Sorority Sisters Page 9

  Stephanie’s thoughts were interrupted by two girls sitting beside her who were chatting nonstop.

  “Can you believe today is finally here?” Malena asked Tammy.

  “Yes, I can. But I miss Phil,” Tammy responded.

  Stephanie drifted. I wish Sidney were here with me; then I wouldn’t have been the first idiot through the door, and I wouldn’t be so nervous.

  “How can you possibly be thinking of Phil at a time like this? Girl, put him on hold. Today could possibly change our lives forever,” Malena said.

  “Yeah, you’re right,” Tammy answered, in an uncertain voice. “People are really starting to pour in.”

  “That’s why I told you we needed to get here early. A front-row seat gives a good impression. It shows promptness and responsibility. I can’t believe that tall girl beside us beat us here. We were supposed to be first. Oh, well . . . they did a great job of making this room look festive, huh?”

  “Yeah, they sure did,” Tammy replied. She didn’t share Malena’s enthusiasm. “You know, Malena, I’m not sure I’m ready for all this . . .”

  “What?” Malena asked, and then calmed herself and her voice down. “You are ready, Tammy. Your grades are in good condition and your letter was good, really good, and I should know because I proofed it personally. Stop talking crazy, girl, you’re making me nervous.”

  Tammy didn’t respond. Malena gave her a worried look and decided that now was not the time to discuss this. They were going to make a good impression, and they were both going to be accepted.

  Cajen stood in line to sign in. There were four girls ahead of her. She kept repeating to herself, One in every five females has herpes. One in every five, Cajen, one in every five . . . She tried to remind herself that she wasn’t the only one in the world with herpes, and was still trying to soothe herself from the shock of the information she got from the doctor. She wouldn’t have come to the rush if it weren’t for Kim calling her to remind her that she needed to bring her letter and transcripts, and that she might want to try to be there at least five minutes early. When Kim picked up on her hesitation, she informed Cajen that she would go to rush if she had to personally drive her.

  One in every five. That means . . . She started counting from the girl at the front of the line. One, two, three, four, five. I guess I’m the one in this group of five. I wonder if anybody can tell. Her paranoia increased.

  Standing behind Cajen was Chancey, and she was a nervous wreck. She looked at Cajen and asked herself, How am I gonna ever be accepted with beautiful women like her to compete with? Then she smiled and remembered how excited Donald had been when she left his apartment. He hugged her, kissed her, and encouraged her to be confident. So she decided right then and there that she would do just that. I have as good a chance as anybody else, she assured herself.

  The line continued to move forward. Cajen asked herself, What am I doing here? Maybe I should just leave.

  “And your name is?” Tracy asked.

  “Huh?” Cajen came to her senses and realized that she was now at the front of the line.

  “Your name. I need it for the badge. Hello?”

  “Oh, I’m sorry. My name is Cajen, Cajen Myers. Here are my transcripts and letter of intent.” Cajen handed her package to Tracy.

  “Thank you. Have a seat and please wear your name tag,” Tracy said, as she handed it and her souvenir to her.

  “Oh, I will. Thank you.” Cajen managed a fake smile and proceeded to find a seat in the back row, hoping to blend into the crowd. But she felt she stuck out like a sore thumb.

  Chancey walked in after Cajen, and took a seat next to her. Because Cajen appeared as nervous as she was, she spoke. “Hi! I’m Chancey, Chancey Wright. Girl, I am so nervous I could scream.”

  “My name is Cajen Myers.” She paused. “And I guess I’m a little nervous too.”

  “It’s funny, but I don’t know most of the girls here. Do you?” Chancey asked.

  Cajen was glad that Chancey began talking to her, because it allowed her to take her mind off her new, permanent problem. “Well, some of the faces are familiar and I’ve passed by a lot of the girls on my way to class, but I can’t say that I know anybody’s name.”

  “What year are you?” Chancey asked.

  “Oh, I’m a freshman,” Cajen replied.

  “I’m a sophomore. But it’s my first year out of high school, so I feel like a freshman most of the time. I would have never guessed you were a freshman—you look older. I assumed sophomore or junior.”

  “Do you know any sorority members?”

  “No. Not by name, anyway.”

  “Well, I know one,” said Cajen. “Her name is Kim. I’ll introduce you to her if she’s here. I’m sure she’ll come. What do you think our chances are, you know, since we really don’t know them?”

  “I don’t know. But I would give anything to be accepted.”

  “So would I,” said Cajen with a smile. She couldn’t believe it. She was actually excited, and glad she’d met Chancey.

  Why did I wait on you, Gina? You can be so slow sometimes. Now look, we’re at the end of the line,” Tiara complained.

  “I’m sorry. Sandra met me at my door when I was coming to meet you in the lobby. I was on my way out and she begged me not to go without her. What was I supposed to do, just leave the girl crying in the middle of the hall? I felt so bad for her that I walked her back to her room and tried to calm her down.”

