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  Foolish Games

  Shala Mungroo

  Version 2

  Copyright © 2012 Shala Mungroo

  All rights reserved.

  ISBN: 978-1-300-42385-0

  PROLOGUE

  Nick Thorne was eighteen, about 6 ft 1", and captain of the football team. He was smart, funny, and as more than half of the female population would say, gorgeous. He had golden hair, the clearest blue eyes you’ve ever seen and a smile that sent many hearts racing. Then how could this guy possibly be single? Sure he was no ‘player’. He wasn’t one to go in and out of relationships just like that. He was more the committed type. I mean, wasn’t that what women want today? Men who aren’t afraid of commitment? But then again, having a relationship with someone right now wasn’t exactly on top of his list. Don’t get him wrong, he loved girls. He thought they were the prettiest thing on this earth, but the girls at college were so..so..fake! Material! He wanted someone who wouldn’t giggle at everything he said. Someone who wouldn’t pull out a mirror every five minutes to check their hair or touch up their make-up. Heck, he hated girls who wore so much make-up. Real beauty was supposed to be on the inside wasn’t it? That’s what he thought, unlike most of the guys he hung out with. But sometimes he thought he was wrong. He could never find anyone like that. Well not yet anyway. And right now he was just thinking about giving up. But that was before he saw Jessie Andrews......

  Jessie Andrews, also eighteen was about 5ft 6". She had hazel eyes and dark brown hair which went just below her shoulders. She just moved to Florida from New York where she lived for about two years. She was originally from Seattle but everyone thought that she was born and raised in New York and she failed to correct him or her because she tried to avoid conversation with anyone at her new school. She didn’t really like it here. She wished she were back home in Seattle with her friends. She did manage to make one good friend here, Erica Matthews. Their meeting was actually ‘accidental’. Jessie was in a bit of a hurry to reach to school on time one day, that when she was parking her car in the school’s parking lot, she accidentally hit Erica’s car. Usually, any other person would have thrown a fit but Erica was actually pretty cool about it, to Jessie’s surprise. She claimed that the school’s parking lot could be busy at times and these sorts of things happen. Besides "It’s fixable!" were Erica’s words. Well, when you have the kind of money that Erica obviously had, judging by her clothes and convertible, anything was fixable! From then on, they became friends.

  Jessie usually kept to herself and thought that no one in school even knew she existed. She was wrong. She realized that when Nick Thorne came up to her and asked her out. Of all the guys in school, the captain of the basketball team and most probably the hottest looking guy in school was asking her out! So much for keeping a low profile, she had thought at the time. Okay, so he was good-looking and popular but she just wasn’t interested and she told him so! Then why didn’t he just leave her alone?!

  CHAPTER 1

  Jessie got a ride to school with Erica since her father had the car that she would normally use to come to school with. Jessie glanced at Erica beside her and smiled to herself. Erica was rich, or as most people would say, filthy rich, but she wasn’t stuck-up like most of the rich kids at college here which was a bit surprising seeing that Erica hung out with most of them. But Erica explained to Jessie that it was all about maintaining a certain kind of image. Erica desperately wanted to be popular and she always said that if you wanted to be popular, you have to surround yourself with popular people and that’s what she was doing. Jessie was just a bystander. Okay, so what if most, if not all of the popular people were snobby? That’s just the price you pay for popularity right? Jessie had shook her head at Erica’s words and said "Whatever". She didn’t really care. Being little miss popular was definitely not on top of her list.

  "So Jessie, you have a boyfriend?" Erica asked her then bringing her back to earth.

  "Well no, I was dating this guy named Josh. We dated for a couple months but then had to break up because I had to move here and we both realized that long distance relationships just wouldn’t work out for us. So we ended it and i’m kinda glad." Jessie confessed absently.

  "Why? Didn’t you like him?" Erica asked, pulling into the school’s parking lot.

  "Yeah, but only at first. I mean he was really nice and sweet, but then he got really possessive and stuff and wouldn’t let me go anywhere with my friends or do whatever I wanted to do and I couldn’t stand it anymore!" Jessie explained.

  "Then why didn’t you leave his ass?" Erica asked stopping the car and turning to look at her friend.

  "I..I couldn’t." Jessie stammered. "Josh, well, he has a really bad temper and sometimes it gets out of control-"

  "OhmyGod! Jessie, don’t tell me that bastard used to hit you?!" Erica asked shocked.

  "Well, only a couple times.."

  "He shouldn’t have hit you at all!"

  "Erica, it’s behind me now. I just want to forget all about it okay? Now promise me that you won’t tell anyone what I just told you." Jessie said.

  "But Jessie-"

  "Please, just promise me you won’t say anything." Jessie pleaded.

  "Okay I promise." Erica said then added, you didn’t really answer my question, you know. Why didn’t you leave him?"

  "Because he threatened to kill me if I did." Jessie got out the car and Erica knew the conversation had ended there.

