Page 101 of Palm South University: Season 2

“Bo left,” she finally whispers, her voice dry and croaky.

“What do you mean she left?” Jess asks from behind Erin. Cassie and I share concerned looks as Erin rubs Ashlei’s back, coaxing her forward.

“She left. She dropped. She’s going back home, or to another college, I don’t know—she wouldn’t really say. But she’s gone. She’s leaving KKB, she’s leaving Palm South. She’s done.”

We all gasp, questions flying from everyone.

What? Why? When?

Ashlei cringes away from the noise, burrowing herself into the covers more before Erin snaps her fingers and glares at all of us to shut up. Ashlei takes a deep breath, exhaling it shakily. “It was too much. It was all too much for her. The website, Family Weekend, me, us, all of it. And her parents are on her ass. She just can’t take it anymore.” Ashlei laughs, though nothing is funny right now. “I can’t even blame her.”

Jess’s brows pull inward and she connects eyes with me, guilt evident in her features. Suddenly, Jarrett can wait.

Because when your sister is hurting, you drop everything to be whatever she needs in that moment.

No one says sorry, because Ashlei already knows we are. Jess jumps up into the bed with her and scoots between the wall and Ashlei’s back, tugging her close and wrapping her arms tightly around her middle. Erin leans her head down to their shoulders as Cassie and I crowd our way in, too. For a long while we just hold each other, a KKB shield around Ashlei as we let her grieve her loss. Jess cries with her, knowing she was part of the reason for the loss and also mourning herself. Bo was her Little, and she didn’t even say goodbye.

“Let’s blow formal,” Cassie says finally. “We can rent movies and get wine and junk food.”

Ashlei shakes her head, sitting up slowly as we all disperse from her like a flower’s petals falling back.

“I want to go.” She chews her lip, grabbing Jess’ hand in hers. “I’m going to miss Bo, but it was her decision to leave and I respect it.” Ashlei sniffs, looking around at each of us with a small smile. “Tonight is about more than her. It’s about celebrating another semester with my sisters, who I learned recently care about me more than anyone else.” Jess squeezes her hand. “We may go through hell when we face life on our own, but together, we can build a bridge over that bitch.”

We all laugh and I wipe a tear from the corner of my eye, knowing her words are true. The Kappa Kappa Beta girls may get into trouble. We may try to handle the world on our shoulders and party hard all at the same time, but we’re a force to be reckoned with. We’re a unit. We’re a family.

“On that note,” Jess says, popping out of her bed with a bright smile. “I’ve got the liquor, who’s doing our makeup?”

“On it!” Erin chimes, thrusting her finger into the air before speeding out of the room to grab her giant makeup case. And just like that, the room is alive again, everyone talking and laughing, wiping tears, pulling out dresses.

Time to kiss spring semester goodbye in style.