The Greek Side of Life Isn't So Pretty.

The week after the first week of classes is often known as “Rush Week.” Rush Week is the sorority’s and the fraternities way of brainwashing innocent people, I mean recruiting interesting candidates to joining their group. It's kind of like the popular table in high school that you always wanted to sit in, but it was something that you couldn't join because you had some kind of flaw that leave you wondering if there's something wrong with you. There isn't, but because you don't fit into a size 0 pair of jeans, or own the 'it' item.

Sorority's are the same way. You can't join them. Oh no you can not. You have to be invited to them. So, you have to be interviewed, and go to these lame rush events, and for what? A small chance that you can't get in, and then you feel small when they walk by you on campus.

But why am I here? Chelsea dragged me here, because she didn't want to go alone. So I was forced to come to this rush event, wearing a dress of Chelsea's that didn't even fit me in the right places. I couldn't even text John, because he was out with his friends playing football. So, I was the loser sitting in the chair in the back of the room while everyone was making friends and connections. I thought about that pile of economics homework that I had to attend to when I got back, whenever I got back.

“Alexis, mingle!” Chelsea scolded. “You can't get in, unless you make friends and acquaintances.”

“Well maybe I don't want to get in”, I said, snippily.

“Alexis you need to do something other then homework and waiting for John to call”, Chelsea said. “You need friends.”

I rolled my eyes. “I have friends you know.”

A hot preppy guy came up to Chelsea. “Hey,” his deep voice said.

Chelsea turned to him, smiling. “Hey hot stuff”, she said.

“So, is you and your friend single?”

“She is, but I'm not”, I piped in.

“Hmmmm”, he said. “Would you like to take a walk with me? I want to show you the view”.

She smiled. “What does this view of yours look like?”

He cracked a smile too. I felt like I was in the middle of a scene from 50 Shades of Grey. I wanted to run to my shower fully clothed. God only knows what the 'view' really looks like. Even if there was a view, which there probably wasn't.

“Why don't we go and find out together”, his deep voice said. “That is, if you can leave your friend alone”.

She batted her hand, as if she were hitting that thought. “I think she'll be fine”, she said. Then they walked off holding hand and hand leaving Alexis the loser alone staring at her phone waiting for her boyfriend to text her back.

“Your friend left you too, huh?” a scared little voice asked.

I turned. There stood a girl with long red hair with a purple streak in it. She wore a black dress which matched her charcoal colored eyeliner. She wore plum colored nail polish, which matched the streak in her hair.

I sighed. “Yes, I guess that's what's happened here.”

“Mine did too about a half hour ago with some Abercrombie model. Funny how I was forced here, now I'm ditched.”

I laughed. “That's my life story for tonight. My name's Alexis. And yours?”

She reached out for a handshake. “Nice to meet you. I'm Viola.”

“Nice to meet you Viola”, I said. I then had an idea. “Hey, why don't we blow this Popsicle stand and go somewhere where we can have fun? Actual fun, not the whole sit around and mingle with bleach blonde bimbos getting more and more drunk by the minute?”

“Girl, you read my mind. My soul is dying in here”, she said.

I laughed.

We ended up at the campus dining hall. We were pretty much the only people that were in there because it was almost ten o'clock at night. We grabbed vanilla cupcakes with snow white frosting and sprinkles that looked like confetti on top of the cupcake.

“So, Alexis is it. Tell me your story”, she said as she liked the frosting off of her cupcake.

“Well there's not much to tell. I have a boyfriend named John, who I've been going out with for the last two years. I'm a Psychology major, and that's about it. And you?”

“My name's Viola. I'm a vegan art history major whose trying to find herself. And I hate sorority row with a burning passion. However my roommate thinks that I don't get out enough so here we are today. She's a blonde Barbie prom queen. I can't believe that the school actually thought that we would get along.”

I laughed. “You picked the random roommate thing, didn't you?”

“Yes. Worst mistake ever”.

“Why?” I asked.

“She's too perfect for me. I need someone whose flawed. Seriously no human is perfect. I can't wait until next semester when I can room with Autumn.”

“Autumn?”

“Yeah, she's in my art class, and perhaps one of the more cooler people on campus that I've ever met. She's not lame and cares about the Greek societies that mean absolutely nothing in life. Unless you count finger sandwiches and diet tips to be important.”

I laughed. “It's true.”

“Hey why don't you join us one day? Every Wednesday after art a bunch of people and I get together and get coffees and bagels and stuff.”

“What time?” I asked.

“Around five thirty”, she said. “You free?”

“Yeah”, I said.

“Good”, she said smiling. “Meet me at the campus cafe this Wednesday!”

“I'll be there”, I said, happy that finally I had friends.

Wednesday came. Chelsea was getting ready for a date with the frat dude, whose name was Kyle. Honestly, she looked like one of those girls who were the popular girls on the Full House episode when DJ went to junior high school. It was 80's night. She had been asked and accepted to the sorority and was soon to become a sister.