  “You know, I feel so sorry for her too. I don’t understand why her parents are so strict. She’s one of the nicest girls on this campus, but by the way her parents act you would think that she was failing all of her classes and sleeping with every brother on campus.”

  “Yeah, it’s kind of sad, isn’t it?”

  “I don’t wanna talk about it anymore, but let’s just make sure we go and visit her after rush,” Tiara said, and took a deep breath. “Okay, I got my letter, references, and transcripts all here. Check and make sure you have everything.”

  “All here and accounted for. And Tiara, I don’t want to hear you fussing about anything else, ’cause here come some more girls, and that means we’re no longer last. Thank you.”

  “You’re right. But I hope we get seats, because I would hate to have to stand up through the presentation.”

  “We’ll have seats. They always overplan for things like this.”

  “And just how do you know?”

  “I just do!” She smiled. One eyebrow went up, and she gave a smirk that said, Now-you-know-I’m-lying.

  “Girl, you are too much.”

  Tiara, Gina, and the few girls who were behind them finally signed in and managed to get seats, but Tiara and Gina were not able to sit together.

  Aline of the sorority members marched to the front of the room, singing one of their songs. After everyone stood in front of her designated seat, they ended their song and sat down.

  The president stood up and walked to the podium. “Welcome to the Exclusive Pink Plush Rush. I am the president of this chapter, and I would like to begin by saying our sorority is one with deep roots. We take our vows seriously. If you are chosen, we expect you to do the same.” She paused to make sure she was understood, then continued. “Yes, it’s nice to socialize and wear our letters, but that is only part of the many benefits. Our sorority was founded for purposes with greater meaning. We are a sisterhood bound by our desire to better ourselves, our campus, our community, and our world.” She continued to explain the goals of the sorority.

  Several presenters followed. Someone gave a brief history of the organization. Another gave a list of famous members of their sorority. One presenter told of the accomplishments of the chapter, another of the accomplishments of the sorority on a national level. Other members informed the candidates of additional pertinent information about the sorority. The membership chair, who would also be the dean of pledges, reiterated the qualifications for membership, and stated in detail the kind of character they were
looking for to carry on the tradition of their sorority. Included on her list was intelligence, a sincere desire to better the community, flexibility, a well-rounded personality, and confidence. The entire presentation was thorough and informative. Afterward they played a couple of games, and prizes were given away. Stephanie won a prize for being the first person present at the rush.

  Next, the president returned to the podium and announced the conclusion of the formal part of the presentation, and asked that everyone stay, have refreshments, socialize, and look at the display of paraphernalia that some of the members had set up for their viewing enjoyment.

  Cajen and Chancey walked over to the hors d’oeuvres table and got pieces of cake and some punch. On their way back to their seats, they were stopped by Kim. “Hi, Cajen. I’m glad you could make it.”

  “Yeah, me too! The presentation was really enjoyable. By the way, this is my friend Chancey.”

  “Hi, Chancey. I’m Kim.”

  “Glad to meet you.”

  “I think I know you. Aren’t you Donald’s girlfriend?”

  “Yes, I am,” Chancey responded, with an uncertain look. She wondered if that would be a strike against her.

  “Donald is cool! We have a class together this semester, and he’s always talking about how much he’s in love with his girlfriend, Chancey. And here you are. You’ve got a good man.”

  “Thank you. So, Donald’s always talking about me?” Chancey smiled. She was shocked, and didn’t want to overdo it.

  “He sure is,” Kim said, and noticed someone she wanted them to meet. “Oh good, they’re together. Follow me. I want you two to meet the president of our chapter and the dean of pledges. From that point, you are on your own. And make sure you mingle, mingle, mingle.”

  They met and chatted with the president and dean for a while. The dialogue was dry and formal. Kim, who was never at a loss for words, carried the conversation during most of their encounters. They were glad to have her with them, because although she kept saying that they were on their own, she introduced them to virtually everyone in the sorority. Both Chancey and Cajen were grateful.

  Stephanie, on the other hand, knew most of the members, because she had attended several of the sorority’s functions and fund-raisers throughout her years in college. She had forgotten how cool they were. Unlike a lot of the girls who were struggling to get to know them, Stephanie had no problem because several members approached her first. She was approached with comments like “It’s about time you finally wrote” and “I was wondering if you were interested.” She was pleased with the way they responded to her being there. Maybe they won’t find out about my real mother. Maybe they won’t care, she hoped.

  One would have thought Tiara and Malena were trying to win a popularity contest. If there was such an award, they would have tied for a first place ribbon for “Ms. Socialite of the Evening.” Neither Tammy nor Gina could keep up with them. Tammy left early, and Gina found herself talking to other candidates.

  Malena knew a few of the members and chatted with them. She was introduced to others, but she took it upon herself to meet every other sorority member in the room.

