Fair-Weather Friends (6 page)

I could tell she didn't mean that and was just trying to say something to ease the pain.

“D-do you think they rejected you because you have a baby?” Tameka said.

“I don't know,” Angel responded. “Maybe. Probably. Who knows? Look, it's no big deal. You all go on and celebrate. You know everybody is going to be gathered in the courtyard after school.”

We were supposed to keep everything a secret, but some of the girls had already said they were going to hang out after school in the courtyard if they made it into the Theta Ladies.

“Angel …” My voice trailed off. I didn't know what to say.

Angel forced a smile. “Really, Camille, I'm fine. You guys go have fun.” She looked at her watch. “I gotta go or I'll miss the bus. Call me later.”

We stood speechless as Angel darted off. And I didn't know whether to turn flips of joy or break out in tears.

“S
o, I guess you guys are happy now?” Jasmine said as she walked into tonight's Good Girlz meeting. “You made it into your precious little sorority.”

“How'd you know?” Alexis asked.

“I saw Angel on the way home. She was pretty bummed out. But I'm sure you don't care.”

“Jasmine, don't start,” I moaned.

Me, Alexis, and Tameka had hung out with a bunch of other girls that had gotten invitations from the Thetas. Seven of the nine girls that were at the park with us had made it in. They'd all gone out to eat, but me and Alexis decided to go to the Good Girlz meeting. We would've skipped it, but we didn't want Miss Rachel trippin'. Besides, I think both of us wanted to check on Angel.

Tameka didn't seem bothered about Angel or missing the meeting, though. I don't know if she thought Rachel wouldn't do anything to her because that was her aunt or
if she just didn't care. She just went with the other new Thetas.

“No, seriously, that's all that matters to you guys—that you're now Thetas.” Jasmine plopped down in the chair next to me.

“We're not Thetas yet,” Alexis pointed out. “We just got letters of invitation. We still have to go through a process before we get in.”

“Get into what?” Rachel asked as she walked into the room.

“Camille, Tameka, and Alexis made it into their little sorority.” Jasmine smirked.

“Well, congratulations.” She smiled, then looked around. “Wait a minute. You said Camille, Tameka, and Alexis. Does that mean Angel didn't make it?” Of course, we had filled Miss Rachel in on the fact that we were all trying to be Thetas in the first place.

“Answer me, somebody,” Rachel said. “Does that mean Angel didn't make it?”

Neither me nor Alexis said anything.

“That's exactly what it means,” Jasmine replied, shaking her head. “Which probably explains why she isn't here now. I saw her on the way home, and although she tried to act like she was fine, I know she wasn't. And you know she must be upset because Angel never misses a meeting.”

A worried look crossed Rachel's face. “Oh, I hate to hear that. Maybe I should give her a call.”

Jasmine sucked her teeth and shot us disgusted looks. “Well, personally, I think Camille, Tameka, and Alexis should tell the Thetas what they can do with their little acceptance letter,” she said.

Alexis's mouth dropped open. “That's crazy. Why should we not accept it just because Angel didn't make it?” she asked.

Jasmine rolled her eyes. “That's just like you to be so selfish. How about thinking about someone else for a change?”

“What's that supposed to mean?” Alexis snapped. “I know you're not talking about me being selfish. Not when you're always borrowing my stuff.”

Jasmine sat up in her seat and pointed at Alexis. “Look, don't be throwing stuff up in my face. I can't stand when somebody does something for me then throws it up in my face.”

“Girls, calm down, please,” Rachel interjected.

Jasmine crossed her arms across her chest and leaned back in her seat. “I don't know what you guys are getting all excited for anyway. You act like this is a real college sorority or something,” she mumbled.

“Are you sure that Angel is upset?” Rachel asked.

“Like I said, the fact that she isn't here says it all,” Jasmine barked.

Rachel ran her fingers through her hair, then turned to me. “Have you talked to Angel? Is she okay?”

I shrugged. “When we got our letters, she said she was cool. She wants us to go ahead and accept the invitation.” I knew Angel was upset but I was hoping she really meant it when she said that.

