Bad Rep

by A. Meredith Walters

  “I can't steal what doesn't want to stay, Olivia!” I yelled back, smirking at her. Olivia growled and wrenched out of Milla and Cici's grip. She came at me, her fingers swiping close to my face. I kicked up and my feet landed firmly in her chest, sending her sprawling to the floor.

  I heard Jadyn and Cici scream and reach for our president, who was having a hard time getting to her feet. “How dare you come into the house, into my room and attack me! You are through!” Olivia threatened, breathing heavily.

  I pulled the poster out of my back pocket and held it up in front of her face. “Well, I could report you to the Panhellenic Council for harassment! Then we'll see who's through.” Even through my anger I saw Olivia's confusion as she looked at the mortifying picture. She looked as though she had never seen it before. Then my anger faltered. If she didn't do it, who did?

  But that moment quickly vanished as Olivia laughed at the picture. “My god! You're pissed because someone put pictures of your skanky ass all over campus? Are you surprised people see you this way? After what happened with Jordan?” She looked at me in disgust. I blinked, feeling like an immature fool.

  “Maysie, I've had it with your drama and all of the bullshit that goes with you. We're having a special meeting tonight. This has to be dealt with immediately,” Olivia's words rang out with authority. And I felt as though I were being summoned to the principal's office. I felt Gracie grip my arm beside me and I really appreciated her presence at that moment.

  “7:30, Maysie,” Olivia said shortly, still trying to get her breath. Milla openly laughed at me, enjoying this way too much. Olivia and the other girls shoved passed me and went downstairs. I was shaking, the adrenaline in my system was going crazy.

  “I can't believe I just did that,” I said in a hushed whisper. Vivian and Gracie were quiet.

  “I'm going to get kicked out. I physically assaulted the freaking president!” My voice hitched as I realized the huge hole I had just dug for myself. Vivian put a comforting hand on my shoulder.

  “That was pretty righteous, Mays,” she said with a chuckle. I looked at her in disbelief. I couldn't believe how tickled she seemed by the whole thing.

  “Glad you think this is funny,” I bit out.

  Vivian covered her grinning mouth with a hand. “I'm sorry, Maysie. But if you knew how many times I fantasized about doing that.” Her laughter broke through and I could only gape at her in shock as my life swirled down the toilet. Gracie shot her a look and then grabbed my hand.

  “Let's get you home, Mays.” She took me out the back door of the house. Vivian followed us as Gracie led me to her car.

  “What happens now?” I asked, my voice deadened by the free fall I found myself in.

  “Well, most likely you'll have a mediation with Olivia and then the sisterhood has to vote whether to suspend you.” Well, that's what I had expected. Even though I no longer felt Chi Delta was where I needed to be, I didn't like the decision being made for me. Call it stupid pride or whatever, but I didn't take a loss of control lightly.

  “That's just freaking dandy,” I muttered, propping my feet up on Gracie's dashboard and resting my forehead on my knees.

  “We'll have your back, sweetie. I promise,” Gracie told me, turning out onto the main road by the campus. My phone buzzed in my bag and I reached down to find it.

  Pulling it out I saw I had two missed texts. The first one was from twenty minutes ago.

  I'm heading into work. Leave the door unlocked for me tonight, because I'm comin' for you.

  My stomach clenched up painfully after reading Jordan's text. I couldn't even smile at his message. I felt like my life had hit fast forward in the last half an hour. The girl who would have giggled at Jordan Levitt thinking about her was on vacation.

  I deleted the first text and ran my finger over the second one.

  Where are you? I tried calling.

  I turned off my phone. I should call him, but I couldn't deal with him. With us. Our relationship had been built on dishonesty and secrets. Right now, with my recent rumble with Olivia fresh in my mind, I knew that wasn't a particularly good thing.

  Gracie and Vivian got me home, deposited me on the couch with a bag of chocolate chip cookies and the TiVo remote before leaving. They promised they'd be back at 7:00 to take me to the house. They would have stayed but they each had an early evening class. Riley was still on campus and would be there for a while longer. So I was alone.

  Alone with my less than pleasant thoughts and even worse feelings. My phone rang beside me. It was Motorhead's Ace of Spades, Jordan's ring tone. I had laughed at the inside joke when he programmed it a few weeks ago, remembering how he liked to make my eardrums bleed with that particular song. Now I just wanted it to stop. I hit ignore and focused on the television. The noise didn't penetrate and all I could do was obsess over tonight's meeting.

  Riley came home a couple of hours later. She tried to talk to me but I wasn't much up for conversation. She quickly discovered I wasn't going to answer beyond monosyllabic responses. I got ready for the meeting with the grimness of someone going into battle. Ace of Spades rang out a few more times. But I continued to ignore it. I would have to talk to Jordan eventually. But right then I wasn't sure what I exactly wanted to say.

  Part of me wanted to unload everything. I knew he'd listen. He'd hear me out without trying to give me ridiculous advice. He'd be everything I needed him to be. But I didn't really know what I actually needed him to be.

  I didn't know anything.

