The Pledge
By
Inanimate77
Leah was still a little tired as she walked out of her Monday morning calculus class and headed back toward her dorm. The sorority rush event last night had taken a lot out of her. Being a bit of an introvert, she had expended a lot of energy to socialize with all the girls of the Alpha Beta Kappa house. Despite all this, the college student was committed to being accepted. Her grandmother, mother and older sister had all been a part of various chapters. It was a family tradition.
However, the problem for Leah was the sorority itself. At her college, Alpha Beta Kappa was the most popular sorority on campus. It was made up of cheerleaders, athletes and girls from prominent families. Even being a legacy did not ensure that she would be admitted. It didn't help that while her older sister was outgoing and vibrant, Leah was definitely not. She was much more like her father, serious and focused on her studies, and if all went well, in 4 short years she would be on her way to medical school.
While Leah had really put herself out there in an effort to please her family, she still was not getting a good feeling about things. She simply dreaded what her mother would say if she failed to successfully pledge the sorority. Despite all of her academic success, Leah's mother was constantly finding ways to critique her. Like her father, Leah was a people pleaser and it killed her that nothing she seemed to do made her mother happy.
It was a beautiful September day as Leah approached the quad, her mind still going over last night's event analyzing every individual discussion. In a bit of a haze, she walked right past Olivia Rhodes, the President of Alpha Beta Kappa. Olivia was the stereotypical picture of a sorority girl. She was wearing a sundress with her hair in a ponytail. The college senior had an aura about her that told Leah that she was the most popular girl in school. She was poised and appeared to be totally confident in herself.
As Leah turned and nervously approached her, she detected Olivia's floral perfume, light and alluring, wafting in the air. "Ummm... hi Olivia."
Engrossed in her phone it took Olivia a moment to realize that someone was actually talking to her. She looked up at Leah trying to place how she knew the mousy looking girl.
"It's Leah. I'm pledging your sorority," Leah blushed as she realized the college girl did not recognize her. That certainly could not be a good sign.
Although Olivia couldn't place the pledge out of context the name was familiar. Then things began to register. Ah yes, Leah was the nerdy legacy that had pledged this year. Declining a legacy was highly frowned upon and Olivia was struggling to figure out a solution on what to do with her. The quality of the pledge class this year had been incredible. If she approved Leah, she was going to have to cut someone much more worthy. Composing herself she finally said, "Oh Leah, I'm sorry. The sun was in my eyes. Please have a seat."
The pledge instantly felt a sense of relief as she took a seat next to the person who had the power to make her dreams come true. "I just want to thank you for hosting such a wonderful event last night. I'm really excited about pledging."
"Thanks. I thought it went well. We really have a great pool of pledges this year." It wasn't that Olivia disliked the girl. Leah was nice enough. She just wasn't Alpha Beta Kappa material. This left Olivia in a real bind. If she declined Leah's application there was a chance that the powers that be of the national chapter would be really upset. But if she let Leah join, it meant disappointing someone who deserved the incredible honor.
"I hope I made a good impression. It was so hard to tell with so many girls in the room."
"Well we definitely discussed you after the event." That was true. Olivia had discussed Leah's application with two other girls. She had consulted them to try to think of a way to reject her application, but none of them could come up with anything.
Leah could barely contain herself. Olivia and the girls at the sorority were talking about her. That was a really good sign. For once in her life she was going to prove her mother wrong. This was almost too good to be true. As her excitement continued to build, anxiety quickly followed. She felt so close, yet part of her doubted that she could really do this. Leah needed to be sure that she got in. After an awkward pause, she finally mustered up the courage to speak. "That's amazing Olivia. I have wanted to be a member of Alpha Beta Kappa my entire life. I would do anything to get in."
Things were going poorly. If anything, Olivia had actually made it worse. This loser girl was not going away. She was really beginning to lose hope when an idea suddenly sprang into her head. "Leah, I know you're really excited about pledging the sorority, but there is something I need to tell you." Olivia did her best acting job as she moved closer to Leah and feigned concern.
Olivia looked worried which made Leah nervous. "What?"
"Leah, you are a nice girl, but I need to warn you about the Alpha Beta Kappa initiation and hazing. It can get really intense. As President I've been trying to eliminate it, but well... it's hard to go against tradition."
"Hazing?"
"Yes..." Olivia whispered for dramatic effect. "Keep it down. I'm not supposed to discuss our rituals in public."
Leah tried to remain calm. "I was not aware that hazing was permitted on campus anymore. I thought that sort of nonsense was against school code."
Damn she had to hand it to this girl. She knew the rules, but Olivia was not about to let reality stop her from spinning her tale. "Well publicly, yes. You're completely correct." She paused for a second, letting her words sink in. "But we are one of the most prestigious sororities in the country. We're above the rules. Three deans on this campus are alumni. Do you really think they are going to interfere in such matters?"
The pledge tried to put on a brave face even though Olivia's words were only making what was already a stressful endeavor many times worse. "Look, I am committed to seeing this through. I will do whatever is necessary to pledge."
Olivia could tell that her words were having an effect on the college freshman, but she still seemed committed. She knew she was close, but what would push this girl over the edge? "Look I'm not sure you understand the extent of this," she said to Leah as she desperately tried to think of anything to scare the girl away.
Leah was very nervous, but her mother and sister had never mentioned anything about hazing. While she was not excited about some silly ritual, she was confident that she could handle it. With each passing second she was becoming more confident that she could manage through whatever was thrown her way. "Look, my sister and mother never mentioned anything. If it was bad, I'm sure they would have said something. I appreciate your concern, but I'm positive that I can handle this."
Damn this girl was annoying. As nice as she was, Olivia felt a growing desire to put her in her place so that she could move on. Why was she wasting time with this loser? "They're not allowed to talk about it. Look, if you think you can handle it, why don't you take off my sandals and start rubbing my feet."
"What?" Leah asked, completely confused.
"You heard me. I said rub my feet." Olivia stared intently at Leah who remained completely frozen in place.
This was bizarre. Leah was trying to process what was happening. She looked down at Olivia's feet. The sorority girl was wearing a pair of flip flops. They were nice shoes, but they were still flip flops. Was this some sort of joke? Leah was unsure of how to respond. She had never been in a situation like this before. She looked around to see if anyone else was witnessing this bizarre exchange, but everyone seemed to be going about their own business, ignoring the two of them. Leah's heart was pounding in her chest, and she could feel her palms growing sweaty.
Olivia noticed Leah's hesitation. She leaned in closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Come on, Leah. You want to be a part of this sorority, don't you? You want to prove to everyone, including your family, that you're worthy of being a member. This is your chance to show that you're willing to do whatever it takes. Are you really going to let a little foot rub stand in your way?"
