This bites

I am super sorry, but I'm under the weather and haven't had a chance to complete the post. I usually get sick at the end of each semester, and I thought I had beat this one... I was too hopeful. I want to be back on track by Monday, but at a bareeee minimum I will have something on next Thursday. I know this sucks, and I suck for this, but I'm sorry :(


Maybe in lieu of a post, y'all can entertain each other in the comments section about what you think will happen with Mark now that he and Kathleen are OFFICIAL? Or talk about how adorable your author of Kathleen Tries is (jokes, gang!)? Or how wild it is that August is knocking on our door?


Love and hugs,


Lee

The Luckiest

Running to the crowd of Beta Nu girls in the front of sorority row was the most fun I’d had in a long time. Everyone was so excited; there was just this feeling of happiness.  Everyone was smiling. Everyone was laughing. There were songs, cheers, balloons, banners, face painting. It was like a carnival. And I felt like I was the guest of honor.

I sprinted towards the group. Leslie flagged me over to her. She was holding up a big sign that read “Beta Welcomes Kathleen!” She hugged me and told me how excited she was to see my name on the bid list earlier that morning. “I might have called Mark right that second to tell him how excited I was!” She smiled and hugged me again.

There was a lot of commotion, but at that moment, there was a stillness, that was probably only in my head. And I saw a clearing. I saw Aunt Mary, Mom, Fran, Ginny and a mysterious woman around my mom’s age. My heart sank. That had to be Mrs. Hart. I told Leslie I was going to go see my family. “Great! I’ll come with you. It looks like Mom is already over there.”

Well, that solved that mystery. I bounded up to my mom happily. “Mom! Thanks for coming! I am just so excited you’re here!”

She hugged me tightly. “I’m so proud and happy for your, Leeny.” My family called me Leeny, but I didn’t really like it when friends called me that. It was a family thing. And I liked it that way.

Fran and Ginny came over and told me all about how they were so excited and wanted to help me in any way possible. They also handed me little gift bags with some of their old Beta stuff. Mary came up and gave me a huge hug and kissed the top of my head. “Girlfriend, you are about to have the most fun of your life. I am so happy for you!”

After the commotion settled, Mrs. Hart and Leslie walked up cautiously. “Mom,” Leslie began, “this is the sweetest new member we’ve got, Kathleen!” Leslie hugged me as she presented me to her mother.

I reached out my hand, but Mrs. Hart engulfed me in a hug. “Oh, sweet girl, we’re sisters now! Sisters hug!” She was a fierce hugger. I can see where Mark gets his affection from. He’s constantly holding my hand, or strumming his fingers across my thigh. It’s not even wantonly; he just does it out of habit.

I smiled at her after we stopped hugging. “It’s so nice to meet you. Leslie and Aunt Mary have said wonderful things about you.”

She nodded. “They both speak highly of you. I wish Mark were here. He is just tickled to death with you. And now I can see why.”

I blushed. My mom interrupted, thankfully she was unaware. “Ladies, let’s head down to the house. I cannot wait to see where my baby will be spending her next 4 years!”

We all happily, almost floating, walked down to the Beta Nu house. It was a grand house with 6 large, white Corinthian columns, a porch with about a dozen rocking chairs, and a grand blue front door. This time, when I walked in with my mom, aunt, cousins, and Leslie, I felt like it was my house. It was so weird. I had been so nervous to be there before. Walking in, I saw my name on a big banner. “You Beta Believe You’re Home.” And beneath it, all 45 girls names were listed. The house was decorated with banners, food was everywhere; it was magical.

I ran to find Yvonne quickly. “How ya feeling?” I asked her cautiously.

She smiled brightly. “I feel like this is where I am, so I’m going to make the best of it.” I hugged her and asked her to come meet my mom and family.

Finally, after the dust settled, my mom and Mary went back to Mary’s place and Fran and Ginny kindly offered me booze for A’s, only if I promised not to share it or divulge the source, I was in my bed. Candace was at some other Delta’s room gushing over how awesome the Delta house is.

I heard a knock on the door around 9:45. Luckily, I was wearing my cute PJs. I got out of the bed, and snuck up to the door quietly and cautiously. I opened the door and saw the sweetest man holding a bouquet of flowers. “Hey,” I smiled instantly.

“Well, good evening, Miss.”  He handed me the flowers as I let him in. “I’m sorry I missed your run. Mom said you were absolutely wonderful. I knew you’d impress her.”

“Don’t be goofy.” I put the flowers down on my desk. “Thank you for the flowers.” I kissed him on the cheek. We sat down on my bed together.

“Kathleen, I can’t stay the night, but I wanted to come by and say something.” He was nervous. He was biting his lip and picking at his finger nails. I’d never seen him like this.

