The Pledge Mistress

Chapter 37 -- Pledge Erin

The Friday following her harrowing adventure with Heather, Lisa returned to her job and faced Dr. Burnside's questions about what had happened to her the day before. As always, Lisa had to strip while in the professor's office, hang up her clothes, lock the wardrobe, and hand over the key. Before sitting down the student had to present her backside to satisfy Burnside's curiosity concerning how badly she was marked up. However, the professor was surprisingly sympathetic and Lisa found that talking about her experience with her mentor helped her tremendously.

Lisa noted an interesting detail about the older woman's reaction to what had happened with Heather. The professor seemed irritated with herself, because she had liked Heather and had a very positive impression of her from the few times they interacted. Burnside considered herself a good judge of character, but for once she had been wrong about someone. Lisa pointed out:

"She didn't start out that way, Dr. Burnside. To be honest, at the beginning of the summer I didn't see much difference between her and Tracy. I mean, they worked together just fine when we first started pledging. I think what happened was that the sorority presidency went to Heather's head, and she began to get stressed out and desperate about it. What was ironic was that if she hadn't done anything and just relaxed and not fought with anyone, she would have been elected, because President Alexandra wanted her. But, the more she obsessed about the presidency, the more she started doing stuff that made everyone think she shouldn't ought to get it. I think over the summer she changed, and that's why people started opposing her."

With that Lisa returned to her normal duties of grading papers and finishing up her own research projects. She was quite happy to be returning to her routine after all the trauma of the preceding two days.

Later in the afternoon Burnside asked Lisa to retrieve some files from the bottom drawer of a filing cabinet. Lisa deliberately turned her back to the professor and completely bent over as she pulled out the papers, lewdly exposing herself and momentarily unsettling her mentor's normally calm demeanor. Lisa never tired of shamelessly flirting with Dr. Burnside and causing her to get flustered.

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The Saturday morning after Brittany's rescue, Tracy and Shannon paid a visit to her sorority to pick up her things. Shannon was very nervous, because it was clear that Tracy wanted to continue the brawl from two days before. She was wearing a sweatsuit and a pair of steel-toed Army jump-boots, which would do real damage to anyone on the receiving end of a kick. Tracy commented:

"I wish I would've had these boots on two days ago. That would've taught those bitches never to fuck with us."

Shannon followed Tracy to the rival sorority, carrying the letter authorizing Tracy to pick up Brittany's things. She desperately hoped the rival women might be reasonable and simply hand over Brittany's items without a fight.

Tracy pounded on the door, only to have it opened by a very nervous hung-over freshman. Tracy realized the girl must have been another pledge, because she had a black eye and her hair was tangled with adhesive from duct-tape. Tracy and Shannon realized the pledge was alone in the house. Obviously the fight the Pledge Mistress was expecting wasn't going to happen, because there was no way this girl was going to cause her any trouble. What happened instead was something neither of the Four-Beta's could have expected. The young woman asked:

"Is Brittany gonna join your sorority?"

"She might. Depends on her grades."

"But, she's like, uh...gonna stay with you?"

"Yeah, she's gonna stay with us. That's why we need to pick up her stuff."

Suddenly the girl became much more nervous. She took a deep breath and blurted out:

"If I...like...uh...you know...bring her stuff out...I mean, like...could I go too?"

"Go too? You mean..."

"Yeah, like...you know...go with Brittany?"

"So...what you're telling me...is that you want to go to the Four-Beta house?"

The pledge nodded.

"You're absolutely sure about this? You're sure you know what you're doing?"

The pledge nodded again.

"OK, that's fine with me. Get your things, and don't forget about Brittany's stuff."

The pledge ran back into the house. A minute later she deposited several pillowcases full of clothing and textbooks at the front door and ran back in. Thirty seconds later she came back out, loaded down with a large suitcase and two trash bags full of more clothing and various items. The Four-Beta officers picked up the bags and departed with a frightened young woman who had not even introduced herself.

The freshman hurried along the sidewalk at such a quick pace that her two companions had to rush to keep up with her. Once the group went around a corner the pledge slowed down slightly.

