Shutout | Complete

Chapter 3

Of course it wasn't there.

I allowed myself to sigh as I moved closer to the glass wall overlooking one of the rinks. The zamboni was out, polishing the ice and making it glisten under the harsh lighting. Growing up, I always found the process so satisfying, but I would be lying if I didn't say I would rather be in bed right now. I woke up at the crack of dawn, hoping to make my way over to the hockey arena and find my bracelet as soon as it was open to the public. After retracing my steps a few times, I figured the best plan of action would be to ask an employee.

The sleepy freshman behind the counter was acting in slow-motion. Clearly, she didn't understand how dire this situation was. But after a couple of minutes I had convinced her to check for me. After thirty seconds of searching she returned to tell me nothing fitting the description of my bracelet showed up last night.

Hearing those words was like a blow to the gut all over again. I must have been delusional to think that someone would find a solid gold chain and hand it over to the arena's lost and found. Hell, there were college kids living off of mac and cheese for seven months of the year. I rubbed at my tired eyes. I would have to come to terms with the fact that my fuck-all-men bracelet was gone forever.

Crossing my arms across my chest, I tried to mentally prepare myself to make the trek back to the dorms. The plan was to speed walk myself back to bed and take a quick cat nap before my classes that morning. Seven o'clock was an ungodly time to be walking around on campus.

"Ella, is that you?" The high-pitched voice was like nails on a chalkboard, but I swivelled with a bright smile.

Blair and Candice, two of my ex-sorority sisters, stood a few feet away from me. They were absolutely pristine in their matching tracksuits, small matching duffle bags over their shoulders. Of course I would stumble into them so close to Sorority Row.

Blair flashed me a tight smile as she closed some of the space between us. Her steps were agonizing and slow, like she was stalking prey. The heels of her boots clicked against the laminate floor. Candice, her partner in crime, was half a step behind her.

"Wow," she started. "It's so nice to see you." Blaire's gaze was anything but kind as she scrutinized every inch of my body. For a millisecond I wished I would have brushed out my hair that morning. Then I remembered that I didn't care what either of them thought about me anymore. "How have you been?"

"Fine," I said before correcting myself. "Better than fine, actually."

She met my response with enthusiasm that teetered on exaggeration. "That's great! We didn't think we'd ever see you again. Isn't that right, Candy?"

Candice nodded, her blonde ponytail bouncing around with the movement. "We were hopeful anyways."

I fought the urge to roll my eyes. And there it was. It was only a matter of time until the claws came out. Now, don't get me wrong, Blair and Candice were your stereotypical sorority mean girls, but that wasn't the case for all the other girls I had the pleasure of meeting–like Olivia. While I was no longer a member of Zeta Tau Alpha, I still kept in touch with a number of the members. I considered some of them my closest friends and I didn't see that changing anytime soon. That first year in that house held some of the highlights of my university career. But like all good things, they must come to an end. And befriending Blair, who made being a third generation legacy her whole personality, was the beginning to my end with Zeta Tau Alpha.

"How's the sorority?" I asked, eyes flickering between the both of them. I was well aware of the number of girls who had left Zeta Tau Alpha soon after shit hit the fan my sophomore year.