The Fraternity Files

by Stephanie Joeline Kerfoot

  Before anything could be said, however, Steve’s door opened just a crack and they all looked over in surprise. Steve peered out at them, and Patrick and Andy paled at the sight of his furious face, swallowing as they looked back at Mike. Steve was staring right at their brother, and Mike sighed inwardly as he unflinchingly met the fraternity president’s smoldering eyes. ‘Well, obviously the cat is out of the bag,’ he thought grimly, holding tighter to Kevin.

  At that moment Kevin turned his head towards the door and caught sight of his oldest brother. Steve’s expression softened as he looked at Kevin’s face, and Kevin looked timidly at him. “Is it over?” he asked tremulously, and tears welled in Steve’s eyes as he barely shook his head. Kevin saw his window of opportunity and lunged towards him. “Don’t do it, Steve! Please, please!” he wailed as Mike hauled him back and tightened his grip. Kevin fought him, frantically.

  “It’s all right, let him go,” Steve instructed his friend softly, stepping outside and pulling the door, so it was barely cracked behind him. The next moment Kevin was grasping his knees and sobbing as Steve looked down at him and softly stroked his hair. “All right, Kev. It’s all right,” he soothed.

  “Please don’t do this!” Kevin pleaded again.

  “I don’t have a choice, Little Bro,” Steve returned quietly, his throat tight.

  “But why? Why?” Kevin sobbed. “Why are you siding with Gregg when everything he ever does is mean spirited with the intention of hurting somebody, and you know Danny and Ryan aren’t like that! You know it! Whatever they did to him, he was asking for it!”

  “That’s not the point, Kev’bo.” Steve reiterated Mike’s earlier assertion, keeping his voice as controlled as possible. “The way Danny and Ryan behaved left me no choice. I have to punish them.”

  “But why? When you know they didn’t mean it?”

  “They attacked a senior, Kevin. Even if they were seniors too, I’d probably still have to punish them, but as underclassmen there is simply no way around it.”

  “But he provoked them, Steve! I’m sure he did!”

  “Kevin you are not listening to me,” Steve admonished softly. “Gregg did not throw the first punch! In fact he did not return any punches at all!”

  “That’s because he’s a weak ass pussy!” Kevin exclaimed hotly. Tears had welled in Pat and Andy’s eyes by now, but even so they had to bite their lips to keep from laughing, and Mike quickly turned his head. Even Steve had to pause and take a deep breath before he looked once again into his youngest brother’s infuriated face.

  “Try to get what I’m saying to you, Kev,” he squatted down and took his little brother by the shoulders, peering intently into his raging green eyes as Kevin brushed in frustration at the tears that continued to spill down his cheeks. “What Ryan and Danny did is very serious. It does not matter what Gregg may or may not have done to provoke them. They have to be punished. I cannot let it go. Look at me,” Steve commanded as Kevin

  averted his eyes and began to sob once more. “Look at me, please,” he repeated. Finally Kevin met his big brother’s eyes once more. “The minimum punishment,” Steve had been talking softly, but now he lowered his voice still more, “for an infraction of this kind is a severe paddling. Do you understand me?” he asked as Kevin’s sobs increased again. “It’s the minimum punishment, Kev. If they were anybody else, I would probably have had to evict them from the fraternity.” Steve gave Kevin a moment to absorb what he had said and then he repeated quietly, “I can’t let this go completely unpunished. Do you understand?”

  “Then punish me!” Kevin sobbed as he looked into his big brother’s eyes. “It’s my fault! I know they were fighting about me! Punish me if you have to, but please don’t paddle them, Steve, please!”

  Tears stung Steve’s eyes once more. “Oh Kevin,” he regarded his little brother fondly, “it’s not your fault.”

  “Yes, it is!” Kevin protested. “If I wasn’t such a selfish brat all semester long, Mcarthy wouldn’t have had anything to provoke them with!”

  “How do you know it was about that?” Steve asked quietly.

  “Oh please, Steve! It was the same damn day as the meeting! I’m not stupid you know! What did he say?” Kevin sobbed. “Did he call me a brat, tell them I was spoiled and I deserved it? What? Whatever he said, he was right! I wish they had just left it alone!”

