ELEVEN
The first person through the doors of the Exclusive Pink Plush Rush was Stephanie, who was embarrassed and disappointed to be the first one there. She didn’t want to appear overeager. The only reason she was there so early was because once she dressed she’d made herself leave the house and head to rush before she changed her mind.
She walked over to the greeting table, which was directly to the right of the entrance. Sitting at the table was a young lady whose face wasn’t familiar. “Hello,” Stephanie said, hoping she didn’t speak too softly.
“Hi, how are you?” The girl seemed friendly enough. Her name badge said tracy. She instructed Stephanie to write her name, address, and telephone number in the guest book. After Stephanie filled in her information, Tracy made her a name badge to wear for the evening. She also gave her a souvenir—a small pink-tinted glass jewelry box that had the sorority’s letters and spring rush engraved on a gold plate on the top.
“Thank you,” Stephanie said.
“You’re welcome. You can take a seat while you wait for the others to arrive. I advise you to sit in the front row to make sure you don’t miss any details,” Tracy suggested. Although she was cordial, Tracy didn’t seem too enthusiastic about her role as greeter. “Your program will be on your seat. Now I’ll need your letter of intent, references, and official transcript,” Tracy said.
Stephanie almost forgot they were in her hand until she looked down and saw the package. Following her mother’s instructions, she had used soft mauve paper to print her letter and references on, and she put both, along with her transcripts, in the pockets of a mauve folder. She had written her name in calligraphy on the front of the folder and placed the package in a clear mauve-tinted envelope. It really looked classy.
“Nice packaging,” Tracy commented, as she received it. “You put effort into this. I hope your letter is just as good,” she said, without expression.
Stephanie wasn’t sure if she was supposed to be flattered or offended by that statement, but she managed to smile. Tracy didn’t seem to notice that Stephanie didn’t respond, because at that moment, a group of several girls showed up.
Although she was nervous, Stephanie was up to her usual interior critiquing. She scanned the room, which was a boring student center meeting room, and checked out the layout. The walls and carpet were shades of brown and tan, and there were no windows. There was a podium at the head of several chairs. Behind the podium was a huge banner that had the sorority’s name and shield. She was surrounded by several chairs that were facing the podium. To the right of her, and against the wall, was a long table covered with a pink tablecloth. On the table was a cake, but Stephanie couldn’t read the inscription on the cake from her chair. There were also sandwiches, and the bread was dyed pink. There were baskets filled with chips and mints and nuts. Behind the chairs for the prospective candidates was another long table on which various sorority paraphernalia was displayed. There was everything back there, from umbrellas to paddles to playing cards. If you can think of it, they have their sorority’s name and colors on it, she thought. Now, I like the display. It kind of sparks excitement. However, I would have put the paraphernalia table where the hors d’oeuvres are and vice versa. Then the display would be the first thing we would see when we walked through the door, and the hors d’oeuvres would be in the back center of the room, which would encourage people to mingle while they munch.
Stephanie’s thoughts were interrupted by two girls sitting beside her who were chatting nonstop.
“Can you believe today is finally here?” Malena asked Tammy.
“Yes, I can. But I miss Phil,” Tammy responded.
Stephanie drifted. I wish Sidney were here with me; then I wouldn’t have been the first idiot through the door, and I wouldn’t be so nervous.
“How can you possibly be thinking of Phil at a time like this? Girl, put him on hold. Today could possibly change our lives forever,” Malena said.
“Yeah, you’re right,” Tammy answered, in an uncertain voice. “People are really starting to pour in.”
“That’s why I told you we needed to get here early. A front-row seat gives a good impression. It shows promptness and responsibility. I can’t believe that tall girl beside us beat us here. We were supposed to be first. Oh, well . . . they did a great job of making this room look festive, huh?”
“Yeah, they sure did,” Tammy replied. She didn’t share Malena’s enthusiasm. “You know, Malena, I’m not sure I’m ready for all this . . .”
“What?” Malena asked, and then calmed herself and her voice down. “You are ready, Tammy. Your grades are in good condition and your letter was good, really good, and I should know because I proofed it personally. Stop talking crazy, girl, you’re making me nervous.”
