Caught In The Middle

2 - Cory and Reese

First day of the new semester and Cory was sitting on the hood of his F250 pick up watching all the newbie chaos when a black motorbike cruised up next to him and the rider got off, removing his helmet and then leaned on the side of his truck. It was Reese, the one guy in this whole damn college he felt awkward talking to, they had been best mates up until high school and had drifted apart because their dads were on opposing sides of the law, as well as other reasons. Reese was a gangsters son, while Cory, his dad had just become New York Police Commissioner two years ago, hence the breakup of their friendship.

“Hey.” Reese said, sweeping his dark hair back from those pale golden hazel eyes that the girl’s all went nuts about.

“Hey.” Cory answered nonchalantly, not taking his eyes off the people walking back and forth.

“Babe watching?” Reese asked amused.

“New talent observing…” Cory corrected with a smirk.

They both heard a rumble of a nice V8 engine pull up on the other side of Cory’s truck, he turned with interest as a platinum grey Mustang pulled into the car park two down from him.

“Nice car…” He muttered to himself.

He sat up as he saw a girl with long chestnut colored hair tied up in a high ponytail, dressed in khaki cargo pants with the bottoms rolled up, chuck tailors and a singlet top with a large white hoodie unzipped halfway down making it slip off one shoulder to expose golden skin.

Cory whacked Reese on the shoulder and indicated over to the hot chick as she closed her car door and lifted her head to look around the campus getting her bearings, revealing amazing pale green eyes set into long dark lashes.

“Dibs.” Reese called it.

“What the f**k? I saw her first.” Cory exclaimed.

“I called dibs first.” Reese chuckled. They watched as she pulled a lollipop out of her pocket, unwrapped it and stuck it in her mouth then took her phone out. Her calm attitude screamed confident with a tinge of ‘don’t talk to me’ moody angst.

“Oh? You think you have a better shot at her than me, is that it?” Cory huffed. He was quarter back in the football team for the Lions over at the main campus of Columbia University and was basically the most popular guy in this college campus and a player who thrived on it. His dirty blond hair and blue eyes, athletic build and roguish smile helped out a lot of course.

Reese shrugged. “You’re just a f**k boy…she looks like she would see you coming and eat you alive.”

“Ha! You think you’re ‘oh so Alpha dominant male’ huh? To what…get her to submit to you and your weird kinks?” Cory said sourly, Reese was the other popular guy on campus, known as the Prince on campus due to his tall, lean, MMA fighter’s body, black hair that fell into those pale eyes and his ability to stare into ones soul with them. He was also President of the Student Executive as much as the school hated the fact a gangster was in control of representing students for any disciplinary offenses, it was voted by the students and Reese loved the power it gave him.

Reese chuckled a deep sexy rumble. “It’s Sigma…I dominated you, didn’t I?”

“Once, asshole! You took advantage of my drunken ass. I should report you!”

“Yeah, except you’ve simped for me ever since.”

“In your dreams, asshole…you know I’m the best f**k you ever had!” Cory teased back, sliding off the hood of his truck and facing Reese.

Reese laughed. “In your dreams, Curry…but if you let me I’ll show you how to improve.” His eyes seemed to brighten into a golden glow.

“f**k off, Rice! Stay the f**k away from me!” Cory shuddered and Reese’s smirk widened.

They noticed the girl start to walk towards the main entrance of the administration building joining the small crowd of freshmen from around the world that made it in to this special campus for the rich and infamous.

Reese laughed, dropping his arm around Cory’s neck and walked off dragging Cory along with him. Cory grinned and elbowed Reese in the side.

“So does this mean we’re going to compete?”

“f**k yes.” Reese thrummed deeply.

“She’s hot, huh?” Cory said watching her ass.

“She looks f*****g gangster…” Reese confirmed in his own way, licking his tongue over his teeth. She oozed s*x appeal but looked sweet and demure under a hard shell that Reese really wanted to c***k and expose the real her. It was obvious to him she had a mask up, not wanting to draw too much attention to herself.

“Oooo, exciting…I haven’t had no gangster chick before. Hey, do you think she could really be into that weird s**t you are?”

Reese smirked and licked his lips as they followed her up the stairs, looking at her perfectly round yet toned ass in those cargos. Reese’s eyes dipped to her muscular calves as she flexed them going up the stairs on her toes.

“Oh, I hope so…but I can teach her.”

