The Forbidden Freshman: A College Sports Romance (Nolan U Hockey Book 1)

“Yeah, I’m not doing that.” I cross my arms, wishing for height. Even just a couple inches would be nice so I don’t actually have to look up at Miss Sigma Beta Mu President with her icy blue gaze and relentless smirk.

Seriously, how does she not get muscle cramps in her face?

I bet she was born with this contemptuous look. Just popped right out of her mother’s V-jay screaming indignantly, then throwing a haughty glare at the medical staff. ‘Feed and clothe me immediately!’

“You have to.” Aimee smooths a long lock of shiny blonde hair over her shoulder and crosses her arms right back at me. “If you want a permanent place in this house, then you must finish the final initiation task.”

“But it’s stupid.” I flick my arms up while Fiona gasps like I’ve just hexed the house.

“It’s okay, Fee.” Aimee raises her hands, her icy gaze darkening around the edges as that irritating smirk grows a little higher on her cheek. “Are you saying you want out?”

I clench my jaw, wishing it were that easy. Wishing I could flip all these preppy, superior girls the bird and flounce out of this sorority house like it means nothing to me. But I don’t have that luxury, now do I?

Thanks to stupid fire damage in Buckley Hall, and Nolan U’s sudden housing crisis, Greek Row was forced to step up and house the homeless, which means I’m in this uppity sorority house way earlier than I expected. And if I don’t play my cards right and find a permanent place here, I’m kinda screwed.

Throwing a glance across the room, I cast my eye at the two other twitchy freshmen who I endured rush week with. “Louisa and Trinity don’t have to do it.”

“Well, you’re special.” Aimee’s saccharine voice is sweet enough to put me in a coma.

I force air through my nose and remind myself not to lose it.

Remember what’s at stake here. Suck. It. Up!

Gritting my teeth, I attempt a smile. “I thought being a legacy meant I get automatic entry.”

The senior girls share this comical look before laughter bubbles out of them. I can practically here them thinking, “Poor, naive Mikayla. She’s so clueless.”

I guess I kind of am. Sorority life is so not my jam.

My little sister, Megan, would be in her element, swanning in and out of this house like it was made for her. She would have breezed through this entire process and no doubt been welcomed into the fold, the pretty poppet that she is.

But not me.

I don’t fit.

But I have to fit—dammit!

Aimee reaches out her manicured hand, lightly tugging on the end of my messy ponytail. “Being a legacy means you have the right to rush. You only just scraped through, and now we want to see some real commitment. If you want to be invited to the initiation ceremony at the beginning of next month, then you need to complete this task. You need to show us that you really want to be a Sig Be sister.”

I resist the urge to roll my eyes and tell them that I actually don’t give two shits about being a Sig Be sister, but I can’t say that. I need to be one whether I’m interested or not.

Fiona tips her head, her bottom lip popping out in a mock pout. “If you can’t complete this final task, then I think it’s clear you’re really not Sigma Beta Mu material.”

“Not a good fit.” Claudia wrinkles her nose and hisses while Aimee’s blue gaze drills into mine.

“And we really want you to be a good fit.”

Hey, sarcasm, how you doin’?

I keep the thought to myself and try to force a smile, but I just can’t do it! This is insane, stupid, dumb.

Everything about sorority life is!

Shut up, Mick. You know why you have to do this. Seriously, get over yourself and do this for the good of your future. Do it for Mom.

My expression bunches as my mouth revolts and gives it one more shot. “Seriously, though. You can’t think of any other initiation to give me? How ’bout scrubbing frat house toilets with a toothbrush? Or walking through campus in a string bikini?”

“Oh please, freshman, that’s child’s play.” Aimee rolls her eyes like I’m the world’s biggest waste of space. “You know what? You shouldn’t even be here. This is a favor to your mother, because I really respect her.”

Yeah, right.

“I don’t want to let her down, so we’ve been very lenient with you. Most pledges wouldn’t have been given so many chances. Do you have any idea how prestigious this sorority is? How many people would do anything to be in your shoes right now?”