“So I don't know when I'll be coming home tonight”, she said adding a fourth layer of hairspray. “So don't wait up”.

I looked up from a text to John. “Actually, I have plans of my own tonight.”

She looked shocked and happy for me. “Really?”

I shrugged. “Yup.”

“With who?”

“Remember Viola? She was at the Rush Event on Monday when I went with you.”

“The redhead?”

“Yes”, I said. “She's really cool.”

“Cool,” she said. “I'm glad that you've finally met some people that you can hang out with. It's not healthy for you to just hang out in this room all day.”

“I know.”

“Tell John I said hi?”

“Of course.”

“Alright, well I'll see you later.”

“Have fun, and be careful!”

She slammed the door. She always hated it when I told her to be careful. But, I always worried that she would end up somewhere with danger.

I texted John while doing my homework for about an hour. Finally it was a few minutes before five. Time to hit the campus cafe, and meet my new artsy friends. Hopefully, they won't bite or anything.

The campus cafe was the only place on campus that served coffee. Therefore it was the only place that the hipsters gathered to either study or blog about how horrible their lives were. Either way, I wasn't surprised that the place was packed with people with giant glasses and tight jeans.

“Alexis!” I heard my name ring through the coffee shop. I looked up quickly. There was Viola who waved at me, and was sandwiched between a girl with a blonde bob and a vintage swing dress, and a guy with giant glasses and a jet black fedora. He was smoking a cigarette. “We're over here!”

I quickly joined them, and ignored the glares of the many faces who looked like they couldn't get disturbed from their laptop. Seriously, if I accidentally bump into you while you're typing something doesn't mean that you can give me a dirty look. I wondered if it was in the coffee shop book of ethics. Is that between thou shall only drink coffee, or between thou shall only wear glasses similar to ones our parents wore in the 80s.

“Hey everyone I want you to meet someone”, Viola said, hugging me. “Alexis, this is my friends Autumn and Michael. Guys, this is Alexis”.

“Nice to meet you”, I said, sitting down in the empty seat.

“Can I get you coffee or something?” Michael asked.

“No thank you. I don't drink coffee”.

“Really?” he said. “Just you wait. By the end of first semester, you'll be an addict like the rest of us”.

“I highly doubt that. The taste is too dark for me.”

“And how will you survive going to class after an all nighter?”

“I think I'll survive just fine with my hot cocoa thank you very much”.

He cracked a smile while tossing the cigarette in the ash tray. “You just wait and see, kid. You'll be one of us really soon.”

“And you'll be proven wrong”.

“You'll see”.

“Yes you will”.

He held his gaze a tad bit longer then necessary. If I didn't have a boyfriend, then I probably would have tried to get his number. But the vibration from my bag was the reminder that I did have one.

The conversation flowed easily. I could see myself quickly calling them my clique. However, so did the vibrations from my phone. After five vibrations in five minutes, I grabbed my phone out of the purse ready to throw it.

It was Chelsea. She said come back. Twenty five times.

“Uhm guys I have to go. It seems like my roommate is having a crisis,” I said. I quickly grabbed my bag, ready to dodge the hipster's evil glares.

“Here,” Michael said as he put a five on the table. “I'll walk with you.”

“See you guys next week?” Autumn asked.

“Of course!” I said. “It was nice meeting you!”

“You too!” she said.

We wove through the webs of hipsters. As soon as he went outside he lit a cigarette.

“So, Alexis. Do you like being called Lexi?”

I nodded. “Not really, no.”

“Okay, Alexis it is.”

“Do you like being called Mike?”

He shook his head. “Just as much as you like being called Lexi, my dear”.

“So I would assume it to be a negative?”

“For once, someone assumes correct.”

“So tell me about yourself, Alexis not Lexi.”

“There's not much to tell. I'm a psychology major who wants to help children. And you, Mr. Michael not Mike?”

“I'm an undeclared. But come on, tell me more about yourself. I'm sure there's more to you then your major.”

“Yes.” I said, pointing to the brick building that was my dorm. “This is where I live. I'll see you.”

“Wait!” he called.

“Yeah”, I said.

“Can I at least have your number”.

Without thinking about what this would do to John, I quickly gave it to him, assuming that he was solely a friend.

“Bye Alexis not Lexi.”

“Bye, Michael.”

I quickly ran inside trying not to think about what just happened. Had I implied that I was a free single bird, when in reality I wasn't?
I couldn't think about it now. I opened my door, and found Chelsea in the corner, curled up in a tiny ball crying.

“What's wrong?” I asked. I've never seen this girl cry before, not even when her childhood dog died. And I've known her since we were in preschool.

“He used me to add notches in his belt. His frat brothers..they..they want you to sleep with five girls before he can be one of those jerks. I..I...I was number three...I...I...I..I can't believe him”.

“Awww Chelsea,” I said hugging her. “It's going to be okay. I'm right here. Guys like that are just jerks.”

“That's all I was to him...A number.”

I sighed. This was the Greek side of life. And sometimes, this side of life wasn't pretty.