Malena was the last one to get to Stephanie’s apartment, where the meeting was being held. When she walked through the door everybody said hello and looked past her for their other line sister.
“Where’s Tammy?” Tiara asked.
“Tammy dropped.”
“Why?” everybody asked in unison.
“Well, it’s a long story, but she had a good reason . . . I guess.”
“Hold on now!” said Cajen. “I’m sorry, but that’s just not good enough. I need an excuse that’s better than ‘It’s a long story.’ I mean, is somebody gonna be dropping every day? Is that what I’m supposed to expect?”
Stephanie jumped in. “Cajen, calm down.”
“I can’t calm down! Tammy is the third person to drop in less than twenty-four hours, and we’ve only had one session. If this continues, there won’t be a line. I thought about not continuing myself, but I thought about Tiara and the rest of you, and I knew if I dropped it would be for selfish reasons. Does anybody else realize how much we need one another now?”
“Cajen,” said Malena, “nothing could have been done to stop Tammy from dropping. She had personal reasons, and it didn’t have anything to do with the line or the session last night. She did what she had to do. But Cajen, I promise you this, I have no intention of dropping line, and if nobody else can say that, I’m saying it to you right now. They’re gonna have to kick me off line if they don’t want me to make it. Otherwise, I plan to complete this.”
“I do too,” Chancey agreed. Not knowing her new line sisters well, she felt comfortable listening and absorbing everything that was said.
“And you ought to know that I can’t see nothing but pink,” added Tiara.
Then everybody looked at Stephanie. “I don’t know why you’re looking at me. If you only knew how much this sorority means to me, already, you wouldn’t look at me like that. I’m not only doing this for me, I’m doing this for my mother and her mother. I’m not going anywhere.”
“Good,” Cajen said. “Because if anybody else quits, I’m out.”
“And we can’t let that happen,” Tiara said.
A silence fell over the room, and everybody glared at one another with the same sentiment in their eyes that said, You’d better not let me down. There was a sense of security in everyone’s stating they were not going to drop, but doubt still lingered in the back of everyone’s mind that somebody might lose her strength or her will, and quit suddenly.
Stephanie broke the silence. “All right, now that we’ve established that nobody else is dropping, let’s get started.” She looked around to make sure she had everyone’s attention. “I hate to begin this meeting on a sour note, especially after the bad news we just received, but since it’s likely we’re going to be meeting a lot over here, I took the liberty of adding ‘Stephanie’s apartment dos and don’ts’ to our pledge dos and don’ts.”
“What?” Tiara asked, not sure if she heard her right. Her other sisters felt the same way.
“Don’t take it personally. I just want to make sure everybody respects my apartment. I only have three rules. Is that asking for too much?” She didn’t wait for an answer. “Those rules are: When we conduct meetings over here, do not sit on my bed. Take your shoes off at the door. And make sure, please make sure, you pick up after yourselves,” she said, overarticulating every word.
“Okay, Dean Big Sister Stephanie. What’s up with this tyrant behavior?” Tiara questioned.
“Oh, no, I don’t mean to offend anybody, Tiara. It’s just that with five people over here every day, it’s going to be tough keeping things neat. I just wanted my requests to be made known, so there wouldn’t be any misunderstandings in the future. Plus, my carpet was just cleaned last month.”
Tiara looked around. Stephanie’s carpet was nice and plush, not like that thin plastic carpet she was used to walking on while growing up in the Indiana projects. In fact, Stephanie’s entire apartment was immaculate—almost too nice for someone her age.
She had cherry wood furniture throughout, in “good as new” condition, which had been her parents’ before her mother went on a decorating binge. On her walls hung matted and framed African-American art. Everything flowed and matched throughout the entire apartment, from the entrance to the bedroom to the kitchen.
“Uummp!” Tiara frowned, crossed her arms, and looked away. None of her high school friends came from homes as nice as Stephanie’s apartment. She didn’t know anybody else who was still in college, and few who’d graduated, who could afford to live like this. But why, she thought, does she have to be so bourgeois about her things—like we don’t have any home training? I know how to be around nice things.
“Tiara, don’t take it personally. We really don’t know one another, and I think we need to get our pet peeves out in the open,” Stephanie said.
Malena took off her shoes and said, “I understand Stephanie’s wanting to keep her apartment in mint condition. I would want the same if we were using my apartment. Now, I’m not sure I understand the rule about sitting on her bed, but we have to respect her wishes. Plus, where else would we be able to meet? Since Tammy dropped, my apartment is out, and everybody else lives in the dormitories. So we have no other choice but to meet here and respect her rules. I have a pet peeve myself. I hate when people don’t pull their own weight. I hate to see a lazy, trifling person who relies on everybody but herself to succeed.”
“That bothers me, too,” Chancey agreed.
“Now if anybody falls into that category, we’re gonna have a problem,” Malena explained.
“I hate when people think that just because I’m smart that I don’t know how to have a good time once in a while,” Chancey expressed. “My intelligence is giving me a free ride through college, and I’m grateful. I am a bit shy, and it takes me a while to warm up to people, but there’s more to me than my brains—I do have a personality.”