"I...is Brittany at the Four-Beta house...I mean like...right now?"

"Yes, she's there. Now, can I ask you something?"

The girl nervously nodded.

"I think that, since you're gonna be staying with us, it might be a good idea if we introduce ourselves. My name's Tracy, and this is Shannon."

Tracy put down the trash bag she was carrying and extended her hand.

"I'm Erin."

There was no further conversation, because it was obvious that the only thing on Erin's mind was getting off the street. The fact that she had a black eye partially explained why she was such a nervous wreck. Tracy had plenty of questions, but those could be answered once Erin was safely accommodated in the Four-Beta house, reunited with Brittany, and had a chance to calm down.

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Brittany was in the sorority library when the group returned to the Four-Beta house. Tracy took Erin to see Brittany immediately, because the girl appeared a bit unstable and already seemed to be questioning whether or not she had made the right decision by fleeing her sorority. The two freshmen were elated at seeing each other in their new environment. In just two days Brittany's appearance had improved tremendously, which helped Erin calm down considerably.

Tracy ordered the two guests to follow her downstairs and put away their things. Brittany then had to return to the library and continue working on her assignment, while Erin was ordered to clean up and issued the same outfit Brittany had on. Tracy then ordered Erin to report to the kitchen to have breakfast.

Like Brittany before her, Erin peeked out the window and was shocked to see about 20 women relaxing or exercising around the pool, all of them totally naked. In the backyard's grassy area the current group of pledges were performing drills to prepare for the volleyball tournaments. The tallest girl in the group had a splint on her hand, but otherwise the Four-Beta pledges were in excellent shape.

After breakfast, Tracy formally presented Erin to President Alexandra and the sorority's social director. Like Brittany before her, Erin signed a letter printed on Four-Beta letterhead announcing her resignation from her current sorority. Alexandra explained to Erin her guest status and emphasized that over the next three weeks she needed to focus on a single goal in life, passing her summer university classes.

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Once both newcomers were accommodated with their books in the sorority library, Tracy took off her clothes and went into the back yard to retrieve Lisa. She explained that a second pledge had defected from her sorority, and then explained what she needed from Lisa:

"It's very important that we get those two signed on as formal pledges in the fall, for a whole bunch of reasons. First of all, they're dead meat as far as the other sororities are concerned, and I'm not just talking about the one they were pledging. They're gonna be looked at as total traitors to their sorority sisters and everyone's gonna be out to get 'em. It doesn't matter to the other sororities that Brittany nearly got killed and Erin's got a black eye. None of that matters to anyone except us in the Four-Beta directorate. If those two girls want to have any hope of staying enrolled at the university and not get beat up, the only way they can do it is by staying with us."

"There's something else. I want to see that sorority shut down. I totally hate what they're doing to their members and now there's finally a chance it might stop. The arrests of their officers might help, but I think losing two pledges will be a real nice humiliation and hopefully demoralize them even more. On top of that, the cops are gonna need Brittany's testimony, and now we've got Erin, too. If we can keep Brittany and Erin safe until those bitches get investigated and the shit they've pulled gets documented, they're gonna be fucked. And that's what I want, for that sorority to be totally fucked."

With that, Tracy gave Lisa an ironic smile and continued:

"So, Pledge Lisa, I've got a question for you. Since you've got Shannon's study group to deal with, passing your Four-Beta panel interview to deal with, your personal shit to deal with, Dr. Burnside to deal with, a volleyball tournament to deal with, and your finals to deal with, how'd you like another thing on your plate? You up for another responsibility?"

"Sure, why not? What is it?"

"I want you in charge of getting Brittany and Erin ready to pledge. Not just with their academics, but also preparing them psychologically. And physically. Elaine was gonna work on Brittany's remedial PT and studying, but, as far as I'm concerned, training pledges is not her job. I'm delegating that job to you. Remedial PT, academics, orientation. Work up a training schedule and we'll go over it this afternoon."

"Alright. You got it. Is it OK if I see the training schedule you used with us so I can have a go-by?"

Tracy handed Lisa a book titled "Official Four-Beta Sorority Pledge Mistress Trainer's Guide".

"Here's your go-by. It's the same one I used."