  "Jessie!"

  Jessie spun around when she heard someone call her name.

  "Oh no!" she groaned when she noticed who it was. Nick was walking up to her.

  "Hi Jessie, hi Erica!" he said noticing Erica standing next to Jessie.

  "Hi Nick!" Erica said.

  Erica had known Nick for about two years now so she knew what kind of person he was and she really liked him. They were great friends and she would have actually dated him if she didn’t already have a boyfriend and she just didn’t feel that way bout Nick. He was more like a brother to her. When she met Jessie, she knew how perfect they’d be together so she’d introduced them, much to Jessie’s reluctance. Nick had asked her out that same day but Jessie refused. Erica didn’t know at the time why Jessie didn’t like Nick. But it wasn’t that Jessie didn’t like him, it’s just that she didn’t want to get into another relationship that would turn out like her last.

  "So Nick? Where are you off to?" Erica asked him then, making him shift his gaze from Jessie to her. But Jessie soon found his eyes back on her.

  "I have a class in about ten minutes but I saw Jessie here and I was wondering if she changed her mind about going out with me." Nick said looking intently at her, waiting for a reply.

  Jessie shifted awkwardly. Damn it! Why did he have to be so persistent?! Didn’t he know what the word ‘No’ meant?

  "I don’t think so Nick." Jessie said. Erica nudged her but Jessie ignored her.

  "Why not?" Nick asked with a frown.

  "Because...because.. I have a boyfriend!" Jessie said quickly. Erica looked at her as if she were crazy but said nothing.

  "Oh." Nick said softly, "You should have just told me that before." Then he walked off without a backward glance. He wasn’t one to poach on anyone else’s “territory”.

  Erica slapped her on the arm. "Why did you do that?"

  "Ow!" Jessie cried rubbing her arm. "Erica you know why! I told you about Josh!"

  "Believe me Jessie, Nick is nothing like Josh!" Erica stated.

  "I don’t care. Right now i’m not ready for another relationship alright?" Jessie said.

  "Fine. But you’re letting go of a good thing."

  CHAPTER 2

  "Oh no! I am NOT joining a sorority!" Jessie cried as Erica grabbed her arm and pulled her to the
most popular sorority house on campus.

  ‘Yes you are! Come on! It’ll be good for you!" Erica exclaimed.

  "No it won’t!" Jessie protested.

  "Yes it will. Besides I’m joining and it’ll be cool if you’d join with me." Erica said.

  "Uh-uh. I don’t think so Erica."

  "Please?" Erica pouted, "Do it for me? I really don’t want to do this by myself. It’s much more fun with a friend. Besides, it adds to the competition!" Erica added.

  "I don’t know..."

  "Please? Please? Please? You know i’m not going to stop unless you agree to do this right?"

  "Yeah I know. Alright fine. I’ll do it." Jessie said with a sigh.

  ‘Thank you!" Erica said hugging her.

  "On one condition!" Jessie said causing Erica to pause.

  ‘What?"

  "That we don’t have to be here every day." Jessie said.

  "Hey! I don’t make the rules." Erica said when they entered the house.

  "Nick, what’s up with you?" his best friend, Brian asked. They were both playing basketball and Brian noticed that Nick wasn’t really focused on the game.

  "What makes you think something’s wrong?" Nick asked, when they sat on the bench and opened a bottle of water.

  "For two reasons. One, you haven’t made a single basket and we’ve been here for over an hour now. And two, your expression says "My dog just died"." Brian stated teasingly, "Now what’s really bothering you?"

  "Well, remember that girl I was telling you about?" Nick asked him.

  "Umm..yeah. Jessie right?"

  "Yeah. Well I asked her out and-"

  "Didn’t she turn you down?" Brian interrupted.

  "Yeah but I asked her again and she still refused. She said she had a boyfriend but something tells me she’s lying." Nick said, "She would have mentioned the boyfriend the first time we met but she didn’t."

  "Maybe you didn’t give her the time to say it" Brian suggested.

  "I don’t think so. Besides, Erica wouldn’t have introduced us if she really did have a boyfriend right?"

  "I dunno. Erica does weird things sometimes, it’s hard to say anymore."

  "I’ve never seen her with anyone except Erica." Nick pointed out again.

  "Look Nick, give it a rest. You asked her out, she said ‘No’. Learn to deal with it and move on with your life!" Brian said getting up and turning to him, "Besides what do you really know about this girl anyway, except what Erica’s told you which was "She’s perfect for you. She’s not like the other girls on campus." I mean, what’s that supposed to mean? This girl could be a psycho!"

  "Umm.. Brian I think you’re overreacting."

  "Am I?"

  "Okay, we’ll call you tomorrow and tell each of you exactly what you have to do to get in. Thank you for coming everyone!" a tall brunette shouted from the centre of the room. The room dispersed slowly followed by a constant chatter.

