The Hazards of Skinny Dipping Read Free Page A

hook up with Dylan Bradley.
Crazy, huh? He found me skinny dipping, and one thing led to
another. I’m not sure what’s going to happen when I see him at
school—but it was worth it. At least he finally noticed me. I hope
you’re busy saving people.
    Your Favorite Cousin,
    Juliet
     
    It was a testament to modern technology that,
even though Amy was halfway across the globe in a developing
nation, I could send her an email. I pressed send, wishing I could
see her face when she found out about Dylan. Of all people, she
knew how much I wanted him.
     
    ***
     
    I was in a room with a couple hundred other
girls, all nervously clutching little envelopes. As much as it
resembled a reality dating show, it was actually sorority bid day
at Harrison University. After a week of rush events, it was time to
finally find out which houses wanted us. I noticed a few girls
missing. Supposedly, they called you ahead of time if you weren’t
picked by anyone. The thought of that should have been enough to
make me want to stay away from the Greek system completely, but Amy
had convinced me that a sorority was important because it
guaranteed a social life. I hadn’t exactly been the coolest in high
school, so any social life sounded pretty good to me.
    “One, two—”
    “Wait, are we opening on three or four?” I
interrupted my friend.
    Cara rolled her eyes. “Let’s just open
them.”
    “Okay.” I’d promised myself I wouldn’t care
what house I got, but I definitely had a preference.
    “Delta Mu! Delta Mu!” Cara jumped up and
down.
    I looked down at mine. “Delta Mu.” I didn’t
say it quite as excitedly as Cara, but I was relieved.
    “Seriously? Oh my god, we’re going to be
sisters!” She gave me a hug. Her blonde curls bounced as she
jumped.
    It was the same sorority Amy had been in, and
I had a feeling the letter she wrote on my behalf might have had
something to do with my acceptance, but who cared?
    “Do you realize how awesome this is? We get
to pledge together. My mom said it’s so important to have someone
you can trust in your class.”
    “Aren’t we all supposed to trust each other?
Isn’t that what this is about?”
    “Yes. Eventually. But, it can get rough.”
    “Remind me why I’m doing this…”
    “You’re so funny, Juliet.” She took my hand
and pulled me along to find out what houses the rest of the girls
on our floor got. It turned out we were the only ones in Delta
Mu.
    Cara and I had instantly hit it off. On the
surface, we seemed really different, but underneath her peppy shell
was some serious attitude. I had an attitude too, but I lacked the
peppy exterior.
    Cara wasn’t my roommate. I still hadn’t met
that girl. The rest of the freshman class wouldn’t get in for a few
more days, but you had to arrive early if you wanted to rush.
    Cara and I headed over to the Delta Mu house,
completely unprepared for the welcome the active sisters had
waiting. You’d have thought we were celebrities or something. They
all lined up in matching t-shirts, clapping, with huge smiles
plastered on their faces. The line spilled down the brick stairs,
making for an interesting climb up to the porch. As we walked
through the front door, they handed each of us a shirt.
    After changing into my “The Finest Go Delta”
shirt, I took a seat with the rest of my pledge class. I glanced
around the room. The last time I’d been in there, it had been
swathed in black, resembling a night club rather than the pastel
living room I saw now.
    A perky brunette walked to the front of the
room and greeted us with a grin. “Welcome, girls. Whether you know
it or not, today is one of the most important days in your life.
You’re embarking on an experience like no other. I’m Amanda, and
I’ll be your pledge mom, your guide, your shoulder to lean on, and
pretty much anything you need through your time as a pledge or
rather, ‘new member.’” From the air quotes she used, I got a good
idea of what she thought of the