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six

My nerves are frayed, and not just from my first week of sleeping in the house. It’s always difficult to change beds, but Gwen also snores, and my noise machine decided to break.

Valencia, my unfiltered cousin, tosses her long, auburn hair over her shoulder and scans my black running shoes in the corner with judgmental eyes.

She sits next to me like she’s about to engage in an intervention.

“Listen, Pippi. It’s the start of Rush Week and Massacre Monday is tomorrow. We need you to score big.”

“I don’t think I’ll win anything,” Amelia Joseph says, swiveling in my desk chair, her blonde ponytail bouncing behind her.

Gwen cleans my mess like a true friend by shoving the piles of dirty clothing toward my half of the room with a mocked and pointed glare. “Me, neither. I’ll be right there with you, Amelia.”

“Aren’t you two even going to try ?” Valencia’s jaw drops, outraged that anyone would dare break a rule.

Gwen shakes her head adamantly. “Nope. Not going to bother.”

At the same time, Amelia nods enthusiastically. “Oh yeah. Of course I’ll try! I want those double points for Sigma Lambda Psi !”

“Sly by your eyes!” we all yell in sync.

Valencia scans my roommate warily. “Well, that’ll cancel out everything Gwen loses, if you get to the end.

” She clears her throat and addresses me.

“But Sigma has always won the most out of the sororities at this specific event, Pippi. You know this. We can’t lose to Omega and that stick-up-her-ass Olivia Cardell. ”

“Or worse, can you imagine if we lost to Iota Xi ?” Amelia’s blue eyes widen in horror.

Gwen chuckles and murmurs, “ Iota sigh. Sisters so desperate they win Wicked Wednesday just so they can get some.”

I snort with a sarcastic laugh. “I mean, they could say the same about you choosing to lose this.”

She taps her dimpled chin with a finger. “Nah. I’ll make it look like I’m giving a good effort. Don’t want Elina on my back.”

We all groan and the tension in the room increases, thinking about our first Sunday evening sorority meeting with the president and pain-in-our-asses, Miss Elina Burberry.

“Speaking of, we should go downstairs now so we’re not late,” I say, and we head out of my room in single file. When we pass the second story dining room, Evie floats in from outdoors with huge cat-eye sunglasses covering her eyes.

“Ha! I made it this time,” she says like a victory announcement.

Gwen straightens her posture, then links arms with me as we head to the first-floor hall filled with rows of silky blue chairs, finding a spot in the sophomore area among our sisters.

The room buzzes with high-pitched squeals and whispered gossip. As everyone gets settled, an overwhelming urge to confess my conscience comes over me. Though Gwen is terrible at keeping secrets, she wouldn’t tell my cousin Valencia, who would blab to someone in my family, and my life would be over.

Leaning in, I whisper, “I sucked some guy’s dick in the woods last weekend.”

Her shoulders stiffen, eyes wide as she turns to me, but as she opens her mouth to speak, Elina strolls in with the air of a wicked witch.

She hits her gavel repeatedly on the podium like we aren’t all already listening with rapt attention. Despite our house colors of blue and silver, she wears pink often. Someone once whispered that it was because she pledged Omega , but they rejected her. Hence, why she’s such a bitch.

“ Sigma Lambda Psis all rise,” she commands, and we stand as a unit.

The voices of my sisters repeat our oath: “Victory through vigilance. Vast in veneration through generations, we have prevailed. To Adalantea , our huntress divine, all verity and reverence. To her enemies, venomous revenge.”

It always makes me feel calm for some reason when we make our pledge and the room grows especially quiet after, even when we all sit again.

There are three sororities and three fraternities at Northview University.

Every year, we participate in the Greek Games, scoring points to become the ultimate winner.

It’s a great honor to win the Lunar Chalice, a crystal goblet inscribed with the seven phases of the moon.

It’s not just a trophy. It’s a symbol of power.

Favor. Even protection for those who hold it.

Like, not having to worry about your Viscount getting suicided for four years after earning it.

Whichever house earns triumphs gets to display it for two semesters before it’s handed over to the successors in a rite at The Cathedral of Seven Moons. Our Cullings take place there, too.

By entering Greek life at NU, one understands the risks and benefits. Most sorority sisters are appointed to marry a fraternity brother in a ritual ceremony called The Culling in front of higher society members. I don’t know what transpires, exactly, but there are rumors about men in robes.

If the two choose to have a civil wedding after, they may. Sometimes pairings are well made, and the couples are happy. Other times, the match is performative, only for the connections in business or politics. No one truly understands the inner workings of why two people are put together.

Occasionally, two fraternity brothers or two sorority sisters are appointed if it suits the society’s goals, though the assignments don’t take people’s identities into account.