“For the record, Chancey, brains are a bonus in this camp, so don’t ever think they aren’t appreciated.”
“Right. And as far as personality goes, I don’t think you would have been accepted if your letter didn’t reflect character,” Stephanie added.
Malena could sense that Tiara wanted to say something but needed a push. “Now Tiara, I know there are things people do that really get to you. So go on and get it off your chest now.”
“Well . . . since you insist. My pet peeve is when people feel a certain way about me or other people, who may not do things quite like they should, and they go behind their backs and talk about them like dogs, and treat them differently just because of something that they can’t help or don’t know. I may not have come from much, and I know I’ve got a lot to learn, but I don’t need people looking down on me because I don’t always speak correctly or use the right fork,” she said, looking at Stephanie.
“That’s the worst,” Chancey added. “I also hate when people expect you to be something or someone you’re not. I think that differences and preferences make us each unique. They add balance to the whole scheme of things.” Her statement reflected her growing concern about Don’s attempts to mold her into his idea of a perfect woman. She was frightened that she’d never meet his expectations.
“I hate people who are deceitful. I can’t stand people who keep secrets and mislead,” Cajen added, in a harsh tone. Although Cajen was talking about Jason, Stephanie secretly took it and some of the previous comments personally because of her secret about her natural mother. The room felt tense, so she quickly changed the subject and talked about some of her favorite dishes, and said they could start cooking dinner at her apartment, since they would be meeting there.
As they becoming better acquainted, they discussed more of their likes and dislikes, and started to relax, finding more in common with one another.
As that conversation began to fade, Stephanie brought up the list of items Dean Big Sister Nina gave her during their telephone conversation that morning.
Tiara began to feel kin
d of foolish for being upset with Stephanie, but she always felt insecure and somewhat out of place when she was around luxury, and Stephanie’s apartment was the epitome of luxury. Everything was name-brand and screamed “class,” just like Stephanie. Tiara thought Stephanie could tell she wasn’t accustomed to nice things, and that she didn’t trust that Tiara would know how to maneuver in her apartment without breaking something. She thought that was the reason Stephanie began the meeting by dictating rules. But Tiara chose not to expose the way she really felt toward her line sisters, because she didn’t know how they would react. So she made peace with Stephanie. “I’m sorry for being so defensive regarding your requests concerning your apartment.”
Stephanie accepted her apology and said, “I didn’t mean to come off so coldly. I’m sorry too.”
“Excuse me, pledge, but rule number ten states: You’re not sorry. We don’t accept any person who is sorry. ‘You apologize,’ ” Chancey said.
“What?” everybody asked in unison. They weren’t sure if she was serious.
“I’m just kidding.” She laughed. “But it seemed like the perfect opportunity to bring up that rule.”
“Is that really one of the rules?” Cajen asked. She hadn’t even looked at the first one.
“Yeah, it is. I remember seeing it last night. But is it number ten?” Tiara asked.
“Chancey, how did you know that was number ten, and how many more of those rules do you know?” Stephanie asked.
“I learned all thirty of them.”
“Has anyone else memorized all of the pledge rules by heart?” Stephanie asked.
“Well, I know the first five,” Malena answered. “But certainly not all thirty.”
“I’m shocked, Chancey,” Stephanie said. “When did you find time to learn them?”
“I just went over them this morning before I got ready for class.”
“What’s pledge rule number twenty-five?” Stephanie quizzed Chancey.
“ ‘Pledges are to always keep themselves well groomed. We cannot accept any person who does not represent her best self.’ ”
“Twenty-six?” Malena asked.
“ ‘Because of rule number twenty-five, pledges must always have their hair neat and in place, and makeup is to be worn tastefully at all times.’ ”
“No shit!” Tiara responded.
Chancey went through the list of pledge dos and don’ts from number one to number thirty. She knew them all. “She’s quoting these rules word-for-word,” Cajen responded. She had the rules in her hand and was following Chancey’s responses.
“What else do you know, Chancey?” Tiara asked.
“The first two pages of the history. That’s all that I had time to go over this morning.” Everybody looked at Chancey in amazement. Most of them knew only a few facts, and even fewer dates.
“But how did you learn it so quickly?” Cajen asked.
“Well, I have a photographic memory, which means that I remember most things after seeing them once. But I don’t like to tell too many people, you know, because of the stigma that comes with it.”
“Stigma?” Malena asked.
“When I was in high school, some of the popular girls shunned me and called me ‘Goody Two-shoes.’ Not to mention that I had a lot of responsibilities with my family’s company at an early age and didn’t hang out much, so I didn’t have many close friends. Now that I’m in college I don’t want to be judged before you get to know the real me,” Chancey explained.
“Well, what I know of you so far, I like,” Stephanie said. “You’re intelligent and down-to-earth. Plus you pulled Donald. Do you know how many women on this campus would pay just to have a moment of his time? You must have something right going on. What’s the problem? And as far as the stigma with your memory goes, I see you as a breath of fresh air. You’re just the boost we need after these last couple of days.”
Everyone agreed.
Chancey had a good feeling that they were sincere. She was accepted by her new line sisters, and her intelligence was a plus to them. She was assured that she could be herself around them, and not be unfairly judged. That evening she opened up and made key contributions to their planning.
