Chapter 5

Halloween was coming up soon and Laurel was in good spirits. She and the other pledges would be tasked with decorating the sorority house for the party soon, and all the girls enthused about their costumes. She also took a secret joy in her special connection to the holiday, despite how ridiculously modern culture depicted magic. And of course there was the promise of cute boys.

She thought nothing of it when, the Wednesday before the party, she was asked to join the sisters for a special meeting. It was only when she realized that she was the only pledge present that she started to worry. She didn’t have long to dwell on it before she was called in to the meeting room.

“Laurel,” the chapter president Melissa said, “we’ve decided to revoke our invitation for you to join Sigma Psi Rho.” She paused a moment but Laurel was silent, stunned. “We don’t want to string you along. Parting ways now will give you more time to meet people and make contacts at other houses that might be a better fit for you.”

“What did I do wrong?” Laurel asked. Her lower lip was quivering. All of these women were only a little older than her, but they all had their lives so together. They were so poised. Laurel couldn’t help but feel like a little girl among them.

“Honey, you didn’t do anything wrong,” Shannon said soothingly. “You just don’t embody the qualities that a Psi Rho girl is meant to epitomize. I know there’s a house out there in which you’ll be happier, once you find it.”

“I’ll learn!” Laurel begged. “I’m a really quick study! I can do better!”

“I don’t think you can,” Martina said matter-of-factly, breaking the sympathetic mood that the first two officers had tried to create. “Look, I know you’ve got lots book smarts, but when it comes to social graces you’re operating at a remedial level and we’re looking for honors students. I know this is a disappointment to you, and I’m sorry, but it’s not working out and there’s no point in sugar-coating it.”

“We all really did want this to work out. We tried,” Melissa told her, voice again full of empathy. “We like you,...”

Avery took over Melissa’s thought: “ ... we just can’t have you representing us.”

Laurel sat in silence. She had a million things she wanted to say, but she suspected every one of them was wrong. They wouldn’t let her come to the party, anyway, would they? No, probably not.