The Alpha Bet (22 page)

“You can’t leave right now, you won’t be back in time to enter the science fair.”

“This is more important,” I tell him, tearing off across campus.

I realized about halfway across campus that I have absolutely no proof that Sloane is a Zeta. I can’t just go barging into the Alpha house with some story. They’ll never trust me after what I did. I have to get proof.

The Zeta Sigma Alpha house is a stately three-story brick Colonial adorned in multi-colored twinkle lights. The smoke coming from the chimney immediately dashes my hopes that maybe none of the girls have returned from Thanksgiving break. I sneak around the back of the house to a partially filled parking lot. Three of the ten windows in the back of the house are illuminated. Somehow I have to figure out how I can get proof that Sloane is a Zeta without being noticed by any of the other Zetas. I’m sure they probably have a wanted poster of me hanging in the house after Sloane told them I was the one who sliced their panties. If they bust me, I’m dead.

The back door enters into the kitchen, which looks empty. I get an idea that just might work. I peel off my excess coats and backpack and stash them under the wooden steps leading to the back door. I wrap my hair into a short ponytail and secure it with a rubber band. Quietly I turn the knob to the back door, which luckily, pops right open. I tiptoe into the kitchen, leaving the door cracked behind me. I have a feeling I might need a fast exit.

I listen to the sounds of the house but all I hear is the normal creaking of the house, the furnace kicking on, and some faint sounds of music wafting down from the registers. I head for the refrigerator to find something to use to cover my face. That way if a nosy Zeta busts me, she’ll just think I’m a fellow sister exfoliating her dead skin. I reach for a tub of guacamole when I hear the stairs in the foyer creaking. I flip the lid off and slather smushed avocado all over my face leaving small eye and mouth holes.

I hear the kitchen door swing open and I quickly shove the container back on the shelf and bury my face in the frig. My heart is beating so fast that I’m pretty sure it’s visible through my T-shirt. If I make it through this, this is definitely my last undercover task. I guess this is kind of like my last Alpha task, even though, technically I’m not an Alpha, or will I ever be.

“Hand me a water, Katie,” a sleepy voice says from behind me. I grab a bottle of water and hand it behind me without turning around. “Thanks,” I hear the girl say as she shuffles over to a cabinet. I pretend to investigate my options in the frig while she rummages through the cabinet.

“Night,” she says, shuffling back out of the room. I shut the refrigerator door and take a minute to catch my breath. That was way too close. I have to get my proof on Sloane and get the heck out of here.

I crack the door open and peek out. I don’t see anyone so I slip out of the kitchen and head toward the living room. I just need something that puts Sloane in the Zeta house. Some sort of documentation or something. I slide along the hallway wall until I reach the room.

The Zetas great room actually looks similar to ours. A plush sectional sits in an L-shape taking up most of the room. One wall is made up of bookcases filled with framed photos. A plasma television hangs above the still smoldering fireplace.  I’m about to investigate other parts of the house when my eyes fall on an eight-by-ten photograph of Sloane wearing a black dress and pearls. Just below the dip of her pearls is a shiny gold Zeta pin. I rush to the bookcase and grab the frame. I skitter back down the hall to the kitchen with my face tightening from the hardening guacamole. I wish I could take the time to wipe my face but I don’t want to spend another second in this house.

I slip quietly out the back door, the frame safely tucked in my arms. I’m ecstatic imagining how I’ll save the Alphas from leaking their secrets to a mole. Surely they won’t be able to hate me after this. I grab my coats and backpack that I stuffed under the steps. I lay the picture down carefully while I slip into one of the coats because it is freezing. It is bad enough that I have avocado freezing to my face.

“What do you think you are doing?” A familiar voice says, causing bolts of fear to run through my body.

I turn slowly to see Sloane glaring at me then glancing to her picture. Confusion registers on her face, clearly I must really resemble this Katie person, because it takes almost a full second for Sloane to see past the avocado and recognize my eyes. It gives me just enough time to grab the picture and bolt from behind the Zeta house.

“I’m going to kill you when I catch up with you,” Sloane screams from not too far behind me. Somehow I don’t think she is just saying that.