  Gracie and Vivian came and got me, just as they said they would. Riley said something supportive but I didn't really hear her. We drove to the meeting in silence. Walking into the Chi Delta house was almost like the first time I went inside. The nerves, the clammy hands, the apprehension. But this time there wasn't the excited anxiousness and instead I just felt sick.

  Gracie held my hand as we walked down the hallway and entered the chapter room. It was already full of our sisters. Everyone looked up when I came in. The quiet murmur of voices quieted instantly and silence descended like a blanket.

  Gracie and Vivian pulled me toward three seats at the end of the long table that took up most of the room. At 7:32, Olivia hit the gavel and brought the meeting to order. I watched her, refusing to look away. No weakness. I wouldn't show an inch.

  “I originally called this meeting to talk about some issues around the fall Ball Blast. But I think we need to table that discussion for another night. Instead, we, as a sisterhood need to address some serious issues that have recently arisen.” Olivia said tightly as her eyes met mine. I tried not to flinch at the outright hatred I saw there.

  Olivia coughed and clasped her hands together in front of her on the table. “Everyone is very aware of the...problems...that have come up between Maysie and myself. I know this is creating a very decisive division between us. This has gone on long enough. A decision needs to be made in how we can handle this and move forward.” My jaw clenched and I hated that our lives were playing out in front of everyone like this. But like Olivia said, it was affecting everyone in this room. So they had a say in how it went down. As much as I hated that.

  Gracie hadn't dropped her hand from mine and I felt her fingers tighten around mine. Olivia took a deep breath and continued. “I had hoped Maysie and I could resolve our differences. That things could be handled with maturity and respect.” I wanted to laugh. Was she serious? But I could see how this would play out. My role as villain was firmly planted in these girls' heads and that wouldn't change. But damned if I would go down without a fight.

  “This is sort of ugliness is unprecedented within the house. I wasn't entirely sure how this should be dealt with, so I made a call to the national headquarters this afternoon and they advised that we needed to have this meeting and that everyone had a right to voice their concerns and grievances. We need to deal with this like sisters.” Olivia's malicious stare drilled through me and it took everything I had not to cower under it.

 
; Milla stood up. “As the vice-president, I'd like to start by saying I'm appalled at how everything has happened. Sisterhood is supposed to matter to us. I'm greatly troubled by the way certain individuals were so willing to disregard everything we stand for. Trust has been broken. And just like in any relationship, once that is destroyed it's hard to come back from that.” I clenched my teeth. Milla was playing her part well. Even if could practically smell her hypocrisy. Olivia nodded in agreement and I heard the other girls give their acquiescence.

  Milla took a breath and looked at me. Her face was somber but I could see the triumphant glee in her eyes. This is what she wanted. She was handing me my walking papers and she couldn't be happier to be doing it. “I feel that the source of this division, Maysie Ardin, needs to have her sisterhood stripped. The bonds have been broken. We cannot continue in this way anymore. Maysie has turned her back on her sisters and Chi Delta. There is no choice here,” she said with conviction.

  I heard Vivian mumble under her breath something that sounded like “fucking bitch.” I didn't dare look at her. My eyes were focused on my persecutors. The witch hunt was reaching its culmination, might as well see it through.

  Milla sat down and crossed her legs, reaching over to squeeze Olivia's shoulder in a show of support. What a joke. Gracie suddenly got to her feet. “Look, I know what Maysie did wasn't cool,” she began and I cringed. Where was she going with this?

  “But Maysie has been a loyal sister and friend since pledging with Chi Delta. She is the one person in the sisterhood I always know I can count on. What happened with Jordan sucked.” She leveled her steely gaze at Olivia who looked blandly back. “I know you're hurt Olivia. Maysie feels horrible about that. She always has. But what went down is between you and her and no one else. I just don't understand how this has become a 'Chi Delta' issue,” she stated, using her fingers as quotes to drive her point home.

  I looked around at the group of my sisters. I noticed that the new pledges seemed uncomfortable by all of this and I felt a fresh wave of guilt. They were new to this, trying to establish their own friendships and loyalties within the sisterhood. And they now had a front row seat at how much of a farce it all was. Sisterhood didn't mean shit.

  Maryanne, a junior, got to her feet then. I didn't know Maryanne that well and I knew instantly by the look on her face that she wasn't going to speak in my favor. I always got the impression that she was a giant butt kisser and the way she looked at Olivia with sympathy sealed that. “But this has become a Chi Delta issue. Everyone is upset. Everyone is on edge. Our relations with Pi Sig have been jeopardized and they are the best fraternity on campus,” she protested. There was a universal agreement at her statement.

  Great. Glad to know their priorities were in order.

  Maryanne cast a quick glance at me before looking away. “I think Maysie is the problem here and I agree with suspending her,” she sat down and several of the girls around her patted her on the back. I pulled my hand from Gracie's and gripped them tightly in my lap. I needed to, otherwise I'd start swinging. And that wouldn't help prove my case at all.

  The next twenty minutes passed with each of the sisters getting to their feet and giving their opinions on my betrayal. Most were advocating for my removal. I was however, pleasantly surprised that a few actually stood up for me. I had thought that my only two supporters were on either side of me.

