“Good.” Her smile is so big and fake I’m surprised her face doesn’t split in two. “So, I don’t believe I know your major.”
Unlike Lara, Peyton runs me through the standard questions. And why not? She’s already made her decision: I’m in, because I’m going out with Zander, Liv’s out, because she’s sleeping with Braden. Our status is totally dependent on men. In a sisterhood!
The other two KPTs I talk to are innocuous. Pretty, polished, well-mannered. If I joined KPT and lived in the house, would they balk when I had Avery over? The thought has me fighting a smile all the way to the next sorority house.
The evening ends with my group’s visit to GKA, the top sorority on my list. After the quick-fire chats, I find I still like them, particularly their emphasis on scholarship. And none of them dress like Duchess Kate.
After Jeanine gathers us like a mother hen and explains tomorrow’s agenda, I race back to Newberry, hoping to beat Liv home. I want to be there for her, prepped and ready for whatever state she might be in. But she’s already in our room when I return, her cheeks pink from the cold and a broad smile on her lips.
“All the girls were sooo nice. Even Peyton. And DAE seemed really interested in me too, and…” she goes on and on as I shake the blood back into my icy fingers and toes.
I smile at her good news, but I’m still convinced Peyton and KPT are up to something. Rush is the perfect arena for Peyton to exact her revenge.
I change into my jammies and join Liv on her bed so we can rank the sororities in order of interest. Afterwards, we’ll email our lists to our Rho Gammas and keep our fingers crossed that our favorites have chosen us too.
Eagerly, Liv starts, “I think I’m gonna put?—”
“No, wait. Let’s each do our own lists, then compare. That way we won’t influence each other.”
Silently, we work on our rankings. I know who I’d like to put last,but for Liv’s sake, I don’t. I’m still on my undercover assignment. Mission not yet complete.
Liv shows me her finished list first. KPT is number one, of course, and her other top spots are taken by the sororities the frat boys like best. The ones with the girls who can drink you under the table while still looking hot in their skinny jeans.
Nervously, I hand Liv my choices. I don’t have to wait long for her to gasp.
“DRB? Have you lost your mind?”
“I really liked them. They talked about interesting things, and they do all kinds of service.”
“Service? Who cares? That’s only, like, two percent of being in a sorority.”
“Well, it’s a lot more than that for DRB.”
“Betts—” Liv’s voice drops an octave, like she’s trying to be patient with my stupidity. “You can’t join DRB. Zander would die.”
“Zander doesn’t care which sorority I join.”
“Yeah, so long as it’s not DRB. Come on Betts, really? They’re the lamest sorority at Brownhill. It’s social suicide.”
I can barely contain my irritation. “Because they care about the world outside of Fraternity Row?”
“No. Because they don’t even shave their legs!”
Needless to say, Liv has DRB at the bottom of her list.
I take a deep breath and assure her, “I have GKA next and then KPT.” Never mind that KPT’s there under false pretenses.
Mollified, Liv smiles. “Oh good, then you haven’t completely gone off the deep end.”
You want to see deep end? What if I just bagged the whole Rush and spent the evenings at Avery’s instead? The thought is way too appealing and if I brood on it too long, I just might cave in and do it. Then I’d have Liv, and Zander, and worst of all, Mom, to answer to. As it is, none of them will be pleased with my top choice.
While I lie in bed, struggling to get to sleep, I consider changingmy list. To Mom, a sorority is a pipeline to the Junior League, to Liv, it’s the key to social desirability, and to Zander, well, our relationship revolves around Greek life, so it only makes sense that I choose a sorority that’s compatible with O-Chi. DRB would take me away from him in terms of my time and priorities. I’m already living two different lives, how much worse would it be if I joined DRB? One day I’d be a powerful psychic and the next an activist out to change the world. On the third day, I’m the scholar with her nose buried in a book, and on the weekends? Zander O’Leary’s arm-candy.
Suddenly burning up, I toss off my comforter and let the cold swirl around me. Arm-candy? I’m shocked my brain came up with that term. It’s Leo’s fault. His voice echoes in my mind,You’re not an ornament.Damn him. I rub my chin where I can still feel his digging fingers.You’re more than this.I want to call him right now, at 1:00 a.m., and demand he tell me what more I am, because I have no clue.
From the other side of the room, Liv’s deep, contented breathing reaches my ears. I may not agree with her values, but at least she knows what she wants. Unlike me, she doesn’t second-guess. I pull my comforter up to my waist and close my eyes. My sorority rankings will stay as they are.
The next day, Liv and I submit our picks via email, and a few hours later we receive return messages with our lists for round two. Both of us are invited back to our top four choices. When I meet my group tonight, I’m assaulted by a nervous energy that makes me want to crawl out of my skin. I also notice two girls are missing. Jeanine doesn’t acknowledge their absence, but I’m guessing they didn’t get invites from their top choices. Considering how brutal and medieval the whole Rush process is, they’ve probably been sent to the gallows.
