First and foremost, forgive me for what you're about to read. Like many writers before, I just wanna strangle the living daylights out of Sookie. I don't actually hate her. But dear lord help me, I can't help but feel Eric Northman deserves a little loyalty and love from someone other than Pam.
As to the storyline. Yeah, I will be taking some liberties with it. Like a lot. The timeline will be in an upheaval, because well that's how I roll. Also there will be storylines I'll be cutting. While creating new plot twists. So, characters who die will live, and characters who lived may bite the dust. Basically, the timeline and storyline will flow at my will.
What I will do, is try and keep the characters true to form.
I will try and edit the best that I can. Please forgive any grammar issues. I enjoy writing, but time is an issue.
On another note. I am no expert on the Greek system. Besides watching a few seasons of Greek, and a few quick searches on Google, that's the extent of my knowledge. I am taking HUGE liberties with the University Campus and campus at Shreveport.
Feedback will be greatly appreciated.
Pulling up to the large white plantation house, Evie Stackhouse put her car in park as she scanned the activity around her. The front yard was filled with returning sisters, happy to be back, and looking forward to another year. From the upper balcony hung a large banner, welcoming the Delta Zeta's home.
The two hour drive here hadn't been long enough, even after taking the longest route she knew, and now that she was here, she let out a weary sigh. Never in her life had she felt so conflicted.
Summer break had been a pure agonizing hell. Between her idiot brother letting his dick get him into one bad jam then turn around and let it lead him into another, and her sister acting like some Disney princess/bodice ripper heroine the first time she crossed paths with a vampire Evie had enough of her family drama. When August rolled around, she'd been more than ready to leave Bon Temp, with its bizarre murders and bitter gossips in the rearview mirror.
"One more year." She whispered softly to herself. "You just need to get through one more freaking year. After that you can do anything. You'll be free. So, suck it up buttercup. You've got this."
Sucking in a huge, deep breath, she let it out slowly. Forcing a smile on her lips and got out of the car and waved at a group of girls who called out to her. Moving to the trunk of the car, she heaved the heavy suitcase out, before grabbing her duffle bag.
Moving to the wrap around covered porch she pushed away the tense feeling threatening to take control. Making her way through the beehive of activity inside, she took the staircase up to the third floor, down the hall to the last room.
The interior of the house was the same as it had been the year before. And the year before that. Actually, Evie doubted the place had been updated in the last few decades. It was one of the original structures on the land that had been donated to the University of Louisiana, just outside of Shreveport. It was the last house on Greek row, and the backyard overlooked Cross Lake. The house was one of the reasons she chose Delta Zeta to rush.
Nudging the door open with the toe of her shoe, she barely made it through before being assaulted in a bone crushing hug.
"Thank freaking god you're here." Her best friend muttered. "I thought you were going to bail on me, leaving me alone with these lunatics."
"Thea." Face forced into her friend's chest; Evie tried to pull away. "Can't breathe."
"Don't care." Thea murmured, rocking them back and forth. "I've been alone here for the last four hours."
"Oh, the agony." Trying again to push her friend off her, Evie gave up and let her hands drop to her sides. "You poor, poor baby. All alone, in the big bad sorority house."
"Don't mock me Stackhouse." Stepping away, Thea Bowmen scowled down at her friend before moving to the hallway to roll in Evie's large suitcase. Where Evie barely cleared five foot three, depending on the shoes she was wearing, Thea towered over her at an impressive five foot nine. Their height wasn't the only difference, where Thea had stick straight brown hair, Evie's blonde sun-kissed main rolled down her back in waves. On really humid days, it was more curly than wavey, and no matter what she did she could never get it under control.
"You know I can barely tolerate this place." Thea continued. "You're the only person who makes being stuck here less painful."
"Sorry I'm late." Moving over to her bed, Evie took in the pink bedding and made a face. Dropping her duffle bag on top of it, she wasn't looking forward to making another trip or two back down to her car to retrieve the rest of her stuff.
"Fair warning. Kara's been on a rampage, Nationals is sending an alumni here to go over the new ground rules, and she's acting like the freaking queen is coming for tea. She's insisting we dress for the occasion, knee length and pink of course."
"Of course." Evie groaned, flopping down face first on top of the bed. "Remind me again why we thought joining a sorority was a good idea?"
"You were a clueless Freshman, who thought it would be 'badass' to join." Thea smirked. "I was a legacy whose parents threatened to cut her off if she didn't."
Turning on her side to face her friend, Evie groaned. "Dear lord how stupid and naïve I was."
"A babe, fresh off the farm."
"And you corrupted me with your big city ways." Evie fired back.