  Then it was Vivian's turn. Vivian got to her feet and I couldn't help but watch her in a bit of awe. It was crazy to think that just a few weeks ago she had been annoying the crap out of me with her high maintenance, stressed out bullshit over rush. I had never been close with her before this. She was always firmly entrenched in Olivia's circle. I knew they had been tight. I still didn't understand what had possessed her to forsake that relationship in favor of championing me.

  Well, I was about to find out.

  Vivian leaned on the table, her dark red hair falling around her shoulders. She looked fiery and determined. “This is bullshit, Liv and you know it.” Milla got to her feet.

  “Don't start with your crap, Viv. This is not the time or place,” she threatened and the two girls stared each other down. Vivian pulled back her lips in a snarl.

  “Oh, I think this is the time and place. You are sitting there on your fucking high horse, painting Maysie like the worst kind of person. When you and I know that she hasn't done anything that the two of you haven't done,” she hissed.

  The room became eerily quiet. I looked over at Gracie who lifted her shoulders and widened her eyes. Olivia tensed and I could feel the ice wafting off of her. “Don't you dare,” she said quietly, her meaning very clear. Vivian had better shut up or else.

  Unfortunately for Olivia, Vivian wasn't done. “Oh, I shouldn't dare tell our beloved sisterhood how their perfect president slept with my boyfriend our sophomore year. While she was dating Jordan,” Vivian spat out.

  “Shut up, Vivian! You don't know what the hell you're talking about!” Milla yelled, pointing at her. Vivian laughed.

  “Oh, I don't? So it wasn't you who slept with this same ex-boyfriend of mine two days after Liv?” Eww!

  I knew my mouth was hanging open in shock. The room burst out in an angry buzz. “Did you know anything about that?” I whispered to Gracie.

  “Uh, no,” she whispered back. These girls were seriously twisted.

  Olivia hit her gavel on the table and everyone stopped talking. “Vivian. We've talked about this a million times. Nothing happened with Ryan and me. You are completely delusional,” she said flippantly. But I could see the quiet panic in her eyes. She was lying. She had totally slept with Vivian's boyfriend.

  Vivian banged her hands down on the table. “You liar! I saw you together! I walked in and saw you fucking my boyfriend!” she screamed. I saw Olivia swallow and her mouth pinch.

  “You were drunk, Vivie. And that was years ago. Your memory is a little skewed,” she said in a placating tone. Vivian crossed her arms over her chest.

  “Not too drunk to know two people screwing like rabbits in my boyfriend's bed,” she bit out angrily.

  “This is playing out like a bad episode of the Young and the Restless!” Gracie said quietly.

  “Or Jerry Springer,” I added. Olivia stood up then.

  “Enough Vivian. I'm not talking about something that you think happened two years ago. We are here to discuss the rift happening right now.” Olivia effectively shut Vivian down. I could almost be impressed with her ability to make Vivian's claims seem irrelevant and immaterial.

  Vivian looked like she was about to blow her top. “But that has everything...” she started.

  “Enough!” Olivia yelled, her eyes flashing at her former friend. “You are not remembering things the way they are. But you and I can address that at another time,” she said quietly. Vivian pushed back from her chair, sending it toppling to the floor.

  “Screw this, I'm out of here,” she fumed. She looked down at me and her face softened. “Sorry, Mays. But you'll get nowhere with this lot. They're a bunch of assholes.” And with that, she stormed out of the chapter room, leaving everyone staring after her with their mouths open.

  Eyes swung back to Olivia who had turned an interesting shade of purple. Milla looked livid as well and the two girls glanced at each other, a silent message being passed between them. I knew then that Vivian would be next. Once they had dealt with me, they'd be going full barrel after Vivian. What nasty, hateful people.

  “Girls,” Olivia said to the noisy room. Everyone quieted. “Don't let Vivian's bitterness taint your feelings. She clearly has unresolved issues she needs to address. Issues that have nothing to do with me, I assure you. But lets get back to the matter at hand.” And like that, Vivian's claims had been dismissed.

  Olivia put a hand to her chest and closed her eyes. When she opened them again, tears dripped down her cheeks. Crap, she was good. “Maysie. You've broken my heart. You've broken our friendship. And today you attacked me, physically, within the
walls of this house. That can't be allowed or tolerated. I'm sorry if I've done something to make you turn on me this way. I have only ever wanted you to feel welcome and included in Chi Delta. I thought you were a perfect addition to our sisterhood. It pains me at how wrong I was.” Her voice broke and Milla handed her a tissue. She dabbed her eyes. I bit my tongue to stop myself from calling her out.

  “I love Jordan. He was everything to me. We had a future. And that's been taken away. Aside from losing the love of my life. I've lost a sister. And that is ten times more painful,” she breathed out, her voice barely above a whisper. Damn, she was good.

  Then the looks started again. Forty-five sets of eyes turned to me with disgust and betrayal. Okay, I couldn't keep silent anymore. I got to my feet and looked right at Olivia. “I'm sorry, Olivia,” I began. I choked on my words and struggled to continue. But the truth was I was sorry. I hated hurting anyone. Even the biggest lying bitch on the planet.