My mind automatically wants to start figuring out how far the Alpha house is, and at my current rate of speed, how long it will take me to get there. But I shut it down and focus on the physical act of getting to the Alpha house. If I trip, I’m dead. I jump a shrub on the Zeta property line and head toward the front of the house where I have a better chance of running into more people.

I hear Sloane’s shoes crunching the gravel behind mine then nothing, meaning she jumped the shrub too and is practically close enough to touch me.

“Help me,” I start screaming, hoping I’ll scare her off.

“Nobody is going to help you,” she yells, lunging on my back and knocking me to the ground. I land on top of my arms, which are still holding the picture frame. The weight cracks the glass on the frame. I clutch it tight as Sloane tries to pry my arms from under me.

“It’s over, Sloane. I’m telling the Alphas everything,” I yell, muffled from having my face kissing the ground.

“You won’t be telling anyone anything when I get done with you.” She punches me in the side and even though my coat is puffy, it smarts. The punches keep coming until I’m about to give up. Maybe the Alphas won’t need proof. Maybe they’ll just take my word for it. Yeah, right. I can’t believe I failed the Alphas again but my arms are loosening and I can’t hang on anymore.

Just as I’m about to give up the last shred of hold I have on the picture, I can breathe again. Sloane isn’t on top of me anymore and the punches have stopped. I struggle to my feet to see Charlie holding Sloane by the collar of her jacket as she tries to connect her left fist to my face. Charlie jerks her back just in time.

“I thought you might need some help,” Charlie says, cracking up when he sees my face.

“You’re the best boyfriend ever. I gotta go,” I yell, taking off toward the Alpha house.

****

I arrive at the Alpha house huffing and puffing so I take a minute to collect myself before ringing the doorbell. I swipe at my face with my jacket sleeve but the guacamole is all crusty now so it won’t come off. I stab the doorbell quickly, knowing that my nervousness about facing the Alphas is only going to get worse the longer I stand out here. I hear footsteps in the hall and blow out a breath I was holding.

Lindsay swings the door open and eyes me with suspicion. “Grace Kelly?”

“T is for traitor,” I say, thrusting the picture at her. I ditched the broken frame in a trashcan on the way over. Her eyes scan the picture and when she sees the Zeta pin, she covers her mouth with her hand.

“Why did you…” she begins then stops.

“Because you’re still my sisters.” I tell her, walking away.

****

Christmas break is finally here. I shove another pair of jeans into my already loaded down suitcase. I completely aced my finals. I missed the deadline to enter the science fair but I figure it’s time to give someone else a chance anyway. Besides, it gives me my entire break to help Mom decorate, bake, shop and go out on the occasional date with Charlie.

“So Lindsey is pretty sure that the Zetas are going to get their charter pulled,” Jentry beams.

The whole Sloane debacle caused quite a ruckus on campus, even landing her on the front page of the school newspaper. Rumor has it the Zetas were so furious about her screwing up that they banned her from the house. A few days later, some moving men showed up and cleaned out her dorm room. I wish I could say that I’ll miss her next semester but that would make me a big, fat liar.

“I’m pretty sure they would have killed me and buried my body had they caught me inside the house,” I say, shivering.

“Yeah, but the Alphas are forever in your debt,” Jentry says, zipping her own suitcase. I nod in agreement, trying to ignore the stabbing pain in my chest at the mention of the Alphas.

Lindsay and the other girls sent me a beautiful letter telling me how much they appreciated everything I had done for the house but I guess I was still expecting to be let back in.

“You look really nice,” I tell Jentry, commenting on her black wrap dress and perfectly made up face and hair. She is spending the holidays with her parents after calling them and airing her feelings. I can tell she is trying to impress them. My eyes linger on her Alpha pin adorning the left side of her dress.

“Aw, this old thing,” she laughs, gesturing to the dress. She winks at me, knowing she hasn’t fooled me for a second. “So that was super cool of Edwina Fay to send you all that stuff,” Jentry says, gesturing to the cardboard box full of her cosmetic company’s makeup.