Tammy didn’t respond. Malena gave her a worried look and decided that now was not the time to discuss this. They were going to make a good impression, and they were both going to be accepted.
Cajen stood in line to sign in. There were four girls ahead of her. She kept repeating to herself, One in every five females has herpes. One in every five, Cajen, one in every five . . . She tried to remind herself that she wasn’t the only one in the world with herpes, and was still trying to soothe herself from the shock of the information she got from the doctor. She wouldn’t have come to the rush if it weren’t for Kim calling her to remind her that she needed to bring her letter and transcripts, and that she might want to try to be there at least five minutes early. When Kim picked up on her hesitation, she informed Cajen that she would go to rush if she had to personally drive her.
One in every five. That means . . . She started counting from the girl at the front of the line. One, two, three, four, five. I guess I’m the one in this group of five. I wonder if anybody can tell. Her paranoia increased.
Standing behind Cajen was Chancey, and she was a nervous wreck. She looked at Cajen and asked herself, How am I gonna ever be accepted with beautiful women like her to compete with? Then she smiled and remembered how excited Donald had been when she left his apartment. He hugged her, kissed her, and encouraged her to be confident. So she decided right then and there that she would do just that. I have as good a chance as anybody else, she assured herself.
The line continued to move forward. Cajen asked herself, What am I doing here? Maybe I should just leave.
“And your name is?” Tracy asked.
“Huh?” Cajen came to her senses and realized that she was now at the front of the line.
“Your name. I need it for the badge. Hello?”
“Oh, I’m sorry. My name is Cajen, Cajen Myers. Here are my transcripts and letter of intent.” Cajen handed her package to Tracy.
“Thank you. Have a seat and please wear your name tag,” Tracy said, as she handed it and her souvenir to her.
“Oh, I will. Thank you.” Cajen managed a fake smile and proceeded to find a seat in the back row, hoping to blend into the crowd. But she felt she stuck out like a sore thumb.
Chancey walked in after Cajen, and took a seat next to her. Because Cajen appeared as nervous as she was, she spoke. “Hi! I’m Chancey, Chancey Wright. Girl, I am so nervous I could scream.”
“My name is Cajen Myers.” She paused. “And I guess I’m a little nervous too.”
“It’s funny, but I don’t know most of the girls here. Do you?” Chancey asked.
Cajen was glad that Chancey began talking to her, because it allowed her to take her mind off her new, permanent problem. “Well, some of the faces are familiar and I’ve passed by a lot of the girls on my way to class, but I can’t say that I know anybody’s name.”
“What year are you?” Chancey asked.
“Oh, I’m a freshman,” Cajen replied.
“I’m a sophomore. But it’s my first year out of high school, so I feel like a freshman most of the time. I would have never guessed you were a freshman—you look older. I assumed sophomore or junior.”
“Do you know any sorority members?”
“No. Not by name, anyway.”
“Well, I know one,” said Cajen. “Her name is Kim. I’ll introduce you to her if she’s here. I’m sure she’ll come. What do you think our chances are, you know, since we really don’t know them?”
“I don’t know. But I would give anything to be accepted.”
“So would I,” said Cajen with a smile. She couldn’t believe it. She was actually excited, and glad she’d met Chancey.
Why did I wait on you, Gina? You can be so slow sometimes. Now look, we’re at the end of the line,” Tiara complained.
“I’m sorry. Sandra met me at my door when I was coming to meet you in the lobby. I was on my way out and she begged me not to go without her. What was I supposed to do, just leave the girl crying in the middle of the hall? I felt so bad for her that I walked her back to her room and tried to calm her down.”
“You know, I feel so sorry for her too. I don’t understand why her parents are so strict. She’s one of the nicest girls on this campus, but by the way her parents act you would think that she was failing all of her classes and sleeping with every brother on campus.”
“Yeah, it’s kind of sad, isn’t it?”
“I don’t wanna talk about it anymore, but let’s just make sure we go and visit her after rush,” Tiara said, and took a deep breath. “Okay, I got my letter, references, and transcripts all here. Check and make sure you have everything.”
