Read Online Sorority Sisters by Claudia Welch - Free Book Online Page A

says. “Sneaky bastards.”
    â€œThen what happened?” Diane asks.
    â€œThen he took me out on his parent’s johnboat, and the wind kicked up and tossed water in our faces, and Pete played around in that little boat, twisting and turning through the chop, teasing me, soaking me, and—” I pause, the memory choking me, squeezing my heart.
    â€œAnd he charmed the pants off you, right?” Diane says.
    â€œNo. Maybe,” I say. “I’ve never laughed so hard in my life.”
    â€œThat’s step number two: laughing,” Ellen says. “Rat bastards.”
    â€œWill you pipe down and let her finish?” Diane says. “Then what?”
    I swallow down the rest of my rum and Coke, the sweet taste on my tongue a temporary but very lovely salve. “Then he took me out to dinner at a little place in town and I toyed with a bowl of chili while he wolfed down a cheeseburger, and afterward he kissed me under that pale Michigan moon, the scents of pine and water in every breath I took.”
    â€œHoly shit,” Ellen says. “What happened?”
    â€œFor six days, I thought . . . ” I say.
I thought he was mine, and that I was his.
Tonight, I found out I’m not and he’s not. “I thought . . . ” I try again. I shrug, the words refusing to appear.
    â€œYou don’t need to spell it out. We know what you thought,” Diane says. “I take it he didn’t tell you about his girlfriend.”
    â€œHe has a girlfriend?” Ellen says.
    â€œHe’s a Rho Delt,” I say. “She was at the exchange tonight.”
    â€œWhat a total shit! God, did you throw his lousy beer in his face?” Ellen says.
    â€œRight. That always works,” Diane says. “Karen’s asleep, by the way. Don’t move, Laurie. Running out of the room is no longer an option for you. Sorry, sweetie.”
    â€œWhat a lightweight,” Ellen says. “I only wish someone would say that about me. Okay, next truth. I can’t help myself, okay? Who’s still a virgin?”
    â€œOh, nice segue. Subtle,” Diane says, looking at me.
    â€œAnd me without any rum,” I say.
    â€œScrewdrivers, coming up,” Diane says, coming from the tiny kitchen into the tiny living room, grabbing my empty glass. “I’ll start, you sadist,” Diane says to Ellen. “Okay, so I’m not a virgin, but I only went all the way with one guy in high school.”
    â€œCome on. Really?” Ellen says.
    â€œOkay, okay. Three in college, but it’s not like I need to walk around with a red light over my head. I was in love in high school; it’s always love in high school and it’s always forever.”
    â€œNo kidding,” Ellen says.
    â€œIt wasn’t forever, big surprise, and it wasn’t even for long. And that’s why they call it high school.”
    Ellen and I both laugh. Karen dreams on, her feet twitching against the arm of the couch.
    â€œWhat happened?” I ask.
    â€œHe broke up with me over the damn phone,” Diane says. “Can you believe that?”
    â€œYes,” Ellen says.
    â€œShut up,” Diane says, coming back from the kitchen bearing three tall screwdrivers. Ellen and I take our drinks with more enthusiasm than we took the rum and Cokes, or at least I’m more enthusiastic this time. “I got drunk at a party on the fourth floor of George’s Tower—”
    â€œYou know, that’s almost a pun,” Ellen says.
    â€œâ€”and woke up at eight in some strange guy’s bed, with the guy still in it, and his roommate grinning at me across a floor covered in dirty clothes and damp towels.”
    â€œAre you sure about that red light?” Ellen says.
    â€œYeah. It wasn’t one of my better moments,” Diane says. “You can see why I wanted to save Cindy from a similar fate. It’s not a fate worse than death,