“You are welcome to any of it,” I tell her, touching the letter on my desk that was included in the box. Edwina wrote that even though she didn’t approve of the way I became an Alpha, she understood. She thanked me for defending the sorority against Sloane. It was nice to be forgiven from her, especially since Charlie and I are getting so close.

“What a semester, huh?” Jentry says, appearing next to me, struggling with her many bags.

“Yeah, who would have guessed,” I laugh, remembering the first time I saw her underneath Aaron’s dragon tattoo. So many things have changed since then, besides just my hair and makeup. I realize now that you can learn things from life that you’ll never be able to learn from a book.

“Ready?” I ask, sliding on my jacket and grabbing my suitcase. “Charlie is waiting downstairs to take us to the bus station.”

“Yeah, I know. I told him that I need to run an errand real quick,” she says, shutting and locking our door for the last time this semester.

“Charlie, can you make a quick detour to the Alpha house?” Jentry calls from the backseat of Charlie’s Jeep.

“Alpha house? I thought you meant you needed to go to Walgreen’s or something. I don’t think this is a very good idea, Jentry.” I pipe up nervously.

“It’s okay, GK. The sisters are all already gone on break. I just have to check and make sure nobody left a flatiron plugged in or anything.” Jentry’s explanation sounds pretty weak but Charlie heads toward the Alpha house anyway.

I’m startled when Charlie pulls on the curb in front of the house instead of using the back parking lot.

“What’s the use of having a Jeep if I can’t off road a little bit?” He laughs, noticing my shock.

I open the door and jump out onto the sidewalk. I pull the seatback forward to let Jentry out. She delicately pulls herself from the back of the Jeep trying not to do damage to her dress or heels. I glance at the Alpha house and it looks like Jentry was right. There isn’t a light on in the place. Just being so close to the house still stings. I’m starting to wonder if I’ll ever feel differently.

“It’s kind of creepy with no lights on. Can you come in with me?” Jentry asks, starting to shut the Jeep door.

“Oh, no,” I shake my head. It’s bad enough just standing outside. I know the Alphas aren’t mad at me anymore but I’m sure they wouldn’t be too jazzed about me being inside the house either.

“Charlie will go in with you,” I offer, raising my eyebrows to plead with him. He shuts off the Jeep and jumps out.

“Let’s all go. Safety in numbers,” he says teasingly.

“Come on,” Jentry says, grabbing the sleeve of my coat so that I can’t run away from her. Charlie gets behind me and places his hand reassuringly on the small of my back. Even through my jacket his touch has a calming effect on me.

When we get to the front door, I can’t help but remember the first time I went through it. I would still rather suffer through the eye patch again if it meant getting to stay an Alpha. Jentry swings the door wide open and I realize it was a good thing she double-checked the house. I can’t believe that Lindsay would leave it unlocked before leaving town.

The three of us step into the darkened foyer where only a night-light illuminates the house. I don’t remember that being there before but I guess I better get used to not knowing what is going on in the house. Charlie kneads my shoulders with his hands, probably knowing how hard being here is for me.

“Thanks for coming in with me, Grace Kelly,” Jentry shouts.

“Um, sure. No problem,” I respond in a normal voice. She’s been acting sort of jittery all night. I think the stress of seeing her parents is finally getting to her.

My stomach plunges when I see the first flicker of light coming from the direction of the great room. But when the melodic chanting of the Alpha song begins, I understand. The Alphas have tricked Jentry into thinking they were gone when really they were waiting here for her initiation ceremony. The original ceremony got canceled after the mess I made of everything. I shouldn’t be here. This is a sacred time between sisters.

I know I should bolt out of the house but my feet seem cemented to the marble floor as one-by-one the sisters make a circle around the foyer. They are all smiling as they sing about lifelong bonds. When the circle is complete, Lindsay steps forward. She is smiling, so I guess she isn’t too upset about me busting in on their party.

When she extends her arm I think that she is going to hand Jentry the unlit candle she is holding. Then I notice that Jentry already has a lit candle in her hands. She is beaming up at me. I’m still not getting what is happening until Lindsay stops directly in front of me and hands me the candle. I look back to Jentry as if to question whether this is actually happening. She nods her head yes vigorously.