My mind started racing. What was he coming to tell me? And why couldn’t he stay the night? His face was ruddy. He wouldn’t look at me. The only conclusion I could draw was he wanted to end things. I just don’t know why he’d choose now. Luckily I had plenty of things to occupy me. The worst is getting dumped when you have nothing to occupy your time. You just wallow. I won’t be like that. I’ll just bounce into Beta Nu stuff. And school. Oh god! What about Leslie!? She’s going to hate me now. Her brother can’t even stand me for a month. I started flicking my nails.

“...this just makes sense, don’t you think?”

Oh dear. I missed his whole speech. Crap. He’d have to dump me again. No, I’ll just go along. “I mean, if that’s how- that’s how it’s got to be, I guess.” I was muttering.

“What?” He was stunned.

“I mean, if that’s what you want...” I was dejected.

“Kathleen, if you don’t want to be my girlfriend, you don’t have to. But, I’d really like you to.” He looked sad.

I laughed. “Of course!” I couldn’t get any more words out. Mark just looked at me stupidly. I finally caught my breath. “I thought you were dumping me. I didn’t even really hear a word you said.”

He gave out a big burst of laughter. “Your loss. It was an awesome speech.”


***Please excuse any editing errors. I just finished all my course work about 3 hours ago, I'm a bit brain dead. I'll check back and try to tinker with things as I notice them. I would normally let this marinate a day or two. Sorry, y'all!


Also! The view count is out of this world. I am shocked and totally flattered, guys! You all are the best. :)
Lee***

The Legacy Continues

After Pref party, Mark called and told me he signed his bid card. He was officially official as a Theta pledge. I was so happy for him. He seemed so excited to have the bid card in hand. I know it was a big weight off his shoulder.

“Hey...” he got somber. “I can call Leslie after they get out of bid session and see if you are on the top of their bid list?” He was making an offer in earnest. An offer that could get a lot of people in a lot of trouble.

“No, Mark. I couldn’t ask that. Plus, my Aunt Mary and I would guess your mom are counting ballots tonight. I’m sure Mary will send them out for a recount if something came up askew.”

He laughed. “Mom is excited to meet you.”

I literally made the weirdest croaking sound. “Oh, is she?” I had a hard time even muttering out those 3 words. He was planning on inviting me over? What? He told his mom about me? This was too much.

“Yeah, she’ll be there tomorrow at bid day stuff. She’s the General Advisor. She loves meeting all the legs.” Leg was short for legacy. It sounded silly to me, so I never used it. However, a lot of people, my mom and aunts and cousins included, did.

I didn’t realize his mom was the GA. This changed a lot. I would be interacting with her almost daily, especially while I was a new member. I got really nervous and quiet. “Cool, me too.” That was the only thing I could get out without letting me internal freak out becoming an external freak out.

Mark changed the subject. “Do you want to get lunch in the café before lab tomorrow?”

I silently thanked him for not making a bigger deal out of my nonchalance. “Yeah, that’ll be great. We have lab at noon. Want to eat at 11:30?”

“Sure thing. What time is your bid run tomorrow?”

“We line up at 3:30. We’ll probably run at 4. Are you planning on going with the Thetas?” The boys often lined up to watch the girls run at each other while screaming. I’m sure it was a weird thing to experience. I know I was kind of nervous. Had I not seen my cousins do it before me, I would think the whole thing bizarre. That’s another thing, my Aunt Mary will be there, my mom is coming into town, and my two cousins who work in Birmingham will be there. Usually if you’re a legacy, your family will show up to show you support.

He scoffed. “No, I’ll be at the house doing stuff. The members will be going, but I have to be up at the fraternity house from 5-10 every night this week.”

The next day, I couldn’t get done with classes and lab quick enough. Luckily, Mark and I finished the lab early and we were done by 2. I went back to my dorm and took a shower. They told us to wear a t-shirt so we could quickly change into the bid day t-shirt they were going to give us. But, I wanted to be clean, as I figured it’d be a long event.

While I was in the shower I got a card slid under my dorm room door. Candace also came back while I was in the shower and had put it on my bed. It read: You have been invited to accept a bid. Please meet in the intramural field’s parking lot. You will be split into houses at that time.

They didn’t tell you which house you got until you got to the lot. Then, you’d break up into your groups. Ree, Yvonne and I were going to walk down together. I asked Candace to join us, but of course she couldn’t be bothered to be nice to me. Ugh, she kills me.

