by L. P. Dillon
We headed to our fifth Sorority house, Zeta Beta Chi, and I knew this was the one that Payton had her eye on from the beginning. I thought she might have changed her mind and gone for the Sorority that Erika and Gemma were in, but from the way she was practically vibrating along the path up towards the gorgeous Zeta Sorority house, I knew that this was the one for her. She sped up, almost dragging me towards the house, and I couldn't help but laugh at her enthusiasm.
We had knocked on the door of the other Sorority houses and then waited a little while before being invited in. But not here. They must have heard us coming up the path because before we even hit the stairs to the giant townhouse, the door flung open and three girls squealed at us. Payton instantly ran towards the girls, hugging, squealing, and jumping around with them. I guessed she had managed to meet them and make friends on the few nights that she didn't come back to the dorm.
The girl was really moving fast since being here. Already she'd made a bunch of friends and had a boyfriend. I didn't mind at all, but it was strange how the place seemed absolutely perfect for her. It was like she was always destined to come to this college and meet all of these people. They all just clicked like they had been around each other all their lives. I was happy for her, but I was beginning to feel like an outsider, and I'd never felt like that with her before. She always included me, and I included her. But now it seemed like she was happy to go off and leave me behind. It was a little sad, but I didn't hold it against her. She was just making the best of the new people and experiences she found herself in. Who was I to stand in her way?
The squealing ceased when the Sorority president came out of the house. The way she held herself told me she was in charge. It was like she just commanded respect and had such a dominant aura that I couldn’t look away from her if I wanted to. She was beautiful too, and I remembered that I'd seen her before. She was the cheerleader that I'd noticed in the cafeteria. She had her dark blonde hair tied up in a ponytail. On closer inspection, she was even more beautiful than I'd first thought. She had light tan skin and emerald green eyes. I'd only ever seen those color eyes on Chase, and it was such a unique color, that I instantly thought they had to be related.
The squealing girls moved aside as the leader walked out of the house, followed closely by two brunette girls. My main focus was on the blonde girl. She came down the steps and straight towards me. She shot Payton a scowl as she passed her, and I couldn’t understand why she didn’t like Payton. Also, why were the other girls happy to see Payton if their president hated her?
The girl had a huge smile on her face, but the two girls behind her and the other three standing by Payton all looked like they wanted to kill me. I gulped as I looked away from them and back to the approaching girl.
She held out her hand before even reaching me. "Hi, you must be, Aubrey. It's lovely to finally meet you. I'm Arabella, but they call me, Bell."
I shook her hand and she instantly pulled me in for a hug. She was overly friendly and clearly knew a bit about me, and I wondered who had spoken about me to her. I didn't think it was Payton, because I'd never known the girl to talk behind my back. So, the only person that left was Chase. I hugged her back, then pulled away, shocking myself when I asked, "How do you know who I am?"
She smiled widely, and two little dimples formed on her cheeks. "Chase hasn't stopped talking about you since you arrived. He has fallen head over heels for you. So, I've made it my mission to get to know the girl that has finally stolen my brother's heart," she said softly as she moved to my side linked arms with me.
I gulped, silently walking with her as she guided me towards the house. I glanced over at Payton and she was holding both of her thumbs up, flashing me a delighted and cheesy grin. All I wanted to do was spin around and run for the hills. The last thing I wanted was to be in a Sorority where my bad-boy stalker’s sister was the president. But seeing Payton's elated face, I couldn't do that to her. I could tell she had her heart set on Zeta Beta Chi, and by the look, Arabella shot her earlier, I doubt she would be allowed into the Sorority without me.
The girls waited at the side until we passed them, and then followed behind us. We walked into the house and it was absolutely stunning. The place was so clean, modern, and huge. There wasn't a thing out of place, and it was hard to believe that they ever had parties here. We walked into the living room, Arabella sat down on the large, light grey corner couch, patting the space beside her for me to sit. Feeling like I had no other choice, I took the seat, finding the place a bit strange. All the other Sorority houses had people walking in and out, chatting, laughing, having drinks and snacks, and just open for people to come and go. It wasn't like that here, though. Instead, it was calm and quiet, and hardly anyone was around.
