The Deal
In the main parlor of Gamma Delta, surrounded by pastel throw pillows, trophies and photos of past sorority classes, the boys stood awkwardly before a semicircle of upperclassmen sorority sisters.
âWe could report you for cheating,â Madison began, her voice crisp, âwhich probably means a disciplinary hearing, possible expulsion, and a permanent mark on your record. OrâŚâ She paused, letting the suspense hang in the air, a mischievous grin spreading across her face. âYou can spend a month or so as our âLittle Sisters.ââ
The boys stared in confusion, the words hanging over them like a puzzle. A couple of the boys giggled nervously, adding a surreal undertone to the moment. Nate, sensing how little control they seemed to have, uneasily broke the silence, âLittle Sisters?â He didnât like the sound of that at all. He managed to croak, âWhat does that mean, exactly?â His voice was tinged with uncertainty.
âItâs really pretty simple,â Madison replied deviously, âFor the next month or so, youâll follow our rules, do as we say, and be good little girls, er... boys.â She rapidly recovered from her verbal slip, âWeâll give you some fun projects to complete along the way and host a little competition every weekend to help you get in touch with your feminine, law-abiding sides!â She continued dismissively, âBut we donât need to worry about all those boring details yet.â
âFeminine sidesâŚ?â Julian stammered, the words trembling out, as if hoping the definition would soften with explanation.
âWe'll...â Madison started vaguely, âletâs just say youâll get a rare chance to gain a new perspective and walk in someone elseâs shoes⌠or maybe heels.â Then she admitted, âBut, yes⌠to be honest, we would insist on âsofteningâ your wardrobes a bit.â At this, several of the sorority sisters giggled noticeably. Madison shot them a mild glare, and then she continued, âI confess, as part of the deal youâll definitely be dressing in a more feminine way, but itâs just clothing after all.â She did her best to minimize the importance of this disclosure, âAfter all, if youâre going to be our âLittle Sisters,â a little initial awkwardness and a few... wardrobe adjustments... shouldn't be a surprise as we try to help you mend your ways.â
Madison quickly tried to smooth this over, âBut donât get your panties in a twist over the specifics. Consider it a golden opportunity for an up-close taste of sorority life while youâre paying off your dues!â She went on, âWe have a little scoring system to keep track of your progress as you turn your new page. Youâll keep at it until you collectively earn 1000 points as a group. I bet youâll wind up having a ball! As long as you play by the rules, it ought to take you about a month.â She added with a grin, âItâs pretty simple. Play nice, get your 1000 points, and walk free with a new mindset on life. Or we could just call the dean right now.â
Her eyes narrowed, âAs extra incentive, youâll also be graded against each other. Whichever of you gets the lowest score each week will be rewarded with some nice additional attention and tasks to help out his peersâthink of it as some extra tutoring for the slowest learner.â
Madison winked at Julian, then asked with mocking admiration, âApropos of nothing whatsoever, sweetie, have you ever worn a dress?â she added with a wink, âI bet youâll be gorgeous!â Julian could only gulp, wishing he could shrink into the nearest pillow.
Owen, shoulders hunched defensively, muttered, âIsnât that kind of thingâagainst the rules?â His voice was barely audible, as if he already knew the answer wouldnât matter.
Madison shrugged with theatrical indifference. âItâs not my first rodeo, boys. Cheating is against the rules too, and the dean loves us. Of course, itâs your call.â Her final words were confident and almost nonchalant, âThis way you can learn a little more about women and keep the administration out of it. Youâll practically be getting a free pass!â
Milo, trying to appear confident, blurted out to the others, âHow bad could it possibly be?â
Instantly, the sisters erupted in laughter, while Tara, eyes twinkling, leaned closer and inspected Miloâs hands. âIt wonât be bad at all, sweetie! Actually, those paws look overdue for a nice manicure anyway,â she teased. Milo swallowed hard, already regretting his question as the laughter around him grew louder.
As the boysâ resistance seemed to crack, Madison stepped closer, her gaze playful but sly as she thrust one more verbal dagger. âOh, and one more thing,â she said, her voice suddenly softer but no less commanding. âIâm willing to betââ her smile widened, eyes twinkling with mischief, ââdeep down, that at least one of you is going to get a little thrill out of this. You might even find the answer to a question you were afraid to ask.â
At that suggestion, the boys froze. Nateâs face turned scarlet from his neck to his ears, Miloâs mouth hung open in shock, Julian fumbled for words and stammered, âN-no, thatâs notââ while Owenâs jaw clenched so hard it was a wonder he could speak at all. Their attempts to protest only made them stammer more and blush brighter, setting off another round of giggles from the sisters.
The boys felt the walls closing in. Their collective resistance seemed to wilt in the face of Madisonâs confidence. One by one, desperation etched on their faces, the boys nodded. Owen, jaw clenched and eyes darting, hesitated the longest, but trapped and outnumbered, he relented. The deal was struck, and the sisters smiled mischievously.
"Excellent!" Madison said confidently, "You Darlings come back here tomorrow afternoon, and we'll get things started!"
At this, several of the other sisters started giggling again. Something about the way she said "Darlings" seemed to amuse them. This time, there was no reproving look from Madison.