Cory chuckled and broke away from Reese’s arm. “Game on, bro.” He held his fist out.

“Game on.” Reese fist bumped him as the girl disappeared inside.

“Reese!” A voice called out making him stop and look back as Cory grinned at the opportunity to get the jump on him and went inside.

Reese saw it was his mate Jacob and turned back, moving swiftly down the steps and approaching him, cursing for being seen with Cory. They greeted each other with a quick manly hug and pat on the back.

“Hey, how was it over the break?” Reese asked.

“Not too bad…” Jacob sighed.

“Yeah, I f*****g hate it when I have to go back for the holidays.” Reese chuckled.

“But, good news, it means we have our first party up this Saturday, welcome back party!”

Reese shook his head. ”Let me guess…the jocks?”

“Yeah, did Cory not mention it to you, I guessed that’s why he was talking to you.”

“Nah…” Reese said cautiously.

Jacob shrugged. “Anyway, guess what the theme is?”

Reese gave him a look to just say it.

“Bring a freshman.”

“Oh, f**k…hazing party? Seriously, they still do that s**t?”

“Looks like it, so will you be going?”

“Not sure, depends if I can wrangle a freshman…” Reese commented, his gaze going back to the admin building.

“What? You going to join in?” Jacob seemed surprised.

“Well, it doesn’t say the freshman has to be the same s*x, right?”

“The hell!? You already eyeing up new meat?”

“Maybe…” Reese answered with a coy smirk.

“Do tell…what did I miss?” Jacob laughed, looking up at the admin building knowing the new students to this college would all be special in some way. Genius, connected, rich, only the children of special families around the world got to be here, usually their parents signed them up here if they were famous in some way or at risk of k********g and extortion.

“Nah, I’ll keep it to myself for now…catch up later.” Reese side-stepped and walked off across the lawn and around the side of the admin building heading to his locker on the other side, easier to avoid the crowd and go in the side doors.

Quinn made it up to the desk and got her class info and campus map including her locker code then was filed into a large auditorium to listen to the welcoming address. She noticed the security was high at this campus, but the students seemed relaxed and quite nonchalant about it. No individual security was allowed on campus, certainly no weapons so she guessed everyone felt safe within the closed gates.

When Augusto had told her that this special college was off the map but formally a branch of Columbia University, an Ivy League college it had made her happy to attend this forced enrolment. It also meant students had an opportunity to compete as normal in any sports or activities as long as their own parents were aware and allowed them to attend team practice over at the actual university grounds. It was featured that the football team, the Lions and their cheerleader squad would both be speaking today for any freshmen interested in joining up.

She looked around the auditorium with curiosity. There were only a small number of them entering this secret campus and maybe two looked like football players.

A girl nudged her elbow and sat down next to her.

“Hey there, my name’s Vanessa, I’m co-leader of the cheerleaders of the Lions, you look like what we’re looking for?”

Quinn pursed her lips together looking over the bleached blond in her short flared skirt and tight blouse with a judging glare. “Ah…no offense but…”

“You look like the type…” Vanessa rudely interrupted Quinn’s rejection. “Are you a dancer or something?”

“Used to do a bit, yeah.”

“Perfect, you’ll enjoy hanging with us.” Vanessa gave Quinn a worldly look. “So, who’s your family?”

Quinn’s mouth pressed into a hard line. “I really don’t think…”

“Oh, are they that serious? Say no more…” She interrupted again. “…well, anyway, I saw you enter and knew that body type was what we’re looking for, you’re a good height and you have a great face too, so come along to our first casual meet up and audition…if we like what we see then we’ll organize going over to Columbia for a proper audition with the coach.”

“No thanks.” Quinn said in a rude tone, standing up and pushing passed Vanessa’s knees to get out. “I have to go find my locker.”

“Rude…” Vanessa stated, tossing her hair back.

Quinn grit her teeth to stop the words that wanted to come out. She didn’t want to make enemies of the clearly popular cliques in any college, but if that girl had interrupted her one more time!

She breathed in a calming breath and looked at her map orientating herself before heading off in hopefully the right direction. She had a couple of the recommended text books in her bag and it was getting heavy. She was glad when she finally found her locker and it unlocked with little effort just as the tone sounded for first hour, although classes on day one were more about just orientation and meeting the professors, TA’s and other teachers, they were still expected to find their way to class on time.