“All here and accounted for. And Tiara, I don’t want to hear you fussing about anything else, ’cause here come some more girls, and that means we’re no longer last. Thank you.”
“You’re right. But I hope we get seats, because I would hate to have to stand up through the presentation.”
“We’ll have seats. They always overplan for things like this.”
“And just how do you know?”
“I just do!” She smiled. One eyebrow went up, and she gave a smirk that said, Now-you-know-I’m-lying.
“Girl, you are too much.”
Tiara, Gina, and the few girls who were behind them finally signed in and managed to get seats, but Tiara and Gina were not able to sit together.
Aline of the sorority members marched to the front of the room, singing one of their songs. After everyone stood in front of her designated seat, they ended their song and sat down.
The president stood up and walked to the podium. “Welcome to the Exclusive Pink Plush Rush. I am the president of this chapter, and I would like to begin by saying our sorority is one with deep roots. We take our vows seriously. If you are chosen, we expect you to do the same.” She paused to make sure she was understood, then continued. “Yes, it’s nice to socialize and wear our letters, but that is only part of the many benefits. Our sorority was founded for purposes with greater meaning. We are a sisterhood bound by our desire to better ourselves, our campus, our community, and our world.” She continued to explain the goals of the sorority.
Several presenters followed. Someone gave a brief history of the organization. Another gave a list of famous members of their sorority. One presenter told of the accomplishments of the chapter, another of the accomplishments of the sorority on a national level. Other members informed the candidates of additional pertinent information about the sorority. The membership chair, who would also be the dean of pledges, reiterated the qualifications for membership, and stated in detail the kind of character they were looking for to carry on the tradition of their sorority. Included on her list was intelligence, a sincere desire to better the community, flexibility, a well-rounded personality, and confidence. The entire presentation was thorough and informative. Afterward they played a couple of games, and prizes were given away. Stephanie won a prize for being the first person present at the rush.
Next, the president returned to the podium and announced the conclusion of the formal part of the presentation, and asked that everyone stay, have refreshments, socialize, and look at the display of paraphernalia that some of the members had set up for their viewing enjoyment.
Cajen and Chancey walked over to the hors d’oeuvres table and got pieces of cake and some punch. On their way back to their seats, they were stopped by Kim. “Hi, Cajen. I’m glad you could make it.”
“Yeah, me too! The presentation was really enjoyable. By the way, this is my friend Chancey.”
“Hi, Chancey. I’m Kim.”
“Glad to meet you.”
“I think I know you. Aren’t you Donald’s girlfriend?”
“Yes, I am,” Chancey responded, with an uncertain look. She wondered if that would be a strike against her.
“Donald is cool! We have a class together this semester, and he’s always talking about how much he’s in love with his girlfriend, Chancey. And here you are. You’ve got a good man.”
“Thank you. So, Donald’s always talking about me?” Chancey smiled. She was shocked, and didn’t want to overdo it.
“He sure is,” Kim said, and noticed someone she wanted them to meet. “Oh good, they’re together. Follow me. I want you two to meet the president of our chapter and the dean of pledges. From that point, you are on your own. And make sure you mingle, mingle, mingle.”
They met and chatted with the president and dean for a while. The dialogue was dry and formal. Kim, who was never at a loss for words, carried the conversation during most of their encounters. They were glad to have her with them, because although she kept saying that they were on their own, she introduced them to virtually everyone in the sorority. Both Chancey and Cajen were grateful.
Stephanie, on the other hand, knew most of the members, because she had attended several of the sorority’s functions and fund-raisers throughout her years in college. She had forgotten how cool they were. Unlike a lot of the girls who were struggling to get to know them, Stephanie had no problem because several members approached her first. She was approached with comments like “It’s about time you finally wrote” and “I was wondering if you were interested.” She was pleased with the way they responded to her being there. Maybe they won’t find out about my real mother. Maybe they won’t care, she hoped.
One would have thought Tiara and Malena were trying to win a popularity contest. If there was such an award, they would have tied for a first place ribbon for “Ms. Socialite of the Evening.” Neither Tammy nor Gina could keep up with them. Tammy left early, and Gina found herself talking to other candidates.