"So, I don’t see a lot of people here. Are not many people interested in joining your Sorority?” As soon as the words left my mouth, I couldn’t believe I’d said them. They were incredibly judgy and even ruder, and that is usually not like me, but they were out now. Nothing I could do to take them back.
Fortunate for me, she burst out laughing, taking it as a joke. Phew. Widening my eyes and pressing my lips together, I searched for Payton, but as I caught her eye, she was led away by the other girls. Some of them were still giving me the stink eye, too. What the hell?
I let out a heavy sigh and focused on Arabella. "Don't worry about them. They're just jealous because they want my brother, and he isn't interested in anyone but you right now," she said in a light tone.
"Right now?" I asked interestedly. I thought I was done with him, and that I didn't care about what he did or didn't do. Obviously, I cared more than I wanted to admit, even to myself.
She turned around on the couch, lifting a bit and folding one leg under her. I did the same, giving her my full attention.
"Look, I know my brother has a reputation. They say he’s a playboy, some even call him a bad boy, but as much as the guy pisses me off, he is a good person. He would treat you like a princess. I have never seen him captivated by someone like this before. You must be a very special person, Aubrey."
"I get it, you have to fight in your brother's corner, and I would do the same with my little brother, but no matter how interested I am, he would be better off finding someone else to obsess over. I'm just not in a good headspace for anything serious right now."
I tried to let her down gently. I didn't think it would go down well if I told her that I agreed with everything those people had said about him. It was one thing to think it, but to flat out insult her brother…yeah, not a great idea.
Arabella took my hands in hers. "I understand completely. Not everyone knows straight away that they've met the one. But if you want to pledge this Sorority, I promise you that I won't get involved again. If you join Zeta Beta Chi, we will become sisters, and in this house, that bond means everything. We always look out for one another, and no guys—not even my brother—will be allowed to come between us and break our bond."
A wide smile beamed from her, making her emerald green eyes twinkle and her dimples deepen. She was like the female version of Chase, and it made it a bit strange staring at her. It would definitely take some getting used to for sure.
Dropping my hands, she folded hers in her lap. "So, how about it? Do you want to join us? Sisters before misters and all that?"
"Don't we have to wait to go through the rounds, and then receive bids at the end of the week?" I asked in confusion.
I had to admit, I hadn't done a lot of research on how all this stuff worked. Payton had done all of that for the last year. I decided that I was just going to follow her lead, and to be honest, whenever she got into one of her lengthy conversations about Sororities, I just tuned her out or changed the subject. What I did remember, though, was that rushing usually lasted five days, sometimes a full week. You met with the Sororities through that week and whittled them down to a few. Then at the end of the week, you received bids from the ones that wanted you, and you accepted the one you wanted.<
br />
With a giggle, Arabella replied, "Yes, that is how it works for other Sororities. But we are different. We are extremely exclusive, and we only let certain people join. We are not open to everyone. Instead, we sort of sniff out the people we want and then invite them to rush. You're not allowed here without an invite. We sent an invite to Payton and you the day you arrived."
My eyebrows hit my hairline. "The college allows that. Isn't it against the rules to exclude people that want to join your Sorority?"
She laughed so hard she snorted. "Oh my God, you're so adorable. Brie, you have so much to learn. So, are you moving in, or not?"
Silence surrounded us as I weighed my options. If I said no, I was pretty sure Payton would never speak to me again. On the other hand, could I put up with seeing Chase’s sister every day? Also, along the same lines, could I be around girls that hated me every single day just because Chase liked me and not them? It would be like high school all over again.
What am I going to do?
“Yeah, sure. I'd love to join Zeta Beta Chi. Thank you so much for the opportunity," I replied with a fake smile plastered on my face.
