Chapter 1

Seraphina

Being in campus was a completely different experience than attending classes through a computer screen. I was never popular in high school, then again I dropped out at 16 and yet I kept reading and learning everything I could about psychology and neural technology interfacing. It made the prerequisite classes a walk in the park. Cornell couldn’t get enough of my story, it’s how I got a full scholarship. It made me the charity case, something I wasn’t comfortable being but there was a purpose for my presence on campus. I would have been content to finish my degree online but I needed to get out more.

Walking up to Tony Morrison Hall, I could see all the sophomores, juniors and seniors greeting old friends; some one had already started a fight over parking spaces, I’m going to hate it here. Room 304, that’s where I am going to live for the foreseeable future. Pledge week started soon, being a graduated member of a sorority looked great or a resume. Already had my eye on Alpha Phi, known for their generosity and community involvement. As someone wanting to work as a psychologist in New York, being apart of Alpha Phi was going to open up a world of possibilities; particularly meeting some of their alumnus.

What was their initiation like I wonder? I’d seen some of their members walking around campus, they all seemed to walk in packs. All of them, slender with big boobs, perfectly straight hair (didn’t matter on color though), dresses in the latest fashion and so much make up they almost looked like a Van Gough painting. They were perfect in everyway. Now I was no slacker, I trained at the gym everyday and competed in triathlons but to me, I wasn’t as visibly stunning as the rest of them. Makes me wonder if only pretty people applied. I guess I would find out soon enough.

“Hey you must be Seraphina,” I had been so lost in my own thoughts, I didn’t realise I had reached my room or the blonde coming out of the door making me almost walk into her, “Whoops careful there.”

I took a moment to really look at her. Platinum blonde hair, emerald green eyes with hazel flecks, legs for days that only seemed to be made longer by the 4inch heels she was wearing, not to mention the red dress she wore with thin shoe string straps and so short that it barely covered her ass. Damn she was gorgeous.

“Umm hi sorry,” I said tugging my shoulder bag up higher, “Yeah I’m Seri.”

“Seri I like that! I’m Angelica! Angie!” came the bubbly response. Wow she had alot of energy. We were either going to be the best of friends or absolutely hate each other, “Come in, get settled.”

“Thanks it’s kind of a shock being here to be honest,” I slipped through the door past Angie, pulling my suitcase towards the empty bed where it looks like the boxes of the rest of my stuff had been delivered, “I’ve been doing all my classes virtually up until now.”

“I know! You got the Alumni Scholarship, you are the most talked about person here right now because they never accept students in Senior year for it,” Angie gushed bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet.

“How does anyone even know about that? Aren’t the recipients supposed to remain confidential?” now I was mad, that sort of information was meant to be kept under wraps. Glaring at Angie with a look that could melt paint, I started opening my suitcase and boxes, moving around my half of the room and making myself at home.

“Usually yes,” Angie’s smile fell as she took a deep breathe, almost like she was trying to gauge my next reaction, “You beat out a friend of mine. The Alumni only accept a handful of students every year who show that they can uphold the Cornell values, exceptional community involvement and outstanding future prospects. And they never..”

“Accept anyone other than freshman applicants. Yes I was told repeatedly during the interview and again when I received the acceptance letter.” I took a stack of books, putting them up on the shelf before turning around, putting my hands on my hips and pinning Angie with a state, “You can be honest with me. How many people are pissed off that they had to pay their way in or will be on student aid because I got the scholarship and they didn’t?”

“Difficult to say,” Angie moved across the room, perching herself on the corner of my bed and reaching to pull a crystal tree out of my bag, “More than a few of the older siblings of freshman applicants from this year. The only thing you have going for you, is that no one knows what you look like,” Angie’s smile had returned and I could hear the gears turning in her head. Whatever she was planning, I just knew I was going to hate it, “You should stick with Seri when you introduce yourself and maybe getting in with a sorority wouldn’t be such a bad idea. I’m a Alpha Phi, I don’t live there because I can’t bring my boyfriend over. He is from Sigma Phi and we do not associate with them in any way or so I've been told multiple times. Honestly I couldn’t care less if I stay in Alpha Phi or if they de-charter me, the stupid beef between the fraternities isn’t going to matter once we graduate.”

Gods' does she ever shut up? I listened to Angie for 20 minutes explain the ins and outs of sorority/fraternity politics and quite frankly it was starting to sound very cultist to me. Putting the last of my clothes in the wardrobe, the keepsakes and knick knacks up on the shelves with my books; I sat down next to Angie nodding absently mindedly to her story. Rush was next week, I guess they let everyone settle in before putting them through the gauntlet, which Angie assured me is more ceremonial than any sort of hazing. Little did she know that nothing these girls could dish out could come equal to my past, no one could ever know that.

“Listen to me I haven’t stopped talking for ages,” she flipped her blonde hair back over her shoulders, “My house is throwing a party tonight, welcome everyone back for another year and give some safety advice to newbies.” Suddenly she turned serious.

“Safety advice?” I sounded puzzled, “What like staying away from certain groups of boys and watch my drinks? Pretty sure I have that down.”

“No,” Angie choked, a look of fear crossing her face. This was bad, “Girls have been disappearing from campus over the last few years. No one really thought anything of it first but they were really popular girls!” Angie paused taking a shuddering breathe in, “Last year two of my friends disappeared and it’s not what the Dean thinks. They didn’t take off because they couldn’t hack it without going through the official process of dropping out. Everyone knew them, they were popular and doing really well in class. It was so out of character.”

“Oh shit I’m so sorry,” I reached across the gap between us, grabbing Angie’s hands in mine, “That would have been horrible for you to lose your friends like that. Is anyone doing anything about it?”

“Thank you,' Angie sniffed a couple of times, this was still raw for her, “They have updated the security offices and patrols but without any solid leads, police can’t do anything. So now all the houses make sure every girl on campus has a whistle, knows who to call in an emergency and has several numbers programmed in on speed dial.”

“That makes a lot of sense for keeping people safe,” I nodded slowly, giving her a gentle smile.

“Anyways,” she pulled her hands away, shaking her shoulders out and standing up, “You should come tonight! All the other houses will be there so it will be a good opportunity to meet some people particularly if you are thinking of rushing.”

“Sure sounds like fun!”

We spent the next hour pouring through all my clothes for the right look and then another hour while Angie did my hair and makeup. I felt amazing and definitely glad I had packed some of my flashier clothes, I felt sexy as hell in my black pleated skirt and red baby doll top. I stuck with my red converse because I was not walking around in heels all night, my feet would not thank me in the morning. It was a 15 minute drive to the Alpha Phi chapter house, in which Angie detailed all the houses, heirs of New York’s elite families that attended Cornell and who to stay away from. This was going to be tough but the limited story I had in my head for telling people tonight was slowly piecing itself together. Tonight was going to open a lot of doors and hopefully set the tone for my stay on campus. Pulling up outside the old brownstone, we got out of Angie’s car and made our way threw the throng of college students that were already here. The party was already in full swing and if this was before everyone got too drunk, what did it look like when things got out for control? It can’t be that bad.

Right?