Get What You Give

by Stephanie Perry Moore

  I could still hear Hayden now when I told her I wasn’t gonna do it if my best friend didn’t get an invitation. She’d said, “Girl, please. Sometimes you get in and then bring other people in. Don’t trip. You can take your opportunity now, and you can make Teddi a Beta next year.” Logically and reasonably enough, I understood.

  I still wasn’t sure until my mom said, “There are a lot of things a mother wants for her child. Being a member of my sorority is one of the things I want for you, Hailey. Four years ago I was scared and didn’t want Hayden pledging because I knew they weren’t planning to do it the right way. But now that things have changed, they wanna go and do it by the book, and they have chosen you to be one they induct into the sorority. Take advantage of it. Look at it as respect and not disloyalty to your girlfriend.”

  So here I stood wearing white in October, feeling like I was betraying Teddi all over again. I was gonna go through with it, but I felt uneasy about it. I wasn’t trying to be standoffish, but I wasn’t frolicking with the other three girls either, waiting for whatever the Betas were going to bring us through.

  There was a girl who was cute and trendy and looked familiar who came over to me and said, “Hi, my name is Evan Harrison.”

  A girl with glasses, who didn’t seem as fashionable yet had to-die-for Indian-type hair, said, “Hi, I’m Quisa Bland.”

  Then a spunky, heavyset girl with dreads said, “I’m Millie Foster.”

  “Evan, Quisa, and Millie,” I repeated in the most unexcited voice I could muster. “Nice to meet you all. I’m Hailey Grant.”

  Quisa looked at her watch and said, “I guess we’re gonna start as soon as the other girl gets here.”

  “Well, she needs to hurry up,” Millie said. “I’m ready to get this show on the road. Shoot, I’m hungry.”

  “And my high-maintenance man—I gotta get to him,” Evan said as she looked at her watch, which made me realize I remembered her from the Beta rush with her forceful boyfriend.

  As the three of them talked about their excitement, I listened on. Another girl? I thought. I was so confused until I heard Teddi scream.

  “Hailey, you’re here! I knew you’d be here. You just had to be! I thought I was never gonna make it. I got lost, and they called me at the last minute and—we’re in.” She came over and gave me a big hug.

  Surely the chapter higher-ups, Sam and Cassidy, hadn’t rethought putting her on line for me. They knew from my sister that I was still gonna pledge. How did this happen? But I didn’t wanna question. Everything was all cool, now that my girl was here. Being real, I knew deep down Teddi was here because I had made a good case for why they needed her.

  “Hey, you guys, isn’t this exciting?” Teddi said, bringing the room alive. “I wanted to be a Beta for so long. When I got the call this morning, I was ready! I got my money from my grandmother. I had to go to the store and find the right dress. How do I look? Is this cute?” Teddi showed us all she wanted to make a great impression on the soon-to-be big sisters.

  It was obvious Teddi was very excited, but I was nervous. It dawned on me that I had a huge responsibility. The Betas probably valued me so much that they took what I’d said about my friend into consideration and heeded my request. Though being a Beta wasn’t my first choice, I certainly was gonna have to make it a priority. I had big respect for them now. Rationalizing all this, it seemed the Betas were so into me they had granted my request. Maybe Hayden hadn’t let them know I was coming. Obviously, they had dubbed my worth, and I wasn’t gonna let them down.

  I introduced Teddi to Evan, Quisa, and Millie and said to the four of them, “I guess we’re entering into a unique sisterhood. We gotta get to know each other better. We gotta have our own bond.”

  We hugged each other and lined up by height when Cassidy came into the room to get us. None of us knew what to expect. But as we walked down a path lit by burning candles and then sat on a pillow one by one and took the oath to become a Pi, we heard and reflected on the song the Betas sang around us. They vowed to treat us with respect and love and to make their world ours so that collectively we could make the community and our great college a better place.

  I was overcome with emotion. Holding hands with Teddi, I knew we were in for something big. After the ceremony was over, my mother and sister—with tear-filled eyes—came and told me I’d made a decision to serve that would bless me and many in my lifetime. Feeling the love, I was happy I’d made a choice to be a part of this amazing sorority.

