Charming by Haig Moses (1st Draft)

Chapter Twenty-Five

I watched as his full dark brows furrow, tongue caught in between teeth, Alexander breathed heavy with concentration as he bent over the paper writing out the quote from memory. "Why are you a literature major?" The question found my mouth before my mind could tell it to stop and suddenly Alexander's sea green eyes were on me again. "I just figured since you know all this stuff and love Shakespeare you'd be in literature."

Sitting upright, he shrugged. "History suits my family more," he said, "besides some of us aren't always lucky enough to do what we love like you."

"Do you come from a long line of historians or something?

He laughed, this time in an unhinged manner that vibrated my bones, sounded throughout the library, and earned himself a few more shushes from the students around him. "Yeah, something like that." He said only when his laughter faded from his lips. "Can I ask you a question?"

Lips pursed, I mauled his question wanting to say no with every fiber in my being, but my curiosity had gotten the better of me. "Sure."

"What exactly is your type?"

"Of salad dressing?"

"Of person," he clarified. "To date... I just mean—you're obviously not interested in anybody here at Harvard."

"I like guys who live in the real world," I remark.

Alexander sat up straighter. "I live in the real world."

"No you don't," I chuckled. "I mean nobody here does. There's like a one percent population of students who attend ivy league universities and actually live in the real world. I mean I volunteer at a foster care in Poulsbo because of my... experience and the hopelessness you feel when you walk inside that building is overwhelming. These kids have completely given up on the very idea of having a family and that's either because of the things they went through while they were being fostered or just always being denied. That's the real world. I knew a girl who's parents had her for the sole purpose of giving her organs to her brother, that is the real world." My hands waved around the large ancient library that held more secrets than I had cells in my body. "This, being here. Studying these lessons and dreaming about graduation and when your next vacation is, or how many girls you can sleep with, or how many beers your frat bro can drink before he blacks out... None of that is real. It's escapism. A lot of these students aren't ever going to have to worry about if they're going to find a job in the next six months after they graduate to pay off their student loans. They're not going to worry about being homeless, or have to choose between having insurance or not because having it means there's less money to pay your bills. I mean Elliot changed his degree so many times he's graduating with me and he's three years older. Most students can barely afford the entire four years of college much less three extra just because their passion changed. I've worked year round since I was fifteen just to afford university. And there's probably a hundred or so other kids here who can say the same, out of two hundred thousand. That's the real world Alexander. And yeah money and privilege come with problems, but between having have those issues and deciding whether to buy food for yourself or formula for your kid, I think a lot of people who choose the former. My type is somebody who understands that, not someone who thinks the world begins and ends with them."

It had all come out like word vomit and I sat there as Alexander slowly processed everything I said to him. And while it had all been the truth, I couldn't help but notice the slightest wrinkled in between his eyebrows. Maybe it was just the light tricking me, I denounced as I swallowed and squared my shoulders.

"Okay."

It was all he said before going back to work. Though, it sounded more like a resignation than inquisition. Like he understood everything I was saying, but wasn't going to press the subject any further.

My mind bounced from one thought to the next, each more ludicrous than the next before I whispered an almost silent, "Okay."

By the time we wrapped up the sun was just beginning to lower and there had been not one word exchanged between the two of us. Idly, Alexander walked beside me as we roamed through the Yard. "We did good today," I said breaking the silence. "I'll put the final touches on the paper and next week we can just focus on the design elements of the powerpoint. Then, I figure we should at least practice the presentation fully at least twice before it's time to go up in front of the entire class."

A small grin appeared on the corners of Alexander's lips. "Are you always like this?"

"Prepared?"

"Neurotic."

My mouth gaped and I had half a mind to punch him in his arm when I saw them. Students parted for the Kappa girls like the red sea and it seemed like time itself bended to their will as they strutted across campus. It was hard enough not to be in total awe of them as they glided, but even more so when I realized they were walking in my direction.

"Harriet," Ana gleamed at me, her eyes glancing over at Alexander before returning to me. From behind her, one of Johanna handed her a creme envelope which the Kappa President then handed to her. "Third round of recruitment. Hope to see you there."

Then with the scent of Chanel slapping me in the face, the girl continued on in the supreme superiority. "Why do you want to be apart of this sorority again?" Alexander asked as he too looked at them in awe.

"My mother," was all I could manage, but I wasn't so sure of the words anymore. Yes, she was the reason I had joined and began to rush but as the days went on, I was becoming less and less convinced whether or not she was the reason I was continuing. So far, the only definite things I had learned about my mother was that she was president of the sorority and that she dated my English professor. Whether or not she terrorized other sisters and and students, whether or not she murdered a man, whether or not she was troubled, was all heresay. Nothing anyone said was conclusive and I had taken it all with a grain of salt.

Alexander and I parted ways with the promise of seeing each other in the coming weekend and I made my way to my dorm room alone, the entire way looking at the Kappa envelope in my hands.

Inside there was no clue as to when the third round would take place, only that it was happening tomorrow at dusk. "Tati do you know anything about—"

I thought my mind was playing tricks on me.

Sitting on the couch, now wide eyed and guilty, sat Tatiana and Elliot. Their lips raw from the ferocious session I had walked in on, limbs still tangled together as neither of us spoke a word. my mind rushed back to the portfolio I had opened and Tatiana's promise that she was definitely over Elliot.

"Harry..." Tatiana's voice pulled me from my own thought and into my room.

Ignoring their protests on the other side of my door, I shut my eyes.

"I should go," Elliot said, his voice thin and meet.

Tatiana's feet shuffled. "No, you don't—"

"Yeah, I should let you take care of this, but I-erm... I'll call you."

Then, when the sound of the front door shutting. Tatiana's hand softly padded against my door. "Harry, please open up," she groaned. "I promise I can explain."

Eyes open, I pulled myself from the door and started getting ready for tonight's Kappa recruitment. Tatiana and Elliot were the last thing I needed to concern myself with.