It’s a fact that worries my brother. Oz has said he won’t mind as long as he can use a turkey baster to impregnate his appointed or while his boyfriend strokes him during the event.

He’d even share his lover with his wife, if he had to.

I said not to tell me the details, not wanting to picture him doing any of that.

So why do people join? Some do it because it’s legacy, saying they didn’t have another choice.

Others, because their parents encouraged it, understanding what an honor it is to hold a degree from such a distinguished university.

NU has a reputation as an illustrious school, and Greek alumni do exceedingly well in life following graduation.

To the point they become leaders of their communities, CEOs of giant companies, and presidents of the country.

“Sophomores, welcome to House Sigma . I expect you to wear your lapis lazuli pins at all formal functions this year. Big sisters, don’t forget to bring your littles a blue hyacinth as a corsage to every event.”

Elina’s eyes dart toward the seniors in the back. In particular, Evie Lynx. “It’s Rush Week. So everyone should be on their best behavior. Our open house will be on Friday.”

We hang on the edge of our seats, waiting for her to discuss what we’ve been dying to hear about.

“Alright. Now I’ll get to what you all need to know.

The sophomores haven’t heard any of this yet, so listen up.

Massacre Monday is the first event of The Seven Moons.

It falls on a Monday of a waxing crescent lunar cycle, which is always a great advantage because the woods north of fraternity row, where it takes place, will be very dark.

Any sophomore sorority girl who chooses to participate has the potential to score us points, but they’re also agreeing to the…

risks. If you elect to sit out, let our secretary know as soon as possible. ”

My stomach squeezes with anxiety. With a glance down the aisle, I notice my fellow sophomores seem just as tense. No one wants to admit they would back out. It would be embarrassing to do so.

“Massacre Monday is basically a sex hunt. Obviously, that’s not what’s advertised , but that’s what it is.” Some of the women collectively gasp. I guess they didn’t know what they had signed on for by pledging.

Elina continues. “Your job, second years, is to make it over the wall surrounding the woods. That’s it.

Delta, Theta, and Beta will attempt to grab you on the way.

You can fight, punch, kick, scratch…whatever.

But don’t carry a weapon, or we won’t win your points even if you cross.

Senior and alumni judges walk around and watch the event on rigged cameras.

If anyone breaks the rules, they’ll be atoned on Sin Sunday. ”

Evie groans loudly, calling all the attention to herself. “Oh, god.” Everyone in the back row laughs at some inside joke while Elina’s jaw clenches tight.

The president ignores her. “If one of the men catches you and carries you across the finish line, they earn the points, and you lose them for our house. But if you climb the wall and escape, Sigma wins double!”

“What about the sex slave thing?” a fellow second year, Alison Rowe, calls out.

“We raise our hands here in these meetings if you wish to be called upon. But I’ll go ahead and answer that.

If you’re caught and carried over the wall by one of the guys, yeah.

You belong to him for the entire month.” With a slight shake of her head, as if she’s annoyed, she adds, “Some fraternity rule the brothers made up along the way.”

Alison butts in without raising her hand, and I shirk back at Elina’s irritation. “But I’ve already been appointed,” she says, glancing around with a big smirk on her face, like she’s better than us. Maybe she got someone good. “If I have my assignment, how can I be anyone else’s?”

Elina takes a moment to compose herself, her throat tightening as she swallows.

Her pale face becomes icy when she speaks again.

“You can still perform if you choose. No one is forcing you to. Yes, the brothers have been known to do as they please with women on the forest floor during the event. I would discuss this with your future Viscount and see if he grants permission for you to participate.” As if it’s painful for her to say, she grits out, “Until your Culling, you can technically still be with other people.”

“Even after…” Evie yells, and sisters laugh loudly, knowing the rumors that most wives are shared among the society, despite their wedding ceremonies.

“Out of our fifty sophomores, we have forty-three participating unless anyone declines after tonight. You’ll have one more opportunity to back out at the starting line, but after that, you’re fair game.” The sinister implications beneath those words make me sweat.

Her eyes swivel to where I’m sitting, and every head in the room turns to look at me until I feel my cheeks flame. “Pippi Freidenberg, we’re all counting on you to get us those double points. You’re our best chance. I know your father has trained you in martial arts or whatever?—”

“Mixed martial arts,” I correct her.

“Yeah. So you better be fast on your feet and quick like a fox.”

“Victory through Vigilance!” Everyone roars at the mention of our house animal.

Elina waits until the chatter dies down, lowering her chin to give me a final warning. “Sly and vigilant. We’re depending on you.”

The room goes still. All eyes stare at me, as if waiting for my response. I straighten my shoulders and say proudly, “I won’t get caught.”