“Yeah.” Claudia nods. “We have to protect our family, which is why this selection process is so intense.”

“You know, if you don’t want to be here, you can just—” Fiona tinkles her fingers, indicating the door, and I actually turn around and look at it. The white wood somehow calls to me, begging me to see sense and run like the frickin’ wind.

But then I hear my mother’s conditions for attending Nolan U. I see the weepy look in her eyes as she begs me to make her proud, and I’m forced to turn back around and sigh. “Okay, I get it. You’re important.” Three blistering glares are fired at me, so I try to soften my tone. “Can you go over the details again for me, please?”

Aimee threads her fingers together, her eyes taking on a glint of malicious elation as she repeats my heinous initiation task. “You must make Ethan Galloway fall in love with you, then publicly break his heart. Easy.”

I scoff. “Yeah, sure. Who is this guy?”

The two freshmen gasp and bulge their eyes at me. “You don’t know who Ethan Galloway is?”

“Have you been living in a cave?”

“I’ve been busy studying and getting an education,” I retort.

Aimee tsks. “We’ve all been doing that, but we still know who Nolan U’s biggest player is.”

I frown. “So, why would he fall for me?”

There’s a gleam in Aimee’s eye. “It’s not hard to get his attention. Even you should be able to pull that off.”

“You have to at least try to make him like you.” Teah gives me a sweet smile, then checks with the other girls. “Right? I mean, she’ll be showing her commitment. You can’t make someone fall in love with you.”

Fiona’s right eyebrow arches, and then she douses me with a haughty look that could rival President Aimee’s. “If she fails, she fails.”

“Come on, sisters. Be fair.” Teah turns to her leader.

After a tut and an exaggerated eye roll, Aimee relents with a bored sigh. “If she can woo him enough to then publicly humiliate him, she’s in.”

Teah grins while my face bunches into a frown. “That’s so horrible. Why would I do that to someone?”

“Because he’s an asshole manwhore who’s left a trail of broken hearts all over campus. Believe me, he deserves it.”

Now my eyebrows are rising. Aimee’s sharp, snappy tone makes me wonder if this diva got rejected by the big man on campus and she’s out for major payback. I can practically see the claws popping out of her fingers.

So, why the hell did she choose me for this task?

I’m not some strutting princess who catches the eye and makes men drool.

Ugh, the thought of wooing some player just to stay in this stupid sorority is a new form of torture.

I seriously don’t think I can do it, and my head is shaking before I can stop myself. “This is really dumb.”

“Fine.” Aimee points over my shoulder. “There’s the door.”

I close my eyes with a tired sigh. “But⁠—”

“There’s! The door!” Aimee’s voice pitches, her gaze flashing. That smirk of hers has been replaced with an implacable scowl.

Grrr! I can’t believe I have to associate with this uptight bitch.

You don’t. Just walk out the door.

Fine! I will!

Balling my hands into two fists, I push my way through the line of Barbie dolls and storm into the room I’ve been sleeping in. It’s more of a closet than anything. Think Harry Potter’s stair cupboard but with the added torment of potpourri and pink wallpaper.

Snatching my duffel bag from under the bed, I start shoving my clothes into it. My brain is frantically trying to get my attention—be logical about this, Mikayla!—but I’m too pissed to do anything but snatch and shove.

This whole situation is ridiculous. They can’t make me do this!

Surely Mom can understand how senseless this all is. Surely she’ll cut me some slack and give me an out.

Hauling the bag onto my shoulder, I storm past the horrified-looking freshmen, their glossy lips popping open with surprise.

“See you later, loser,” Fiona mutters as I brush past her.

Claudia titters behind her hand, and Aimee’s smirk has just been upgraded to punchable.

But I resist the urge. I don’t even give her the finger as I swing the door open and stomp down the stairs.

Screw this stupid sorority.

Screw Aimee fucking Walters.

And screw that insane initiation. I don’t need this shit.

As I walk into the darkness, that voice of reason tries to reach me again, and all I can think as I march away from the house is Yes you do. Yes, you do.