“Well, if Angel doesn't have a problem with them being Thetas, I don't see why you do, Jasmine,” Rachel said.

Jasmine threw up her hands. “Like Angel would really say something if she did have a problem with it. The bottom line is the Thetas didn't think Angel, the nicest person on the face of the planet, was good enough for their little sorority, so I think all of them should tell the Thetas what they can do with their little invitations. But that's just my two cents.”

“Jasmine is just being her usual foul self,” Alexis said, shaking her head.

“Whatever,” Jasmine mumbled.

“Well, I just hope you all stay friends and don't let this sorority stuff mess that up,” Rachel said. She took her seat at the front of the room. “And as a matter of fact, that's what I wanted to talk to you girls about today, what makes a friend.”

Miss Rachel spent the next thirty minutes talking to us about true friendship. As she usually does, she even incorporated a few Bible verses to hammer home her point.

“I want you all to take a look at Proverbs 12:26 when you get a chance,” Rachel said, flipping through the Bible. “It basically says that the righteous should choose his friends carefully for the way of the wicked leads them astray.”

“Are you saying the Theta Ladies are wicked?” I asked, not sure where she was going.

“No,” Rachel shook her head. “That verse is specifically telling us that if we do not choose our friends very carefully in this life, we could end up choosing the wrong type of people to become friends with and they can then end up leading us astray from God and with what He wants to do with our lives. So for that reason I want you to be careful in choosing your friends. You girls have a true friendship here. Don't let outside forces threaten that and remember that in order to have a friend, you must be a friend.” She looked us in the eye one by one. “I want each of you to ask yourself if you are being a true friend.”

I thought about that for a minute. I
was
being a friend. Jasmine was the one that was trippin'.

Miss Rachel finally began wrapping up the meeting, and made us promise to call Angel.

“Miss Rachel, did you ever think of joining a sorority?” Alexis asked, as we started gathering up our stuff to leave. I was hoping that we'd left that topic alone, but Alexis seemed oblivious to the tensions it was creating.

Rachel smiled. “Well, I didn't go to college, and we didn't have sororities when I was in high school. But if they did, I probably wouldn't have joined. Sororities were never my cup of tea.”

“That's what I'm talking about,” Jasmine said.

“But my mother was in a sorority and she loved it,” Rachel added. “She was active until the day she died.”

“My mom is in one, too,” I added. “But she works so much she's not able to go to meetings and stuff. I do remember all the good times she said she had in college, though.”

“Operative word—college,” Jasmine interjected. “They probably weren't stupid enough to make people do stuff like push-ups and being somebody's slaves.”

Rachel jumped in before we could get started arguing again. “The bottom line is you have to remember this is different. It's high school. So, technically, it's not a bona fide sorority.”

Jasmine twisted up her lips. “Somebody better tell the Thetas that because they sure think they are.”

I was about to protest some more, but Jasmine grabbed her backpack and headed to the door.

“I'm tired of talkin' about this. Y'all got your wish, so everything's everything,” she said. “Anyway, I'm out. My chickenhead brother should be outside.”

“Ooooh, tell Jaquan I said hi,” Alexis said, her eyes lighting up.

Jasmine rolled her eyes. “Yeah, right.”

Alexis and Jaquan, Jasmine's fifteen-year-old brother, had dated for a couple of weeks last year—against Jasmine's advice. And when he played her, like Jasmine said he does all of his girlfriends, she got mad at Jasmine. But they eventually
worked out their differences. Alexis still flirted with Jaquan from time to time, though.

“You're just upset because you wanted me to be your sister-in-law,” Alexis called out after her.

Jasmine waved her off. “Whatever, girl.” She laughed. “In your dreams. I'll see you guys later.”

I was actually glad the subject had switched to Jaquan. I knew no matter what I said, we'd never see eye-to-eye when it came to the Thetas. And the fact that we were able to go from arguing about that to laughing and joking again proved to me that our friendship was strong enough to overcome anything—even Angel's rejection from the Thetas.

I
so did not want to go into the cafeteria. But as I looked over at Alisha, giggling like a little girl as she pointed at my outfit, I knew I didn't have much choice. Luckily, I wasn't the only one looking crazy. The six girls behind me were jacked up, too.

