Free Reborn by S. L. Stacy Page A

claims but fails to give me. Ash
blonde curls cascade over her shoulders to her waist and frame high cheekbones
and a small nose. I’m not great at the age game—she looks like she’s in her
thirties—but an ancient wisdom thrives in her jade green gaze.
    “You
must be Siobhan.” She crosses the room in two long strides and extends her
hand. We shake.
    “Actually,
it’s Shiv-awn .” That came out a bit more annoyed than I meant it to.
People mispronounce my name all the time. It’s just there’s something about her
tone making me feel like she’s messing it up on purpose.
    “Oh,
so sorry! Siobhan. What a pretty name.” There it is again—a sneer lurking
behind the sweet lilt of her voice.
    “Thanks.
And you are…?”
    “Ah,
you missed Victoria’s email,” she realizes. “I’m Farrah—your new house mother.”
    As
if that were her cue, Victoria charges in carrying an armful of pale pink
sheets and fluffy white towels. Dark sweat stains slash her silver and white
workout clothes. As usual, her auburn hair is pulled back in a sleek ponytail,
the stray strands slicked back with a canary yellow sweatband.
    “I
finally found the spare sheets,” she sighs. “Oh, you’re back.” I catch her
rolling her eyes. “How was the concert?”
    “Great.”
I have to jump out of her way so she can set her load on the bed. Now I know
the reason Victoria needed us, but there are other members of the executive
board that I’m sure must have responded to her request for back up. She didn’t
really need all of us here, did she? Since when did we need a house mother,
anyway? Still, guilt twists my insides as I watch my big sister making the
guest bed, trying to smooth out all of the creases in the sheets and fluffing
the pillows.
    “A
concert? Who was playing?” Farrah wants to know. I tear my eyes away from
Victoria’s obsessive inspection of the bed.
    “Just
a few local bands,” I tell her.
    “Sounds
like fun.” She takes out a slinky black dress from her suitcase and drapes it
over a hanger. “So what year are you, Siobhan? What are you studying?”
    “I’m
a junior biology major.”
    “Excellent.”
Her glossy peach lips curve into a dazzling smile. “And where’s home?”
    “Laurel.
It’s about an hour away from here.”
    Farrah
nods. “I know where Laurel is.”
    “Oh,
are you from around here?” I wonder, assuming this must be the case since
Laurel is one of those small towns no one has ever heard of unless they’re from
the area.
    Farrah
shakes her head. “No, my home is a long, long way from here.” Her eyes
lock on mine. Is it just me, or is she giving me a meaningful look?
    “I’ve
been moving around so much for the last few years, though, that I haven’t
really felt settled anywhere,” she explains. The strange moment has passed. I
must have imagined it.
    “Well,
I’ll get out of your way. Let you unpack.” I back away slowly but deliberately
until I’m almost out the door. “It was nice meeting you. I’m glad you’re here.
I think your presence will really be an asset to the chapter,” I add to impress
her. Farrah raises her eyebrows and frowns.
    “No
one likes a brownnoser, Siobhan.”
    My
shock over her blunt reply must show on my face because a second later tinkling
laughter fills the room.
    “Oh,
relax. I was only kidding.”
    No
she wasn’t.
    Victoria
and I go out into the living room. Farrah gently closes the door behind us.
    “Did
Headquarters tell you why they sent us a babysitter?” I whisper the question as
we’re walking up the stairs even though I think we’re safely out of earshot.
    “Apparently
the only reason we haven’t had a house mother until now is because none of the
other sororities here have one, but our chapters at other schools do—so now
they’ve decided we should, too.”
    “But
they didn’t give you a heads up?” We pause outside my room. The door is closed,
and the space between the floor and the bottom of the door is dark. Tanya