Page 72 of Strelitzias in Spring

“I know. Me too, Little. Are you going to the mixer this weekend? I know you haven’t gone to one since the messy mixer. It’s with Sig Phi, the business fraternity; they’re co-ed.” Immediately, I shake my head and watch as Meg’s face falls. “Oh. Do you have other plans?”

“Yeah, I have plans with C and Ava on Saturday night.”

Meg nods her head, considering her words before asking, “Are you happy, Serena? Being in the sorority, I mean. You haven’t come to much since rush and pledging.”

Looking away, I think about how best to respond. “I am happy, and I like all the women in the sorority, you especially.” I pause, smiling at her. “But aside from you, I don’t feel connected to the other girls, probably because I have classes during chapter, work weekends, and have commitments with other organizations, too.” I reflect on STD, the English Honor Society, and how my role continually changes. “Things aren’t too busy with STD, but I know they’ll pick up once the weather gets nicer, and I’m relishing whatever free time I have before things get too hectic. I should make more of an effort; I know that.”

“Just maybe come by the house, hang out with us, and get to know everyone a bit. You don’t need to go to the mixers or rush events if you really can’t or don’t like them. I know they say you have to do certain things, but no one is going to force you, especially if you’re paying your dues. And if you decide to disaffiliate, we can still be friends; it’s not like I’ll kick you out of my life just because the chapter isn’t the right fit.” Meg reaches over and squeezes my hand, showing me with both her words and actions that she supports me.

“Thanks, Meg.” I smile, but she rolls her eyes.

“Would it kill you to call me ‘Big?’”

Returning her eye roll, I tease, “Probably.”

I’m about to cut off another piece of French toast when Meg asks, “So, how’s everything with Jack?”

“Nothing is going on between me and Jack.”

“Your date didn’t go well?”

Shaking my head, I drop my fork and reach for the glass of water, taking a generous sip before telling her about the shitshow of a date. Meg is practically rolling on the floor by the time I describe Ava and Celeste’s wigs.

“So let me get this straight: Jack picks you up, brings you to a tavern for pizza, tries to kiss you but gets interrupted by Celeste’s cousin, who just so happens to be there. Your two best friends are dressed like international spies, and then Jack abandons you without paying the bill?” When I nod, not bothering to correct a single thing she said because there’s no lie detected, she howls with laughter. “My God, Jack needs to fix his game. No wonder he’s still single.”

“He’s a nice guy,” I grumble, feeling protective of him even though there’s no romantic feeling there.

“Nice? Sure, but incredibly stupid. So, tell me about this guy, Wolf.”

Grabbing my fork, I slice a piece of toast and pop it into my mouth, chewing slowly. “He’s Celeste’s cousin.”

“Serena.” Her voice sounds like a teacher scolding a kindergartener.

Clearing my throat, I offer, “We’re seeing each other. He’s the guy from the party, the one that came to pick me up, you know.”

Meg’s eyes widen at the realization. “Holy shit. That huge redhead that looks like he could bench press a tree?”

“Yeah, that’s the one.”

“Damn, good for you. No wonder why you aren’t interested in Jack.”

Laughing, I’m about to respond when I see familiar blonde hair out of the corner of my eye. Sobering immediately, I turn my head and watch as Marina and Bethany walk into JJ’s and slide into a booth on the opposite side of the room. It’s far enough away that I’m not forced to interact with them, but it’s directly in my line of sight. They both see me, and their pretty faces transform with the ugly sneers plastered on them.

“What’s wrong?” Meg asks, instantly recognizing that something is off. Spinning around, she follows my gaze and turns back to me, a frown marking her face. “Isn’t that your stepsister?”

“Yep, and her big, Bethany. She’s a senior in my linguistics class. I think she hates me as much as Marina does.”

Meg’s nose scrunches at my explanation. “She’s probably annoyed she’s not at the top of the class. Let me guess, you answer every question correctly?”

“I may have corrected her once or twice.”

“Ah, no one likes a know-it-all,” Meg teases, her face smoothing at the taunt.

“Shut up. I couldn’t help it.”

“Forget them. We’re done anyway, right?” she asks, glancing down at our almost-empty plates. Nodding my agreement, she pulls out a couple of twenties and lays them on the table. “Let’s go, my treat today.”

“Wait, let me pay you back. I’ll send you the money.” Pulling out my phone, I swipe over the unopened texts and click on my banking application.

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