We all walked up to the table together. This is where our fate would be sealed. Ree wanted ODP and Yvonne had decided last night to rank Delta Alpha first. Yvonne had a hard time figuring out which house to rank where. Speaking of hard times, I noticed Michelle had been absent from her room all day. I hope she was out doing something fun for herself. I stopped by after my shower to check in. Her hipster, unaware, roommate said she’d been out since yesterday. Poor girl. She was devastated and chose to make herself alone. I’d have to send her a facebook message later. I didn’t want anyone feeling left out so soon. I knew how that felt.

Ree got to the table first. “Harriet Vines.” She spoke quickly, without being prompted.

The Rho Gamma scanned the lists. “Vines... Vines... Harriet! Congratulations, you can go join the group of girls with the ODP balloons!!!” Harriet beamed and bounced around.

She stood waiting by as I walked up. “Hi, Kathleen Hoover.”

“Oh, let’s see. Hoover--- yep! Beta Nu is right over there!” She smiled.

I smiled quickly and clapped. Now, it was Yvonne’s turn.

“Hey girl!” Yvonne spoke to the Rho Gamma.

“Okay, Yvonne, let’s see.” This girl apparently knew Yvonne because she didn’t ask her name. “Well, Yvonne, you can join your friend Kathleen over with the Betas!”

Yvonne’s face froze. I knew that Yvonne had ranked Beta last. That means that her two other choices had not opted to pick her up. She gave a forced smile and a nod. I ran up to her. “Hey girl! We’re going to be together!!!” I was trying to lighten the mood.

Ree hugged us all, and ran over to the other ODP new members. I didn’t know what to do, I was totally stoked to be a Beta, and Yvonne felt like it was slap in the face. I didn’t know how to handle this.

“Okay, girl! Let’s go get over here!” I grabbed her hand and pranced over to the huddle of girls who had already gotten their bid info.

Yvonne saw a friend amongst us, and ran over to talk to her. I wasn’t offended. I was happy to here. Yvonne was on the fence. I couldn’t console her properly, and she knew that. I could sense it.

I whipped out my phone and text my mom. Well, it looks like the legacy continues. Beta Nu!!!! J I love you, Mom! I cannot wait to see you, Mary and whoever else y’all wrangled up!

She responded quickly. Mary told me the good news this morning when they received the bid list! We’ve got your cousins Fran and Ginny here! They’re so excited! Oh, I met Mark’s mom! Total doll!

Oh Lord. That quickly changed the tone of today...

**My finals are on Monday, I am trying my hardest to make sure that I get y'all taken care of by then, but I'm just warning you---things might get a bit fuzzy. However, after that I'll be free for a WHOLE MONTH! Well, minus work...? I am so honored and humbled by the attention this blog is getting and I appreciate all of you! Much love, Lee**

A Part of the Huge Whole

It was Preference Party night. Each girl had the opportunity to be invited back to 3 houses. I only had two on my invitation list. Beta and ODP. It was down to the wire. This night would seal my fate. Before going to bed, the whole thing would be tallied. I wouldn’t find out until the next day when the Rho Gammas came to get us for the run, but I was a nervous wreck.

It had been an exhausting day. It was Sunday, so I had to get my homework for the next week started. I had my lab with Mark on Monday, and we had to work on some pre-lab assignment, which seemed ridiculous. How do you assign a lab assignment without the actual class meeting? Whatever. I am just bitter they expect me to do work, I think. Mark and I didn’t have time to meet up and actually work on it, so we just kept emailing the drafts to each other until we thought it was complete.

On top of my work, I didn’t realize that some girls were actually not getting asked to preference parties at all. This came to my attention when I went into the communal bathroom and saw a girl from down the hall, Michelle, crying hysterically in the entrance to the shower as she was getting her shower pale ready.

“What’s wrong?” I asked her cautiously. I wasn’t much for random conversation, but I have this theory about public crying—if you’re crying and go in public, you want people to ask about it. Otherwise, you’d put off human interaction.

“The—the party list...” She just started sobbing harder.

“Oh, Michelle, I’m sure you will be happy. You’ll find a house for you.”

This just set off a bigger gush of waterworks. “That’s just it!” She wailed. “I-I-I” she was getting to the hiccup part of the ugly cry. Bless her heart, she was a mess. My heart broke for her. “I didn’t get any!!!!” she yelled out in exhaustion. I could tell she was worn out.

I went over and hugged her. Granted, she was only wearing a towel, and I’m not much for touching, but she needed comfort. “You are not defined by a sorority. You’re fine. You’ll be fine. What’s meant to be will be. And just because you didn’t get any invites doesn’t mean that you can’t get a snap bid tomorrow or an open bid later.” Sororities constantly recruit. And if they see that they want more members, they’ll continue to recruit members throughout the year, open bidding. Snap bids are a scenario where the girl had not been invited to the party, but on second thought she would be a really good addition and was someone they wanted in their chapter.

