Total pages in book: 167
Estimated words: 164557 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 823(@200wpm)___ 658(@250wpm)___ 549(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 164557 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 823(@200wpm)___ 658(@250wpm)___ 549(@300wpm)
“Hey,” I say, squeezing her arm in greeting.
I notice the bracelet around her wrist—it’s the one I gave her at the Big-Little party—and I’m touched to see her wearing it. The smooth teal stones are meant to help you find clarity, or at least that’s what the lady at the holistic boutique in Hastings claimed. It seemed fitting for Blake because she admitted during rush that she has no idea what she wants to do with her life. She still hasn’t picked a major, which is normal for most freshmen, but Agatha is very strict about the Delta Pi sisters having purpose, structure, and a Plan, capital P.
“How was your week?” I ask her.
Blake doesn’t live at the house—Briar freshmen are required to live in the dorms—but it’s mandatory for new sisters to attend all meetings. They pretty much must be dead or dying to skip one.
“It was good. I wanted to talk to you about my broadcasting class, though. Maybe we can meet for breakfast on Sunday—” She jerks abruptly, reaching into her pocket. “Sorry. Vibrate mode. That scared the crap out of me.”
I grin, watching as she pulls out her phone. She checks the screen, rolls her eyes, and slides the sleek black device back in her pocket.
“Who was that?”
“Nobody important. Well, someone who wants to be important,” she amends. Before I can question her further, she says, “Anyway, Sunday breakfast? I could come here, or we could meet at Carver Hall. I heard their omelet station slays.”
“Let’s do Carver. Should I bring my laptop? Do we require any in-depth list writing?”
She presses her lips together as if stifling a laugh. “I just need you to know that the orgasmic look you get when you talk about making lists is a bit…scary.”
“I know,” I sigh. “I’ll try to contain my arousal.”
Blake snorts.
“C’mon, I’ll walk you out,” I tell her.
We reach the front doors at the same time as Noelle and Veda, who thought they were being stealthy about sneaking out.
“Going somewhere?” I ask in amusement.
They both spin around, guilt etched into their fair faces. I note that neither of them is wearing Agatha-approved attire.
“There’s a party at Sigma.” Noelle lowers her voice, glancing over her shoulder to make sure the warden isn’t in earshot.
Fun fact: some Ivy League colleges discourage or explicitly restrict participation in Greek life. At Briar’s Delta Pi chapter? The sorority itself restricts it.
Delta Pi is considered one of the top sororities for philanthropy, leadership development, academic excellence—and sheer tedium. But while we’re discouraged from attending Greek Row parties, not even Agatha can stop college girls from wanting to enjoy themselves at college.
“Wanna come?” Noelle is practically whispering now, while sharp-eyed Veda runs point by scanning the staircase to make sure Agatha doesn’t make a surprise descent.
“We’re good,” I answer, and the two girls flee the house like fugitives.
I say goodbye to Blake, lingering in the doorway to make sure she gets into her Uber safely, then head upstairs to my bedroom. Everyone on the third floor shares a room, but upperclassmen and board members have priority and get dibs on the solo rooms on the second floor. Including yours truly.
In the hall, I pass Jia, the other Korean American sister in the house. We’re not the only Asians, though. For all Agatha’s obnoxious flaws, she’s happy to welcome BIPOC members into Delta Pi…so long as they come from means. Our esteemed leader isn’t racist. Nope, she’s classist. Your family isn’t well-off? Forget about pledging here.
I kick off my flats and lock the door—at least we’re allowed to have locks. Although Agatha did once try to propose a new house rule banning them. It happened after Fareeda’s boyfriend locked himself in her room and wouldn’t come out until she agreed not to break up with him. We had to call the fire department to pry the door open and get the dumbass out.
Everyone laughed at Agatha when she suggested getting rid of our locks. It was nice to see my Delta Pi sisters are capable of rebelling against the queen’s wishes, at least when our privacy is threatened.
After changing into pj’s, I slide under my thick white duvet and scroll on my phone. It’s barely nine thirty, but I have to wake up early tomorrow to drive to Hamden.
A few notifications pop up while I’m scrolling, all from my dating app.
Fine. It’s a sexting app. Dating? Who has time to date? My workload is intense, which is what happens when you’re in STEM. Besides, I don’t want a boyfriend right now. They require way too much work, if we’re going by my last relationship.
Mitch required constant reassurances and an inordinate amount of ego stroking. He had issues, which I don’t judge because everyone has their shit, myself included. But Mitch deserved someone who could give him a lot more than I could give. Someone more patient. Someone who didn’t accidentally blow him off because she was working late nights at the lab and lost track of time. Someone whose stress-induced libido wasn’t on constant overdrive, causing them to show up at his dorm and jump on his dick often without even saying hello.