A knock at the door interrupted their banter, both girls shared a look before the door sprung open and Kara, the newly elected President came flying through. "Mandatory meeting at five. I need you two downstairs and helping get these useless twits under control. I swear to Jesus, these Sophomore's are going to be the death of me. I can't do everything on my own and would appreciate it dearly, if the two of you would at least try and be the strong role models that's expected of you. I know it's a stretch, but at least do your best to fake it."
With barely a goodbye, she left slamming the door behind her.
"I can't do this." Eyes wide, Thea shook her head. "I am not going to survive a freaking year with that uppity, stuck-up twatwaffle."
"Twatwaffle?"
"I'm being serious Evie. I'm sure there's gotta be an empty dorm room we can share." Wringing her hands, Thea sat down on the edge of her bed.
Shaking her head, wishing Thea had said something at the beginning of the summer, Evie rolled onto her back to stare at the ceiling. "Half my tips went to dues, so I'd have a room and meals here. I'm stuck until graduation."
"This is a freaking nightmare."
"Yeah, but at least the parties don't suck." Both girls looked at one another before laughing.
ΩΩΩ
The room was full of pink. Pepto colored pink, so obnoxious that Evie felt a headache starting behind her left eye. Finding seats at the back of the room, Evie shifted uncomfortably in the highbacked chair as they waited for Kara to start the meeting. Nearly eighty girls were crammed into the large front room that had once been used as a ballroom.
Even with the AC on, Evie could feel the heavy weight of the Louisiana humidity weighing down on the occupants of the room. Several of the sisters had already resorted to fanning themselves, trying to delay the inevitable of having their caked on makeup jobs from being utterly destroyed.
The overwhelming feeling of impatience threated to suffocate her. None of the sisters wanted to be here. Well, that wasn't technically true. There was a handful of ass kissers who were staring at the front of the room, nearly vibrating in anticipation to be able to have a chance to share a few awkward words with one of their chapter's most well known alumna. But for the most part, no one looked forward to meetings that included a member from Nationals.
They never, ever came a 'calling with glad tidings.
Basically, Nationals was comprised of a bunch of old biddies who just couldn't let the past go. High-strung and closed minded, they looked down their nose jobs at anything that was remotely deemed as progressive. Change was scoffed at, as they pushed their old fashioned ideals and backwards thinking down the throats of the youth. It was like they were stuck in the 1950's.
Even the younger members of the Nationals clutched the fading traditions to their bosoms, and there was none more stubborn than the woman who made the trip to see them that day.
At the head of the room, Kara was talking to the petite blonde. A forced smile threatened to split their presidents face, as she nodded her head a little too much to whatever was being said.
"This can't be good if they sent Sarah Newlin." Muttering to Thea under her breath, Evie shifted uncomfortably, tugging at the soft fabric of her Pepto colored dress.
Fanning herself, Thea frowned. "Remember last year when she gave that little speech about the importance of abstinence after two pledges got knocked up?"
Nearly snorting, Evie bit down on the inside of her cheek. At the time it hadn't been funny, seeing that the two sisters shared the same baby daddy. It had been an unmitigated mess. Their parents had been livid that their pure innocent daughters had had been defiled. Upset parents meant a pissed off administration and an enraged NPC.
Sarah had cut short her honeymoon to rain down her unholy rage upon Delta Zeta. Her typically impeccable appearance was feral, as she became unhinged on them for their heathenistic behavior. At the end of her tirade, she threatened to cut off any form of social life for the rest of the year if any one of them even thought about spreading her legs to fornicate.
So, seeing her now, on their very first day back didn't exactly give off a happy vibe.
"Do you think she's going to start foaming at the mouth again?" Thea asked quietly, and a few sisters nearby swallowed back their giggles.
"Ladies." Moving to the podium, Kara raised a hand to get the rooms attention. "Attention please."
When the room quieted down, Kara flashed them a tense nervous smile. "We have the. . ." Faltering a little, her eyes moving to where Sarah flashed the crowd a toothy grin, Kara swallowed. "honor of having our esteemed alumna here today to outline some . . ." looking over again, looking conflicted, Kara shifted. "changes Nationals felt compelled to establish this year."
There was a weak round of applauds, as the tension in the room mounted. Seemed everyone remembered Sarah Newlin's meltdown from the previous year. Moving to the podium, Sarah flashed everyone a smile before composing herself.
"It's always such a pleasure to return home, to my sisters." Sarah's words seemed sincere, but the barely noticeable grimace at the corners of her mouth said otherwise. "But I come home during dire times. Hell is upon us."
"What the fuck?" Thea whispered softly. "Please tell me we're not going to become a church group. Because there's only so much I can take."
"The threat of vampires is real." Her soft face took on a tense look, as her hands clenched down on the wood of the podium. "I know many of you are soft hearted, just I once was. You were raised to be proper Christians, and in such are programed to be forgiving to mankind."