I have a feeling I’m going to regret saying that.
In the short time I took to think about it, I knew that Payton would be over the moon, and that was all that mattered to me. She had always been there for me, and she even cut all ties with the friends who bullied me after what Kyle did to me. She chose me, so it was only fair that I did this for her. Also, I did not want to be dealing with a pissy best friend for four years of college.
"Oh my God! You won't regret it, I swear. You're going to have such a blast here," she squealed and then pulled me in for a hug. I know the girl was fit, but damn, that hug almost made me pass out. She squeezed me so hard I could barely breathe. Once she realized how tight of a hold, she had on me, she let me go, her cheeks stained pinker. Jumping off the couch, she put her finger and thumb in her mouth and whistled. Roughly seventeen girls filtered into the living room, appearing from all different directions. Payton followed one group, lagging behind them.
Arabella ushered for Payton and me to join her, so I climbed to my feet as Payton pushed through the crowd. Eventually, both of us stood beside the president.
"Listen up ladies! As of now, our Sorority house is at full capacity. Welcome our two new sisters, Aubrey and Payton!" Her loud and dominant voice exuded excitement.
All the girls clapped and cheered. I had to admit, it was strange seeing how enthusiastic they were, even the ones who’d given me dirty looks.
Payton mouthed the words “thank you” to me, and I nodded at her. Just as I was about to reply to her, though, the whole group of girls howled, as if they were a pack of dogs out for a hunt or something.
Arabella must have sensed my shock because she leaned closer. "You'll get used to it. A lot of people howl here. Growl, too. It’s a thing. They didn’t name our football team the Murston Wolves for nothing. I promise I’ll explain it all in due course, but for now, just sit back and enjoy it.” Tipping her head back, she howled.
With a weary look, I glanced at Payton, but she’d already joined in, almost like she’d been doing it her whole life. So even though it felt ridiculous and stupid, I tipped my head back and threw caution to the wind. In fact, I enjoyed it much more than I thought I would. Howling didn’t seem so silly when a big group of girls were all doing it.
Once the howling and cheering had ceased, we were shown around, and then told to go to our dorm and pack up our things.
I didn't realize that we would be moving in so soon, but to be honest, I was kind of excited. Even though the jock and cheerleader life had hurt me, I did miss the closeness and the popularity. Zeta Beta Chi was the most sought after and exclusive Sorority the college had, and I was excited to get back into the “it” crowd. I followed a very excited Payton back to the dorm, and she was pretty much skipping down the halls while blabbering away about this and that, but I was too in my own head to hear what she was talking about.
As we passed Chase’s and Connor’s room, Chase opened the door, looking over his shoulder and talking to someone inside. Because he wasn’t paying attention, he smashed right into me, making me lose my footing and stumble towards the ground.
"Aubrey!" he called out, and with lightning reflexes, he plucked me out of the air and brought me safely to his chest.
I had my hands pressed against his hard chest, and I could feel his heart racing. My cheeks flushed while I noticed both our labored breathing matched as if in perfect sync. I couldn’t help it when my eyes fell to his lips, and my heart raced when his tongue snaked out and licked them before disappearing inside his mouth once more. His hands shook against the small of my back where he held me.
I didn't want to gaze into those extraordinary eyes, so I watched as his mouth stretched into a smile, and those adorable dimples came out to play. I couldn't look at them either because I would have melted through his fingers and ended up as a puddle on the floor. Instead, my eyes scanned his handsome face, landing on those green pools, and in that moment, I was done for.
Biting my lip, my face moved closer to his, our faces only inches apart.
This is it; we're going to kiss again!
"Chase, are we going out to dinner or not? Because I didn't spend hours getting dressed up like this just to have a quick fumble in your dorm room!" a girl whined as she approached us.
