THE OXFORD BET *VirginityGames*

Chapter 2 The Bet's beginnings...

Daniel was tired from the last few days. So much preparation, so many meetings. Finally the previous members had flown the nest and Daniel as happy they would not be interfering this  time. He knew after Richard's departure and denouncing their group. The previous members had flocked into their lives once again. Berating them and setting about plans, one of those being Richard signing a NDA, another wretched idea, was to drug Richard and set him up in compromising pictures and threaten to leak them to his friends and family. Another last resort was to get Richard to return to the group, by threatening him themselves. Thankfully, Daniel had dissuaded everyone from any of those ideas. Assuring the group members he would be able to work everything out, he just needed time. Time. What would convince Richard. Would he be able to connive his friend? Or would someone else be a more effective strategy? Daniel took his seat during the Headmistress's speech in welcoming the new students to Oxford University. He had heard the speech twenty times before, and stifled a yawn. He wished he had stayed outside for a cigarette.

"Daniel, are you alright?" Richard whispered.

 Daniel grunted in reply. 

Richard fidgeted in his seat. "I'm sorry."

"So that's it?"

"I can't do it."

Daniel's nostrils flared. But he didn't turn to look at his friend.

"Not again." Richard said. "Not after what happened. You of all people should understand that."

"It appears you're still talking to that girl with the rude friend." Daniel replied dryly, as he glanced across the room hoping to spot where Ellie had run off to after he'd been humiliated and then after he's teased her. Daniel knew he'd bruised Eleanor's confidence but it was the best tactic as a boy sometimes. Teasing and putting a girl down, often made her think about you. Daniel knew it usually made a girl either want to fix you and fuck you, or they just steered clear of you, but it was a sure thing that you still played on their mind. It was cruel but it worked. He realised by looking into her eyes when their eyes met again, Ellie Westwood was trouble but then again, he suspected if she was anything like her sister, she'd be a lot of fun.

Richard gazed at his friend, horrified like he didn't know what to say and that just pissed Daniel off beyond belief even more.

"Don't bother lying," Daniel murmured, pushing aside the plate of canapés and then smirked as he caught Eleanor Westwood staring over at him again. Hooked. He just had to know how deep it was dug in. "I thought you'd want back in, perhaps you've changed your mind," he raised an eyebrow, "Once again." 

"She's a nobody." Richard ground out.  Then the two boys glanced at one another. Richard swallowed. Daniel knew the chaos would send the group into disarray. It already had done some damage, his friends wouldn't speak to one another and it was that kind of thing that kept the whole thing from running smoothly, and it reflected poorly on Daniel and the others, from their elders, but he was sure it could be rectified. That was only if Richard played his part. 

"She isn't worth it." Richard swallowed again. "Don't."

He laughed meanly. Daniel didn't give Richard the chance to reply before he had kicked back his chair and sped out of there. He stopped once he was all the way in the car park to think. The calm didn't last long. After a moment his muscles tense, and all he could do was remember how off balance he suddenly felt because of one gobby first year. He strode off towards his car, keys in hand, not caring who he ran into because he was angry, angry enough to tear someones head off.  

Daniel was suddenly hit with a memory. He remembered being eighteen years old and being dumped by his sweetheart. Daniel Summers now, at aged twenty one reminded himself how angry he was when he'd ended up all those years ago over at a best friend's houses, looking for some kind of support...They sat together, squabbling as they played on the PS4. Daniel put their whole conversation down to being young hormonal teenage boy and how he and Brandon like most spotty, demanding, procrastinating teenagers, sometimes even on rare occasions when two were forced to come together...could end up comforting one another.  However back then the two boys on the brink of manhood recognised this and preferred the alternative, instead they practised some ethical male bonding, trying their hardest not to bring up any talk of 'feelings'. Back then, Daniel remembered how winter had come early. The sudden drop in temperature had the poorly equipped people outside without their coats on suffering. The rain had come, hard, unforgiving, thick and tinged with ice so that it stung as well as drenched them. Daniel remembered people-watching from Brandon's bedroom window. It has seemed like an age to Daniel since he had felt that lonely. However, it did make him smile to remind himself during that occasion how he and his friend had visited Brandon's Father's liquor cabinet a few too many times that afternoon. The way the alcohol had warmed up his body, made him feel just that little bit less lonely. Or perhaps a temporary numbness to his feelings he craved was finally granted.