  Tiara, on the other hand, didn’t know many of them, and personal introductions were tough, but she hung in there. Some were friendly, and others didn’t seem interested. But she weathered the storm and did the best she could to be friendly and confident. Although she didn’t meet every member in the room, she met all of the officers and people with influence—the big mouths, as well as some of the ones who seemed to be well-liked on campus.

  The evening was long and stressful for the candidates, and everyone left that night wondering what would happen next.

  TWELVE

  It started at midnight. First Cajen received a telephone call, then Stephanie, Malena, Tiara, Chancey, Tammy, and two other girls. The person on the other end of the telephone was the dean of pledges, who had spoken at rush about the kind of ladies they wanted to bring into their sorority. With each call, she calmly congratulated each person for being accepted as a potential pledge, then rambled off an address and ordered each of them to be there in ten minutes—no later—and she warned them not to wear any articles of clothing of which they were fond. They were also strictly informed not to tell anyone where they were going—including their boyfriends, roommates, friends, and parents.

  Both Tammy and Malena quickly dressed. Although they were going to the same place, they took separate cars to make sure they didn’t break any of the instructions they were just given. Because Tiara didn’t have a car, she was instructed to discreetly wait in front of her dorm for someone to pick her up. Stephanie, Chancey, and Cajen all drove their own cars. The address they were given was an apartment complex located fifteen minutes away from campus. Several seniors and graduate students lived there.

  Each new pledge was frightened because no one knew what to expect, and because they knew there was no way to make it to that address in less than ten minutes. Yet they were excited because they were one step closer to becoming members of their chosen sorority.

  As they got to the door, one by one they were escorted by Tracy, the girl who had signed them in at rush, through a room and past a group of the same sorority members from rush, into a dark room. Once all eight girls were inside the room, someone walked in. She closed the door behind her, turned the light on, and introduced herself. It was the dean of pledges.

  “I’m your big sister Nina and am to be addressed as Dean Big Sister Nina. The first thing I want to make clear to you tonight is that whatever happens to you from this point until you cross the burning sands, and whatever you learn about this sorority’s precious history and its members, will remain a secret you should keep close to your hearts for the rest of your lives. In other words, we like to keep the things surrounding our sorority a mystery to outsiders, and therefore would prefer that nobody knows anything about the way we govern our sessions and ceremonies. Am I understood?”

  “Yes, Dean Big Sister Nina,” most of the pledges answered.

  Nina raised her right eyebrow in disapproval, but she didn’t say anything about some of the pledges’ failure to respond. She continued, “Everybody in this room is now considered a pledge, and you are all now line sisters.”

  The new pledges nodded their heads in agreement, and looked around at one another. All were beautiful, intelligent sisters. They differed in height, shape, and skin color, yet they shared the common goal of crossing over into the Greek world. Stephanie was still in full makeup but wearing jeans and a sweatshirt bearing the school’s logo. Malena had on a gray sweat suit and old tennis shoes. She and Chancey had removed their makeup and contacts, and both were wearing glasses. Chancey’s hair was pulled back in a long ponytail, and luckily she was wearing a baggy shirt and jeans, because she was on such a high to leave the apartment after her call that she failed to put on a bra. Tiara was wearing slacks and a blouse. She and Gina had been hanging out with Sandra all evening to cheer her up. The phone had rung as soon as she walked into her room. Tammy was wearing Philip’s army T-shirt and jeans. The other girls were also dressed down in sweats. One had on a blue top and bottom, and the other a plain bright-white warm-up.

  Nina had a long talk with the eight anxious girls who didn’t know what was about to happen to them. After she explained what was going to take place that night, and over the next several weeks, she lined them up by height, gave them each a number from one to eight, and said, “Don’t get used to your number just yet, because if as many people drop as we suspect, it’s bound to change in the next few days. It will probably change before the night is over. Good luck! Also, the ladies outside of this door are no longer just regular people. They are now your big sisters. Treat them with the utmost respect and always address them as ‘Big Sister’ and follow their instructions to the letter T. Do I make myself clear?” she demanded.

  “Yes, Dean Big Sister Nina,” the line sisters answered in unison.

  “Okay. Now it’s time to meet
your big sisters,” the dean said.

  The girls, lined up by height, faced the door leading to a long-anticipated private world. They were no longer individuals, but pledges who were about to experience the unknown. They didn’t know what occurrences would unfold during the course of the night, not to mention during the course of the pledge period. The mystery and suspense brought with it the same kind of anxiety they used to get when they knew their parents were going to punish them.

  Dean Big Sister Nina opened the door and directed them into the room filled with their new big sisters, who appeared determined to pick the new pledges’ brains and their wills to see if they possessed what it took to become their sorors.

  At about three-forty-five a.m., the spring line completed its first pledge session and was asked to return to the room they were in at the beginning of the evening. Nothing short of military boot camp could have prepared them for what they experienced that night. The big sisters ordered them around, yelled in their faces, and expected them to know everyone’s names and entire life histories. They were learning sorority history, both old and current, and were expected to regurgitate it on the spot. There was no way they could know any of the information that was expected of them.