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"Bonjour!" I said to the girl with a na that read Claire pinned to her white lace blouse

Medium-brown hair tumbled to her shoulders in smooth waves and was held back by a black ribbon headband She wore a very short plaid skirt with red tights and ankle boots Flawless and polished, she was perfectly put together I had to blink twice because she looked so much like the character Blair Waldorf frorin on her face behind a pink-draped table with a golden triangle and the letter Z emblazoned across it in the student center at the University of Southern California It had only been teeks since I traded in the City of Lights for the City of Angels The night was cool, but since the rain had let up I had decided to get out and stop by the recruitment fair Clubs, fraternities, and sororities populated the room With so many choices, I had no idea which booth to visit first I stood back and watched and it was Claire’s enthusiasht my attention So I irls about joining her sorority They giggled and juave them a piece of paper with an address on it and told the and she quirked a sleaave a slight laugh "No, California but I spent my freshman year in Paris"

"Ahyou’re new I am too I just transferred in from New York University"

I felt a spark of excitehtened her shoulders "No, actually I’m a junior"

"Has anyone ever told you that you look like a character froht "All the time and I love to hear it She’s my idol I fashion my wardrobe after her"

I nodded Not certain of what to add to that, I quickly glanced down at the table of pamphlets and asked, "So, you were in a sorority at NYU?"

I was somewhat curious only because she was obviously the quintessential prep school girl turned college sorority one to a prep school and I was sure all the girls I graduated with had joined sororities But forI liked to thinkwith vintage I wasn’t afraid to throw any two pieces together and put y wardrobe but warned h because guys never looked at me that way anyway I was always just the cute little sister

"How did you know? Delta Zeta!" She beaanda spread out in front of her

I bita sorority for the sheer purpose offriends, but I wasn’t certain if I had the time with my heavy course load

She must have noticed my eyes flicker in contemplation because she asked, "You are a PNM, aren’t you?"

"A PNM?" I questioned

"A potential new ed "Well, yes I guess I a my outfit--a short cropped jacket, skinny jeans, low-heeled boots, and old necklaces

"What does a PNM have to do?"

"Depends on what you can offer and who you know"

"I’m new, so I haven’tif she should have askedto feel rejected, I threw out, "But I have a brother in a band and another brother who’s a graduate student here"

Her eyes twinkled with exciteuess so"

"Then you’re a PNM"

I claspeda new girlfriend

"We need little sisters to help at the Kappa Sight"

"I’ you teht hand and repeat after ," she said in a serious tone

My "

Not quite sure I believed her, I did as she instructed, trying to recall movies I had watched with sororities, butthe words

She skipped around the table "Done!"

I felt nervous and excited at the sarabbed her o"

I patted in"

I slanted her a questioning look

"Hell week," she mumbled

"Oh, but I’nored my concerns as she filled her purse with the brochures and swung it over her shoulder "But first you need to change your outfit Come with me; you look close to e of clothes, and ere off It was dark and streetlights lit our way The shoes she haddistances I wore heels all the tih My hair blew in my eyes and I pushed it behind my ears Claire had tried to tame it, but it was still a frizzyto keep up with her pace

She rolled some lipstick on her lips and sly and pretty, stupid and smart, innocent and slutty, blond or brunette"

I looked at her in confusion

She laughed "It’s easy You just tend to one of the fraternity brothers’ needs" With a silver tube in one hand she air-quoted the word needs

I wasn’t quite sure what she irl in her short skirt and tight top and I started to think twice about going My stomach lurched I wasn’t really a partyer I’d lived with e extracurricular activities I always had tons of guys ere friends and I called them boyfriends, but I don’t think I ever had one in the true sense of theGirlfriends, on the other hand, those were harder to irls’ liking But since Claire had brought , I didn’t want to blow my opportunity