I was apparently not the first person to say this to her this afternoon. She swatted me off. “You don’t know that will happen! I’m just going to have to realize this is where I am!” I nodded. I couldn’t console her. She wasn’t listening. I just patted her.

“Listen, I’m here to talk whenever you want to. Just come knock on my door. If Candace says I’m out, give me a call. I’ll come hang out. You’ll be fine; it’s just a shock right now.” I smiled and hugged her. I left without so much as a word from her.

I didn’t realize this whole thing was so hard for some girls. Here I was having a hard time picking between two awesome groups of girls, and some girls felt totally left out. Did I want to be a part of something that excluded people and hurt their feelings? Did I want to be a reason why some poor freshman trying to find her way might cry the next year? I was so conflicted. It gave me a stomach ache just thinking about it.

I arrived at ODP first. The house had a much more somber and real feeling that it had every night before. Prior to Pref the house was full of giggles, over energetic smiles, and colorful dresses. Tonight, all the girls wore a deep red. The smiles were serious, and the giggles were replaced with single red roses held by each girl. It was a total shock to my system. I was prepared for the apparent severity of the night.

Everything was much slower paced. The house didn’t shake with songs, it sang sweet lullabies. There weren’t boisterous skits, it was a thoughtful play. It made me realize, that while the girls may have excluded some people, like poor Michelle, it was because they held their sorority so dear. They loved their sorority so much that they wanted to make sure with absolute certainty that it was a good fit. And I hope Michelle finds that in everything she does in life, not just sorority rush.

As I sat there though, I realized, I was in the wrong house. I needed to be with my family. I needed to be part of something everyone in my family held dear. I needed to be some tiny spec in some huge thing that made thousands of women over the years smile with fond memories. I needed to be a Beta.

Soul Mates

After the whirl that was skit night, I called my mom. I was feeling really confused, and I knew she wanted me to be a Beta, and I needed to be reminded that I’d have a lot in common with all my family members if I did this.

“Sweetie, when I walked into that Beta house all those years ago, it smelled like home. I just had this sense of knowing. I wanted to be there. I wanted to be part of it. And, I won’t lie and say I don’t want that for you. But if you feel at home somewhere else, go there. Be happy.”

“It’s not that I don’t feel at home at Beta. I do. It’s so cool that all of the women in our family are Betas. It’s awesome that I would share that with them. I’m just overwhelmed. Other houses have this exciting draw, too.”

“Make a decision to make you happy. Daddy and I love you no matter what. And Mary will be happy for you. She’ll have to return all the teal and gold stuff she bought you, but that’s fine.” She giggled. Mary bought me a ton of items in Beta Nu colors when I started college. I told her I didn’t want it until I got a bid. Otherwise, it would seem weird.

“Mom, thanks. I really appreciate your help.”

She didn’t say anything. I could tell she was nodding. She did that a lot, she would nod on the phone. Like, how was I supposed to respond? I’d gotten used to it, but it was a weird habit. “So,” she began cautiously, “what about your new boyfriend?”

I sighed. I could really kill Leslie for mentioning Mark to Aunt Mary. “He isn’t my boyfriend, but he’s a really good guy, Mom. I think you’d like him.”

“I just want you to be happy. That’s all.”

Just then Yvonne and Ree bounded into my room, and I let my mom go. “So, what about Allen?” I proded Yvonne. We hadn’t seen her much lately because she was a total bookworm when classes started.

“He just doesn’t make me super excited. So, if he calls I let it ring out. I one word his texts.”

I cocked my head. “What happened?”

She looked down. “He, well-he, okay, he licks a lot when we make out. And I just, I couldn’t. It’s not attractive. No one wants a bath!” Ree and I busted out laughing. We then kept making licking faces at her all night, because maturity. 

Luckily Candace had left the dorm for the weekend because she said she rested better at home, and she needed her beauty rest for recruitment. I’m guessing whoever this Jarrett guy had more to do with it than anything else.

Ree got quiet when we were joking about Allen. “What’s up?” Yvonne asked.

“Well, I just-“ she paused. “I just feel lonely. You guys already paired off. And I’m just reading cosmo in my room on Friday night.”

I took the wine away from Ree. “Hey, stop! You’re more important than Mark and wayyyy more important than Sir Licks A Lot. Call me if you’re lonely. Mark can wait.” I never knew people as confident as Harriet would get so upset and lonely. She always had guys fawning over her. She just never seemed too interested. I just figured she didn’t care enough. Obviously she was looking for something special. It was nice to know that someone else who gave an aura of insane confidence felt inadequate at times.

Yvonne looked at her seriously. “Ree, you’re gorgeous, fun, and smart. You intimidate girls, not to mention boys. You’re the whole package. You don’t want someone who can’t respect all the wonderful qualities you have.” She nodded determinedly. “Now, let’s get back to wine night.”