As she thumbed through three chapters titled "Pledge pre-orientation", "Pledge time management", and "Non-traditional pledges", Lisa realized that Tracy already was acting like the new chapter president, confidently delegating tasks to people she trusted to "get things done". Both Tracy and Lisa knew if anyone could transform Brittany and Erin from disoriented, frightened guests into Four-Beta pledges, that person would be Lisa.

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Lisa began her new duty by calling a meeting of her three fellow pledges and explaining the situations of Brittany and Erin. Then she added:

"If you think about it, things with us are starting to wind down, because we're pretty much done with pledging. We've already got two of the recruits who'll be coming in with the fall group, and that means we're no longer at the bottom of the Totem pole around here."

Lisa continued:

"I've got my first tasking as a full member of the Four-Betas. Brittany and Erin are gonna be fucked if their grades keep them from pledging, so it's our job to make sure they pass their classes. I want each one of you to spend some time helping them get caught up, but also getting to know them. Once they swear-in, you're all gonna be part of the same freshman class, so you might as well make them feel welcome and make friends with them."

Lisa them moved on to a totally different issue, her own role in the current pledge group:

"Once we swear in, you three are gonna be the core of the freshman class. I'll be with the sophomores and I've already told Elaine that I'll support her as class leader. That means, right now, I think you ought to decide among yourselves who's gonna be your group leader."

Cherine raised her hand:

"I think it ought to be Bernadette."

Lisa turned to Kathleen:

"Are you OK with that?"

"That's fine with me."

"OK, then Bernadette it is."

A few minutes later Lisa and Bernadette knelt in front of Pledge Mistress Tracy, to formally announce that Bernadette had been elected freshman class leader, pending swearing in. Now Bernadette was officially the leader of the pledge group and answered directly to Tracy, leaving Lisa free to deal with Brittany and Erin.

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After she talked to her group mates, Lisa went to the library to talk to the two guests alone. She entered the room completely naked and was about to talk to two women who still were dressed, but that detail did not bother her in the least. Being naked was an important part of Lisa's identity, and the people around her would just have to get used to that. In spite of her lack of covering, she exuded confidence and authority as she addressed the two newcomers and ordered them to stand. She introduced herself to Erin and explained that she was in charge of the two newcomers' affairs until they formally became pledges. Then she handed a copy of the pledge manual to Brittany and ordered her to read:

"Chapter 1, section 14 - a pledge will automatically assume a position of submission and respect whenever addressing an officer of the Sorority. The position of submission and respect will be determined at the beginning of each semester by the Chapter President. However, as needed, an officer of the Sorority, with the concurrence of the Chapter President, may require pledges to assume a position of submission and respect differing from the pledge position normally required in the sorority house."

"Prospects Brittany and Erin, because I am delegated to help you get ready to pledge, I expect you to stand at attention whenever I talk to you. Do you understand me?"

"Yeah...OK..."

"No, that's not how you say it. It'll be 'yes, Pledge Lisa'. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, Pledge Lisa."

"The 'position of submission and respect' will change once you two formally start pledging, but so will a bunch of other things in your lives. For one thing, you'll be answering to the Four-Beta Pledge Mistress, once she gets elected. I don't know who that's gonna be, but it won't be Pledge Mistress Tracy, because in a couple of weeks she'll be chapter president. But, whoever the Pledge Mistress is, you're gonna have to show her total respect, just like my group is doing with Pledge Mistress Tracy now. You follow me?"

"Yes, Pledge Lisa."

"The reason that's important is because we do things differently than your old sorority. The only person a Four-Beta pledge really needs to worry about is the Pledge Mistress. We have a clear chain of command and everything you'll be doing will be tied to your training. We won't be having you do a bunch of stupid irrelevant shit. For example, you won't have a senior waking you up in the middle of the night to get her a candy bar. We don't do things that way."

Strutting in exactly the same manner Tracy strutted, Lisa continued:

"That's not to say you won't have a rough fall. You will, but it's gonna be different from what you guys were doing over the summer. Everything you do here will have a purpose, and you'll always understand that purpose. Your lives will focus on studying, physical fitness, self-improvement, Four-Beta training, and sexual knowledge, in that order. You won't be allowed to have any alcohol, but that's not to say you won't have fun. Play the game by our rules, and I guarantee you'll have plenty of fun along with the hard work. You don't have to make yourself sick on booze to have fun."

