The Alpha Bet (13 page)

“I’m sorry that we surprised you tonight. We won’t do it again,” Mom says.

I have never had a stronger urge to grab her and never let go. I know it is going to be a long time before I see her again because I’m just not strong enough to go home for a visit yet.

“We love you, Grace Kelly,” Dad adds, blowing me a kiss.

“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do, GK,” Sean says, adopting Jentry’s nickname for me, while wrapping his arms around himself acting like he is making out with someone.

“Mom, I’m not going to do anything to let you down,” I say, and then remember the beer bong, the run-in with campus security, the panty slicing, making out with Charlie, and then Aimee. Okay, so maybe I stretched the truth a little bit.

“She’s going to make the right decisions, Marge,” Dad defends me, raising his eyebrows at me in warning. Got it. If I get caught lying to them again, it won’t be pretty.

“Give me a big hug, sis,” Sean laughs, leaning out his back window. “I want naked pictures of Jentry emailed to me, ASAP, or I’ll blow the lid off your lesbian lover,” he whispers, holding up his cell phone. Great. He’s got photographic proof. I’m so dead.

“Don’t let yourself get too overwhelmed,” Mom says, grabbing my hand.

Too late, I think, as I paste a fake smile on and watch my family drive away without me.

“Why the long face, Little Miss-I-Graduated-High-School-Early?” Jentry asks, reminding me that I haven’t exactly had a chance to explain why I lied to her about my age. After my parents left I went back to my dorm room and got Jentry so that we could walk to the Alpha house together.

“Listen, Jentry. I’m really sorry about lying to you,” I say, suddenly paranoid that maybe Jentry will be mad and rat me out to the Alphas.

“You didn’t lie. You just didn’t volunteer the information. I’m kind of proud of you in a sick way.” She laughs.

“You aren’t mad?” I ask, relieved.

“You were just looking out for yourself. I get it.”

“What if the Alphas find out?”

“Why would they care?” She asks, confused.

“I don’t know. I just don’t want them thinking I’m too young.”

“Well, then we just won’t tell them,” she says smiling.

My stomach stops churning just knowing that, once again, Jentry is looking out for me. I guess maybe my whole family didn’t drive away after all.  I am so looking forward to a relaxing night at the house, I think, as Jentry opens the front door of the Alpha house. We dump our bags in the foyer and join the sisters in the great room. They are all sprawled over furniture and the floor chatting.

“Sit by me, Grace Kelly,” a voice says. I can’t tell who said it because all of the sisters are packed into the great room wearing pajamas and fuzzy slippers chatting excitedly. I practically have goose bumps I’m so excited about my first overnight in the Alpha house. Being in the house with all the sisters is really helping me take my mind off of missing my family.

“No, GK. Sit by me,” Aimee says. I know I’m not imagining the googly eyes Aimee is directing my way when Jentry elbows me.

“Somebody’s got a girl crush,” she whispers. Yikes. I think I must have performed K a little too well.

“I know you’re all excited but everybody needs to take a seat so we can take care of some business before the sleepover starts,” Lindsay says, walking to the front of the room. Jentry and I cop a squat right where we are. I finger my Alpha pin, which is back where it belongs, pinned to the collar of my pink silky pajama top. The cool metal of the pin is reassuring under my fingers.

“First off, I want to congratulate Grace Kelly for completing tasks; A, B, C, K, P and Z. Although K was sort of questionable,” Lindsay says, throwing a dirty look toward Aimee. Grace Kelly has done everything the Alphas have asked of her and has completed tasks that have bettered our sorority and our campus.” She beams at me. All the sisters start clapping, including Jentry, who is mouthing ‘What did you do for K?’ I’m so lame that I’m afraid I might actually start crying. Being an Alpha means so much to me that I’m terrified the sisters will find out I’m a fake.

“Thanks, everybody,” I manage to squeak out.

“Jentry and Sloane are moving right along, too,” Lindsay says, gesturing to their missing letters.

It seems as though Sloane has miraculously recovered from the flu. She is looking vixen-like in a turquoise teddy and matching feather boa. I have no idea what would possess her to dress like that for a bunch of girls. She is weird/evil squared.