  “Jesus Christ!” The muffled sob came floating through the crack in the door, and Kevin barely recognized his brother’s voice. “Let . . . .”

  “What, Dan?” Steve opened the door just a little wider. “I didn’t hear you. What did you say?”

  “I said, let him in!” Danny sobbed, taking his face out of the pillow and turning it toward the door.

  “Are you sure?” Steve asked softly, standing up, and looking into the room.

  Matt had his hand on the back of Danny’s head, and had been stroking his hair. Now, he paused and looked up to meet his little brother’s eyes as Danny answered. “Yes,” he sobbed. “I’m sure.”

  Steve shifted his gaze to Ryan, still crumpled in the chair. “Ry?”

  “If it’s what Danny wants.”

  Kevin heard the choked reply from his other brother, and Steve looked down at him. “All right, Kev’bo,” he said softly. “Come on. Maybe, it’s for the best.” He pulled his little brother to his feet and opened the door just wide enough for him to get through. Kevin looked at him, hesitantly. “Go on,” he urged softly. “It’s all right.” Kevin swallowed and wiped at his tears, but then he ducked under Steve’s arm and entered the room. A moment later he collapsed into sobs again as he dropped on his knees by Danny, put his head down on the bed, and cried. Quietly, Steve closed the door and turned to look at Mike, Andy, and Patrick. His accusing eyes lingered a moment on Mike, and then he looked back at his friend’s little brothers once more.

  “Andy,” he stretched out his arm, and beckoned him, “come here for a minute.” Nervously, Andy looked at Mike. “Come here,” Steve repeated, glancing at Mike. Mike gave Andy an encouraging nod, and Andy approached the president.

  “Tell me honestly,” Steve put his arm around him, and Andy once again looked for Mike. “No, no, look here,” Steve commanded gently and, anxiously, Andy obeyed. “Tell me honestly,” Steve started again, looking intently into Andy’s eyes. “How did you and Patrick find out about this?”

  “Mcarthy told us,” Andy replied without hesitation.

  Steve’s face flushed and he clenched his fist. “Mcarthy told you? Are you sure?”

  “Yes,” Andy replied again. “He set up shop in the campus store. He was telling everybody.”

  Steve’s blood began to boil and he gently took hold of Andy’s jaw as Andy once again looked for his brother. “Andy, this is really important,” he said earnestly. “Are you being straight with me?”

  “Yes!” Andy exclaimed. “Why would I lie?”

  “Are you sure that Mike didn’t tell you, or even maybe just let it slip by accident?”

  “No!” Andy replied horrified. “Mike never said a word!”

  “Pat?” Steve glanced at Mike’s other little brother, and Pat shook his head, too broken up to respond.

  “Answer me, please,” Steve prompted.

  “No,” Patrick choked. “It was definitely Mcarthy!” Steve let go of Andy and turned away to hide his emotions.

  “He was in the bookshop, telling people?” he inquired disbelievingly, and Pat and Andy nodded as he turned back to face them.

  “All right,” he said. “The two of you may go. Tell Kurt to come up here, please.”

  Pat and Andy glanced at Mike uneasily. “It’s all right,” he assured them quietly, and resignedly the two brothers made their way around the landing, and down the hallway.

  “Well that was quick,” Kurt simpered as they started down the stairs. “Mike must have the magic touch.”

  They didn’t smile. They stopped near the bottom of the stairs and
sat down. Pat was still brushing at his eyes as Jesse and Sean who had grown much calmer looked up at them. “It wasn’t Mike,” Andy said quietly. “Steve came out.”

  “Did he really?” Kurt replied in surprise. “So, that’s what everyone was looking at,” he said mostly to himself as he glanced over his shoulder at the restless activity in the common room. He looked back at Pat and Andy then and asked quietly, “So, what did our fearless leader have to say?”

  Andy shrugged. “He talked to Kevin for a few minutes, and tried to calm him down. Kevin got real emotional, started blaming himself, and Danny overheard him from the bedroom, told Steve to let him in, so now Kevin’s in there with them . . . .”

  “With Danny and Ryan?” Kurt interjected in astonishment. Andy nodded. “Wow,” Kurt drawled, “way to go, Kevin! Way to get what you want by throwing a tantrum!”