We were talking and taking Cosmo and Buzzfeed quizzes all night. Mark text me after he got in from the fraternity houses, but I told him it was girls’ night. 

He text back with a perfect response. Well, I won’t say I don’t miss you. But I can share. I probably won’t see you tomorrow, you have pref parties and I’ve got to go to the houses. Leslie said you were on the list for tomorrow. So, you can rest easy, princess.

You’re sweet. You didn’t have to pry on my behalf. But I appreciate it. Good night, Prince Mark. Good luck tomorrow. See you soon ;)

Ree saw the smile plastered on my face. “Seriously?” she whined. “Where did you find the world’s sweetest guy?”

I shrugged my shoulder. “You. You dragged me to that weird garden party. And then I met the ‘bullshitter.’”

We all laughed and went back to our quizzes. You know, I think Carrie Bradshaw was right. Girlfriends are our soul mates. There are just boys we have fun with. But I was happy to be having fun with Mark.

The New

***Edit--Somehow the last sentence got deleted, before I posted this. I mean, it isn't a big deal-but it bugged me, so I've added it back. Sorry for the previous awkward ending! :)***


Lunch with Mark was flawless, as expected. I asked him about his night at the Theta house and he said it was fun, but he was nervous about pledgeship. I assured him that he’d be fine and that it couldn’t be too bad because no chapter wanted to risk getting shut down for hazing.

After lunch, he invited me over to his room for a bit. “Why is your roommate never around?” I had been visiting Mark for a week now, and still no sign of his roommate aside from his bed and clothes in the closet.

“He’s got this girlfriend that’s still in high school. He literally goes to class, comes here to get his books or drop off the ones he doesn’t need, then he goes to her house or his parents’ house in town and hangs out with her. She doesn’t want to come here because she’s scared, I guess?”

I looked down. It made me think of how little thought Ken gave me during his first semester. I mean, yeah, we’d text occasionally throughout the day, but he never did much more than that. He certainly didn’t try to come home on the weekends to see me. He claimed he had fraternity stuff to do every weekend, but even I knew that was a bit farfetched.

“Well, that’s nice he goes to see her.” I said finally. I didn’t really want to start to feel bad about Kenny, but I did. I knew he had a new girlfriend. I hope he is happier with her, I suppose. I don’t know. I have this weird ambivalence towards him. I want him to be happy, but I also just couldn’t care enough. But occasionally, like this moment, I get bogged down in the idea of him.

He sat on the bed next to me. He lay down and pulled my back into his chest. “I wish we didn’t have stuff to do today.”

I sighed as he rubbed my arm. “Yeah, it’d be nice. And what sucks is it’s only going to get worse between school, pledgeship, and whatever else.”

“Well,” he kissed the top of my head, “I promise that I’ll try to make time for you. And I’ll tell Leslie to take it easy on you.”

I coughed in surprise. It was supposed to be a laugh, but it came out weird. I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t really know if I wanted Beta, and he was talking about it like I was already in. It was hard. “That’s quite the gesture considering I don’t know if I have a bid yet.”

He laughed. “You’re a definite Beta Nu. Don’t even sweat it. Leslie told me she really likes you. I told her we have that in common.”

I spun around. “You mean that?” I looked at him in earnest.

He looked kind of shocked. “Of course I like you!” He seemed kind of hurt.

“Good.” I kissed his cheek. “I like you, too.” He pulled me into him and rested his chin on the top of my head.

“Seriously,” he spoke softly, “I know you’re nervous around me a lot. And I know you get worked up and worried, but you don’t have to. I’ll let you know how I’m feeling.”

I pulled myself closer to him. “This is just new, you know?”

“I think the fun overtakes the new, don’t you?” He then kissed me. We had the laziest sex I’ve ever had. We were just content to be near each other, there was no rush, no sense of hurry, just pleased to be with each other.

After I found the ability to leave Mark in his bed, looking expertly handsome, Yvonne and I got ready for our third night of Rush. I was only invited to three parties that night. Delta Alpha didn’t ask me back to Skit night, but I wasn’t distraught over the loss. Yvonne had Chi Tau, Beta Nu and Delta Alpha left. We were both talking about how up in the air we were. As we finished getting ready, she walked out to sorority row with me. "Let the games begin.." she whispered weakly as the grand houses came into view.

Fairytales

 

Ashley let me in with a laugh. Ree heard the exchange at the door and looked at me open-jawed and bug-eyed. “You mean to tell me the Wicked Witch of the Dorm has a gentleman caller?”

