Series: Cobalt Empire Series by Krista Ritchie
Total pages in book: 234
Estimated words: 226965 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1135(@200wpm)___ 908(@250wpm)___ 757(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 226965 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1135(@200wpm)___ 908(@250wpm)___ 757(@300wpm)
“Which would displease you most of all.”
We drum the floor with our feet, and Mom’s smile is enough to cause most of us to grin. Yeah, I do not know how to leave this behind. I really, really don’t. I have to. Don’t I?
“In Greek mythology,” Charlie says while picking up his wine, “Pandora was given a jar containing all the evils known to mankind. When she unleashed it upon humanity—what was the only thing left inside?”
“Hope,” Mom says, her eyes meeting mine.
My pulse tries to skip. I break apart my seitan, not eating much, because now I’m thinking I should tell them about the frat. Tonight. Withholding my meeting with the estate lawyer just caused more drama and speculation. It’s better if they know I’m moving out soon.
“Wait, it’s not a jar,” Tom says to Charlie. “It’s a box. Pandora’s box, dude.”
“Pithos,” Dad explains. “It’s the Greek term used in Hesiod’s writing, which refers to a jar. The kind used for grain, wine, oil.”
Mom further clarifies, “It was mistranslated later as pyxis. Which means small box.”
“Oh I have one,” Jane straightens up, then washes down her bite of food with water. “What are the goddesses of the seasons?”
“The Horae,” I’m able to say before Charlie. “Or Hours. They personify the four changing seasons and the passage of time.” The cycle of human life.
“Well done, Pippy,” Jane beams, jotting down a point for me.
Eliot creaks back in his chair. “Greek mythos: Which of the rivers of the Underworld is the River of Woe?”
“Acheron,” Dad says smoothly.
“Not Styx?” Audrey frowns.
“No,” Charlie looks over at her. “Some Roman poets will reference this to Styx, but he said Greek.”
Eliot leans forward to explain, “Acheron is the river associated with pain, sorrow, and woe. It’s the river the dead must cross to enter Hades, little sister.”
“Of course, I knew that part,” Audrey says pointedly. “I’m sixteen, not twelve.”
“Here we go again,” Tom mutters into a big gulp of wine.
Dad manages to keep us on track, and I have to wait until the game ends to surface the frat. I’m a little jittery, but I’m relieved when Jane finally decrees Mom as the winner, Charlie in second, and Dad in third, only partially due to Mom soft-balling questions toward those of us who’d know hers before Dad could answer them.
As napkins are folded and Jane hoists her baby out of the highchair, I let the bomb drop. “I’m planning to join a frat.”
Chairs scrap back into the table. Even Jane sinks into her seat and passes Maeve to Thatcher.
“Well, I’m thinking about it,” I continue. “I just wanted everyone to know while we’re together that it’s looking like I might be living with the frat soon, so I’ll be out of your hair.” I glance around at my four brothers.
“You were never bothering us,” Beckett says deeply. “You don’t have to move out. We’ve never wanted you to.”
“Yeah,” Tom pipes in. “We’ve enjoyed the company, Ben Pirrip.”
“Makes our lives far more interesting,” Eliot grins, which floods my lungs. I feel good knowing I haven’t been the worst roommate alive, even if I have been a pretty awful brother.
I crumple my cloth napkin in my hand. “I was never planning on staying there long. I told you all that.” I shrug stiffly. “The frat thing might be what I need.”
“You’re a sophomore,” Dad says. “Are you sure the fraternities at MVU will let you live in the houses on campus? At some colleges, it’s a privilege for upperclassmen only.”
Yeah, no. I did not consider this major flaw. “I guess I’ll find out soon.”
36
BEN COBALT
“Nah, man, we don’t allow sophomores to live in the house. Juniors and seniors only. It’s part of the chapter rules for Kappi Phi.” Leif Westergaard, the president, delivers news I already expected to hear when I visit the frat on Friday.
After researching all the MVU frats, the housing rules seem to be standard among every single one. I have closest connections to Kappa, so that’s basically the only reason I choose this frat to test the waters.
I’ve been here for a half hour. Chilling with Leif and another senior (Prescott) in their basement, which has a pungent odor of vodka, dirty gym clothes, and tuna. The last being from a litter of stray cats they rescued on their porch steps and now consider Kappa kittens.
Maybe it’ll be a good thing if I live here. I can make sure the cats are cared for. Not that they appear neglected. Water bowls are set out and filled. Two black kittens curl up on mounds of woolen blankets beside a white fridge. Clearly, they’re being fed if I can’t rid the canned tuna sent from my nostrils.
“How firm are these rules?” I ask while we’re comfortable on their plaid sofa, beers loosely in our grips.
“Pretty firm, man,” Leif says in a casual way that makes me feel like the rules are soft tofu. “What’s definitely flexible is rush.” I missed rush week, the period where fraternities evaluate potential new members. “Bid Day has passed, as you know. We already have our new pledges, but we’d love for you to be a Kappa. You want to join the pledge class, the door is wide open.”