Page 12 of Frat Row
I accepted right away. The happiness that surges through me because I don’t have to be anyone’s bitch anymore is unmatched.
Now for the initiation.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
The week flew by. Since we visit fewer houses each day, the conversations were much longer, and I was running out of stuff to talk about. The sisters seemed over it as well. When we reached the third day of rush, there were four houses we needed to visit. On the fourth day, there were three houses. Finally, on the fifth day, known as Preference Night, there were two house events to attend. The attire was a black dress and black heels. This was where we had the most intimate and lengthy conversation with one sister at a table, almost like a date, where you sit across from one another.
I headed home after preference night with one of my houses being Zeta Kappa Phi. I had a huge grin on my face knowingthere was no possible way I wouldn’t get a bid from them to be a new member.
It’s Saturday morning, and I’m wearing my cutest scalloped Lilly Pulitzer shorts with a matching top and sneakers, sitting with Blair for coffee in the cafeteria.
“Are you nervous?” she asks me with a shaky breath.
“Blair, there’s nothing to be worried about! Zeta Kappa Phi is both in our top two, and best of all, we are legacies! We got this in the bag,” I tell her as I shrug my shoulders with a confident smile on my face.
“Come on, let's go get our bids!” I squeal as I jump with excitement on our way to the gymnasium, which is decorated with all of the crests of the different sororities.
A bid is a formal invitation to join a new sorority, complete with your full name, their crest, and motto. It’s legit and something you keep forever.
If you receive a phone call the night before, they try to break the bad news to you as best they can, letting you know you didn’t get a bid. This is to make sure you don’t show up the next day expecting one.
Imagine if they didn’t call. How fucked up would it be to show up and not have a bid while other girls around you are crying and screaming? I could never show my face again.
One of the girls on the executive board of Greek Life, who approves everything from events to homecoming and philanthropies, stands up with a megaphone and shouts, “Go!”
In a frenzy, we snatch our envelopes that are taped underneath our chairs and tear them open, and there it is in all its glory—my invitation. I read over it twice because this is such a surreal moment. At the very top in calligraphy, it states with infinite precision, “Cassidy Marie Matthews, you are cordially invited to become a new member of Zeta Kappa Phi,” with their crest at the top and signed by the current presiding president.
I spin my head over at Blair. We gawk at each other as we overlook each other’s invitations, confirming that we are both accepted into the same sorority. Staring at the invitations in disbelief, Blair whips out her phone and takes a selfie of us teary-eyed and happily laughing and hugging.
After taking the picture, it occurs to us to send it to our moms and post it all over our social media accounts, considering we can now reactivate them.
Now it’s time to ‘run’ home to Zeta Kappa Phi, hence the sneakers, where we will spend the day getting to know the sisters.
Blair and I take off, clasping hands the entire way to the sorority. Several sisters are jumping up and down, holding signs with our names on them; the rest are swarming us ecstatically, welcoming us as new members. The sisters holding the signs have volunteered to be our ‘buddy’ for the day and show us around to get us accustomed to how the sorority is run and introduce us to other sisters.
While being embraced by other sisters beaming at us like we just won the sorority lottery, I take notice of about thirty new members.
I spent the day having lunch in the house kitchen alongside all the sisters, learning some of the sorority chants and the overall history, which includes famous celebrities who are also Kappa Zeta Phi members.
Now, all there is to do is to make it to initiation in one month. Previously, my mom told me they try not to haze because they don’t want anyone to drop out. Most of the time, there are still mundane tasks you are required to do, such as carrying books to classes for your sisters or picking up their dry cleaning.
Quite honestly, being a new member of this sorority is the best in terms of hazing. Rumor has it that another sorority has new members sit on the washer and dryers at the house entirelybare. If part of your body jiggles, they circle it with a permanent marker, and you have to lose the weight before initiation, or they drop you.
After lounging and watching TV, I decide to call it a night before Blair, so I head back to our apartment. Classes start next week, so I’m excited to head back to our apartment and relax and hang out all weekend. While driving through the streets hazily, I daydream about becoming a sister.
Pulling into the parking lot, my phone suddenly pings, and a text message comes through.
Unknown: Congrats on becoming a new member of Zeta Kappa Phi! They obviously needed a new poster girl to recruit more members.
I look around the parking lot, confused and on high. Is someone watching me? I bite my lip, contemplating whether I should text back or not. I quickly try to think of who this could possibly be. Shaking my head, knowing I’m overreacting, I speedily type out a reply.
Me: Who is this?
Unknown: Your favorite one-night stand.
Rolling my eyes, I text back.
Me: How did you get my number? Something on your record you’d like to share?