“Pledges, we have a certain number of volunteer hours that we have to maintain each month to be in good standing with National,” Lindsay explains. “We need to decide where we are going to use our volunteer hours this month. Any suggestions?” Lindsay asks, poising her pen above her notebook.

“How about the soup kitchen?” Someone volunteers.

“I’m not going back there. Some bum grabbed my butt last time,” Juliet says, looking infuriated. We all start laughing.

“Okay, so the soup kitchen is out,” Lindsay agrees. “How about Meals on Wheels?”

“No, way. I had a lady throw scalding hot meatloaf at me because she thought I was trying to poison her,” Jodi yells.

“Okay, then,” Lindsay says, crossing something off her paper. “Is there any charity work we’ve done where someone hasn’t been sexually harassed or assaulted by meat?”

Silence fills the room. I timidly raise my hand.

“This isn’t kindergarten, Grace Kelly. Just say what’s on your mind,” Lindsay jokes.

“What about the animal shelter?” I ask, thinking it would be a blast to take care of animals. The sisters start chatting excitedly amongst themselves.

“That’s a great idea, Grace Kelly. All in favor?” Lindsay asks. Every girl in the room shouts, ‘Aye’.

Lindsay reaches up to the letters behind her. She yanks down the V and crumples it in her palm. “V for volunteer,” she says, smiling. Sweet! Another letter done. Lindsay is the coolest sister ever.

“Hey, V was my letter,” another sister starts to complain. Before Lindsay can respond a loud crashing noise comes from the foyer. All the sisters scramble to their feet and head toward the sounds that are booming from the foyer. Jentry and I are nearly there when we hear a guy’s voice yell out, ‘panty raid’. All the sisters start screaming and chasing after frat guys wearing ski masks and all black.

“This is like a bad eighties movie,” Jentry laughs.

“What’s going on?” I ask nervously.

“They are here for our panties. It’s a really lame fraternity tradition,” Jentry explains.

“What? No.” I shake my head furiously, mortified at the thought of giving my underwear to a total stranger.

One of the panty raiders comes up behind her and scoops her up in his arms. It would be impossible not to recognize Ron’s huge muscles even underneath his disguise. Jentry pulls up the bottom part of his mask to expose his lips then kisses him. I go back into the great room to give them some privacy and to escape the madness of all the sisters screaming that they aren’t giving up their best Victoria Secrets panties just for a stupid gag.

“Give em up, Grace Kelly,” a familiar voice whispers in my ear. My knees practically go weak hearing Charlie’s voice. His chest is pressed against my back with his hands holding my arms to my sides.

“I don’t live here. All my panties are at the dorm,” I say, happy to have a legitimate excuse. Nothing would embarrass me more than having to hand over a pair of my new not-so-granny panties to Charlie except maybe handing over a pair of my old granny panties.

“Not all of them,” he says, moving his hands dangerously close to my butt. I thought I was faint tonight with all the parent drama but that was nothing compared to what Charlie’s touch does to me. The commotion in the foyer seems to have died down and it feels like we are all alone in the house.

“You’ve got to be kidding,” I say weakly, knowing I would give him just about anything he wanted right now.

“I never kid when it comes to undergarments,” he says. He releases one of my arms then uses his free hand to pull my hair off my neck while he starts kissing it. I lose myself in the feel of his hot breath and lips on my skin. Yelling and slamming doors yank me back to reality.

“Turn around,” I demand. All I can see of his face are a giant grin and two smiling eyes peering back at me when he turns around. I yank my silky pajama bottoms and my underwear down quickly. My ankle gets caught on my underwear as I try to grab them and I crash into the wall. Charlie snickers lightly. So much for being sexy. I ball up my underwear in my hand then pull my pajama bottoms back on. I cannot believe that I am about to hand over my underwear to a guy I barely know. Ignoring the whole humiliation factor, this can’t be sanitary.

I stuff them into his pocket and shove him toward the foyer before I chicken out. He whistles happily on his way out without ever looking back.

I crumple onto a leather chair, laughing. Thank god I had my new underwear on. I hear what sounds like a warrior cry come from the foyer then the front door slams and the Omegas are gone.

“You look positively guilty,” Jentry says, collapsing in another chair across from me. The skin around her mouth is red and splotchy from Ron’s goatee whiskers.

