Author's Note:
Hi everyone, here is chapter 3. I hope you like it. Stay tuned for chapter 4.
Sincerely, keylim2001
Disclaimer: The Outsiders is owned by S. E. Hinton
Chapter 3
(1st Day of School & Rush Week)
Harley's POV:
Monday….
Today was the first day of classes, my first official shift at the library, and I was helping out with rush week at Alpha Phi. Just what I wanted to do with my evenings, I thought sarcastically. I got up early to make cinnamon rolls, bacon, and eggs. Pony and I had an early start anyway because we had the first shift at the library before our classes in the afternoon. Surprisingly, my tutoring slots were already filling up for the weekend. As I finished cooking the breakfast, Pony came out dressed in a crisp white t-shirt, jeans, and Converse. His classic outfit. He kissed me on the cheek. "Good morning, beautiful," Pony said wearily. I kissed him back. "Good morning, handsome," I chirped. "Ready for the first day of the year?" Pony rolled his eyes and groaned as he sat at the kitchen table. "At least I don't have to help out with rush week," Pony said with a smirk. I groaned as I sat down. "Don't get me started," I said with a grimace. "Cleo is going to be a menace and I don't think I'm ready for people to start disappearing." Pony's face flashed in concern. "You sure you'll be ok there by yourself?" Pony asked rubbing his fingers over my knuckles. I nodded. "I'll be fine," I said reassuringly. "Linda will be there, so I'll have someone to watch my back." Pony gave me a tight-lipped smile like he didn't really believe me. "Well, give me a call at the track center if you need anything," Pony said. "I'll take you up on that," I said standing up to clear our plates. "Let's get going or we'll be late for our first shift." Pony groaned. "I don't think I can handle more of Dorthy's antics or Gary's petulant smell of weed that follows him everywhere," Pony said. I chuckled and rolled my eyes. "We'll get through it together," I said.
Pony and I arrived at the employee parking lot at the library. I was grateful that they let us park our cars there when we were at classes. It was a perk of the job. Pony grabbed my hand and squeezed in nervousness. "We'll get through this together," I said giving him a reassuring smile. Pony nodded and we headed inside. "Ready for the madness to begin?" Gary asked us with a chuckle when we clocked in. "Not really," Pony muttered. "But, we're here so we ought to be." Gary just beamed at Pony. "That's the spirit! Now let's get ready for the masses!" Dorthy stood behind the counter at the ready for the incoming people. Gary got ready at the welcome booth that was just inside the main entrance. Pony and I were the ones to do the honors of opening the doors for business. "After you my lady," Pony said with a smirk. I turned the lock and stuck the doorstop in the door to signal that we were open. There were already a few eager freshmen, some law and medical students, as well as some other dedicated students waiting for us to open. "Come on in," I said with fake cheeriness. The rest of the shift seemed to go by in a blur. Many freshmen were pestering all of us with questions about policies, tutoring schedules, and so on. The barrage of questions seemed to never end. Finally, it was time for me and Pony to head off to classes. "See you after practice and rush week," Pony murmured into my ear as he pulled me in for a hug and a kiss. I leaned into it. "Please be careful," Pony continued. I nodded. "I promise I will," I said. "Enjoy classes!" Pony and I headed in opposite directions. I was excited for classes, especially for my senior capstone project that would extend throughout the year for journalism. I was thinking about covering my Greek Row story for my capstone. I was really nervous about my law courses this semester. They were going to be brutal and even though I did well on my LSATs, one of my professors this semester was a big wig for the law school and he had a significant pull in admissions.
Classes seemed to go fine enough. It turned out that Dr. Lawrence was a friend of the law professor that I was nervous about and had sent along good words about me as well as my previous journalistic work that incorporated what I learned in my pre-law courses. He was really impressed by it, but I knew that would mean added pressure. Dr. Greene, my journalism mentor, was also one of my professors this semester, so it was a treat. Classes blurred together and occurred too fast. Before I knew it, it was time for me to go to the Alpha Phi house to help with the first day of rush week. I made my way to my car and changed in the back seat. I put on a pair of white bell-bottomed jeans, a red halter top, a white headband, and red sandals. After I pulled up in front of the Alpha Phi house and parked, I let out a deep breath and closed my eyes. "You've got this, Cooper," I muttered to myself. I reached into my bag and made sure to turn on my tape recorder and then made my way into the house with the key that Cleo gave me last week.
When Cleo saw me she seemed happy at another body to help her. "I need you to do me a favor and help out with the tablecloths," Cleo said practically begging me. "Um…." I said looking at Linda who nodded at me. "Sure," I said. "I'll be right back," Cleo said. "Stay here." I nodded. I looked at Linda. "Can you possibly try and spill some punch on the tablecloth when she gets back so I have an excuse to go downstairs?" I whispered in her ear. Linda's eyes went wide. "Are you sure that is a good idea?" Linda asked me nervously. I shrugged. "It will be a ruse, and I can run into you causing you to spill it. I can lie and say that I was nervous at my first USC rush and wasn't watching where I was going," I said. Linda gave me a weary look but nodded in agreement. I just hoped this would pay off. Cleo came scurrying down the stairs holding a pristine white tablecloth. "I need you to help me set up the table in the dining room," Cleo said. I nodded in agreement. I saw Linda making her way towards me and Cleo with a pitcher of fruit punch. Cleo took one end of the tablecloth and maneuvered to the other end of the table. I glanced back at Linda and slightly tilted my head towards the tablecloth indicating now was the time. Linda shuffled forward and I made myself stumble into her hurriedly, causing her to spill the punch on the white tablecloth. "Shit," I stuttered. "Sorry, Linda." I looked nervously at Cleo who had anger flash in her eyes. "I'm so sorry Cleo," I said with a stutter. "I was just so nervous about this being my first rush week here and I wasn't looking where I was going." Cleo pursed her lips. "I can go down and wash the tablecloth with stain remover," I offered hesitantly. Cleo nodded. "It's all ok," Cleo said with a sigh handing me the key. "Shit happens. Just make it quick." I gave Cleo a faint smile and grabbed the key with shaking hands. I grabbed the stained tablecloth in my arms, brushed by my messenger bag to scoop up my tape recorder and camera, and headed to the door. As I brushed past Linda I whispered, "Keep Cleo busy and make sure she doesn't notice how long I'm down there." Linda nodded. "Be careful," Linda whispered back.
