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you down. Trust me.”
    My world was caving in on me. Maybe we hadn’t really finalized it, but in my mind it was already decided. Besides my three girls, I didn’t care who else made the line. I had no other friends at Western Smith College. I’d only gone there because my Uncle Wade was the president of the school. I knew that a lot of people pledged sororities to get more status, to find themselves a clique. But I already had it going on in my own mind. My grades were good. My uncle didn’t have to look out for me and I had the best group of girlfriends. But if we weren’t going to pledge together the way I imagined it, if we weren’t going to stand together—not only in a line but for causes to make the community better—did I want to do it alone? And if there was any hazing, without my three girls, could I take it? I had walked into a mess and I had no idea how it could be straightened out.
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    Later that evening, I was at Wal-Mart buying my own groceries. No one in the house was talking to each other. Myra had put labels with her name on stuff in the refrigerator and Bridget had put all her items in one section. This was not how I thought our sophomore year was going to begin, but I needed to make sure I could eat, so I went out and got the necessary items.
    As I came out of the store, a girl wearing a Beta Gamma Pi jacket turned to me and said, “Hey, we’re having a party tonight. I’m sure you want to be there. Bring some friends!” she said, and handed me a flyer for the party.
    I was caught off guard when she winked at me. Was the word out? Did every Beta know I wanted to be in their group? Or maybe all the events I attended last year did make a difference.
    â€œYou’re planning to come, right? You know my name, don’t you?”
    Shoot, I knew she was a junior. I knew she was on the dance team. I knew I’d seen her before. This was all a part of pledging. It was an intimidation factor. The way she was staring at me like I’d better know her name was a lot to take in.
    â€œKeisha! You’re Keisha!” I said finally.
    She looked me up and down. It was like she was bipolar. When she first approached me she was kind, now she was tripping.
    â€œI’m Hayden,” I said, as I extended my hand and she backed her arms away.
    â€œI’ll know your name when I need to know it. You coming tonight or what?”
    I had a blank stare on my face. There was no way I could tell her that I wasn’t coming. I didn’t want to go to a party by myself, but I couldn’t let her down either. She’d report back to the Betas and cross me off the list before I even got a chance to interview.
    â€œI want to be there,” I said nervously.
    â€œOkay, I like you. You didn’t know how to tell me no, but you told me something I wanted to hear. Smart. Alright. I’ll look for you this evening. I know you won’t let me down. If you do, you’ll regret it, and that is a threat. Be scared,” Keisha said, as she sharply turned and went to another group of girls clustered in the store handing out party flyers.
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    Coming back into the house, I yelled, “Hey everybody! Important apartment meeting.”
    â€œApartment meeting? Where’d you get that from?” Chandra said, eyeing me down like I needed to check myself into the loony bin.
    I looked at her and uttered, “I’m trying here, okay? Work with me, we don’t need to have any discord or any strife. I figured out a way we can all push aside the tension.”
    â€œSo Hayden, what you got to work this all out?” Chandra said, as Myra and Bridget walked into the living room.
    â€œLet’s go to a party!”
    It took a minute, but then everyone started smiling. See, I knew my girls. We weren’t the wild bunch, but we weren’t duds either. We were sassy and cool.
    â€œWhose party is it?” Chandra asked.
    I didn’t want