I laughed. “It would seem.” Ree patted the side of her bed and told me to sit down. She wanted to hear about my night at the houses. I told her I loved ODP a lot more than I anticipated. She said that Alpha Delta gave her the heebie jeebies. They were kind of animatronic, I could give her that. Ashley sighed.

“Ashley, I’m sorry, we’re being insensitive. I know you wish you were going through.” I suddenly felt guilty.

Ashley shook her head. “I just don’t think that coach realizes she’s making us miss out on this chance to bond with the rest of the class. Granted, recruitment isn’t for everyone, but she’s not giving us the option.”

I didn’t know what to say. Ree sensed the palpable awkwardness, and suggested we go find  a Redbox and watch all the Twilight movies they had available. We ended up with the first one, and both parts of Breaking Dawn.

We bought gummy worms, ice cream, mini Reese’s cups, potato chips and cheap wine. We were ready for this bad movie marathon. As we were putting the DVD on, Mark sent me a text.

Hey sweetie. Hope your night went well. ;)

I smiled like a fool. Thanks! It really did. Are you ready for your big day tomorrow?

Yeah, one of the Theta’s asked me over to the house. I might head over there. Want to join me?

I balked and choked on a gummy worm in the process. As I was coughing Ashley notice my phone in my hand. “Did he just send you a sext?!”

I started laughing in addition to the choking. I finally caught my breath. “No, Ash, he didn’t sext me. He asked me out to Theta with him.”

Ree started clapping hysterically. “You have to go!”

I shook my head. “You know I can’t. Even though I really want to. If any of the sorority members are there I’ll get black balled.”

“You think they’d kick you out just for that?”

I nodded. “Mom and Mary said that’s the fastest sure fire way to get no bid. From anyone. I’ll tell him. It’s okay, I spent last night with him anyway. I’m with y’all.”

There was silence as I drafted my text to send him. I really wish I could, honey. It’d be a violation of recruitment if I went over there. I do hope you have a good time though. I’ll talk to you later?

As I hit send I noticed there were four eyes intently on me. “What do you mean you spent last night with him?” Ree shook her head accusingly.

“I mean that Mark and I were together last night.” I was being coy.

Ashley yelped, “You totally had sex with him!”

I laughed and nodded.

Ree barked out, “And you didn’t tell us?!”

“Well, y’all didn’t really ask...”

And as quickly as that we abandoned the incomplete Twilight Saga and they wanted a rehashing of the previous night, the next morning, and breakfast.

“You really got the sweetest guy. Ever.” Ashley sighed.

“Y’all, let’s not get too excited. He’s not mine. He’s not even my boyfriend. We haven’t talked about being exclusive. We just are two people.”

Ree waved her hand at me. “I, Harriet Worthington, am swearing to you this man is your boyfriend. Don’t even try to avoid it for another minute.”

When we finally got back to watching the movie, it was around 2am. Mark sent me another text. I missed you. Sleep well, princess.

You’re so sweet. Goodnight.

What? Am I not your prince?

I don’t know, are you?

Oh, I definitely am.

Well then, goodnight Prince Mark. Rest up, you’ve got a bid day tomorrow.

We do. Can I see you before the parties? Lunch?

I’ll see if I can squeeze you in. You know a Princess’s work is never done...

I’ll pick you up at 11:30 in a pumpkin carriage. Sleep sweet.

And, I have to admit, with that I did sleep sweet.






***Hey friends! I'm going on vacation next week EEKKK! However, I've tried with much failure to schedule posts before. So, I just want you all to know if something doesn't happen according to my meticulous plan, I'm sorry and I'll try to correct it as soon as possible.


Again, I appreciate all of you, and I am flattered that you guys keep coming back. I hope y'all have an awesome week while I'm roasting on a beach somewhere with rum in my cup.


Much love,
Lee***

Rough Ranking

Standing in front of Beta Nu for Philanthropy Night was totally frightening. I had everything to lose. My mom kept telling me it didn’t matter which sorority I joined as long as I was happy, but I knew she would be devastated if I didn’t end up running to Beta Nu on bid day. On bid day, every chapter gathers up their new members and they run to their new sisters. It’s kind of a weird tradition when I think about it, but I guess it’s lasted this long, we might as well keep it up.

Beta Nu opened their door just as Alpha Delta and Chi Tau had before that night. Beta Nu was my 3^rd stop and ODP would be my last. Ree had been at Alpha Delta with me, but we wouldn’t be in any more of the same parties. Yvonne and I would be at the ODP party at the same time. I wasn’t able to talk to them at the party, but just having a friendly face really helped.

I was ushered in by a new girl. A girl I’d never seen before. She introduced herself as Hannah and we went to sit down in a corner. I had gotten used to this by now. The girl would sit by me, and she would ask me more about myself and what philanthropic things I did in high school. She’d spark a common interest, and then she’d say how the chapter’s philanthropy meant so much to her, just like the common thread we had.