Eyeing the crowd around her, Evie wondered if Sarah Newlin had actually been an active member of this sorority. There was nothing soft hearted about any of the piranhas she shared a house with. Perhaps they weren't evil all the time, in fact there had been a few rare occasions when it'd been nice to have them on her side. But all it took was one single drop of blood to turn them into dangerous savages.
As for being proper Christians, sure most of them had been to Sunday school at some point in their lives. But most were too hungover or more accurately, still too drunk to get their asses into a pew come Sunday morning.
"I was once like you." Sarah went on. "I even marched in DC with my dear, dear sister for their equal rights. But those same damned fiends I had so foolishly supported snatched my sweet, kind sister from me and my family. My eyes were opened to my naivety and I swore I'd do my darndest to ensure no other family had to go through what mine did."
"Sisters, you are also my family." Sniffing, Sarah wiped away a tear from her eye. "And because each one of you are so dear to me, I made sure the National Panhellenic Conference as well as the University of Louisiana understood we needed to take extreme measures to protect you."
Evie and Thea shared a look, before looking over to where Kara was frowning.
"Starting immediately, there will be a campus wide curfew of ten o'clock." All at once, every girl in the room sat up straight in their chairs, their eyes wide as the news settled down around them. "All girls who live in the house are to be inside no later than ten."
Thea raised her hand, and the sisters around them stared. Sarah nodded for Thea to speak. "What does a five o'clock curfew do when it gets dark here around five in the winter?"
Leave it to Thea to point out the obvious, and after a few blinks Sarah cleared her throat. "Now we aren't completely unreasonable, and heaven knows we aren't trying to make you social pariahs, so on Friday and Saturday nights while the campus gates will be locked still be locked at ten, you'll have free reign until one am."
A look of confusion flashed over Thea's face, and Evie understood the feeling of bafflement. How could anyone think that locking gates would keep them safe? The northside of campus was all woods, and the wall stopped at the tree line. Anyone who'd grown up in Louisiana knew the dense woodlands was filled with wildlife better left alone. But after a few weeks of lockdown, there would inevitably be a few desperate souls who'd be willing to use them to make their way to freedom.
"The Fellowship of the Sun has graciously offered the use of some of our most trained guards to provide security on campus this year." With another toothy grin, she placed a hand to her chest. "When my new darling husband found out how worried I was for my second family, he insisted on giving me a peace of mind."
"Fucking dick." Thea whispered under her breath, folding her arms over her chest.
"In addition to the curfew, the vampire bar in Shreveport is strictly off limits." This brought a round of light giggles. Since it opened a year and a half ago, there had been whispers of the handsome blonde vampire who owned it.
"It goes without saying that more is expected from the ladies of DZ. The young women who make up our chapter are the cream of the crop. Coming from some of the purist southern families. We have a reputation to uphold and must be exemplary role models." The smile vanished from Sarah's face. "I pressed for immediate expulsion from the sorority upon the first infraction, but Nationals feel that stance was a tad harsh. They have instead decided on a three-strikes and you're out philosophy."
This brought the room to an uproar. Kara stepped out of the spot she'd taken root in to try and gain control of the room. Evie felt their irritation bare down on her like a tsunami. It was enough to knock the breath out of her lungs, and the slight headache she felt earlier was quickly turning into a migraine.
"This year is going to blow." Thea growled. "Does she actually think anyone is gonna follow these stupid rules?" Turning to Evie when she didn't reply, her anger vanished. "Shit you okay?"
"Fine." Swallowing tightly, Evie clenched her fists into her lap.
"Do you want me to get us out of here?"
"How?" Gritting her teeth together, Evie breathed deeply through her nose.
"I don't know. I'll tell Kara you started your period or something?"
Her friend's silly suggestion brought a slight smile to her face. "At least she'll know I don't have a bun in the oven."
"Ladies!" Kara yelled over the sea of voices. "You do not have the floor."
The room quieted down, and after a few minutes Evie was finally able to breath again. One of the braver souls raised her hand. "When you say we're out, do you mean from school?"
Standing up straight, her face stone cold serious, Sarah glared at the room. "Worse. From the sorority." The room relaxed a little. "Where Nationals want a more . . . lax approach to breaking these new rules, we were all in agreement that if any member of the Greek system is caught having … relations with the undead, it will result in immediate expulsion from their respective chapters, no second chances."
After a few more words of the importance of being the best of the best, and most elite of all the students on campus, Sarah gave her farewells. No one looked sad to see her leave.
When her pink Prius was finally out of view, Kara closed the door with a loud thud before turning around to face the group. "Well now that is done, it's time to party bitches!"
