SCREAM KINGS

PART 3

"Well, when life gives you lemons…"

Caterers came from the kitchens, finishing the preparations for the first sorority meeting. Tables were set up and then covered in plates of decadent sweets and finger foods. The girls' mouths began to water.

"Freshman fifteen here I come." Navia said.

"My metabolism is scary high. I'll be right behind you sister." Mal and Navia high fived.

"Ugh I hate you guys." The blue adorned girl whined "Every time I cheat my diet, I blow up like a balloon."

"This isn't high school E. A lot of these dudes probably like a girl with some junk and their trunk." Mal giggled, trying to cheer up her primadonna friend.

The girls turned their attention back to the spread of intricate foods, now seeing a large bowl of powdery orange punch being set out on tables surrounding the living room. It was unknown who all this food was for as the majority of the AU girls kept to a strict/inhumane diet to keep up with their petite princess images.

From the banister now hanged a sign in eye shocking bright gold-yellow font screaming "Welcome Pledges!" Half of it was blue, the other half was pink. Those were not the school's colors and those who noticed wondered what the tacky contrast was for.

The house was packed in a short ten minutes as the children of royals were eager to add DIS onto their virtually blank résumés. Behind the stream of incoming girls, came a flood of blindfolded guys being led by Chad #2 with Chad #4 guiding the back of the crowd.

"I can't believe we're doing this shit." A tall boy with a sun kissed complexion and long dark flowing hair said to a shorter, freckle-faced platinum blond. They were pressed beside one another as they held onto the shoulders of whatever fraternity pledge was in front of them.

The mob had come from Mickey House and was guided all the way to the other side of campus in this awkward, clunky manner.

"If I'm gonna best my mother in every regard Jay, I have to become Mickey House president."

"Can't you best her at like...any other school...like Harvard? You're already a genius so I don't get why you're so obsessed with AU.

"BECAUSE SHE WAS IN DIS!" Carlos hissed upward toward the boy, nearly tripping over his dark red doc martins. "Why do I have to keep reminding you?"

"Calm down." Jay sensed the smaller boy's neuroticism and rolled his covered eyes. "So like, where do you think they're leading us?"

"I'm not really sure, but it smells really good." Carlos said before the group came to an abrupt halt. They all could now hear a chorus of females 'ooing'.

Evie turned to Mal as they noticed the sandy haired blindfolded boy. "Hey is that Mr. Tight butt there in the middle?"

"Haha, of course he'd be a pledge. This must be a part of their initiation." Mal said.

"Wow." Evie said before turning to her right. "Hey Navia, see any cute guys?"

Navia was frozen though, her eyes fixed on someone in front of the group of guys.

"Who're you staring at?" Evie raised a brow.

"That idiot in the front." The girl in green frowned.

"REMOVE YOUR BLINDFOLDS BITCH BOYS" Chad #2 cried in front of the group of guys.

The Mickey House pledges did as told and were amazed at the beauty of Minnie House's interior. Of course the princesses in front of them weren't too bad on the eyes either.

"Don't stare losers. This isn't a treat." #2 said. "Since you lot haven't graduated to the title of men yet, we decided you'll be sworn in alongside these beautiful ladies."

"That's right." Doug added redundantly. He tried to seem tough as he pushed himself to the front next to Tyler.

Audrey and her posse were in front of the crowd beside the stairs.

"Same ladies." Audrey voiced to the Minnie House hopefuls. "The men are not here as your equals, but as your lesser." A few girls in the crowd wooed at the pseudo-feminist sentiment. "But let's be real sweetie pies, every single last girl in here is below me, The Pastel Platinum Princess, Minnie House President and Queen, I, Audrey Aorealis."

Mal and the others rolled their eyes to the back of their head. "What the hell is a pastel princess?"

The pretty brown haired girl, who was dressed in a turquoise dress with hot pink accents, asked. "Even us Audrey?"

"Um, which one of us is Platinum, Lonnie?" The girl was silenced by her superior.

Jay smirked in the crowd, still beside Carlos. "Shit, she is fiiine." He said about Audrey.

Carlos looked up at him. "I've seen better." He pouted.

"So have I." Jay pulled the other boy in a bit roughly but rest his arm around him. The shorter boy blushing through his dark freckles.

"Get off me before someone sees."

"Shut uuuup. I mean, we're just bros right?" Jay winked.

Carlos couldn't help laugh at the understatement.

