built around our religion, but I didn’t get accepted because my grades weren’t quite good enough.
I was a little bit disappointed because most of my friends that I had met during church camp that summer would be attending the private college. I wasn’t going to let it get me down, though, because the university that I was going to attend had something that the private school did not; a very exclusive sorority that I wanted to be a part of.
It had been my goal ever since I was a little girl to become part of a sorority. I really liked the idea of sisterhood and having close friends that all strived for achievement and success in school. Academic success was very important to my family and I really wanted to make my parents proud.
I had heard a lot of rumors about what can go on in sorority houses, with drinking and guys. But this sorority was supposed to be different. They focused solely on academics and to keep your sisterhood there, you had to maintain a 3.8 grade average. The academics were what I was most excited about. I had no interest in partying and hooking up with guys. I had never even kissed a boy before, let alone had sex, but I didn’t mind. My focus was on succeeding in school and it was all that I was worried about. Besides, I was going to wait to have sex until I was married. College was supposed to be my time to study hard and succeed, not fool around and make mistakes.
***
I hopped into my parent’s mini van with my suitcases full of clothes. I was so nervous about moving away for the first time and I immediately started to miss my house and my old bedroom as we pulled out of the driveway. I hadn’t spent much time away from home except for the bible camps I used to attend during the summer when I was a kid.
My dad turned back and looked at me from the driver seat and said, “You’re going to do great, honey. Make us proud! You’ll have to call often, because your mom and I are going to miss you a lot!”
I smiled back at him and said, “I’ll make you guys proud, I promise! I’m so excited to meet the other sorority girls and make some new friends! I’m nervous, but at the same time, I can’t wait.”
The drive to the college took us over three hours. As we drove through campus, I saw lots of cars parked along side the dorms, with parents unloading boxes of stuff for their kids. My heart raced with excitement, knowing it was a big step forward in my life.
We turned the corner into a neighborhood that was directly next to campus. On both sides of the street were houses, all bearing giant letters on the front, signifying which fraternity or sorority they belonged to. I noticed some empty beer bottles on the porch of one of the houses, and my heart sank a bit. I guess I knew one house that I was going to be hanging out at.
We drove two blocks and then I looked out of the car window to see a house with giant letters on the front, signifying the sorority. This would be my home for the next few years.
My heart started beating fast and my palms started to sweat.
“Well, honey, we’re here!” my mom said, excitedly.
“Yay!” I responded.
I hopped out of the car and grabbed my suitcase. I walked up to the front door of the house while my dad busily unloaded the car with all of my stuff. Before I could even ring the doorbell, the door opened.
Standing in the doorway was a pretty blonde girl with a perfect smile. She was wearing a bright pink shirt that had an image on the front of five stick figure girls all holding hands and smiling. It was the sororities’ insignia and I thought it was really cute.
“You must be Nicole! My name is Tiffany. Oh my gosh, it’s so good to actually meet you. I got your emails and your application for the sorority and I just knew that you would be a great fit.”
Tiffany was the head of the sorority and was the ultimate decision maker for just about everything. I had been writing her emails all summer long, hoping that she would pick me to be in the