"Celeste. Celeste!" Julie gently bumped our shoulders together to break me out of my trance. It was dinner time and I sat with a group of young women that I had befriended in the kitchens. Throughout our meal my eyes were drawn to Colin. He was surrounded by Vicki and Dylan and others I was not acquainted with. They seemed to be engaged in a heated discussion. "Huh?" "I told you she wasn't listening." Missy, who sat across from me stated as she bite into her roll. "Uh, I'm sorry, what were you saying?" Julie sighed, "I was telling you about tonight. It's Friday night and a bunch of us always blow off steam in the game room. You know mingling, a few drinks, and some dancing." "Please, Julie! You mean flirting!" Alex explained making Julie giggle. I trusted Natalie the most and turn to her on my right, "Nat?" "Yea, flirting. But we do that other stuff as well." "Well count me in! What time?" Missy piped in, "Eleven." "Dress code?" "Casual, nothing slutty." Julie informed. "Pssst, speaking of slutty." Natalie slightly angled her head at the table that had gotten my attention earlier. We watched as a blonde with a skirt that barely covered her ass and a cami top that couldn't contain her double d size breasts, swayed up to Colin's table. She smiled and placed her slutty hands on his shoulders as he remained seated. He whispered something in her ear that immediately wiped that smile off of her face. She took a quick step back and he said a few words aloud for the others at his table to hear. There were a few words passed around the table amongst them aimed at Ms. Slut. Her face turned a shade red and she dropped her head in shame and turn quickly left the dining hall. "Another one bites the dust." Alex snickered. The others hummed and resumed their eating. My eyes stayed trained on Colin. "What do you mean?" "What Alex means is that Colin has a policy, 'no sluts allowed!'" My eyes left Colin and landed on Julie. "Really, I thought guys like having women like that around. Especially someone like Colin. I mean he is one fine ass specimen and I know the women here are throwing themselves at him." "Hell no that ain't happening." Julie corrected. "What?" Our discussion had taken on a more hushed tone as we leaned together trying to keep our conversation private. "Colin has not messed with any women here." "Not one?" I thought about the nude incident in his hospital room. No it couldn't be possible. Could it? "Never." I dreaded to ask the question, "Is he gay?" "Shhhhhh! Not so loud." "He is way over there, its not like he can hear us!" But I peered over Missy's head and my eyes meet green ones. I quickly averted my eyes back to the girls. Could he hear us? No way. I couldn't dwell on that, I had a more pressing issue in front of me. "Is he?" "No, he's not." "How can you be sure Natalie? You all just said that he hasn't been with a woman here at all. How long?" "Ummm, he's been our al-leader for about six years now." "Six years and no woman! Come on guys he is batting for the other team. A guy like Colin can't stay celibate!" Damn. How could I let myself get hot and heavy over a gay guy. Living in New York, there were plenty and I had perfected my gay-dar especially when the guys were extremely hot. Shit, I definitely needed to stay far away from him. "I'm telling you he's not gay, its just after our previous leader he tried to clean up our image. You know not be involved in all the free love. Learn to respect one another." Missy's strong words showed how protective of Colin's reputation she was. "What happen to him, your previous leader?" "He was sloppy and got killed. He almost destroy this family with his reckless behavior!" Alex spat. I could see no love lost for their old leader. "Colin came and really turned us around! We owe him everything!" Julie stated dreamily. "Are you into him, Julie?" "No way! He is way out of my league! I have my eye on someone more attainable.' Her eyes roamed the room and stopping at a group of guys sitting three tables over. I guess being an outsider I was not under 'Colin the Savior' influence, but the knowledge that he was gay stripped me of my appetite. We had all agreed to go to Missy's room after dinner to get ready. It had been a long time since I indulge in a girls night out. It made me missed the times I had with my friends back in New York. But after the death of my parents, I had severed all ties to them. A part of me felt guilty indulging in bonding time I was having with my new friends here. There was something about this place that started to chase some of the darkness away from my heart. I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or even if I deserved it. I ignored it, with the thought that this would only last until my car is finished, then I would leave this place and resume my exile from society.