Chapter 1
“This is just what we have always dreamed of!” Laurie shrieked as we were unpacking our bags. We had just gotten into the Kappa Delta sorority and shown to our room. We had been accepted to come to the house and spend the weekend to see if we wanted to become Kappa Delta sisters. Of course, that meant that we were going to go through initiation and hazing of some sort, but they made it sound so calm and easy to anyone who asked.
Since we had met in 3rd grade, all Laurie had dreamed of was becoming a Kappa Delta like her mom and her grandma. I didn’t feel the same way. We were from two different worlds. Laurie never worked a day in her life, getting everything she wanted. My parents worked every day to get me through until I was old enough to pull my own weight. After that, I was basically on my own. Any time I wasn’t working at the local bar and grill, I was at school or at Laurie’s studying. She would go out on the weekends and I would work on the weekends. She would of course come in with her dates or other friends to see me and tell me all about what she was doing. People wondered why we were friends. I believed it was because I grounded her and she allowed me to dream and be better than what I thought I could be.
So for that, I worked hard and got into the same college as her. Scholarships to help out and a few loans. I could get a great education here, better than the local junior college. I still didn’t care about the sorority part of it but if that was her dream, I would be right there for her, along for the ride.
The room had 4 beds. As I was putting my suitcase under the bed, the squealing started. I looked up and Laurie was jumping and hugging the other two girls. This was something I was going to have to get used to. I got up and walked over. Laurie had remembered the girls from earlier in the evening at the pre-ceremony. Angela and Amanda were best friends from California. They had the perfect sun-kissed skin and blonde hair you see in the magazines. Laurie may have blonde hair, but she looked very pale next to them, even with her tan from summer vacation. Of course, I was even worse. I totally did not mix in with this group. I had long dark brown hair and was almost as white as a sheet. I had worked hard all summer to save money so that I wouldn’t have to work during school if I could help it. During the day, I would either be working the lunch shift or I would be sleeping in to be ready for my next shift.
I went back to the bed to look at my phone as the girls caught up on all the happenings since they had last seen each other. They had been scoping out the house and were excited about how there was an indoor pool room in the back, perfect to get their tan on.
Since it was almost 10 pm, they decided instead of going out and getting in trouble, they would go to bed for the day. There were rumors that the hazing could start as soon as tonight, so they didn't want to get kicked out on the first day. It sounded like a wonderful to me! Not having to be anywhere and sleeping were two of my favorite things.
The girls were dressed in their pretty white and pink pajamas. I had a few, but nothing like that. I decided to sleep more comfortably in my black tank and black shorts. As they were just so sure that the initiation was going to happen in the middle of the night, they all went to bed dolled up with so much makeup, it was a wonder they didn't rub it all off on their pillows.
Laurie handed me everyone’s bid passes from earlier. “Here, if they come in and we all scramble to do a quick touch-up, you can hand Brittany these.”
Brittany. She was the sorority’s leader and a bombshell at that. She had long blonde hair and a perfect, creamy complexion. She seemed to love talking to Laurie, but would completely ignore me. It seemed like she knew she had to give me a bid pass. I’m sure Laurie told her all about “our” dreams to become Kappa Delta sisters. I was hoping Laurie would have pledged without me, but she has this pout that makes her irresistible to people, and unfortunately, that included me.
I put the bid passes on my nightstand and got into bed. I checked my phone one more time. I was hopeful one of my parents would have messaged me to see if I made it safely or to congratulate me. That was a wish that I knew wouldn’t come true. I typed a quick text to say I made it, plugged it into the charger, and went to sleep.
