nose, looking lost in thought. âMaybe youâre right,â he mumbled.
I nodded. âI am.â
âBut still, anything goes to win.â
5
N INETEEN M ORE E NEMIES
Monday, September 9
10:00 P.M .
A TINNY, HOLLOW, METALLIC VOICE CAME FROM a battery-powered megaphone in the dark side of the dining room where me and the other pledges were lined up side-by-side facing a bunch of flashlights that kept shining in our faces.
âAsshole pledges! When your name is called, take one step forward! When the next name is called, immediately get back into line! We want to know who you are! Pledge President first! Grossberg! Why you at this shit-ass school?â
Not only was he the only Jew in the pledge class but he was dumb enough to be the only volunteer for the stupid job.
He shrugged his broad shoulders and smiled sheepishly. âHeard it was easy work, lots of fun, lots of pussy.â
A big cheer went up.
âFroggy from Quebec! Why come this far to college?â
The guy with a dark, shaggy Beatles haircut took a step forward. He burped loudly before answering, âBeach Boys song.
California Girls
.â
âStafford!â somebody yelled out. âWhatâs your favorite sex act?â
âShaving a pussy, then giving her anal.â
The place roared with laughter followed by enthusiastic applause.
âHow old are you?â
âTwenty-six.â
âArenât you a little old for college and to pledge a fraternity?â
âIt took me a while but I finally realized the importance of an education. And I want to be part of a group of guys who know how to have fun.â
âHymen breaker! Is Stafford really your cousin?â
My asshole cousin Lyman, with his 3.92 high school grade point average, mustâve correctly figured that Lyman rhymed with Hymen, and took a timid step forward.
âYeah.â
âYou really admitted to Stanford and Berkeley?â
âYeah.â
âThen whyâre you here?â
âDoctor told me to take a year off. Too much stress and anxiety from trying to be the class valedictorian. Then the depression I had from only being fifth in the class.â
âSo whyâre you here instead of going to the beach for a year?â
âTo keep active. I heard the work hereâs barely high school level. Besides thereâs a Sig O chapter at Berkeley and Stanford that I can transfer into next year.â
âHey, you! Stafford!â came a gruff voice from somebody I couldnât see.
A big guy with muscles coming out of muscles and a snarling expression on his scarred, ugly face made his way from the back of the room and staggered up to me, stinking of liquor. He was wearing a camouflaged baseball cap with the black letters USMC under the globe and anchor.
âSince high school âtill now, you ever been in the military?â
âFuck no,â I said too quickly, pissing off this Hercules-size idiot even more.
He inched closer to me, considerately letting me smell his rancid, alcohol breath from a closer distance. âMy nameâs Parker. Stafford, I never liked you from the second I met you. You know why?â
I shook my head a little and stood there silently.
âBecause you got an attitude! You think youâre better and smarter than anybody here!â He paused for a second. I stayed silent. âI guarantee you right now, youâll never get voted in this fraternity!â
I still didnât answer, knowing that if I got kicked out, none of the rest of these assholes would be here either.
This burly lunatic gripped the bill on the cap, yanked it off his head and slapped it on top of my head. âYouâll wear this cap every time youâre in the house! You understand?â
I adjusted the cap so it fit better and nodded. âYeah.â
Bookieâs voice yelled out, âOdds on Stafford making the fraternity are now 150-1.â
The thick smoke in the room