The Scammer(4)

“Whose party is this?” I ask, as we climb out of Vanessa’s brand-new green Jeep Wrangler.

“Some guy I met in the Rec yesterday invited me.” Vanessa grins. “He’s a junior.”

“So it’s gonna be a bunch of upperclassmen,” Kammy squeals, practically skipping through the gate, noticing red and white Greek letters above the door.

It’s a frat house.

Inside smells heavy of spilled liquor, perfume, and sweat. The lights are dim, but it’s not dark enough that I can’t see the swell of students flooding the place. It isn’t like those old teen movies, with kids dancing and drinking. More like kids gathered in clumps around the living room, on the stairs, and in the kitchen toward the back. The DJ is set up in the corner near a boarded-up fireplace. Most of the boys are wearing red-and-cream jackets or T-shirts.

We huddle by a wall near the staircase, fixing our hair and makeup in our camera phones, pretending like we’re not. I’ve never been to a party, much less a college party before. Out of my element, I can only dream up a fantasy.

“Okay, girls, be chill,” Loren instructs us. “It’s all about the way you carry yourselves. Like you belong. Fake it until you make it.”

“What are we trying to make?” Kammy whispers, and I let out a giggle, the alcohol finally buzzing through my system.

“We just don’t want to come off like some corny-ass freshmen,” Loren warns, turning to me. “And thank GOD you’re all pretty in person too. Can’t have no fugly girls in my crew.”

“Thanks? I guess,” I say with a chuckle.

“Do you have a man back home?” Vanessa asks, bumping me with her shoulder.

“No. I like to travel light.”

The girls laugh and I love the ringing sound to these practiced answers.

“What about friends?”

“Not really. I like to keep my circle small.” A perfect noncommittal answer.

“That’s exactly what my brother says.” Vanessa laughs. “Along with, ‘keep your friends close and your enemies closer.’”

I point at her with a laugh. “Exactly!”

“What enemies you talking abo—OMG! I love LOVE this song!” Kammy shouts, hand in the air, swinging her hips. Within seconds, a few guys start to notice us.

“Yo! My brother was in the studio when they recorded this,” Vanessa says.

“What? Really?”

“Yeah! Nas and my brother are tight. His manager introduced him. He used to work in the hip-hop industry for a long time. Knows a lot of rappers! Used to tour with them and everything.”

“That’s fire!” Loren exclaims.

Vanessa nods proudly, going on about her brother’s accomplishments. How he helped rappers with their albums, produced songs, met with executives who still call him for advice to this day. I gaze down, realizing my fist has rolled into a ball. I want to be able to talk about my brother that way, with the type of glowing pride that even the sun would be jealous of. He was going to be a doctor. He was going to find a cure for the breast cancer that almost took our mom. He was going to be famous one day. He was, he was, he was . . .

I look up, stunned to see a group of boys forming a semicircle around us. The tallest one has dark brown skin with tight black curly hair and a crooked smile. Unsure of what to do, I clutch my soda with two hands and smile.

“Kareem is from Baltimore, so not far,” Vanessa goes on to explain. I must have missed his introduction.

“Was your dad in your frat? I heard most of y’all are legacy,” Loren asks.

Kareem shakes his head. “Nah, he got locked up a while ago, along with my uncle. Doing dumb shit, you know. I’m the first in my family to do the school thing.”

“That’s cool.”

His friend group is inspecting us with mischievous grins.

“So y’all live at the Rock?” one of them says. “So do we. You should stop by our spot and chill sometime.”

“Um, I got a man. Can’t be just chilling in some boy’s room.” Kammy hits them with a flirtatious smile. She has a man, but she’s loving the attention.

“Ha! You’re definitely a freshman. Bet your man be gone by Thanksgiving. Maybe even Columbus Day.”

“Um, no we don’t celebrate that Colonizing Murderer,” Vanessa snaps.

“No, but we celebrate a three-day weekend!”

Vanessa lets a small smile leak through her outrage and the boys melt, their eyes roaming every inch of her. Standing next to Vanessa, I feel childlike in comparison. She has the body of a grown woman, with hips and curves; of course she would draw attention. Not to mention a smile that lights up her entire face. I wonder how long she’s been this beautiful and how much she’s gotten away with all her life.

“Hey,” Loren says, eyes on the rest of the party. “Who’s the white boy?”

Across the room, I spot him. Tall with broad shoulders, his long blond hair down to his chin, wearing a boyish grin. He’s familiar in many ways, the type of boy I went to high school with. But I wasn’t expecting to see any of them here. I thought I left that part of my life back in Connecticut.

“Oh, that’s White Boy Nick! He’s a Kappa.”

Kammy does a double take. “What?! He goes here?”