Beta Nu’s philanthropy was Safe Place. Luckily, I’d never known someone who needed the use of such facilities, but I knew that it was a big problem. I expressed how noble I thought the cause was to Hannah and told her that my mom and aunt, who I quickly mentioned were alumna, had done many clothes and food drives for the cause.

Hannah lit up. “Mary is such a big help to us during our Safe Place events!” she gushed. “I am so glad I got to meet you. I hadn’t put two and two together that you were her niece. She’d mentioned that she had a niece going through recruitment, and she told us just how lovely you are!”

I smiled politely. I appreciated that Hannah acted surprised to know my identity, when I’m well aware of the orchestrated dance that got me to her at the front door. “Mary is such a fun aunt! I am really lucky to have her. She and my mom are super close, and it’s made me want to have sisters that much more.” I was laying it on thick. I knew it. Hannah probably knew it. But I knew I had to play this game if I wanted to be a part of this.

Just then, Leslie came by with the President. “Hey girl!” she said so familiarly. I blushed a bit. I was sure Mark hadn’t told her that we’d slept together, but it didn’t make me feel any less weird about the whole ordeal.

I smiled, trying to hide the bit of embarrassment I was feeling. “Hey y’all! It’s so good to be back again!”

The President, Mary Ann, then nodded knowingly. “I just wanted to personally come tell you how glad we are to see you today. We’re so excited to get to know you and show you how much we love Beta and how much I know you could grow to love it, too!”

“Thanks so much! I’ve had a lot of fun so far.”

Leslie then motioned to me and Hannah. “Come on, let’s go to the craft table.” Mary Ann carried on and went to speak to the other Potential New Members (PNMs). “So, Kathleen, tonight all the PNMs are going to plant an aloe seed and we’re going to give them to the women and kids at Safe Place. We thought Aloe would be a fun idea because it’s a really hearty plant, it doesn’t require a lot of care, and it helps heal. And that’s what Safe Place is about.” This was the most labor intensive of the crafts I’d taken part in do far for Philanthropy night. At Delta Alpha I wrote a get well card to a child with cancer at St. Jude’s and at Chi Tau I stuffed a bear with stuffing to be given to a kids who were having cleft palate surgeries.

After my craft, Hannah passed me off/introduced me to another girl, Lilian. Lilian was a sophomore and was a tad bit enthusiastic for my tastes. It was sweet she was so excited by everything, but at the same time, it was a bit much. Finally, as she was telling me for the umpteenth time how much she “totally loved” intramural sports, the lights flickered and that was our cue to exit.

My last house was ODP. I never expected to like ODP much because it was the party girls. Yes, I liked to go to parties, but I wasn’t the life of the party. I was a silent observer. I just was there. I was an innocent bystander. I wasn’t someone actively seeking out the attention or rip-roaring fun at a party. However, I when I went into ODP that night, it felt like I really found some place I might like.

I spoke to 5 different girls. Each one seemed genuinely excited to talk to me. They all had a vested interest in what I was saying. And most importantly, their philanthropy was the local no kill animal shelter!  How sweet was that?! They had service events once a month to go walk and play with the dogs. Umm, I’m just saying-I could definitely get into that.

As I was decorating a bandana reading “Please Take Me Home!” for a sweet puppy to wear at adoption events, I realized I was actually having a lot of fun. It wasn’t forced like I felt it was at Beta. Sometimes when I was around the Betas I felt like I needed to be on my very best behavior. I had this urge to straighten up and look attentive. It was more like I was in class than having fun with friends. With the ODP girls it seemed like I could really let loose and have fun!

When it came time to rank, I knew in my heart of hearts that I wanted ODP more than Beta. I ranked them first. I put Beta second. Chi Tau and Alpha Delta were both fine. I didn’t have anything against them. I just really felt like I could get the most out of my college experience with ODP or Beta. I knew I couldn’t tell my mom or Aunt Mary that I hadn’t ranked Beta Nu first. They wouldn’t understand. I was equally excited and worried when I clicked submit on my screen to officially rank Beta as NUMBER 2.

When I got back to my room after ranking (and maybe stopping for an ice cream cone at the campus store), I found Candace attacking some gangly, blonde, fair skinned, bean pole with her mouth while lying on her bed. I yelped when I saw the scene.

She coolly sat up pushing the guy away from her. “Oh hey, Kathleen. This is Jarrett. I invited him to stay the night. I figured you’d be with Ree or Mark.”

I nodded, quickly packed a bag and headed to Ree’s room. Ashley answered the door. I looked at her pitifully. “I’ve been sexiled.”