They spent an hour choosing line officers, getting the telephone numbers of all of their big sisters, and tending to other details, like setting scheduled routine meetings and group study hours, and planning a fund-raiser. They decided to have a male auction. Although it would be a bit risky, they were confident they could pull it off in a way that would be pleasing to their big sisters, and be profitable.
The five girls, who didn’t know each others’ names before rush, were now not only working well together, but bonding. Their paths had crossed, and they all felt confident it would be a good union.
FOURTEEN
“H—hello.” Cajen picked up her phone after three rings. She debated whether she should answer it, because of the chance that the person on the other end could be one of her big sisters, who would probably try to get her to say something that would get her into trouble during the night’s session. Plus, she and Chancey were supposed to meet downstairs at her car in less than ten minutes and she didn’t want to get into a long, drawn-out conversation with someone and keep Chancey waiting.
“Hey, Cajen.” Luckily it was Chancey on the other end.
“Girl, don’t ever scare me like that again. I thought you were a big sister, or even worse, Dean Big Sister Nina,” Cajen said.
“Nah. It’s just me. I apologize for scaring you.”
“We’re still going to meet at my car at five-thirty on the nose, right? You know, that’s eight and a half minutes from now.”
“Well, that’s why I’m calling. Cajen, we know each other pretty well now, right?”
“Yeah, of course. What’s up?”
“You know, I actually feel like you’re my real sister sometimes. It’s amazing how pledging makes people closer quicker.”
Cajen’s heart dropped. She didn’t know what Chancey was about to tell her. Did Jason talk to Donald and tell him what he gave her? And Donald in turn told Chancey? How dare he tell anybody! We haven’t even discussed it ourselves yet, she thought. She forced herself to ask, “What is it?”
“Cajen, I went over to Donald’s house last night, or rather this morning after the session, and spent the night. I skipped my classes today too. We just needed to spend some quality time together. I missed him so much, and I didn’t think I would be able to go another day if I didn’t get a chance to see him.”
“I thought you were gonna tell me something else,” Cajen blurted, relieved. “You deserve to spend time with him, especially after everything we’ve been going through. And who has to know you missed your classes? You didn’t even have to tell me that part.”
“Whew, I thought you would be upset.”
“Girl, please!”
“Well, I kind of lost track of time, and I’m on my way now. I’ll just meet you there at six, but I know everybody’s gonna wonder why I didn’t ride with you and Tiara. I just don’t want everybody to know where I am. Can you cover for me?”
“I don’t think anybody would be too upset if they found out you were spending much-deserved time with Don, but where can we say you’ll be coming from? By the way, tell him I said hi and that I can’t wait to meet him.”
She looked over her shoulder to face him. “Don, Cajen said hi.”
“Hey, Cajen! Thanks for covering for us,” Don yelled in the background. He was lying in bed next to Chancey, playing with her hair while she was talking to Cajen.
“I was thinking that maybe we could say I tore one of my contacts today and had to go get a replacement, and I called to let you know. How does that sound?” Chancey was looking for an excuse. She felt guilty because her and Don’s spending time together was more his idea than hers. He pressured her a little to skip her classes to spend time with him. She initially told him no, but later surprised him by showing up at his doorstep at three-thirty that mo
rning. She felt better about her decision once he assured her that he appreciated her act of endearment, but felt guilty for not adhering to the pledgee rules and being disloyal to her sisters.
“That’s fine with me. But I still think you shouldn’t worry about it. I’m sure everybody will be cool about it.”
“Maybe, but just this one time . . .”
“Okay, if that’s how you want to deal with it, then no problem.”
“Thanks, Cajen. See you at six. If I’m late, it’ll be no more than five minutes.”
“I’ll see you then. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do. Well, I’m sure you already did!” She joked. “Bye.”
Cajen was relieved. Why would Jason tell Don anything that personal anyway? It wouldn’t have made sense. They’re not even close. “I am bugging!” she said aloud, and picked up the phone and tried to call Jason. She got his answering machine. “Where the hell is he? I’m so sick of this. I can’t leave a message. I hate him! I don’t even know what I’d say if I left a message. His roommate would hear it and that won’t work. This entire situation is just ridiculous.”
Her mood changed. She didn’t feel like going to a stupid meeting tonight. She felt like a fake at times because she was holding back secrets. Tiara spilled her guts in their last session about growing up in poverty and how her mother dates a drug dealer and how there were times when her family didn’t know where their next meal was coming from. And I can’t even tell anybody that I was ever involved with Jason, let alone reveal that he gave me herpes. She slammed the phone receiver down, grabbed her keys, pledge property, and black backpack, and stormed to her car.
I hate life!” Cajen screamed, as she pulled out of the parking lot. She, as well as her other line sisters, had been spending all of their time either in class, with one another, or with their big sisters. She totally understood why Chancey needed to get away and spend some time with Don. She needed so badly to confront Jason for all of the hurt he had caused her, and after that she would need a full day to cry and release all of her pain and stress. But when was she ever going to find the time to do that?
Sorority Sisters Page 11
