Free Work What You Got by Stephanie Perry Moore Page A

said.
    â€œYeah!”
    â€œHow’d you know?”
    â€œYou’re not home at this hour of the night, and that could only mean you’re doing what the rest of us are—you’re on somebody’s line. Congratulations girl, I knew you’d make it.”
    â€œI didn’t know I would. How many are on your line?” I asked him.
    â€œThirteen of us—and you?” he asked.
    â€œIt’s sixteen.”
    â€œCool.”
    â€œCome on.” I pulled him into my bedroom. Thankfully, I had cleaned up since I was home all day long.
    â€œSo how did you feel when you found out?” he asked me.
    â€œI don’t know.”
    â€œWhat do you mean you don’t know? I’m a little sore on my bottom, but I feel great,” he teased, as he rubbed his butt.
    â€œIt’s just most of the girls we were underground with didn’t make line.”
    â€œThat happens all of the time; everyone knows the risk you take. Supposedly the ones who didn’t take part in any of the underground stuff are really going to get it when it really gets down to it, so they won’t be paper. It should balance out. How many of y’all survived?”
    â€œOnly three.”
    â€œDang, they were brutal. On my line, ten of us made it and we only have three new guys.”
    â€œSee what I’m saying? How am I supposed to be happy when so many people who wanted this didn’t get it? Why did they choose me?”
    â€œUh, because you’re beautiful, smart, and you’re fine as I don’t know what,” Creed said, as he pulled my body toward his and we fell onto my bed.
    â€œOkay, soooo you got to go home.”
    â€œI just told you I can’t.”
    â€œWhat do you mean you can’t?”
    â€œThey told us we can’t go home for twenty-four hours. They took our keys. I’m sure they’re staying there. I know when I get back I won’t have a TV, a stereo, food, I might not even have books.”
    â€œAre you serious? Now how is that supposed to make you a better Pi?”
    â€œTo figure out how to survive, I guess. I don’t know if all of this stuff is supposed to have some kind of subliminal message to make us better for the organization. Half of it is stupid, but I’m excited to go through the process, you know?”
    â€œBut I can’t have some boy in my crib, in the middle of the night, in my bed with me. No.”
    â€œI’m not just some boy, how about I’m your boyfriend.”
    â€œSays who?”
    â€œSays the girl that is going to say yes. You are going to have to help me get through this. These guys are crazy and I need to have something special, someone awesome, and someone all mine. I need to be thinking of you.”
    So very excited, I nodded, yes.
    He kissed my neck and went to my ear. If I hadn’t been lying down I would have fallen. I was so mesmerized by his touch. Tired in each other’s arms we lay still.
    â€œYou’re gorgeous and you’re mine,” Creed said, as we drifted off to sleep. “What a gift!”

6
    PROMISE
    A fter a week of underground hell, I was excited to take my first official step into Beta Gamma Pi. It was the Pi induction ceremony. I still didn’t really know a lot of folks on my line. We had been doing things independently for all of our big sisters, chauffeuring them around, running errands, and doing everybody else’s homework and research papers. It was a hot mess, but I wasn’t quitting.
    â€œSo, we’re really gonna do this?” Trisha turned around and said to me as the sixteen of us stood in line in our black dresses waiting to be escorted into the newly renovated theatre on campus for the ceremony.
    I didn’t know a lot about everybody on the line, but I did know a few things. Like the tallest girl, Audria, was from Alabama. The girl was a big religious person. Trisha and Bea thought she was a little fake and phony with