in person?

******

It's three weeks past New Year's when my doorbell chimes and I'm called downstairs to find four of my six boyfriends standing in the foyer in snow covered boots, puddles forming under their feet.

"Bexley!" Eli yells, throwing his hands up in the air that way he likes to. Ryker, Oz, and Phoenix smile a little trepidatiously, like they think this is possibly an imposition and totally uncool to randomly pop over to their girlfriend's house...in a town and state they do not live in.

It's not, though, and I'm so psyched that I squeal a little as I run and throw myself at Eli's wool coat covered chest. It's wet, that coat, but I could care less because it's Eli and oh my god I missed him, missed him, missed him.