Jerking away in an instant, as if ice-cold water had been thrown in my face, I glared at him. His eyes rolled right before he closed them and let out a deep sigh. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. He promised me that he wasn't a cheat. Well, technically we weren't together, and I had been turning him down, and pushing him away, but he said he liked me. Christ, his sister just told me that the guy was, and I quote, “head over heels for me.” Like what the fuck?
"Oh hey! I'm Cassidy, and you are?" the hot blonde asked as she put her arm around Chase, placing her other hand on his stomach.
Folding my arms over my chest, I pressed my lips together and turned my glare on her.
"Are you a friend of Chase's?"
She was clearly claiming him because even as she asked the question, she slipped her fingers between the buttons on his shirt so that she could touch his skin. She looked me up and down like I was trash, so I rolled my eyes at her before they landed on her wayward fingers.
As soon as Chase saw where my eyes had gone, he instantly pushed her hand away.
Glaring directly at him, I scowled "No, I'm not a friend of Chase's. Clearly, I'm nothing to Chase."
His eyes grew wide, and sadness haunted them as they glassed over, as if tears were forming in them. But I didn't care. I was hurt, and to be honest, a lot more hurt than I should have been. We weren't dating, weren't really anything to each other, but the idea of him being with another girl…well, it frankly broke my heart. I had no idea why I felt like that either, but it was probably because the whole situation reminded me so much of what I went through with Kyle that it stung like a bitch.
"Oh, well then why are you standing there like some creep checking out my man?" Stepping forwards, she clicked her manicured fingers at me.
"Cass, enough!" Chase boomed at her and then stepped between us.
"It's okay, Chase. I don't blame her for protecting what's hers. But trust me, sweetie, I am not interested in your man. You're welcome to him. In fact, I wouldn't touch him if he was the last man on earth!" The attitude in my voice was aimed at her, but I didn’t take my eyes off of him as I spoke those words.
"Okay, freak! Chase let's go; this girl is clearly a little disturbed."
As soon as she said that, I laughed and replied, "Have fun.” I gave them a little wave. “You two make the cutest couple."
I turned around, stood up straight, and held my head up high as I strutted towards my room. I kept up the charade even though I wanted to ball my eyes out. Even when he called out my name, all I wanted to do was turn back and run into his arms, but instead, I
lifted my hand above my shoulder and flipped him the finger before turning into my room and slamming the door behind me.
"What's wrong Brie?" Payton asked when I entered the room, and as soon as her words hit me, I slid down the door and let the tears fall.
She came over and dropped beside me, wrapping her arms around me. "What happened?"
My anger chose that moment to bubble inside of me, and I welcomed it because it helped me push past the pain. "I swore I'd never let a man make me feel like Kyle did! I knew I should have stayed away from him!" I stood up and grabbed my suitcase, throwing it on the bed.
Unzipping the suitcase, I stormed to my closet, grabbing armfuls of clothes and tossing them on top of my bed next to my suitcase. I did this a few times until my closet was as bare as the day, I’d moved in.
"Are you talking about Chase? I thought you didn't like him like that?" The confusion in her voice was warranted. I had acted like I didn’t like him like that. But it had all been a terrible act.
"Of course, I like him like that. Who the fuck wouldn't? Have you seen the guy? He's like a walking God!" I snapped, not even turning around to look at her.
"Well yeah, I know he's hot and all that, but I thought you were keeping your walls up because he reminds you of Kyle," she said in a soft tone, neatly packing her things.
"I was trying to, but the guy somehow got under my skin. Everywhere I turned, there he was. Eventually, I guess a part of me let him in. I don't really understand it myself. I mean, I haven’t even slept with the guy. I don't understand why I'm feeling like this, either. The guy has really messed with my head, Payton," I replied, throwing my clothes into my suitcase.
"Here let me," she said, taking the clothes right out of my hands.
I guess the sight of me scrunching up my clothes and throwing them into my suitcase set off her OCD, but to be honest I wasn't going to argue with her over who packed my bag. I sat on her bed and watched as she folded my clothes and placed them neatly into my suitcase.