“I just gave Charlie my underwear,” I laugh.

“I should have known you’d pack a spare pair. I bet you were a kick ass Girl Scout, GK.” She laughs.

“I didn’t give him a spare pair,” I tell her trying to keep a straight face.

“Oh my God, I’ve created a monster,” Jentry laughs.

“He is the most amazing kisser. Not that I have anything to compare it to besides Aimee, but that doesn’t really count,” I babble. As soon as I realize what I just said I slap my hand over my mouth in shock. Jentry is sitting straight up in the chair looking serious.

“Don’t tell anybody I just told you that,” I whisper, petrified that someone is going to find  out that I accidentally told Jentry about one of my tasks.

“I know you really like this guy, GK, but you need to be careful,” Jentry warns, not even hearing my slip about the K task.

I should have known that Charlie was too good to be true.

“Does he have a girlfriend or something?” I ask, feeling devastated already.

“This is about you, GK, not him. You’re underage and he could go to jail if you, you know,” she whispers.

I bury my face in my hands and wonder what Google would tell me to do about all this mess I’ve gotten myself into.

****

Two days later, I’m heading across campus practically giddy. It is the first day of classes and I can hardly wait to get somewhere I feel comfortable. The only thing that would make this morning any better is if I had my trusty backpack. Jentry made me trade it in for a leather messenger bag, completely ignoring my ergonomic argument about shoulder strain.

Campus looks so much different with everyone here. I got used to wandering around, taking in the weathered brick buildings, and not thinking about plowing into someone. Today the sidewalks are packed with fellow students looking sleepy while wearing Ipods, drinking coffee, and straggling to class. I’m so glad that I thought to map out the route to my classes so that I’m not trying to find my way to unfamiliar buildings with these crowds. I make it safely to Mason Hall without incident.

I sneak in the double doors behind some guys I recognize as Omegas. I immediately think of Charlie, and start wondering what he did with my underwear. Before I know it, I’m forced into a giant throng of students headed down a long corridor. I start to panic, realizing I’m in the middle with no chance of escaping. Slowly students start to drop off as they dart into classrooms off to the right and left of the corridor. Before long I’m alone, most people having already found their assigned classrooms. I pull out my class schedule scanning for my room number. I can’t believe I was so focused on finding my way to the building that I never even considered that the inside of the building would be impossible to manage. My schedule says that Organic Chemistry is in Schroeder Auditorium. Auditorium? I’m starting to panic because no one else is around but I haven’t heard the bell ring yet so I should be okay.

I fly dangerously down the hall, knowing that I am taking my life into my own hands. I round the corner only to be faced with another gigantic hallway. I notice two blondes twirling their hair and chatting by a drinking fountain.

“Excuse me? Can either of you tell me where Schroeder auditorium is?”

The girls turn in my direction and I see the huge Z’s across their T-shirts. Zetas. Their eyes immediately lock onto my Alpha pin. Uh, oh. I start to back slowly away. I recognize one of them from the locker room incident.

“Oh, sure. You just take these stairs,” one of the Zetas says, pointing to a staircase. “And go up two flights of stairs. It will be right on your left.” They smile brightly and I realize they don’t recognize me without my zebra head.

“Thanks,” I yell, bounding up the steps. I feel a little guilty about the whole mooning incident after they were so nice to me. I don’t have time to worry about it though because I have to get to class. I make it to the third floor only to find it deserted. They lied to me. Of course they did. How could I be so naïve? I sink down into an empty chair next to a dark office. I don’t bother to try and stop the tears from running down my cheeks. I feel so lost.

“Grace Kelly?” A familiar voice asks, bending down in front of me.

“Lindsay?” I ask, swiping at my cheeks furiously. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m Dr. Brown’s T.A. this semester, which basically means I run to his office for him thirty times a day,” she explains, rolling her eyes. “Let me guess. The Zetas told you your class was up here?”

I nod pitifully.

“Those bottom feeders are famous for doing that every year. Just ignore them. Is something else wrong?” She pries.

“College is so intimidating. I just wish I knew what I was doing. And I think I miss my family.” I open up.

“Freshman year is tough for everybody. I went home every weekend for the first four months,” she admits.