“How did you get the other brothers to agree to that?” I try again. Miss again.
Jimmy laughs as he jogs to the corner of the room to fetch my errant ball. “I’m the president and a drum major. I can do whatever the hell I want.”
I’m not buying that after all the rules I learned about at the only ITK party I’ve ever attended, and my skeptical expression shows it.
“Okay, okay,” he hedges. “I threatened to kick Jared out of ITK after what he did to you, and this was the only term I set as a way for him to stay.”
“Why would you want him to stay? He only dosed me because he knew you were trying to get back at him for doing exactly the same thing to you. Shannon says you two have this whole feud going on I never even knew about until this year.”
“Does that make you jealous? Make you want to jump back into the fray? It’s okay to admit it. You’re my favorite competition, too. See? I didn’t burst into flames by saying that to you.”
I forego the cups and aim straight for his giant, stupid head. And still miss.
“Ah, see? You just showed me your cards without saying a word.” He laughs and retrieves another one of my balls. He’s such a good boy that I almost want to pat his head for being so dedicated to fetch. “It was Shannon’s idea actually. She pointed out that I couldn’t see the trees for the forest.”
I smirk. “That’s a Dr. Kimball saying. I guess you’ve figured out the actual meaning.”
He nods and sinks another ball. “I was so hell-bent on revenge that I didn’t stop to think that if I kicked Jared out, he’d run straight to Dr. Kimball. And that would probably get all of ITK disbanded as another hazing risk. The band has already lost enough this year. Even though I’m still gonna get that motherfucker, I have to do it in a way that won’t ruin things for everyone else who just wants to have a good time. Taking you on as my little and initiating you privately is part of that.”
“How is that part of it?” I miss again. I give up.
He knows it too. He places the balls in his cups and props his hands on the table, signaling that the game is over. “Jared thought he’d get to be your big as a concession for not being elected as an officer. And he had plans to make you work for it. That spiked drink was your first taste of hazing under his belt. So, I took his power away. He doesn’t get to humiliate you in front of the entire band at parties, and he doesn’t get the privilege of claiming you in his line.”
“So, I’m just a prize to him?” That’s why I suffered for hours? Bullshit.
Jimmy nods. “You’re the prize.”
“So, what? I’m your little now, and your agenda is to turn me into the best pledge ITK has ever seen as a way to beat Jared? As a way to force me to compete against the other pledges since I won’t compete with you anymore?” Anger steamrolls through my veins. Much more of honesty hour, and I’m going to be right back where I started—wanting to strangle Jimmy with my bare hands because I’ve been inadvertently exposed to my favorite drug that I’m still struggling to quit.
“You want a fair fight for drum major, and I want that, too. I’ve never wanted to beat you at anything unless you came at me with your best. The ITK crap doesn’t matter because the voting is going to take place before the next party anyway. But if you show up at the party as the newly elected head drum major and have no idea what you’re doing here? Everyone is going to second-guess their vote. Even if Dr. Kimball doesn’t give them the option of a recall and a new election, they’re not going to respect you for the rest of the season. Then, the role of head drum major has no meaning at all. Maybe for everyone who comes after us. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to see that happen.”
He really is my best competition. I’ve grown fond of all the other drum majors, but none of them have shown the level of dedication to the band that Jimmy’s just shown me.
Suddenly, all of Emily’s fears about challenge Thursdays have become my own. “I have to compete with you again then. I have no choice.”
“We have a choice.” He pulls the balls from the cups and positions himself to strike. “I’m not going to challenge you to beat me anymore. I’m giving you the motivation you need to be at your best game.”
Like he did with my Sing Out idea. “You’re changing the rules.”
“Not really. Just modifying to suit our needs better.” He grins and sinks his first ball. Thank God we’re practicing with empty cups. If I had to drink as much cheap beer as required for this game, I’d be sicker than the night with the laxative. “For every ball I sink, you have to answer any question I ask. For every ball you sink, I’ll reveal a finer point of this game to you.”
“Why don’t I get to ask you a question for every ball I sink?”
His expression darkens. “Because you’re not really sure you want the answers I might give you. But you are sure you want to be the best you can be at everything. Even beer pong.”
I nod. He’s right.
“You love band. Why didn’t you ever join ITK? It’s the most popular organization we have.”
I close my eyes and answer honestly, following the new rules, “Because I was wild and crazy in high school, and I knew I couldn’t keep doing that in college. ITK is all about drinking hard and partying harder. I didn’t want that life anymore.”
He nods, not seeming surprised. “Your turn.”
I miss again.
He doesn’t. “Do you regret it?”
“Not joining ITK? Cleaning up my act? I’m not sure what you’re asking.”
“Do you regret the night we spent together? The night that made you want to clean up your act?”
I take a deep breath that feels like inhaling water, and then … “Yes.”
He closes his eyes and hangs his head. I’m not sure why he seems so disappointed.
His chest heaves before he raises his gaze. “I don’t.”
There’s no way I can aim accurately when he says shocking things like that. I miss.
He sinks another. “Is that why you started hating me when we got here? Because you regretted me? Regretted having to see my face nearly every day until now?”
“I didn’t hate you when we first got here,” I admit, lining up my shot.
I channel the sting of rejection I felt when he refused to even glance my way to fuel my sailing arc. The ball makes a hollow sort of noise when it lands in the cup.
His surprise matches my own. “Nice!”
“Well?” I prompt. “Give me a finer point.”
He leans against the table like he’s about to deliver the holy grail of information for how to win this game. “The next time you play, this basement will be packed with bodies. Distractions everywhere. Your fiercest opponents will be much more skilled than you in drowning out everything except their singular focus.”
“Nothing about what you just said is particularly groundbreaking news.”
He smirks. “Your best bet is to be the sort of distraction they can’t possibly ignore.”
“How am I supposed to do that?”
“Flash ’em your titties.”
“Pig!”