  “Okay, so we gotta go to the store and get our clothes so we can dress alike,” Teddi said to me as she went on and on about how pumped she was that we were now Pis.

  I didn’t know the other three girls well, but I could see they were as overwhelmed as I was with Teddi’s enthusiasm. She was pumped up enough for all of us. But, again, after the moving ceremony I’d just experienced, I knew I had to dig deep and get fired up about this pledge process, too.

  “All right, I’m not saying we gotta dress alike and all that, but break it down to me about this pledge stuff. Particularly because this isn’t the old-school way, and we’re doing it by the book. We’re not supposed to walk in a line and be dressed alike,” I said to my friend.

  Millie said, “We don’t have to be hazed to have a little fun of our own, and as long as we’re not going crazy with it, we can dress how we want. Alike does sound fun.”

  “See, it will be fun. Plus, I think we’re giving reverence to the process by being identifiable. Folks will say, ‘Look at the five elite girls the Betas chose this year,’” Teddi said, making a good point. “We should represent.”

  “Well, I don’t wanna look like a hag,” Evan said. “And I don’t have much time to shop. I gotta get to my boo. Besides, what’s open?”

  I knew if Evan mentioned her crazy guy one more time and the short leash he obviously had her on, I was going to scream. Truly, she was showing anxiety about pleasing this dude. Surely, she was overstressing. What could he do if she was a little late?

  “Well, I don’t wanna spend a lot of money,” Quisa combatted.

  Teddi and Millie talked to her, and Evan made a phone call. Finally, after a little more debating, we agreed to get some simple solids. The best place for that was the local discount retailer. It wasn’t my shopping place, but for this purpose, I knew it was going to have prices we were all cool with.

  “I do not like going to a twenty-four-hour shopping store and not seeing any cars in the parking lot. We need protection,” Evan said, letting us all know she didn’t get out much without her guy.

  Out of all of us, Teddi was the politician. She went over to her and said, “I don’t like it either, but this is our first bonding time. We are going to go in and get right out, and tomorrow we’re gonna be dressed alike! We won’t spend a lot of money or keep anyone long.”

  “Well, I shop at night. And this place is safe,” Millie said as the five of us walked through the dark lot, with most of us looking over our shoulders.

  As soon as we got to the store door, bright lights were flashing and nearly blinding us from an out-of-control car. The five of us jumped onto the curb. Evan’s face held a petrified glare.

  Evan shouted—clearly, she was scared—“That’s him, you guys. Please, please, please go on in.”

  “Do I need to talk to him?” I asked, trying to calm her down. “You seem scared of this dude, Evan, and the way he rolled up on us—no wonder.”

  “No, I don’t need any of y’all to talk to him. Just go in,” Evan pleaded.

  “I’m not leaving you in the middle of the street,” Teddi said.

  Evan quickly went up to his car and said, “I’m sorry, baby. We just had to pick up something for this sorority thing.”

  Her guy started talking loud, clearly wanting us to hear. “I told you not to be a part of this mess! I’m out there waiting on you, and then I see you getting in the car with your friends! You can’t call me after the fact? I followed you here, and now it’s time to go. We w
ere supposed to chill tonight!”

  “Do you have to yell?” Teddi said, making it her business to head up to his car.

  I was all about business, ready to find whatever it was we agreed to and get to bed. It had been a long day, from going through the ceremony to talking later with my mom, sister, and all their alumni friends. Bonding was the most important thing. Of my new sisters, there was the sassy one, the overly outgoing one, the quiet one, a country one, and myself—we were interestingly different, and it was gonna take a lot more nights to know each other better. Tonight was not the night for me though. I was on a mission.

  I actually walked across the street beside Teddi. This guy was frightening, and I didn’t wanna leave my sisters alone with him for another second. I wasn’t sure what made him so scary. Maybe it was his gold teeth or his heavy chains or maybe his chiseled but thuglike stature. I had a gut feeling that he was local and was trying to be harder than he appeared.