Pretend like it's the weekend

I woke up in Mark’s arms feeling rather lovely, if I do say so myself. Then, I had a moment of sheer panic! He was going to see me with sleepy-face-makeup (I didn’t really worry with removal the night before—I was a bit ahemmm, engaged) and morning breath!!! I could feel my heart starting to race as I was thinking about ways to get out of this tiny XL twin (thanks dorm life) without waking him up. I finally decided there was no helping it and just gave up. No sense worrying about things out of your control, really.

After about ten minutes of panic followed by another two or three minutes of self-reassurance, I decided to check the clock. 8:48am. I didn’t have class, but I didn’t know what Mark’s schedule looked like on Friday’s so I decided it was a safe bet to go ahead and start stirring. If he didn’t have class he could go back to sleep, and If he did I won best sleepover buddy surprise of waking him on time for his 9:30am.

I squirmed away from him slowly and he yawned himself awake. “Good morning...” He said it breathlessly, but with a smile.

“Hello Handsome.” I said sweetly. “I’m going to get going, but I wanted to tell you I had a good time last night.”

He sat up quickly. “Hey, why the rush?” He looked concerned.

“I didn’t know if you, umm,” I was taken aback. What guy had ever wanted someone to stick around in the morning? “Do you have class?”

He grinned. “Nah, I’m free Fridays. Do you have class?” He looked at me expectantly.

“Nope.” I looked at him flatly. This was going to get weird. We’d both just admitted we were free, however I wasn’t sure if he actually wanted me around much longer. I never knew of a boy loving company for this long.

“Well, come on then. Let’s go get breakfast. How does Original Pancake House sound?”

I grinned. I loved OHOP. A lot. Few things made me happier than the pecan pancakes. “That sounds spectacular.” I paused. Thinking of how to put what I was about to say delicately. “I do need to, umm, freshen up, though.”

He laughed and handed me some of his clothes and some mouth wash. He said I couldn’t get done up for breakfast because it spoiled all the fun.

After breakfast he parked his car kind of far away from my and his dorms. We walked slowly, hand in hand. “Kathleen, thanks for coming with me this morning. I had a great time.”

I blushed. “Mark, that’s very sweet, but I should be thanking you. I love OHOP and it was a very kind gesture.” I was never good at these kinds of conversations. Yes, I thought the boy should pull out all the stops for me at first, but I never knew exactly how to show my gratitude without seeming too insincere or too thankful. Neither of which is good.

“You’re welcome.” He smiled, pleased with himself.  He pulled our hands towards his face. “Such little, dainty hands you have.” He laughed.

I burrowed my head in my chest. I wasn’t insecure about much in regards to my looks. I was fair skinned, dark haired, average build with a PHENOMENAL chest (if I do say so myself). However, my little, itty, bitty baby hands always made me cower with disgust. They were so much unlike the rest of my features. They mimicked my personality more than my body. I was definitely insecure about my feelings, my friendships, my relationships, my intelligence, but my looks just were.

“I do.” I said in a small voice.

He sensed my lack of enthusiasm for the topic and quickly looked away and dropped my hand. Awesome, I thought. I walked in silence trying to recover some semblance of the familiarity we had shared last night and this morning at breakfast.

We got to the door of my dorm hall and he stopped, grabbing my arms as I continued to trudge forward. He pulled me in with his hands placed strongly around my wrists. “Kid,” He was stern, yet endearing. “I’ll call you later tonight.”

I nodded, not sure if I should believe him. He then took his left hand off my arm and lifted my sinking chin. “I will call you later.”  He kissed my cheek and lingered. “Have a good day.”

I walked into my room upset with myself. Here I was doubting myself with all I had, and this guy was being nothing but adoring. He was nothing short of wonderful to me. And I was being such a brat. I didn’t know what to do. So in true pessimistic fashion, I took a nap.

I woke up around 1pm with a hard knock on my door. I jolted awake and ran to answer it. It was my Rho Gamma. She was giving me the list of houses I’d been invited back to. We were invited back to a maximum of 4 houses on the second and third nights. Philanthropy Night was tonight and the third party, Skit Party would be Saturday afternoon. I politely tried to get rid of the Rho Gamma as quickly as possible, because I didn’t want to possibly cry in front of her in case my invitations didn’t look like I wanted them to.

Kathleen Hoover:

1)Omicron Delta Phi

2) Delta Alpha

3) Beta Nu

4) Chi Tau

And just like that I did a little happy dance and ran to text Ree and Yvonne to see what they had been invited to. We agreed to meet on the quad deck in ten. And I also could detail my rendezvous with Mr. Mark, and also explain how much I messed it up as he walked me home...

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