"Anywhore," Audrey turned back to the crowd. "Thank you very much Chads #2 and #4 for that riveting speech. Now I'd like us all to give a warm welcome to Dean Godmother and Assistant Dean Dr. Facilier." She began clapping and the rest of the house applauded as two formally dressed older adults came from the hallway.

Dean Godmother, a full figured peach skinned, middle-age woman with a solemn air about her, observed the students filling the common area. Beside her was a sinewy, handsome, dark brown man with faint violet colored eyes. He spoke first.

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance those of you I haven't already met." The sweet faced man winked at a few students in the crowd. "I'm Dr. Greg Facilier, assistant dean here at Auradon University and it is my pleasure to oversee such a fine group of intelligent and promising pledges such as yourselves. I know you all hold the key to upholding Auradon University's refined repute." He then stepped back, the house clapping once more as the dean stepped forward.

She began, "Hello students. I am-" Suddenly the surround-sound stereo began blaring feedback.

Everyone turned to the stereo to see a guy with glasses and curly hair fiddling with auxiliary cables. "Sorry dudes." Music had been playing the entire time, but it was barely audible.

"HEY PLAY SOME DUBSTEP!" One of the frat boys yelled.

"Shut the hell up dude! You're making us look incompetent!" The boys in the crowd then began arguing over musical tastes. The dean stood there unfazed by the disrespect. She only continued to observe the situation calmly.

"Could you all quiet down?" Audrey stepped up and said. "Hey!" She screeched. She was unheard though, the crowd getting louder and louder. This was one of the first times in her life she wasn't listened to.

The blonde girl who always followed her, Shelley, put her arm on Audrey's shoulder. "Calm down Auddie. We'll just make sure Chad gives those boys hell during their initiation."

"If I don't kill them all first." The Platinum Princess growled.

The crowd roared on and Audrey was beginning to regret putting the two sects into the same house.

"HEY!" A familiar voice sneered from the hallway, quieting the house. It was Chad, coming through the front door from his late calculus class.

"You spineless shits think you're worthy of representing Mickey House?" The crowd of boys looked at each other, unsure of if they were angry or ashamed. "You're not even smart enough to stay quiet for a welcoming speech. Absolutely pitiful." Chad stepped through the crowd around the common area and up the step to Audrey and the dean. A few frat boys walked out of the house, infuriated.

"Good riddance." Chad smirked at his girlfriend then turned toward the older woman. "Pardon my language Dean Godmother." He gently touched her arm. "Please continue."

Godmother smiled. "Mr. Chad Charmington. Always making a spectacular entrance." She faced the crowd again now. "Hello pledges to Auradon University's leading social organization, Delta Iota Sigma. The path to becoming the face of AU is a complex one, but, one of great character-building and wisdom. Furthermore," Her speech continued. Mal not buying it.

"You see the way that dude Chad touched the dean's arm? They totally gave each other fuck-me eyes too."

"I'd be starstruck too. Imagine how much money the Charmingtons have donated to the school. They're a huge conglomerate you know." Navia stated.

"Or it could just be because that Chad guy is hot stuff." Evie fanned herself. "Ooo-la-la." She clicked her tongue. Mal and Navia rolled their eyes.

"Why's Chad's family so rich?" Mal asked Navia.

"His great-great-great grandad was like a famous fencer over in France and used tournament money to invest in land and business and all this crazy stuff. Then he immigrated to America and more or less founded the Charmington Empire. They buy stocks, invest in businesses. You name it. They're just filthy stinking rich." Navia explained in a rather detailed manner.

"Okay Miss Wikipedia." Mal chuckled.

"Hey if I'm gonna become president someday, I gotta know my stuff." Navia smirked.

"#Team brains and beauty." Evie high-fived her friends. "So Navia, what's the Charmington family net worth?"

The dean finally wrapped up her speech.

"And that's why I can't wait to see you all strive." Godmother dressed her face in a sham of a smile. "Now, are there any questions for me or the assistant dean?"

A female student in thick glasses with brown hair and blue jay colored eyes raised her hand.

"Yes honey? You in the yellow top." Godmother said pleasantly to the girl.

"Hello Dean Godmother, my name's Joan Porter, I'm majoring in investigative journalism. I'd like to ask, is it true that this is the very house those twenty or so students were last seen 20 years ago?"

Godmother's face wrinkled in discomfort. "If you're asking if this is the place where those twenty pledges were allegedly killed," Suddenly the dean had the crowd's undivided attention. "Then yes, Miss Porter, you are correct." The revelation sent a chill down the spines of many female pledges, causing them to turn heel for the door.