  “Hey, ease up!” Jesse snapped. “The kid’s having a really hard time, and who can blame him?”

  “I know he is, Jess,” Kurt responded apologetically. “I just can’t believe Steve let him go in there.”

  “Did you see Danny and Ryan?” Sean inquired softly.

  “No,” Andy’s voice wavered, “but we heard them talking to Steve. They’re having a really tough time.” Sean pressed his fingers to his eyes, and Jesse put his head back on his knees. For a moment no one said anything.“Steve knows about Mcarthy,” Andy spoke again quietly after a minute, looking at Kurt. “He wants to see you.”

  “He does, does he?” Kurt returned softly. “All righty, then, I guess I’ll be back.” He gave Sean’s shoulder one last comforting squeeze as he got to his feet. “It’s all right,” he reassured his brothers as they looked worriedly up at him. “If Mike and I aren’t back in fifteen minutes, though, some loud wailing, sobbing, and a little pounding on Steve’s door would be very much appreciated.” All four of the younger students looked at him now, in alarm. “I’m kidding!” he exclaimed as he tried to keep a straight face. “Relax you guys! I’m kidding. I’ll be back, and so will Mike,” he promised. He gave Jesse and Sean an encouraging little smile, and placed his hand on Pat’s shoulder as he stepped through Mike’s two younger brothers, but he couldn’t keep from smirking again as he continued up the stairs. ‘It’s not funny,’ he reprimanded himself, but he couldn’t help it. He just couldn’t get used to thinking of his best friend as the intimidating person that so many of

  his fellow fraternity members saw him as.

  File Eight

  Stalling

  "You may delay, but time will not."

  -Benjamin Franklin

  "One of the principal functions of a friend is to suffer (in a milder and symbolic form) the punishments what we should like, but are unable, to inflict upon our enemies."

  -Aldous Huxley

  Kurt found Steve and Mike in Mike’s room. The door was open, and Steve was pacing the floor. Mike was sitting dejectedly on the bed, and Kurt glanced at him as he entered. Mike met his eyes, and swallowed. Kurt was serious now; the urge to laugh had passed. Now, he was just concerned about his friend. He knew how hard this whole process had been on Steve already, and Gregg Mcarthy had gone and made it ten times harder.

  Steve was still pacing the floor, and had not seen Kurt come in, but now as his friend turned and caught sight of him, Kurt broke eye-contact with Mike, and met the furious eyes of the president instead. “What’s going on, Man?” he inquired softly.

  “Close the door!” Steve commanded, and without hesitation, Kurt did so. “You want to tell me how Sean and Jesse found out about this?”

  “Sean was with Ryan when he checked his mail,” Kurt replied quietly.

  Steve stopped pacing, and looked at him in surprise. “Why would Ryan put himself in that situation? He knew damn well the slips would be there.”

  Kurt shrugged. “I don’t know,” he returned in the same soft tone. “I’m assuming that Sean unintentionally backed him into a corner, ran into him in the mail room, or something. Maybe Sean encountered him on the way, and offered to go with him. You know how close those two are. Maybe Ryan decided it just wouldn’t matter that much. After all, he had to know Sean was going to find out some time. Letting him see the slips was as painless a way as any.” Steve looked doubtful. “I really don’t know,” Kurt repeated. “You’ll have to ask your brother.” Steve brought his hand to his eyes, and Mike and Kurt exchanged glances once more.

  “How do you think Mcarthy found out?” Steve finally looked at them again.

  “I don’t know,” Mike replied quietly.

  “I know you don’t know!” Steve snapped. “I’m asking what you think! How do you THINK he found out?”

  “Come on, Man!” Kurt responded a little impatiently now. “How are we supposed to know? That’s anybody’s guess.”

  “You don’t think he got it from Jesse and Sean, do you?” Steve asked. Kurt and Mike looked incredulously at him. “I’m sure they didn’t do it on purpose,” Steve added quickly, reading his friends expressions, “but could they have slipped?”

  “Come on, Steve,” Mike reasoned, “I know you’re upset, and I know you want to figure this out, but let’s be rational here!”

  “I am being rational!” Steve returned defensively. “That rat bastard found out somehow! I’m just trying to consider all the possibilities!”