Lisa then addressed an issue on the minds of both her listeners, noting that every so often they glanced at the bruises on her bare bottom.

"I know that you're wondering about physical punishment. Do we have it? Yes we do, and it's an important part of pledge discipline. However, only the Pledge Mistress or Sergeant-at-Arms can administer a punishment; and the only place you'll ever get punished is on your butt. Around here's no such thing as getting hit in the face, like what happened to you..." Lisa pointed at Erin's black eye.

With that Lisa held up the Pledge Mistress manual:

"Everything that goes on in your lives is written down in this book. If you ever have a question about something that I (or your Pledge Mistress in the fall) want you to do, you have the right to ask why, and to ask where it's written down. If you don't like my answer, you can talk to Pledge Mistress Tracy or President Alexandra. You understand that?

"Yes, Pledge Lisa."

"If I don't follow what's in this manual, I can get booted from the sorority. That just happened to one of our officers. She didn't follow the pledge manual, abused her authority, and is no longer with us."

Lisa pointed at the textbooks laid out on the library table.

"That's gonna be your purpose in life. You've got to pass your classes. We'll tutor you, help you get caught up on your assignments, and you'll pass. I bet last Wednesday you didn't think you were gonna pass the semester, did you?"

"No, Pledge Lisa, we..."

"Well, things in life change, don't they? You'll bust your asses and you'll pass, but then in the fall you'll have to work on bringing your grade point average up. Now, what questions do you have from me? Don't forget, the only stupid question is the one you don't ask..."

A few minutes later Brittany and Erin were seated with Kathleen, working on essays that should have been turned in two weeks before. Oh well, better late than never.

Meanwhile, Lisa wrote the first entry in the sorority training-log for the fall semester:

July 23 - 4:20 p.m. Pledge Lisa Campbell was placed in charge of the initial orientation of Pledge Prospect Brittany and Pledge Prospect Erin at the request of Four-Beta Pledge Mistress Tracy. Following the appointment, Pledge Lisa formally introduced herself and discussed Four-Beta expectations of both pledge prospects over the next three weeks. Topics covered included protocol between pledges and the trainer/Pledge Mistress, introduction to the Pledge Manual, a brief overview of Four-Beta training goals and philosophy, chain of command, physical discipline, and grievance protocol. Purpose of introduction was to emphasize the structured nature of Four-Beta training and contrast it with their former sorority. The above topics were covered superficially, but will be further developed throughout orientation.

Both pledge prospects appeared willing to accept the protocol of the Four-Beta pledge program, which presumably is much more structured and clearly defined than training protocol in their former sorority. Questions asked by the pledge prospects following the introduction included: sleeping arrangements for pledges, contact with parents, how many freshmen typically pledge in the fall and the dropout rate, and the nature of the Four-Beta Sorority's relationship with the Tri-Alpha Fraternity.

Both pledge prospects understood the urgency of their academic situation and accepted the need to pursue an intense study schedule over the next two weeks. Assisting the pledge prospects with academic mentoring will be Pledge Bernadette, Pledge Cherine, and Pledge Kathleen.

Remedial PT will include 10-minute exercise and stretching breaks every hour to counter fatigue from studying. Neither pledge prospect is able to perform 10 pushups non-stop, nor run more than 5 minutes before becoming seriously exhausted. Both pledge prospects are over-weight by approximately 15 pounds each and have limited flexibility in their muscles. Remedial PT will include stretching, with the goal of preparing their bodies for more intense exercising by the beginning of August.

Trainer's assessment: Pledge Prospect Brittany and Pledge Prospect Erin both appear to have above average intelligence and outgoing personalities. However they will require counseling to counteract alcohol abuse, sleep deprivation, extreme stress, and possible feelings of guilt resulting from changing sororities. Their personal relationship appears mutually supportive and should be a positive factor in their adjustment to the Four-Beta Sorority.