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vacant. Her face makes her look like she’s been dead for three days and no one told her to lie down. I put some gloss on her lips and blush on her cheeks. It helps a little. She dresses in jeans and a sweater too. I brush her long red hair for her. As I move the brush down her long hair I speak softly to her. My sister has never looked her age. She can pass for seventeen or eighteen easily, even though she is tiny.
    I finish getting Erin and myself dressed. I grab our jackets off the bed and head out into the living room. Standing by the door waiting are Vito and Antonio. They both have leather jackets on.
    Antonio looks yummy. His wavy dark hair is brushed but it is ruffled like he’s rubbed his hands through it about ten times. A pack of cigarettes sticks out the side pocket. He smiles at me.
    Vito is twice his normal size in his jacket and his normal size is big. It makes him look broader and unapproachable. I push a reluctant Erin in front of me.
    We had to park on the street because of all the hall parking spaces are full. Antonio holds my hand. It is dark out, only the beams of street lights are visible, and the shadows of buildings and bushes surround us.
    The party is much more rowdy than I envisioned. Tons of people are here. There is a riotous essence in the air. Music is blaring and thumping. Every single person inside and out is carrying a plastic cup. Girls are wearing strapless or sleeveless tops and no jackets despite the fall chill.
    A steady stream of people crosses over the threshold to the dorm, coming in and out. It dawns on me that finding Troy will be like finding a needle in a haystack.
    Antonio and Vito are cautious scanning the crowd. I’m watching the flirty glances and nods of approval these college girls are giving my boyfriend, and that makes me want to scratch their eyes out. I should be empowered and hopeful since I will be coming here next year. But I’m not. I am territorial and leery.
    Even Vito gets the stares. My sister is only watching the ground. She’s not meeting anyone’s eyes. She definitely doesn’t want to be here. Maybe this was a mistake.
    Antonio and Vito stand out like chocolate chips in vanilla ice cream. Everyone here is paler and with a myriad of different hair colors—blond, red, light brown. Actually, in the looks department, Erin and I fit right in. Antonio and Vito are the ones who don’t blend in. But they always look like they could have starring roles in the Godfather movies.
    Come to think of it, won’t Antonio be the Godfather someday, the Mob Boss of Palmetto? That’s unsettling. I tighten my grip on Antonio’s hand.
    “Hey, Meg!” I hear. It’s Troy.
    “Hey, Troy,” I say. “How did you find us?” Troy’s wearing comfortably worn jeans and a long sleeve t-shirt. He’s seems in his element, relaxed. The college life agrees with him.
    “I spotted your Italian henchmen first,” Troy smirks.
    A crowd starts chanting and yelling from under one of the spotlights glowing from the building. The group is in a circle and the circle moves with whatever is going on inside it. The yelling gets louder, then part of the circle scatters. Two guys fall over on the grass, grunting and hitting each other. Cheers erupt as the guys bang the crap out of each other.
    Antonio pushes me behind him then tugs on Erin’s arm. She is frozen watching the fight. The onlookers move and shift with the fighters, and they’re getting closer.
    Vito gently moves Erin farther away, and Antonio and I follow. Troy shifts with us to a new location...just far enough away to observe.
    “What’s going on?” I ask Troy.
    “The Gauntlet,” he says matter-of-factly.
    “Huh?” I ask. Not liking the sound of the word Gauntlet .
    “It’s simple, really. Two guys step up to run the challenge. Five girls line up with five beers. Each challenger drinks them as fast as they can. Then they run over to arm wrestle Bubba and Jake over there.” He points to a couple of guys at a folding