Loving the Game

*One for the Team*

•Side note: the picture for this chapter gives a somewhat representation of what some of the main characters look like. The dress is included because of the auction scene. I hope you enjoy!•

"So what were you saying about the auction again?" I asked Brooklyn while wrapping up my hair.
"Oh, umm well it's tomorrow and you are coming right?" Brooklyn wondered. I nodded," Of course."
"Good. So I talked to Keem and he told me that all the contestants in the auction have to wear formal wear and it needs to be the colors of their fraternity. You know Omegas wear either gold, purple, and possibly white." "Uh huh..." I responded to let her know I hadn't quite blocked her out...yet. "And since I signed up last minute I don't have any of those colors. I have a white dress but it's kinda...slutty." She grinned. "I wonder why..." I joked playfully while giving her a look. "Bri," she whined," I don't know what to do!" I let out a moan.
"Fine. Well why don't you just borrow my lace gold dress. You know the one I only wore once to the masquerade ball last year." I offered.
Brooklyn's eyes got big. "I love that dress it is so gorgeous." I shrugged, "It's not of much use to me so I'll let you use it." Brooklyn waited a minute to respond. When she finally did she claimed that the dress wouldn't look as good on her as it did on me last year. I begged to differ. "Just take it for this one time," I told her. "Bri I..." She began but was interrupted by a series of coughs. As if she was getting sick or something.
"You ok?"
"Si" she responded coughing once again into her arm.
"Bihh dabb,"I giggled making her laugh too. "You play too much," she cried out in her accent while poking me. "I'll be fine though must just be the fact that it's really cold in here thanks to you." She said side eyeing me as she climbed into bed on her side of the room. I was the type of person to like the cold or at least to a certain extent I did. I couldn't sleep well if the room was warm even in the winter time. Brooklyn hated that trait about me but most of the time she was able to manage by piling covers and pillows on top herself as if making a fort. I guess tonight wasn't one of those manageable nights. "Sorry," I apologized,"but you know how I am." I turned off the light in the room and hopped into my bed. The alarm clock that sat on a night stand between our two beds read 11:53. I pulled the covers over my body and adjusted my mattress setting to where my back was elevated. "Night mi hermana," Brooklyn yawned. "Night sis," I said rolling over with my back turned to her.

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I woke up at 7 for some reason. On Saturdays I usually preferred to sleep in until 12 especially when my week was busy or full of testing. I sat down at my personal desk where my lap top sat and nibbled on a sausage biscuit I smuggled from the cafeteria yesterday. Not too long after Brooklyn came trudging in still looking half asleep. She came and sat down in my lap and put her arms around my neck. "What's wrong with you?" I asked confused. "I don't feel too good Bri." She confessed.
"You got the sniffles or something?" I asked.
She shook her head,"I think it's my allergies." Her nose was a fiery red when I looked at her face. It looked like redness came from a marker but at the same time it looked realistic. "Can you fix me some Chicken Noodle Soup?" She asked in a baby voice.
I sighed,"Yeah. Just let me finish my biscuit." Brooklyn nodded but yet still didn't raise up off my lap.
"Bri?"
"Huh?"
"I don't think I will be able to sell myself in that auction today. I'm going have to tell Rakeem I'm dropping out."
"You can't do that, Brook. He had no one else he was counting on you. You can't let down our best friend."
"You're right." She said, her voice stuffy. "Maybe you should fill in for me."
"I think your allergies are starting to effect your brain." I said pushing her off me.
"Come on," she said rubbing her nose," Didn't you just say you can't let a friend down. Well if you don't do this you will be letting me down and Rakeem down. You gotta do it for me sis please."
Sometimes my words truly do back fire on me. I might just need to stop talking.
"No way I'm doing it. I'm going to look like..."
"Like what?" Brooklyn said rolling her eyes.
"Not like me is what. Doing stuff like that isn't my thing." I reminded her.
"Well being sick isn't my thing either but you see what happened."
For the next to 10 minutes we argued over whether or whether not I would participate in the showcase. Somewhere between there Brooklyn tricked me into saying 'yes' using some type of mind game. Maybe I should of taken a psychiatry class so I could manipulate good hearted people (like myself), too.
"Yay!" Brooklyn celebrated while embracing me in a short hug." Thank you so much."
"Yeah, yeah whatever." I said patting her on her back.
What kind of fuckery am I getting myself into? I thought to myself hopelessly. Too late to back out now Bri cause your in there...deep.

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"Ouch!" I yelped as Brooklyn curled my hair in the bathroom mirror. "Pretty hurts. Now suck it up and let me do what I do." Brooklyn sniffled. Brooklyn spent the past hour and a half giving me a 'makeover' for the auction. She did my make up light like I asked because I wasn't big on 'painting' my face. She even helped me pick out a pair of gold heels from her closet aka shoe store that matched my dress I offered to her earlier. I'd only worn it once and I loved the fact that it was lacey and elegant.
I flinched as she got a little to close to my scalp while doing my last strand of straight hair. "Done." She smiled.
"Thank you Jesus." I moaned. Brooklyn rolled her eyes at me.
"Where are your earrings!? You can't look this hot and not have on earrings boo!" She fussed storming out the bathroom and over to the dresser where her jewelry box lied. She came back with a pair of medium sized round gold studs. "Put them on. Now." She scolded. I sighed sliding on the backs of the earrings.
"Better?" I asked sarcastically.
"Much better," she agreed.
"What time is it?" She asked. "6:35," I told her.
"Well you need to get going," she informed,"The auction begins at 7 and the girls are lining up at 6:45. Rakeem told me he'd be outside the dorm so he could take you with him when he went. He should be out there now." My heart pace sped up because time was ticking getting closer and closer till auction time and I wasn't ready. Was this even something to be ready for?
I was so busy thinking of the worst that I didn't realize Brooklyn had called Keem to make sure he was outside. He was. Brooklyn rushed me out the door and reminded me once more how nice I looked and how she bet that all the guys were going to bet on me. As she closed the door to our suite behind me I realized that she hadn't been coughing anymore since she started playing dress up with me. I instantly ridded the thought out of my mind because I doubted she was faking. After-all, her nose was still red looking and she still was sniffling.

Rakeem met me in the lobby of the dorm. I was going to question how he got in but Rakeem was a ladies man so he probably talked some jawn into letting him into the building.
"Whoa now." He smiled as he saw me approach him. I smiled back,"What do you think? Am I 'pretty'?"
He nodded his head,"You really are. Looks like you glowing and showing a whole new you." I blushed,"Thanks."
"Anytime. So shall we go princess Bri?"
"Yes, we shall," I giggled. Rakeem escorted me out the double glass doors and out to the front of the dormitory where his silver G wagon sat running. You could tell by his car Rakeem was spoiled. His grandma Jean gave him any and everything he wanted as long as he remained in school and kept good grades. Grandma Jean practically raised Keem since his father was killed in the navy and his mother went into a deep depression after that and was sometimes unable to tend to his needs. He didn't resent his mother, but if you asked him who his mother was he'd say Jean. Only his close friends knew otherwise.
Rakeem opened and closed my door for me. He hopped into the drivers seat and put the car in drive and headed towards the Omega frat house near the back of the campus.
"Nervous?" He asked as he drove around looking for a park. The entire parking lot of the house was basically packed. College boy after college boy and even girls kept descending up the steps that led to the inside wearing formal wear as well. "A little," I admitted twiddling my fingers.
"Don't be. Just remember to imagine everyone in their underwear and you'll be straight." I giggled but took his advice into consideration as we got out the car, and walked up the stairs. There was no backing out now.