  “Well, you’re way off the mark!” Mike’s temper flared. “Danny and Ryan couldn’t have more loyal friends than those two are, and you know it! They would have guarded that kind of information with their lives!”

  “Yeah,” Kurt interjected sarcastically. “I mean, am I mistaken, or weren’t you there this afternoon when Matt came in? Didn’t you hear what your brother said? He said that Jesse was about two seconds away from putting Mcarthy through the wall. Does that sound like they tipped him off, or even like they ‘slipped’? Be reasonable, Steve!”

  “I am being reasonable, God damn it! This is the hardest thing I ever had to do! I have to go in there and punish my brothers for doing something every single one of us has thought about doing, something we all wish we had the guts to really do! I went out of my way to make this as painless as possible for Danny and Ryan, and now, someone out there, either through some thoughtless slip of the tongue or some malicious desire to hurt them, has turned the whole thing into this horrible fiasco! Obviously, Mcarthy is the principal scumbag involved, but I would sure as hell like to know who tipped him off to begin with! So, excuse me,” Steve’s voice cracked, and caught in his throat, “if I’m not exercising the precise amount of objectivity you think I should be, and I’m sorry if I’m not thinking quite as clearly as you are! I do have a few things on my mind!” The room filled with awkward silence as Steve’s outburst came to an end, and Steve pressed his fingers to his eyes again, turning away from his friends. “Sorry,” he choked.

  “Hey, Man, don’t worry about us,” Kurt returned consolingly.

  “Or about Mcarthy,” Mike added in the same tone.

  When Kurt next spoke, he chose his words carefully. Steve so rarely lost his temper, and as much as his two friends knew he really did want blood from Mcarthy, they also knew that was not the genuine source of his stress at the moment. “All we can do right now,” Kurt started softly, “is control the damage.” He paused as Steve swiped desperately at the tears now leaking their way down his cheeks. “The only way to do that, Man,” Kurt finally continued, “is to get this over with and let people begin to forget about it.”

  “I don’t want to do this, Kurt!” Steve cried. “I don’t want to fucking do this!”

  “I know,” Kurt acknowledged softly.

  “I never asked to be the fucking president, anyway!” Steve seethed. Mike and Kurt were quiet. They knew their friend was coming to grips with this the best way he could; there was nothing they could say. Finally, Steve turned to them. “You go down there and tell that no good son of a bitch that if he thinks I’m sending my brothers down to apologize to him in front of a
house full of people he can just kiss my ass! There will be no apology! Then you give him this!” Steve grabbed a pad of paper from Mike’s desk and, picking up the pen that had been lying next to it, began scrawling on it. A

  minute later he tore the paper off and handed it to Kurt. “Since Brad isn’t here, he can choose someone else if he wants (Brad was Gregg’s Big Brother. He had graduated the previous year). Matt will act as a witness. Tell him sorry it’s not pink!” Steve directed sarcastically. “But that it is for damn sure genuine. You tell him we can do this above board or I can have Matt and Jason hunt him down. It’s his choice!” (Jason had been president two years ago).

  Kurt hesitated as he looked into his friend’s miserable eyes. He had never seen such an expression on Steve’s face before; his friend was normally so good at masking his feelings. Never had Kurt seen such evident anguish, such rage and bitterness. He swallowed hard and couldn’t help looking again at Mike. Mike bit his lip and looked quickly away.

  “Is there a problem?” Steve demanded.

  “No,” Kurt began uncertainly, looking back at the president. “I mean, not really . . . it’s just that . . . .”

  “That what?” Steve prompted impatiently.

  “Well . . . I mean . . . you want me to give him this now?” Kurt demanded incredulously.

  “You’re damn fucking right I want you to give it to him now!” Steve returned heatedly. “I can’t think of any better time!” Kurt and Mike shifted uncomfortably, doing their best to avoid one another’s eyes. “What??” Steve fumed. “You have another suggestion?”

  “No, I mean . . . it’s just . . . well . . . it’s just . . . .”

  “It’s just WHAT??” Steve pressed exasperatedly.

  “Well, don’t you want to be a little more official about this, Man? Do it completely above board like you said?”