Her hazel eyes are traveling up and down Erin’s figure in an openly appraising way and the cruel twist of her lips doesn’t hide the fact that she doesn’t find what she sees even remotely satisfactory.
Erin’s cheeks are literally on fire as she nods to her president before following Rachelle to the drinks table.
I awkwardly stand there, waiting for the drinks and debating if I should call Valeria out on the way she just spoke to Erin. I already noticed the digs she constantly makes about her treasurer’s weight earlier on and I really don’t like it.
I know I’m not even a pledge here yet and that getting on the president’s bad side might definitely hurt my chances to get in, but I was a little on the chubby side as a pre-teen and I remember how other people’s comments about my weight used to hurt.
I take a deep breath. If speaking up will make Valeria decide that I’m not Zeta material, Mom will have to live with the disappointment of me not following in her legacy. I can’t stand by and let this go, not if I want to call these girls sisters one day.
“Here’s your drink.” I take the glass from Erin with a smile and try to keep my tone as devoid of confrontation as possible when I utter my next words. “Thank you. And for what it’s worth, I’ve seen my mom’s photos and you embody the Zeta standard of beauty quite perfectly. Skinny margaritas or not.”
I don’t know what I was expecting to happen but if I thought that Erin would appreciate my support, I guess I was sorely wrong. She doesn’t say anything, looking nervously between me and Valeria.
“Yeah, you’re right. Our Erin here embodied the Zeta standard of twenty-five years ago, when being fat was acceptable. But if you had access to more recent Zeta history, you’d find that things have changed in the last two decades. You might think that I’m being a bitch but I just want what’s best for my sisters and I know how important it is to Erin to fit in the sorority and benefit from the great advantage that being a Zeta can give you in life. If I seem harsh it’s because I care. Isn’t it darling?”
Valeria’s hazel eyes shine with a hard light as she looks at Erin as if challenging her to step out of line and see what consequences may befall her.
When Erin nods in agreement, thanking Valeria for offering her help and counsel, the Zeta president’s smile widens and her triumphant gaze lands on me. “I hope you pass tonight’s tests, Kaya. I’m sure it’ll be really fun to make a Zeta out of you.”
Her tone is sickly sweet and she’s smiling at me, with her head slightly tilted to one side. To anyone who heard her words or looked our way, our exchange would look perfectly friendly but I can’t help the growing feeling of uneasiness that spreads from my chest up to my face. I flush like a child who’s just been caught playing with her mother’s makeup.
I take advantage of the arrival of other people who want Valeria’s attention to step aside and take a sip of my drink, thinking that she made me look like an asshole and that maybe I should have minded my own fucking business.
After all, Erin is an adult and she should be more than capable of defending herself.
Parker immediately picks up on my discomfort and wraps a soothing arm around my shoulders.
“Are you all right, K?”
I nod and look up into his bright silver eyes. “Yeah. I just wonder what Valeria’s deal is. Is it me or was the way she spoke to Erin completely unacceptable?”
Parker nods, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear and letting his fingers linger to tease that sensitive spot.
“It was unpleasant, you’re right. I guess Valeria plans to follow in her predecessor’s footsteps. The previous Zeta president graduated last year and she was known and feared all over campus and the Greek council. She ruled the sorority with an iron fist imposing all sorts of rules and standards. Like which colors to wear on which day of the week, how many dates before a Zeta was allowed to sleep with someone ...”
“You seem to know a lot about those rules,” I say looking at Parker through narrowed eyes and causing Bryce to chuckle as he takes pity on his best friend and comes to his rescue.
“Yeah well, remember our rebound on spring break that we told you about after we got dumped? We quickly realized that the Zetas weren’t rebound material.”
Right. Well, I guess that should be good in a way. At least if I get into ΖΘΒ, I shouldn’t be too worried about my future sisters having fucked Parker and Bryce.
I’m about to inquire about where they rebounded aside from the ΙΑΚs but our conversation is interrupted by Valeria’s voice.
The Zeta president is standing on a stool and is tapping the edge of her glass with a teaspoon to get everyone’s attention.
“Zetas and Gammas, welcome to our first event for this year’s rush week. Tonight we’ll select the pledges for our prestigious chapters. The pledges will be judged on an array of different areas but passing tonight’s challenges will be a fundamental aspect that will influence our choice. The panel of judges who will be responsible for selecting the pledge candidates to be subject to the vote of each house is made up by myself, as the Zeta president, Oliver, as the Gamma president, Rachelle as my deputy, and the Gamma deputy, who I believe hasn’t been announced yet. Oliver?”
My eyes drift to the new Gamma president, the guy who took the position Reid wanted so badly.
Oliver is tall and athletic with strawberry blond hair that falls defiantly on his forehead and magnetic green eyes that seem to make everyone hold their breath, awaiting his next words.
His full lips quirk in an amused smirk as if we’d all have to earn whatever secret he was privy to.
“Good evening Zetas and Gamma brothers,” his low, sexy voice laced with a strong British accent makes all the girls swoon as soon as he speaks. “First of all let me all tell you how excited I am to be attending my senior year at Bridgeport. And let me thank Valeria and the gorgeous Zetas for having me and my brothers here tonight. The reality is that I’m new to this esteemed Atheneum and I’ve just recently met my brothers. This is why I haven’t been able to make up my mind on who’s the best candidate to be my deputy this year. This might be a little unusual but I’ve decided to use rush week to observe my two top candidates: Hoyt Bradley and Reid Hudson. So I think they should both have a spot on the judging panel.”
Reid steps near his president followed by a tall, stocky guy with a buzz cut and dark beady eyes that arrogantly scan the room.
Reid
KAYA DOES PRETTY WELL on the first challenge: a jeopardy style game where the candidate pledges are asked questions about the history of our respective chapters at Bridgeport U.
I know Karen gave Kaya a lot of material to study, knowing that a knowledge quiz would certainly be a part of the selection process.
The second game is a lot more what I’d expect at a sorority house: each girl gets paired with a Gamma pledge and each player is given a pair of sky-high platform heels. Like a porn star kind of shoe and a solo cup full of margarita that gets poured from heavy looking glass pitchers.
There’s one pitcher per team and the game consists of the team members standing at opposite sides of the room in their heels (yes the guys are wearing them too), the pitcher gets balanced on the first person’s head. Each aspiring pledge has to walk to their team member in their heels, while drinking the margarita with the glass pitcher balanced on their head. The game is over when the pitcher is empty or it falls, determining that team’s elimination. Obviously, the more margarita one drinks, the lighter the pitcher but the drunker one gets, the harder it is to keep your balance.