  "I can’t believe you’re making me do this!" Jessie muttered as they walked out the door.

  "I’ll have you know that this looks good on your record okay!" Erica protested.

  Jessie thought about that for a moment. All her life she worked hard and had achieved straight A’s throughout high school. She was planning on doing equally well in college. She was determined to be successful and make her father proud. And unlike most of the children here, she actually had to work hard to get to the top and right now, every little bit helped.

  Her mother had died when she was very young so Jessie grew up with her father and she was doing this all for him.

  "Okay maybe you were right. Maybe this sorority thing might be good for me."

  CHAPTER 3

  Erica was at Jessie’s house the next day since Jessie lived about ten minutes away by car from the campus while Erica lived further.

  They were both sitting on the sofa in front of the television watching ‘The Real World’ re-runs and sharing a tin of Pringles when the phone rang.

  "Hello?" Jessie said in between munches.

  "Hi Jessie. It’s Britney from Phi Alpha Beta."

  "Oh hi Britney."

  “I tried to call Erica but she wasn’t home and-"

  "Oh that’s because she’s right here." Jessie cut in.

  "Cool because i’m calling a meeting so I can tell you what you have to do to get in. So can you two be here, say, in about an hour?" Britney asked her.

  "Sure."

  "Okay. See ya then."

  Nick was walking to his car after a class when he saw Jessie and Erica walking over to the Phi Alpha Beta House. He needed to borrow some notes from Erica so he went up to them.

  "Hi Jessi, Hi Erica." He said as he approached them.

  "Nick, are you following me?" Jessie asked irritated that he seemed to be everywhere she was. "Don’t you know what the word ‘No’ Means?"

  This infuriated Nick.

  "For your information I came to talk to Erica NOT YOU!" he said harshly before turning to Erica. I mean who did this girl think she is? God’s gift to men?

  Jessie threw her hands up and headed into the house leaving a dumfounded Erica staring after her. Nick ignored her.

  "Erica, do you mind if I borrow your History notes sometime?" he asked her unaware of how his words affected Jessie.

  "Um.. sure Nick. I’ll bring them for you tomorrow." Erica said, "And Nick why were you so harsh?"

  "She deserved it!" Nick countered, "She just assumed that I wanted to ask her out again and I didn’t!"

  "Because every time you see her, you ask her out!"

  "Whatever! I still think she deserved it!" Nick said then stalked off.

  Erica went into the House to find Jessie. She found her in a room with the other pledges. She was sitting on a sofa by herself, her arms folded angrily across her chest. Erica sat next to her.

  "Pay no attention to Nick, Jessie. He can be moody at times." Erica said to her.

  "I don’t care." Jessie stated with a shrug.

  Britney, the president of the Phi Alpha Beta sorority went up to each girl to tell them what they had to do. It seemed that they all had to do different things. Finally, Britney reached Erica.

  "You Erica have to go to the Boys, locker room after basketball practice and take a picture of each player....naked!"

  "What? How the hell am I supposed to do that?!" Erica asked shocked. She could never do that! She was sure to be seen!

  "I guess you’ll just have to think of a way!" Britney said with a wicked glint in her eye.

  "And Jessie, a little birdie told us just how much you love Nick Thorne!" Britney said sarcastically.

  Oh God! Jessie groaned at the thought of what she was about to ask.

  "So you have to get him to ask you to be his girlfriend!" Britney said with a grin.

  Jessie didn’t know that Erica too was smiling!

  CHAPTER 4

  "What?! No! Absolutely not! I can’t do that!" Jessie said getting up and shaking her head.

  "Come on! We’re not asking you to sleep with him! Just get him to ask you to be his girlfriend! What can be so hard about that?" Britney asked her knowing for a fact that Jessie couldn’t do it., hence her reason for choosing that particular dare.

  "Everything! You see, we sort of hate each other."

  "Nick doesn’t hate you." Erica stated.

  "Yeah well, it doesn’t matter cause i’m not going to do it!" Jessie said.

  "Well then you can’t get in." Britney said simply.

  "Can’t you give me something else to do?" Jessie whined "Anything else?"

  "Nope!" and with that, Britney left to move on to another girl.

  "You told them about Nick didn’t you?!" Jessie accused pointing a finger at Erica.

  "No of course not!" Erica said. "The two times that you actually spoke to Nick was in the parking lot and there were lots of people around who probably saw and heard you two." Erica said defensively.

  "You’re right. I’m sorry." Jessie said, "It’s just that...God!
Why Nick? It could’ve been anyone else!"

  "Hey! You’re acting like your ‘mission’ is impossible and it’s not! Mine is!" Erica said.

  "Erica, all you have to do is hide in the guys’ locker room and take couple of pictures. It’s not so hard. Heck, I would have done that instead!" Jessie stated, then screwed up her nose, "Wait! Isn’t Nick on the basketball team?"