“Okay, ladies, let's go,” Alisha sang.

A few of us let out groans as we marched toward the cafeteria. Only Tameka seemed like she wasn't fazed in the least bit about dressing like some 1970s rejects.

Sure, me and Alexis were into the whole Theta thing, but Tameka had taken it to a whole new level. We'd only been pledging three days, but she was always brownnosing with the Thetas, trying to get on their good side. And she did anything they asked—no matter how stupid—with a big smile on her face.

As instructed, we went our separate ways as we passed the teachers' lounge by the cafeteria. School officials considered
it hazing when you made someone dress up against their will. So we'd been told to act normally and say we just felt like dressing silly if a teacher approached us. Of course, the teachers weren't stupid. They knew the real deal, but most of them just blew it off, as long as it didn't get too out of hand.

I made my way over to the soda machine while I looked around for Jasmine and Angel, since we always ate lunch together. I hadn't seen Angel during first period, so maybe she wasn't even at school, I thought. I felt a little guilty as I found myself hoping she wasn't here because I really didn't know what to say to her. I hadn't seen her since we got our letters, and she wasn't returning any of my phone calls.

I hated to tell Jasmine, but the Thetas had said that we had to eat with them today and every day during our pledge week.

“Eeewwww, who dressed you this morning? Stevie Wonder?”

I hadn't even noticed Jasmine come up behind me. She ran her eyes up and down the bright yellow-and-black polka dot shirt and pink pinstriped pants I was wearing. The pants legs were tucked into white tube socks.

“Shut up! I had no choice,” I said.

She turned her nose up. “For real, though. What's with the get-up?”

I sighed. Although Jasmine didn't cut for the Thetas, I knew she'd never tell on us, so I told her the truth.

“The Thetas are making us wear these crazy outfits.” I sulked as I noticed people pointing at me and giggling under their breath. I didn't know how much more of this I would be able to take. This whole pledging thing was truly over-rated. Yesterday, we had to eat some raw eggs. The day before that, we had to walk around school barefoot. Luckily, Mr. Washington quickly nipped that in the bud. Plus, I didn't think it was fair that Alexis got out of being humiliated at school. I wished I went to a different school.

Jasmine shook her head at me in disgust. “I can't believe you are letting those girls punk you like that. Do you see them coming to school dressed like idiots?”

Before I could respond, two of the girls pledging with me walked by in similar outfits. Jasmine laughed. “Y'all look like the three blind mice. I might have to find someone else to eat lunch with. Even I don't want to be seen with you dressed like that. You're killing my rep,” she joked.

I couldn't help but laugh. “You don't have a rep.” I looked at my outfit. “But you're right. I wouldn't want to be seen with me either.”

“Maybe I should catch up with you later.” She took another glance at my outfit and shook her head. “Make that tomorrow. Unless of course they make y'all wear diapers or something.” She laughed. “Naw, I'm just messin' with you. If it doesn't bother you, it doesn't bother me. Are we sitting outside today?” She motioned toward the patio door.

“Ummmm, I know you really don't want to be around me, girl. And it … it's cool,” I stammered. “I have to sit with my pledge sisters anyway.”

Jasmine looked at me like her feelings were really hurt. She was about to say something, but apparently changed her mind because she shook her head and mumbled something about it not even being worth it as she turned and walked away. I felt bad about sticking Jasmine out like that. The Thetas had let us sit where we wanted the first few days, but then had made it clear that we all had to start sitting together today. I'm sure that was so they could torture us some more. I got my lunch and went and sat down next to Kim, one of my pledge sisters.

I didn't see Tori at the table in front of me—until I heard her say loudly, “I know you see me. Don't you have something to say to me?”

I took a deep breath before getting up and going to stand directly in front of Tori. I put on my fakest smile and repeated the daily greeting we were required to say every time we saw one of the Thetas: “Greetings, Big Sister Beautiful One. I humbly greet you this beautiful day with much respect and gratitude toward you for allowing me the opportunity to serve you. What can I do to make your day better?”