  “Evan, you better get your friends. I’m not talking to them!” her boyfriend slurred out either high, drunk, or both.

  Evan came over to us and said, “Okay, I just need to talk to him and calm him down. Can y’all please go in and get what we need? Please!”

  “You don’t need to leave with that guy. He’s obviously been drinking and very upset,” I said, basically beseeching her to come in with us.

  “G-Dogg? No, he’s cool. He’s a little overprotective. Let me square things away, and I’ll be right in,” Evan said, telling us what we wanted to hear.

  Quisa said, “Come on, Hailey. Give her some time with her man. She said she’ll be in.”

  Against my better judgment, the four of us left her outside with that hostile nut. She was hugging him. He looked like a broken-down, old-fashioned, good-for-nothing gangster.

  As soon as we stepped inside, Teddi said, “I don’t see how we get caught up with these guys, thinking they’re our only way out. He ain’t got nothing going on for himself. Why is Evan with him?”

  “Let’s just hurry and get what we need,” I told her, really wanting to make certain Evan was cool.

  A part of me wanted to stand guard and keep a close eye on Evan. As long as I could I watched her from the door, but when I turned my head for a second and then looked back, she was gone.

  His car was there, but they were nowhere in sight. What was up with that? Quickly, I went to get everyone else. Teddi, Millie, and Quisa felt my nervousness. We were only in the store for seven minutes—a record for four young women, I’m sure. We bought white sweat suits, jeans that were alike, and some black shirts.

  Stepping back outside, the four of us were devastatingly stunned as G-Dogg brought a left hook down on the right side of Evan’s horrified face.

  I started second-guessing myself. When I couldn’t see them before, were they hidden behind his car so he could rough her up? Had I dashed away when I should have fled to her side? Was it my fault everything was not right with my new friend?

  “Oh, no, he didn’t!” Teddi said as she took off and tried to fight the guy herself.

  “Someone call the cops!” I shouted. “Justice needs to be served on this fool.”

  Millie said, with tears, “Got you. I’m calling nine-one-one now. You’re right, Hailey, he can’t beat her up like this!”

  “No, no, you guys, the cops are criminals. Don’t call them. Please, I can handle him,” Evan pleaded as Millie dialed her phone anyway.

  Why did we leave her alone? I wondered. I felt so bad. Not caring if it was wrong or dangerous to try to jump into the domestic disturbance, I joined my roommate in her quest to get Evan away from the jerk. It took Teddi and me giving all our effort to get him off her.

  Evan was speaking, but she wasn’t agreeing with us helping her. She was screaming at us for interfering in her business! If we hadn’t helped her, she would’ve ended up in the hospital. Quisa grabbed the security guards from inside the store, and they held G-Dogg down. He went ballistic, telling Teddi and me that we were gonna be sorry. I wanted to yell out, “Kick him, punch him, beat him!” but I knew that was wrong. The only thing I could do was console my girl.

  Evan was calling out for the one who had battered and bruised her. G-Dogg was screaming for the security guards to release him. Inwardly, I was yelling for justice to be done.

  So I said to Evan, “Look, you can’t think this G-Dogg is good for you, girl! You need to be concerned with yourself. A man should never hit a woman. Take a stand. Don’t allow him to ruin your life. Here come the cops. You gotta press charges, or we will.”

  When the guards handed him over to the cops, G-Dogg reached for something in his pocket. I couldn’t make out what it was. But I knew it wasn’t a toy.

  “You need to surrender your weapon,” one of the cops said to G-Dogg.

  I don’t know if G-Dogg was just that crazy or just that high, but he shot his gun in the air. I grabbed Evan and tugged her out of the way. At that moment, chaos broke out. Teddi, Quisa, and Millie came to my side and hugged me. The events we witnessed next made our horrible night turn even worse.

  All four white police started closing in on G-Dogg. Two came up behind him and forced him to the ground. They just started clobbering the boy with their sticks. With a bloody face and busted mouth, I personally, was satisfied. He was contained, but they started beating him some more. People came out of the store and joined us in yelling for them to stop. The cruel po-po wouldn’t.

