Page 20 of Frat Row
I shake my head no with a huge smile on my face.
After walking what feels like a mile in these heels, we come to a secluded lot on the edge of campus. The sun is about to go down, so it’s not as hot as it is during the day. Awkwardly, we just stand there, acutely aware of our surroundings. It’s eerily silent and getting darker, and the streetlights come on.
Blair tries not to move her mouth when she says, “I see a small black SUV headed this way.”
And sure enough, here it comes, pulling up.
“Blair and Cassidy?” a sister in a white angelic lace mask asks.
“Yes, that’s us,” I tell her.
“Hop in the back,” she says.
I open the back door, and Blair and I hop in and buckle our seatbelts. It’s a bench seat with a basket in the middle.
The mysterious sister says, “Reach in; there are black blindfolds for you both; put them on as well as the noise-canceling headphones.”
With a shaky breath, I reach for mine. Blair winks at me and fastens hers, throwing her headphones over her ears, and I follow. Darkness takes over my senses. My bladder could burst with how nervous I am. My hands and inner thighs are sweating.
The car lurches forward at a normal pace, and then about ten or so minutes later, it speeds up, indicating that we are getting on a highway. I am clueless as to where we are going, but I hope it is anywhere but the middle of nowhere.
A short while later, the car begins to decelerate and move slightly to the right; it must be getting off at an exit. Next, a bump makes my body jump, and my stomach feels uneasy. About fifteen minutes later, the car comes to an urgent halt.
The rear doors are thrown open, and I’m harshly seized under my arms as I’m led out of the car and onto the ground. Another sister holds my hand, and we steadily move toward our destination. She takes the lead, and I follow blindly.
Next, I cross through a threshold and am greeted by cool air, which can only mean one thing—we are in a building. Bumping into a table, I’m pushed on my shoulder to sit in a chair, automatically doing so while I steady my breathing.
A significant amount of time goes by, and then I’m yanked upwards to stand up. I’m tugged by my arm for about twenty or so feet until someone removes my headphones and then my blindfold. Adjusting to the lighting, I blink several times andlook around. There are candles scattered throughout the room, and the entire space is draped in white sheets. Sisters in white robes surround me; their hoods are sheer white, making it easy to recognize most of them. All of them are holding a candle, chanting while forming a circle around me, leaving a small opening. Someone comes up and nudges me toward it, and I go and stand silently. Another sister brings a small bathtub and places it in the middle.
Instinctively, my mind works out that we are in a church or cathedral. A sister strides toward me, holding out her hand for me to take. She raises one of her hands, and the chanting stops.
“Today, she leaves behind her life before and will re-emerge as a sister of Zeta Kappa Phi. You will come up purified and live to serve the sisterhood.”
She steps into the tub and signals me to follow her. Exactly like a baptism, she holds my nose and arches my head backward, plunging me into the tub. She quickly lifts me back up, and all of the sisters are clapping. We both get out, and towels are given to us.
All of them drop their hoods behind them, and my eyes seek out Blair. Not holding back, she runs over to me and almost topples us both over as she gives me a huge hug. We grin at each other, tears in our eyes, filled with disbelief.
Blair whispers in my ear, “You were the last one, so we can all take off our robes now and wrap this up.”
Beaming at her, I laugh and watch the older sisters embrace the new sisters. There is a ton of laughter, hugging, talking, and excitement that fills the room.
Our president informs us afterward that we will be taking a bus back to the sorority house, where we will receive our badges, numbers, and papers, officially making us members.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
“You’re being paranoid.” One of my brothers, Cam, scowls at me.
“You’re not being cautious,” I chide back at him while tossing a huge black duffel bag into the very back of the van, a loud squeal coming from it. We are in a secret garage located behind the fraternity house.
“Having the new brothers help with the business's workload would take a lot off our plate.” Cam sighs.
“I know most of them are legacies, and their family members know about the fraternity being a cover for the illegal business we run, but the newly initiated brothers have no clue. What if they freak out and drop?” I question him.
“Unlikely, for the exact reason you just said. Their families are too intertwined with this.”
I rub a hand down my face. “Yeah, you’re right.” I dismiss the thought.
He flings another heavy duffle bag to me, and I can hear the muffled screams.