She fiddled with the key pad lock, changing the code to one of her own as instructed to do and put her books into the locker, pulled out a lollipop, stuck it in her mouth and closed the locker door.

She startled as she found a face staring at her from behind it, smiling roguishly at her, his beautiful blue eyes twinkling brightly. He was handsome, clearly a footballer and she wondered if he had followed her from the auditorium.

“Hi, I’m Cory.” He declared as he leaned on the lockers and folded his arms without a single care to anyone else trying to get into those lockers. He was clearly beyond reproach.

Quinn appraised him silently, one eyebrow slowly arching as her eyes went to his feet and slowly rose to his face. She twirled her lollipop around her mouth with her tongue, clicking it off her teeth. By the time her eyes met his once more he was actually blushing. She slowly took the lollipop out of her mouth and smiled at him. She pressed the lollipop against his lips making him open his mouth startled, his eyes widening in surprise. She let go of the lollipop and turned away.

Cory frowned confused as he took the lollipop out of his mouth. “Huh? What the f**k!”

She glanced back at him with a lazy smirk. “That’s as close as your lips will ever get to mine, blue eyes.” She purred and sauntered off to find her first class.

“Damn!” Reese laughed, clapping Cory on the back as he quickly came over from where he had witnessed the rather amusing scene.

“That cheeky b***h!” Cory stared at the lollipop, grinned then put it back in his mouth.

“I told you she would eat you alive!”

“Well, if that wasn’t a challenge to prove her wrong, I don’t know what is…?” Cory grinned like a loon around the lollipop sticking out of his mouth. “She’s so f*****g hot and her lollipop is delicious.”

“What’s it taste like?” Reese laughed, shaking his head.

“Strawberries and the promise of great sex.” Cory mused.

“Still dreaming then…” Reese scoffed, walking off.

Quinn was left wondering what that guy was all about getting up in her face only an hour into her first day. He was clearly a senior. She had got the feeling from the other people in the hall that he was one of those untouchable types, obviously a powerful father and as part of the football team probably ruled campus, so she didn’t want to piss him off.

He was cute, really cute, not that she could have anything to do with cute thanks to Antonio. She stepped into her first class, a small lecture hall and was handed a leaflet from a cheerful looking girl with strawberry blond hair.

“Hey, this is an invite to a special meeting put together by a few of us freshman girls to get together to get to know each other. Girls looking out for girls and all…”

“An invite to what?” Quinn asked, looking at the paper.

“It’s just a fun night ten pin bowling…we just want us girls to all get along and know who each other is.”

“So who are you?”

“Oh, sorry, I’m Lizzy.” She beamed a cute smile. “Daughter of Logistix Conglomerate, based in Ontario, responsible for data protection of some pretty major companies and government departments worldwide.”

“Right…” Quinn wasn’t used to people introducing themselves in such a fashion.

“And you?”

“Ah…Quinn.”

Lizzy gave her a patient look waiting for the rest.

“Um…of Zortex Industries and Construction, I guess…” That was the legitimate business of the Ferrante family.

Lizzy’s eyes went a little wide. “Oh, wow…they’re big, government contracts big.”

“Are they?” Quinn didn’t know. “How do you know this stuff?”

Lizzy frowned at her. “It’s important to know this stuff.”

“Huh, okay…well I might actually go, thanks…” Quinn waved the paper invite at her and wandered off to find a seat.

Lizzy gave her a wave and stepped out of the room, making her way up the hall. A tall dark haired Adonis stepped out in front of her making her halt her steps with a flinch to avoid bumping into him.

Her eyes widened at the sight of him. “Reese O’Shea?”

“You know me, freshman?” He smirked at her.

“Of course, my sister goes here…Lila Waterman, Logistix Conglomerate. I’m Lizzy.”

Lila and Lizzy…of course, you look alike too, both cute.”

She blushed and dropped her gaze making Reese chuckle. “Do me a favor, Lizzy?”

She looked back up at him. “What is it?”

“Tell me what you found out talking to that girl just now?”

“Girl…just now? Which one?”

“The last one at lecture room four, with the long red ponytail and the combat pants.”

“Oh! Her…Quinn. She said she was from Zortex, can you believe that?”

“Zortex?” Reese frowned darkly. “Thanks…” He wandered off leaving Lizzy blinking in confusion.

“Quinn, eh…cute name. Rich too, uber rich, although you don’t look or act like it?” Reese mused to himself.