  We’d called the cops on this dude so he wouldn’t kill our friend, and now it seemed he was being abused. We couldn’t win for losing. If Evan wasn’t into this G-Dogg character enough, now she was over the top for him. What was I gonna do about all this violence galore?

  6

  PESKY

  “That’s a violation of his rights hitting him like that!” I yelled out as I charged toward the cops hitting a guy I hated defending—yet I hated him getting beaten even more.

  How could I have been so wrong? How could I have trusted the system to take him in and prosecute him the right way? I wanted to be a trial lawyer so I could make a difference. Was I being naive that I trusted the system would uphold justice? Evan tried to tell me that cops in this town didn’t treat fairly black men who don’t look a certain way. As I looked back at her helpless face, I felt horrible.

  “Somebody help him! Somebody call someone!” I screamed out as Teddi and Millie held me back from getting in the middle of the hideous action.

  “Why are you trying to help this criminal out?” a bystander yelled out to me. “He hit your friend!”

  I’m not saying just because the assailant was black, young, and male that everyone was against him. But I thought it was very ironic that the person telling me to ignore what I was seeing was a white man who seemed happy to throw away the key on another brother.

  “Do you think what they’re doing to him is right?” I asked the man standing to my left.

  “Do you think him discharging a gun is right!” he screamed back at me. “He could have killed someone.”

  “Don’t worry about it. Don’t worry about it, Hailey,” Millie said with her cell pointed at everyone. “I’m recording all this on my phone. Cops, you all need to stop.”

  “Get him in the back of the car now and let’s take him to the station,” one of the cops said to the other. “These are just a bunch of young kids making noise, and they can’t do anything.”

  Teddi said, “With videotape we will do something.”

  G-Dogg looked worse than Rodney King, who’d suffered police brutality in the early nineties from the Los Angeles police department. G-Dogg had swollen eyes and a distorted, bloody face. You could see in G-Dogg’s pitiful, raged eyes, as they stared at the crooked cops, that he’d had his share of dealing with the tough local police department.

  Evan cried out, “I hope you guys are happy! G needs to be taken to a hospital, not a precinct. We gotta go help him.”

  She got no argument from any of us on that. My line sisters and I got back
into the car and followed the two police cars with blue lights flashing on both. I was driving a little too fast trailing the police car, but I was upset.

  Teddi said, “Slow down, Hailey. I know you’re hot. I’m mad, too. The cops were clearly out of line back there. However, you can’t get a ticket. Stop following their cars like this. We don’t wanna go to jail, too, do we?”

  “Look, if we don’t stand for something, we’ll fall for anything,” I told her. “I’m the one who said to call the police. I’m the one who wanted justice and expected it would be done. Then those cops, who are racist and nasty for whatever reasons, who took us backward and not forward, are going to be held accountable for their actions. Calling us some kids who can’t do anything—we’ll show them. Shoot, I can’t even find my cell phone.”

  “It’s right here in your purse,” Teddi said as she handed it to me. “What are you doing?”

  I said, “We need to call everybody we know and tell them to meet us here at the station. And somebody needs to call the TV crew.”

  It was two in the morning, and I felt bad waking Covin up. No, I didn’t feel bad at all. I knew he had to get up. I needed his help, and when he heard what I had to say, he showed himself once again to be the man I admired. He met us at the police station with about forty students strong.

  We started chanting, “The police are wrong! The police are wrong!”

  Our outraged group kept getting louder and louder. When the television crew showed up we were even more boisterous and demanded a difference. We were interviewed and showed them the videotape of the beating. The news crew and reporters went inside and got answers. We waited and would not go away.

  When the news crew came back out, it was evident they were with us and believed we weren’t blowing smoke. There was a large fire ablaze in the police department. The anchor woman I recognized from TV admitted someone was trying to cover up what had really happened. Evan and I pleaded with her that we could not let that happen.

  The TV woman, Lysa Ford, said, “I’m sure we’ll see some action in our favor. This department cannot take another racial incident.”