She smiles against my lips, her eyes bright and playful. She’s the same Skyler I met that first night, yet she’s entirely different. The girl back then was hiding something, she was ashamed to be the girl I knew she was. Tonight, she’s exactly who she was meant to be, and she’s wearing that same confident smile that has killed me and brought me to life at the same time ever since the very first time I saw it.
“Wanna bet?”
THE END
SEVEN MONTHS LATER
“You’ve got this,” Kip says, his smile mimicking the nervous expression on my face. Even through video chat on my tiny phone, his smile seems bigger than life. “You’re going to be elected president, you’re going to go out and party tonight, and then you’re going to fly out to see me in just three short days.”
“How are you so sure?”
He shrugs, which somehow makes me even more attracted to him. “Because I know you. And I know those girls would be stupid not to make you their president.”
The doors to the chapter room swing open and Jess peeks her head out. “We’re ready for you.” She’s smiling, but it’s not a confident, radiant smile, which scares the shit out of me. She excuses herself to the other rooms down the hall to tell the other candidates it’s time for us to go in and I stand, panic setting in.
“Breathe, Ella Mae,” Kip says and I stick my tongue out. He chuckles. “Just go win this thing and then we can count down the days until you’re in California. With me. Where you belong.”
Now it’s my turn to smile, because I truly am beyond excited to see him. We spent all summer together after the tournament, staying at his parents’ house in Kansas during his father’s last few weeks. It was a little strange meeting Oliver Jackson at first, knowing what he had asked Kip to do to me, but once we got to know each other it solidified the choice I made in Vegas for me. I could see how much poker meant to him when we would play on the make-shift table near his bed. Those lazy days spent chatting and playing poker with Kip and his dad are some that will stay with me forever.
When Oliver passed, the summer took a solemn dive, and Kip and I both fell into the dark together. But we had each other, and that’s all we needed to make it through. After the funeral, Kip and I stuck around to be with his mom. I got really close with her during that time and now we talk daily, which I know is good for her now that her husband is gone. Truth be told, it’s good for me, too. Kip is a lot like his mom, and she has helped me through more than she realizes in this past semester – including getting the courage to run for president of KKB with everything that’s happened.
The summer was tough as hell, but we were together all the time. I can’t remember us even going twenty-four hours without seeing each other. But when he started at UCLA in the fall and I came back to Palm South, we both knew it would be hard. We’ve only seen each other once since then, during Thanksgiving break, and being this far apart is physically straining for both of us. I even tried talking him into letting me transfer there, but he knows this is where I want to be – where I belong. I’m needed here, which is an amazing feeling.
But I need him here, too.
This past semester has been the most difficult. I declared my major in entrepreneurship and started working for the casino cruise, honing my dealing skills and saving every penny to get my business started after graduation. I’ve never been so excited about school, but finally knowing the direction I’m going gives me something to look forward to. It took a while for the poker world to stop talking about me, and every now and then I still come up in conversation – will I ever get back into the game? Did losing the tournament crush my spirits forever? But the truth is I still love playing, just not as much as I love the thought of owning my own business and helping others have a good time in a casino atmosphere. I survived the pressure of playing and I met my goal. I made enough to pay for college and set my family on their feet. That’s all I ever wanted. So now, I reserve my skills for poker nights with Clinton and his brothers.
And of course, I take their money every time.
It’s been a rough six months, adjusting to not playing anymore and figuring out how to turn that focus to school, instead. Staring at the blue-eyed boy on my screen, I know I couldn’t have done any of it without him. Even if we did cause quite the storm of rumors when it came out that we were an item. Everyone put the puzzle pieces together, discovering that he was the same boy from the photograph snapped at the bonfire last semester. Needless to say, we were the juiciest story the poker world had for quite some time. But eventually it died down, and now most reporters and bloggers give me peace. Most being the key word.
I blow a kiss through the screen and Kip catches it, kissing his knuckles before throwing the kiss up to the sky. It’s something we’ve been doing ever since his dad passed, making sure to take the time to remember him every single day. Kip gives me a wink before ending the call and I shove my phone in my Vera Bradley bag before heading to the chapter room.
All my sisters remain seated, clapping and smiling politely as the other candidates and I walk up to the front of the room. Once we’re all situated, Erin quiets the room and the doors are shut again.
I can’t believe her term is over. It seems like just yesterday she was in my place. I watched from the front row as she took her position and I knew our chapter was going to change for the better. And I was right. Erin has upped our average GPA, making us the top score of all the other sororities. We also had the best rush this fall that we’ve ever had in the entire time our chapter has been established at Palm South. She’s renovated portions of our house, upped our standards for officers, and most importantly – she’s earned the trust of everyone in our organization. If I win tonight, I can only hope I’m half the president she was.
We’re still working on our relationship, but along with our chapter, my Big has changed, too. She’s matured, she’s figured out what’s important to her, and she’s stopped using others to make her goals happen. She’s dating a grad student now and I think he really grounds her, though their relationship has been a roller coaster all its own. I know what she did last year was messed up, but then again I know I made mistakes, too. I guess in the end, we all do. But Erin is worth forgiving. She’s worth loving.
Jess and Ashlei are both sitting in the front row, having just conceded their positions to new girls, too. Ashlei is tearing up but trying to hide it and Jess looks ready to party. The three of them all graduate tonight after having stayed an extra semester to finish out their position terms. Knowing they won’t be here next semester guts me, but for now, they’re all staying local. And I thank my lucky stars for that.
“You got this, Big!” Cassie yells out and a few girls giggle. I give her a wink and she smiles, her new short red hair shining in the fluorescent light. She chopped off her long locks over the summer, trading in the “old” her. And damn, did she ever shed her skin. Adam has broken her out of her shell entirely. She goes out now – a lot. But, she’s still on top of her studies. She’s just learned to let loose and have more fun, and I know with her by my side, we’re going to have an amazing spring semester – regardless of what happens tonight.
“I’ve already given my sappy thank you speech,” Big says, wiping at a tear forming in the corner of her left eye. “But I just have to say one more time that I am truly honored for the privilege you all bestowed upon me this time last year. I hope I made you proud, and I want you to know that I will never forget you – any of you – or this amazing sorority.”
Everyone chants out various Kappa Kappa Beta cheers, holding up our hand signs. Erin smiles, quieting us once more.