“Whatever.” Liv turns back to the mirror, her scowl fading into a frown. “And now you’re talking about joining DRB? You know, you say you haven’t changed, but you have. I don’t know who this is,” she points at me like I’m a specimen on exhibit. “But she’s not the Betts I know.”
In a small voice, I assert, “She is.” But they’re empty words. The truth is, I’m not the Betts either of us knows.
I draw in a long breath and release my anger on the exhale. Liv’son the defensive; she’s not maliciously trying to hurt me. And all I want is to protect her. “Just please, keep it in the back of your mind—I don’t think Peyton is your friend.”
Liv rolls her eyes, but she says no more. Hopefully, I’ve planted enough of a seed that she won’t be completely defenseless when Peyton finally pulls the trigger.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
The next afternoon,I check my email on the way back from my three o’clock class and sure enough, I have one from Jeanine. DRB, KPT, and GKA have all invited me back, but I hardly care. I hurry the rest of the way to get to Liv, but I know as soon as I enter Newberry, the news isn’t good. I push through the dark clouds that fill the hall and open the door to sobbing.
Sitting at her desk with her face buried in her arms, Liv wails, “They blackballed me.Allof them. None of them want me.”
“Fuck,” I mutter as I drop to my bed. This is worse than I anticipated. Peyton not only turned all of KPT against Liv, but the other sororities as well. “Liv—I’m so, so sorry.”
She wipes her face with her sleeve, but there’s no stopping her tears. “You warned me, but I wouldn’t listen.”
“No one can blame you for that.”
“I’m so stupid. I mean, I actually thought they liked me.” Her eyes are swollen and underscored with running mascara.
I give up the fight against my own tears. “If they’d tried to get to know you, they would’ve liked you, Liv. It’s their loss.”
She snorts and drops her head again. “Please. I’m a loser. And a skank.”
I rush to her. “Do. Not. Use. That. Word. You are not a skank. Peyton’s just a jealous, spiteful, hypocritical bitch. This is all on her and none of it’s on you.”
“I should’ve stayed away from Braden.”
“It’s not your fault he isn’t into her. She could blackball every girl he ever goes out with, but it’s not going to make him want her again.”
I get Liv out of her chair and over to her bed where I encourage her to lie down and let it all out. She lays her head on the pillow I place on my lap and lets me stroke her hair as she cries.
“It doesn’t matter now. The damage is done. All I wanted was to be in a sorority. To have fun sisters. Nice sisters. But none of them want me.”
It’s possible the sororities at the bottom of her list wanted her, but she’d eliminated them. I can’t imagine DRB caving in to Peyton’s bullying, or calling another woman a skank. I could point this out, but to what end? If they didn’t appeal to Liv, she wouldn’t be happy compromising to be a part of them.
And as for the sororities who shunned her, I know Liv is better off without “sisters” who are so petty and cruel, but reminding her of that right now would be pointless. She needs time to let go of her dream.
Her sobs have subsided into hiccups. “Did you get bids?” she asks, voice tight and choked.
I nod, fighting to keep my expression neutral.
“KPT?”
Another nod.
“Good. I’d feel so bad if they blackballed you because of me.”
Yeah, they’re so noble. “I’m not going there tonight.”
Liv sits up. “Betts! You have to.” She looks like a wild woman with her red eyes and tangled hair.
I shake my head. “I don’t want anything to do with them.” I don’ttell her I never liked them in the first place; it would smack of ingratitude.
“But they want you. And your mom’ll…”
“If Mom loves them so much, she can join them herself. I’ll buy her a pretty pink KPT sweatshirt.”
