Bad Rep

by A. Meredith Walters

  “I've had a long day, I'm beat. I'll see you guys tomorrow. I'll be over to the house around lunch time, cool?” I said, grabbing my purse and digging for the keys.

  “Sounds good. We'll see you then.” Olivia got to her feet and gave me a hug. I patted her back awkwardly and threw out a final goodbye to Tabby and Milla before heading to the door.

  “Maysie! Hang on a sec!” I froze as Jordan jogged to catch up with me. I painted a smile on my face and stood rigidly as I waited for him.

  “Yeah?” I asked, almost scared of what he would say.

  “You forgot your debit card,” he said, handing out the thin piece of plastic between two fingers. I laughed nervously. God, I was such an idiot. What did I think he was going to do? Profess his undying love to me in front of his girlfriend and my sorority sisters? I needed to get a grip.

  “Thanks. Guess I need that.” I laughed shortly and reached out to take it from him. He put it in his palm and pressed it into mine. He held my hand almost intimately. The feel of his skin against mine was too much. We stood like that, our hands together, for longer than was appropriate. Realizing he had made no effort to move away, I snatched my hand back and gripped my card tightly in my fist.

  “Thanks,” I said, refusing to meet his eyes.

  “Sure,” he said quietly. I darted a quick glance back at my sisters. Olivia and Tabby were talking, oblivious to our little moment. But we did have a witness. Milla watched us closely and I tried not to shudder at the calculation I saw in her eyes. She met my gaze and lifted her drink toward me, arching her eyebrow.

  Shit, I had to get out of there. “See ya,” I told Jordan quickly, hurrying out the door.

  “Don't stand me up tomorrow night! You promised!” he called after me as I crossed the parking lot. I couldn't help myself, I just had to look at him again. So I stopped and turned to face him. He stood in the open doorway, watching me.

  “Sure, wouldn't miss it,” I called back, feeling the beginning of rain pelt down around me. Jordan smiled. The most perfect, amazing smile ever. And this time I fled as fast as my legs could carry me.

  Chapter Eight

  “I think we should do some sort of skit. You know for the rushees. Something that shows them how awesome Chi Delta is. We have to stand apart from the other sororities on campus,” Vivian enthused, as I looked through albums of pictures from past rush events. We were brainstorming ideas for the upcoming rush week. So far all we had come up with was a beach party theme and a biker babes night. I thought both were a little lame, but Vivian was all about it. I had yet to learn the fine art of speaking my mind at sorority meetings. I was still trying to figure out my place in this group of girls and didn't want to rock the boat.

  “Like what kind of skit?” I asked apprehensively, shuddering as I came across a series of pictures with past sisters dressed in zebra and leopard print outfits. A banner that read “Welcome to the Jungle” hung on the wall behind them. Dear lord.

  “I don't know, maybe we could do something that's like Chi Delts through the ages. We could have sisters in different time periods. Like flapper girls, then hippies, disco. We could have killer music and everything,” Vivian suggested. I actually thought the idea was pretty cool.

  “Yeah, I like that one. Lets start drafting a skit,” I said, standing up. I went over to the book shelf and pulled a spiral notebook down. We were sitting in the common room at the Chi Delta House. It was a beautiful room. There were three huge picture windows that overlooked the quad. The colors were a combination of warm golds and soft greens. I was camped out on one of the three plush couches that sat in a semi-circle around a large oak coffee table. Two walls were covered with built in book shelves and the other two walls were covered in pictures of the campus and Chi Delta members.

  I had opted out of having a room at the house. Sometimes I worried that this made it even harder for me to bond with my new sisters, but I had made the commitment to live with Riley. I would never have gone back on that.

  Vivian pulled out her own notebook and started writing down ideas for the skit. We were so into what we were doing that I jumped when the front door opened and a group of sisters came in. They had obviously been to the campus gym because they were all dressed identically in tiny work out shorts and barely there tank tops.

  Olivia was with them. When she saw us, she broke away from the group and came over. She sat down on one of the couches. “How's it going girls? Any ideas for rush?” She asked, taking a drink from her sports bottle.

  “Vivian came up with a great idea for a rush skit.” I said, letting Vivian have the spotlight.

  “Oh, yeah? Do tell,” Olivia said, sitting up. Vivian launched into an overly detailed description of the skit. I sort of zoned out. I couldn't help but watch Olivia as she spoke with Vivian.

  And I couldn't help but compare the two of us in my head. And so far I was coming up seriously short. How sad was it that I was creating a fictitious competition with this girl in my head? I needed to get over my ridiculous fixation with her boyfriend. The quicker I did that, the better off I'd be.

  “Don't you think, Mays?” Vivian asked suddenly, pulling me out of my thoughts. I blinked in confusion.

  “Huh?” I asked stupidly. Vivian rolled her eyes and Olivia chuckled. A low rich sound that probably made guys go instantly hard. Man, I hated her.

  “I said, we should probably start thinking of a play list for the skit and then we can build the dialogue around it,” Vivian said with irritation, clearly annoyed that I hadn't been paying attention.

  I nodded. “Yeah, that sounds like a plan,” I said as Olivia got to her feet.