"WAIT! HEY!" Audrey skid for the door in her hot pink heels as the majority of pledges left the house. "It's just a stupid ghost story!" Audrey yelled out the door.

Chad frowned, still in the living room. He looked at Godmother again. "Is this your idea of a prank?"

"A real DIS pledge wouldn't care about this house's complicated past." Godmother said surely.

Facilier stepped up from behind Godmother. "Well um Mr. Charmington, I think the two us will take our leave. I'm sure you're gonna have your hands full." Dr. Facilier chuckled as he and the dean strode out the door past Audrey.

The princess went back to the living room in shame. A lot of those girls were actual princesses and would've made Minnie House stand out from its national competition. Audrey bit her lip before Chad locked his hazel eyes with hers.

"You can make this work. Your sorority isn't going out like this, babe." Chad assured his beautiful girlfriend. "Maybe some of these girls are rich?"

"Look at them Chad!" She eyed a quiet silver-blond girl in a corner, a goth-girl in heavy black makeup, and the bespectacled girl, Joan, all hanging around the common area nebulously. She then looked toward Mal's trio as they ate up all the desserts and chatted with some boys.

"Okay it's not looking great." Chad dryly.

"I don't know why that old hag Godmother would jeopardize Minnie House by bringing up that stupid rumor." Audrey was pissed. " I mean she's only been dean for like a year and she's doing dumb stuff like that?"

"Godmother is a very smart woman. She's kinda sexy too."

"What?"

"I'm saying you got to trust her babes. Maybe it's destiny." Chad shrugged.

"Like meeting a prince at a ball?" Audrey scoffed.

"Hey, it worked for my mom." Chad said and Audrey actually giggled.

"Okay. I will trust you Mr. Charmington." Audrey raised her head.

"Good. Now, I'm gonna escort these embarrassments back to Mickey House. Good luck tonight." He winked at the mocha colored girl. He stepped down toward the living room where his pledges were attempting to flirt with the very few remaining girls in the house.

"Let's go bitch men!" Chad yelled. The guys stood and followed behind him. As they reached the front door, Chad abruptly stopped. "Where are your blindfolds?"

The group of guys groaned as the Chads began passing the blindfolds back out.

Audrey and her posse were now huddled up and talking behind the stairs.

"Whatever are we gonna do girls?" Shelley frowned. "I mean at this rate, Minnie House is surely gonna get shut down."

"Yeah I mean, we were really looking forward to getting some funding from those rich broads. What are we gonna do with these losers?" Lonnie looked back at the mismatched pledges.

Audrey turned her head toward the blonde. "Shelley why can't your grandad just donate a tiny bit more? Just for the semester."

"Ask Big Granddaddy for more money? I mean Audrey that would be a tad much."

"Well-" Audrey separated her pink lips to speak, but was cut off.

"I mean sugar barons only makes so much these days Audrey. What with international trade and OMG sugar from Hawaii and the Philippines took up all his business back in the day. You know Big Granddaddy calls 'em commies. It's so cute. But anyways what I'm saying is, I mean it's not for me to ask. It's my mama. She's a huge daddy's girl and Big Granddaddy will usually do anything she says but even I can't beg my mama to ask Big Granddaddy for more money. It'd be a little much Audrey."

Audrey opened her mouth again.

"I'm so very sorry sweetie." Shelley added.

Audrey's brown brow twitched.

Lonnie coughed "…Okay. That was a really convoluted way to say no."

The princess in pink turned to Lonnie now. "Lonnie, the Li family fortune can surely contribute…"

"No way Jose. I don't ask my family for shit." Lonnie not only shook her head but gestured as well for emphasis.

"Except that tuition." Audrey murmured.

"Full scholarship actually." Lonnie flipped her dark, shiny hair.

Audrey narrowed her eyes. "I know you're Chinese, but that's bullshit."

The princesses were all quiet now. Beside themselves.

"Um guys, what are you over there whispering about? Can I join?" Jane said from around the corner.

"Sweetie this is strictly a Pastel Princess discussion only." Shelley said to the violet eyed girl.

"No mascots allowed." Lonnie added.

Jane wanted to say something, but bit her tongue. Audrey waved her away then turned back to the other princesses.

"Well, when life gives you lemons…"

"You give them to the help and tell them you could really go for a refreshing glass of lemonade?" Shelley smiled.

"Close. But it doesn't look like we're getting any help here." Audrey crossed her arms. "Let's show these bitches that if Minnie House is going down, it's going down with a bang." Her pink lips curved into a devilish smirk.