Empire

Chapter 76: Shotgun To The Heart

Chapter 76

Lux's Point of View

Vibrant red and flaming orange leaves swayed above our heads in the lazy early afternoon breeze as we lied on the grass in the middle of the campus. Bells chimed rhythmically in the distance from Harkness Tower. Nate, Chuck and myself had just finished taking a tour through Old Campus, which used to be Yale's only campus; now it's where all of the freshmen frolic,  when we decided to take a break and enjoy the sunshine on this unseasonably warm day.

After spending three freaking irritating hours with Chuck, I was more than happy to put a little space between us during our tour. I walked ahead of Nate and Chuck taking pictures of all the Gothic architecture this campus has to offer on my phone while they scoped out the freshmen and all they had to offer. Although, for some reason I kept getting the feeling I was being watch and realized  Chuck was just staring at my ass so I ended up walking behind them instead.

"What happened to, "oh Lux, we'll hang out just the two of us" when we get to Yale? Can we please throw the Bass back out to sea and go do something fun?" I whispered into Nate's ear. He was sitting beside me on the ground looking over the welcome packet we received. Chuck was lying down on the other side of me with his stupid hat covering his face. His breathing seemed shallow so I knew he was asleep, or I hoped he was.

Chucks hand was lying in the grass next to my hand, gently rubbing against my own. It tickled like the blades of grass scratching across the palm of my hand, but I couldn't pull away. We were all sitting so close together it felt like a very weird sandwich and I was the middle.

"He's not even bothering you! Besides, he can get us into some killer parties. He's a good asset to keep around." Nate replied with a grin, going to bat for his best friend. Bros before hoes and all that crap. I rolled my eyes letting out a huff of breath and fell back onto the grass and sneaked a peak at Chuck lying beside me. He has been behaving since we all got out of the car. Of course he had to throw out a jab about us having sex in his limo to Nate.

"I thought we were gonna do something, man. What happened to your master plan, finding the skull and bones?" Nate said turning his head towards Chuck and smacking him in the stomach. I laughed when he groaned and removed the hat that had been shielding his eyes from the sunlight beaming down between the trees overhead. I'd picked up on some of their conversations as we were exploring the campus. Chuck was determined to be kidnapped this weekend and invited into this ludicrous secret society.

"You don't find them, they find you." Chuck mumbled, sitting up. He glanced over his shoulder at me and smirked starting a fire in my lower stomach that needed to be put out immediately. Ugh. I hated how my body reacted to him. All he has to do is bat those eyes at me and I completely fall apart on the inside. The feelings I harbor for him will always be there, won't they? Unless I can figure out how to kill a feeling, I'm totally screwed.

"So, what we just sit here and wait?" Nate deadpanned.

Chuck shrugged his shoulders in response as I sat up, resting my elbows on my knees. My leg brushed against Chucks causing me to squirm away from him slightly. Has he heard of personal space? I snatched the welcome packet out of Nate's hand and looked it over to distract myself.

"Well, until my saviors come and kidnap Chuck I'm sure we can find something else to do," I mumbled smartly as I looked over the papers in my hands, "It says here there's a football game at one or a tour of the university art gallery at three?" I suggested a little too enthusiastically. When neither of them responded I looked up to see what had distracted them. A group of girls were walking along the pebble stone pathway a few yards away.