  “You girls should talk to Jordan. He has an insane amount of music. He probably has everything from the last fifty years. He'd be a great resource for you to use. And I have it on good authority that he'll help out. You know, if he wants to get any later.” I tried not to gape at Olivia's sexual comment. Then I couldn't help but think of the two of them together. Naked. And I felt sick.

  “Really? Can you call Jordan and ask when we can meet with him?” Vivian asked, a little too eagerly.

  “Sure, I'll let you girls know,” Olivia told her, walking out of the room.

  “That'll be awesome! I'm sure Jordan will have a bunch of great ideas,” Vivian gushed and I gave her a weak smile.

  “Yeah, I'm sure,” I replied, none too enthusiastically.

  “Don't forget about the party at Jordan's tonight! Everyone is expected to be there!” Olivia said, peeking her head back around the door.

  “Of course we'll be there!” Vivian chirped. I gave a thumbs up as Olivia disappeared.

  “I've got to find something to wear for tonight!” Vivian squeaked, picking up her notebook and bag. For a girl who was about to enter her senior year, she came across as extremely juvenile sometimes.

  “Viv, you've got like eight hours before the party. I'd say you have time,” I said as she hurried to the stairs to go up to her room. She turned around and placed her hand on her hip.

  “Girl, it'll take me that long to be perfect. There will be some fine Pi Sig ass there tonight and if I want to secure a date to our first mixer, I have to look drop dead gorgeous.” She gave me a once over. “You might want to head home and start getting ready yourself. Maybe you'll find a guy you like tonight,” she offered.

  Oh there would be a guy I liked there alright. Just not one that I would ever have any claim to. “Eh, I've got time to wax and primp. No worries.” I followed Vivian up the stairs and headed to Gracie's room.

  “There's never enough time to make sure you look amaze!” I tried not to roll my eyes as she walked away.

  I went into Gracie's room without knocking. I never knocked. Unless there was a scrunchy on the door knob. Then I knew she was otherwise indisposed and to come back later. Gracie was ironing a shirt when I walked in. Her music was cranked up. She had on that horrible rap crap that she insisted was the only music worth listening to. She looked up as I came in and grinned. “Hey
girl!” she shouted over the stereo.

  She thankfully turned the music down. “How did the meeting with Vivian go? She's not having everyone dress like biker sluts for the first party is she?” Gracie asked.

  “Ah, so you've heard the fantastic biker babes concept already,” I surmised, laying down on her bed. She moved a pile of clothes onto the floor so I could put my feet up.

  “Yeah, we had to hear about it all last week. She seems to think it's the best idea EV-ER!” Gracie mimicked Vivian's high pitched voice perfectly.

  I laughed. “Yeah, well it looks like you're going to have to suffer through black leather and fishnets like the rest of us,” I told her.

  Gracie threw a shirt in my direction, which hit me in the face. “Why didn't you tell her that idea sucked? That's what you're supposed to do, Mays!” Gracie argued.

  I shrugged. “I don't know, maybe it won't be so bad,” I offered. Gracie looked at me pointedly.

  “No, you just didn't want to speak up. Girl, you have to learn to say what's on your mind. We're your sisters. We're not going to feed you to the lions if you disagree with us. That's the whole point of sisterhood. We stick together.” I sighed. I could tell she really believed what she was saying, but I wasn't so sure. I still felt a little out of place in Chi Delta at times. Some of the girls, like Gracie, had become real friends. The rest were still virtual strangers.

  Looking at Gracie, she was the epitome of the sorority chick. Her long hair was straight and the color of wheat. Her eyes a pretty light green eyes and she sported a thin figure despite the fact that she ate more than most guys I knew. She was classically pretty, with a cute little nose and rose bud lips. If I looked up sorority girl in the dictionary, I was sure Gracie's picture would be there. And her effortless ability to fit into this life was something I envied.

  “Yeah, well, next time,” I said noncommittally. Gracie didn't say anything, just turned back to her ironing.

  “So, do you have an outfit picked out for tonight?” she asked me, putting her shirt on a hanger and placing it in the closet. She shared her room with Milla and you could see the divide between their two personalities in that closet. Whereas Gracie dressed conservatively but cute, Milla's clothes were trampy and revealing.

  “Not yet. What's the big deal? It's just a party,” I said, not really getting the hype over it. Gracie turned around to face me.

  “Just a party? Girl, this is a party at Jordan Levitt's house. His parties are epic. This is the first official social event of the year. It sets the precedent for the entire fall semester. You have to look perfect! And more importantly, you have to find your date for the Pi Sig mixer in three weeks! I mean, you can't go by yourself!” Gracie sounded appalled at the idea. I wondered when I had stepped into the 1950's. I couldn't believe that people still hinged their entire life on finding the perfect guy. And herein lies the biggest difference between these girls and me.

  Because I'd much rather go to the mixer by myself. I didn't like the thought of scrounging for a date with some random guy and then having to suffer through an entire night of awkward conversation. But apparently that was a serious social faux pas. “Okay, okay. I'll make sure to look Barbie doll perfect,” I said sarcastically, though Gracie didn't pick up on it.

