Games Frat Boys Play by Todd Gregory Page B

bored and just ignored me, which was lonely but it was better. But I showed them all. I was smarter than all of them. I got better grades. The teachers thought I was the best student in the history of the school. I made up my mind I was going to be the best student, that I was going to be the most successful one.” I wiped at my face. “Of course they didn’t care about my grades.”
    â€œJordy.” Roger reached out and took both of my hands in his. “Don’t ever let anyone make you feel bad about yourself. You have no idea how special you are. Being different is hard, I know, but don’t ever let anyone convince you it’s better to change and to be like everyone else. You’re smart, funny, and you have a core of natural kindness within you that most people don’t have.” He scowled. “Most people only pretend to be kind, you know, because they want something from you—and as soon as they get whatever it is they want, they can’t be bothered with you anymore. The reason why people don’t necessarily open up to you is because you’re not like everyone else and they don’t know how to handle that. But what it means is you’ll never have to deal with all the superficial nonsense. When you make real friends, they’ll be real friends.” He smiled. “I’m your friend, Jordy.”
    I bit my lip. “Really?” I could feel tears welling up in my eyes. I felt a lot more emotional than usual; it must’ve been the pot.
    â€œReally.” He waved a hand. “I don’t fit in here, either. Oh, sure, everyone’s nice to me on a basic level because I’m a brother, but I don’t have any real friends in the house. Nobody really makes an effort to get to know me. That first night when I saw you at Rush, I knew you were one of the special people. Like me.”
    â€œI don’t understand.” My head felt hollow. It was kind of nice—I could almost hear air rushing through my head. “Why did you join Beta Kappa in the first place? I’ve wondered about that for a while. You don’t seem happy here.”
    â€œI’m not unhappy here.” He picked up the joint and relit it. “This sure as hell beats living in the dorms. As you know, I’m an anthropology major. I kind of study the group dynamics around here. It’s fascinating, to tell you the truth.” He grinned. “Take Chad York, for example.” His face darkened. “He is the personification of evil.”
    â€œChad?” I was puzzled. “But he’s so nice, and he’s so good looking.”
    â€œStay away from Chad York,” Roger insisted. “You have to trust me on this, Jordy. Listen to your big brother. Chad is not attractive at all.”
    â€œYes, he is,” I insisted. “He’s even better looking than Jeff Morgan.”
    â€œDon’t be fooled.” Roger took a big hit from the joint. “The outward exterior is just the packaging. Inside, he has a dark and twisted soul.”
    â€œMay I have another hit?” I asked. Roger laughed a bit and passed me the joint. This time it didn’t burn so much, but I did cough again. I passed it back to him. The hollow, empty feeling inside my head was getting stronger. It was nice. “Why do you hate Chad so much, Roger?”
    â€œI hate all three of them—Chad, Brandon, and Rees. Brandon and Rees aren’t as bad as Chad—no one is—and maybe if they got away from him they could turn from the dark side. But Chad—” He shook his head. “There’s no chance for redemption from him.”
    â€œYou’re wrong.” The empty feeling was going away. Now it was like my mind was kicking into overdrive. Thought after thought tumbled through my mind, a new one springing from the previous one. “It’s just like Star Wars. No matter what anyone’s done, no matter how beyond redemption they