A loud cheer went up, but a few girls looked around nervously. Ignoring their hesitation, Kara flashed a huge smile. "Meet here in an hour."
Hurrying up to her room, taking the steps as fast as she could, Evie reached the third floor landing in seconds as she scurried down the hall to her room. Slinging open the door she made a beeline to her duffle bag and started digging around. Thea rushed in after her, closing the door.
"Did you skip your meds?" Heading to the small refrigerator, she grabbed a bottle of water.
Shaking a pill out of each of the four bottles, Evie's hands trembled. "No. I just forgot how intense a room full of girls can be."
"I'm sure having their freedom stripped away didn't help." Handing over the water, Thea stepped back giving Evie room to breathe. "I can't even remember the last time I had a ten o'clock curfew."
Twisting off the cap, Evie shoved the pills into her mouth before washing them down with water. Feeling the weight of Thea's stare, Evie forced her eyes shut. "Stop worrying. It'll pass."
"I'm not worried."
"Sure." Thea's concern was making the air in the room thick enough to choke on. "Seriously, I'll be fine."
"Is it me, or is your anxiety getting worse?" Hearing her friend move across the hardwood floor, Evie felt a flash of guilt. They'd been thick as thieves since Freshman year. Thea knew more about her than anyone. But there were limits.
When she first arrived at LSU she'd been determined to reinvent herself. No longer wanting to be labeled as that poor Stackhouse girl. Or crazy Sookie's baby sister. In a town of rednecks and closed minded Christians, their family had always been the focus of gossip. By the time she'd reached high school, Evie knew she had to leave Bon Temp. She was slowly dying living there. So, in a way, getting her acceptance letter had been one of the best days of her life.
As much as she wanted a fresh start, she knew she could never lie about who she was. To do that would've been disrespectful to the woman who'd raised her. So, she just never went into great detail. People knew she had an older brother and sister. That her dear Gran had raised them with a firm hand and overflowing heart after their parent's death. How they'd lived in a large, old farmhouse, that had been in the family for generations.
What she kept mum on, was how her sister could hear other people's thoughts. Or that her handsome older brother was a sex addict, who couldn't get out of his own way most of the time.
This last summer had been the worst. She'd so badly wanted to talk to someone outside of her small town. But each time Thea called, Evie couldn't bring herself to unload her baggage onto her friend. Instead, she downplayed the trouble Jason was in, saying he'd gotten himself into a jam. When she told Thea about Sookie meeting Bill Compton, she'd glossed over the fact he was of the undead variety.
It wasn't that she'd been bothered by the fact that Bill was a vampire. To be honest, she was still undecided on the whole vampire thing. Even if she'd disliked them, she could've gotten past her feelings as long as Sookie was happy. No, it was the swarmy, yucky feeling Bill gave her. Meeting him was like being introduced the most obnoxious used cars salesman in Renard parish. Sookie's insanely bizarre behavior around him didn't help matters any either.
"Evie? Is the anxiety getting worse?" Thea asked again.
"I've just had a really intense summer." Shaking her head, Evie forced the words out. "Today didn't help much."
"I know you were being a little vague on the particulars this summer." Thea said carefully, knowing how secretive Evie was of her family life. "But you know you can talk to me, right?"
"I know." Sighing, Evie opened her blue-green eyes. "But one of the reasons I like about being here, is that I can keep my crazy home life where it belongs. At home."
"Fair enough." Thea shrugged just like that, letting her off the hook. "So, you excited to see Grady tonight?"
"Sure." Her answer fell flat, and both girls winced.
"Ouch."
"Yeah." Sighing, feeling the effects from the pills, Evie made her way over to her bed and crawled onto the top of it. "Let's just say the distance was nice."
"Ah, so the time has finally come." Eyes lighting up, Thea rubbed her hands together. "My little Evie has realized she's outgrown her first crush-thingy and is ready to spread her wings."
"Don't get too excited." Pulling a pillow over her face, Evie groaned. "I still need to let him know I'm ready to spread my wings."
"I can do it for you." Clearly excited over the prospect of getting rid of Grady, her hatred for him had reached an epic level the previous year. "And if I do it right, we might get the bonus of making that douche cry."
"Or." Tossing the pillow down on the ground, Evie pulled herself to lean back on her elbows. "I can be a grown assed woman and break it off myself. I know it's a little less dramatic, and you won't be able to see him cry like a baby, but it's the least I can do seeing he and I've been dating for three years."
"That does sound mature." Thea said distastefully. "I guess."
"How about I let you break up with my next boyfriend."
"Really?"
"Sure. Why not?"
"And I can do it anyway I want?" A slow, sadistic smile crossed Thea's lips.
"Absolutely." Evie nodded, falling back down on the bed.