  She breathed out a sigh of relief. “Good. If you need any help getting ready, I can come over and we can hit the party together,” she suggested.

  “That sounds good,” I responded. It's not as if I needed help getting ready. I could put myself together pretty damn nicely. I had style and I always looked good, but Gracie had a need to put her touch to things. So I figured it was just easier to let her.

  Gracie came and sat down beside me on the bed. She grabbed my ankle and gave it a little shake. “Have you finally ditched the townie? You ready to find yourself a decent guy?” Not her too! Gracie had met Eli a couple of times and had never seemed bothered by our relationship. Apparently she had disapproved as much as Riley had. She was just less vocal about it.

  “Yeah, we're done. But I don't think I'm looking for anyone either. I might take a bit of a break from the whole dating scene for a while.” I said, knowing that I couldn't even think of hooking up with anyone while Jordan was still front and center in my mind.

  Gracie made a noise of disapproval. “No, no, no. You have to find someone to take you to the mixer! It's important, Mays!” she implored.

  “Well, what about you? Do you have your sights set on anyone?” I asked, trying to move the topic away from me and my love life.

  “I don't know, I have some potentials. I'm thinking of checking out Gio. I mean, he's cute, he lives with Jordan so you know he's really popular and he's a senior.” She ticked off each characteristic as though she were buying a car. What a sterile way to go about deciding whether to go out with someone.

  “Sure, Gio's nice,” I replied, though truthfully I had always heard he was a bit of a dog. A love 'em' and leave 'em' sort of guy. Gracie was too nice to be another notch on anyone's bedpost. But I didn't say anything. Who was I to tell someone who they could and couldn't like?

  We hung out for a while longer before she finally kicked me out, saying I had to go home and start prepping for tonight. I had the obstinate desire to show up to the party in my rattiest pair of jeans and a damn t-shirt. But I knew my sisters wouldn't be happy with that. They wouldn't be able to see the funny of it. But Jordan would get it...

  Okay, I had to stop that. Every thought seemed to find its way back to him and I was driving myself crazy. I let myself into my apartment and found Riley watching television, still in her pajamas. She had come home late last night. I had heard her letting herself in around three in the morning. Looking at her now, I could tell she was feeling rough.

  The blinds were still drawn across the windows and I felt like I was walking into a tomb. I sat down beside her on the couch. “How's it goin' Riley?” I asked too loudly. I couldn't stop grinning at her. Normally our roles were reversed and I was going to enjoy this.

  Riley gripped her head. “Ugg! Volume, please!” she whispered hoarsely.

  I slung my arm around her shoulders and squeezed. “Feeling a little crappy today?” I asked more softly this time, taking pity on her miserable state.

  Riley groaned. “I am never drinking again!” she swore, turning the TV off and laying down.

  “Have you eaten anything?” I asked her.

  Riley shook her head. “The thought of food makes me want to puke.” I got to my feet and headed into the kitchen.

  “Well, you have to eat something, or you'll feel worse,” I called out as I put two pieces of bread into the toaster and got the ibuprofen down from the cabinet.

  I took the dry toast, a large glass of water and the bottle of pain meds into the living room. “Drink all of this and take three ibuprofen. Trust me, if there's anything I know how to deal with, it's a hangover.” Riley gingerly took the capsules out of my hand and put them in her mouth. Then she drank the entire glass of water.

  “Now eat. Dry toast is the best thing for an upset stomach.” I shoved the plate into her hands and she took it, glaring at me.

  “You're enjoying this way too much.” She accused, nibbling on the bread. I smiled at her as I took a seat again.

  “Well, considering it's usually me in a fetal position on the couch, I don't envy you. But I must say, it's not like you to over indulge. I've never seen you like this. So what gives?” I ask her.

  “Stupid boys,” Riley muttered and my smile became even wider.

  “Did you go out with a boy last night, Riley?” I goaded. She gave me the middle finger.

  “Yeah, I hung out with Damien and a bunch of his friends after work. I got a little too drunk. Who knew a Green Eyed Monster was so vile coming back up.” Her face had gone pale.

  “Well, no wonder you feel like shit. Everclear is some hard shit if you're not used to drinking.” I pointed out.

  “Says the girl with the pickled liver,” Riley snarked. I ignored her
, knowing she was feeling touchy.

  “So, you and Damien, huh?” I asked, watching her to make sure she finished the toast.

  Riley shrugged. “We've hung out a few times,” she said.

  My eyes widened in surprise. “You have? What happened to not dating guys you work with?” I asked, giving her a smug smile.

  Riley shrugged again. “Yeah, well my advice sucks. Forget about the shit I say. I know nothing,” she said sarcastically. I snorted.

  “Do you like him?” I asked her, trying really hard not to yell “told you so” in her face.

  Riley smiled a little and I knew she did. “He's really cool. Did you know he started an eco-group back in his hometown? He recruited like fifty people and started an annual recycling campaign. He really gets things. And it's nice to talk to someone who's on the same wave length, you know?” She finished her toast and put the plate on the coffee table. I didn't want to tell her that he sounded boring as snot. So instead I grinned for her.