I went to the door and fumbled with the key and the lock, but I finally got it open. I looked behind me nervously to make sure no one was watching me and made my way down the creaky wooden steps. I found a cord light and turned it on. When I opened it, my jaw hit the floor. What I saw in front of me were bookshelves full of binders with years on them. I took photos of the shelves first thing. Then I quickly applied the stain remover on the stain on the tablecloth and threw it in the washing machine so that Cleo wouldn't get suspicious if she put her ear to the door. I quickly went over to the binders and traced them. They went back to the year 1945 when Alpha Phi was created at USC. I opened one of the binders and saw a list of names of freshmen who rushed Alpha Phi, the date they disappeared if they disappeared, the day they appeared dead, and if they weren't one of the unlucky ones, the year they graduated. Next to the unlucky ones, there was a list of offenses of what they did and who gave the order for them to disappear. I made sure to take photos of them. I also detailed to my tape recorder what I saw. My stomach sank as I looked through some of the binders. The washer went off so I switched the load to the dryer. My thoughts went back to the binders. It looked like this whole thing had been going on since the year that the sorority was founded. I wondered if other sororities and fraternities had the same documentation. I had to ask Dorthy if she could find the binders at her sorority, Kappa Kappa Gamma. I jotted a note down on my tape recorder. I had to see if I could sneak into the same area for the brother fraternity. Also, I wondered if the Dean of Student Affairs had some other hidden things somewhere. I had to find out. After the dryer was done, I headed back upstairs. Cleo hurried over and held her hand out for the key, which I handed over to her. "Took you long enough," Cleo muttered causing me to blush.
Throughout the rest of the night went by like a blur. Cleo seemed to be giving me the cold shoulder, obviously mad at me for ruining the tablecloth. But, I just brushed it off. I could regain more trust later. The rest of the night I helped show freshmen around and tried whooing the best of the best freshmen to join Alpha Phi. By the end of the week, we would have bids out and we would figure out who would pledge.
When I got home from developing the photos, Pony was cooking grilled cheese. "That smells good," I mumbled kissing Pony. Pony kissed me back and smiled. "I'm glad you like it," Pony mumbled. "Now clean up, and when you are done dinner will be ready." I nodded in acknowledgment as I made my way to the bathroom. I was so grateful to get the nasty grunginess of that house off of my body and to change into more comfortable clothes. I threw on a white tank top, my leather jacket, olive-colored jeans, and my black Converse. True to his word, Pony had grilled cheese and tomato soup on the table ready for consumption. Pony had also lit candles to give it a romantic light and pulled out my chair for me. "What is this for?" I asked quizzically. Pony kissed me and chuckled. I returned the kiss. "I wanted to give you a nice night because of the day you probably had at the sorority," Pony whispered sweetly in my ear. I giggled. "Well it's working," I said with a smile. "Good," Pony said. I decided to push showing the pictures and the tape to Pony until after dinner. "So how were your classes and track practice?" I asked Pony. "It went really well," Pony said. Track is starting to get into the rhythm again. The freshmen are being slowly put into place. Classes are getting really interesting. They are amping up to help us out with the student teaching assignments next week." I nodded. "I hope you get a placement you like," I said with a smile. "Me too," Pony said nervously. I grabbed his hand and rubbed it reassuringly. "Whatever is meant to be will happen," I said. "It's not the end of the world." Pony nodded reluctantly. "Tell me about your day," Pony said. "How were you're classes and the first day of rush? I know you were nervous about your law professor today." I chuckled. "Well, I didn't have to worry about the law professor because Dr. Lawrence gave me a glowing review," I said with a smile. "He read my articles and he loved them. I just hope I live up to his expectations." Pony chuckled. "I'm sure you will," Pony said. "You're story about Greek row will probably help." I nodded hesitantly. Concern flashed across Pony's face. "What did you see?" Pony asked. I hesitated and pulled out the photos and tape recorders.
After going through the photos and playing the tape, Pony's face had lost color. "I don't like this," Pony muttered. "I don't like this at all." Pony started pacing back and forth. I got up from the table and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "I'm already in deep right now," I said. "If I back out now, it will only look suspicious especially since I went downstairs." Pony nodded and groaned. "I hate that you're right," Pony said. "But that doesn't mean I have to like it." I kissed Pony. "You just have to trust me," I said. Pony nodded. I had three copies of each photo. Two for me, and one to send back to Tulsa for safekeeping. I wrote a letter to the guys with the photos inside explaining it. I also made sure to make a couple of hard copies of the tapes and sent one to the guys as well. After I came back from mailing it, I sighed. "We should probably tell the guys," I muttered. Pony nodded. "It's probably for the best," Pony said. "Darry would probably throw a fit if we didn't keep him in the loop."
Before I called the guys, I made sure to call Dorthy to ask her to get the info for me and she said she would. Dorthy had an in with the chapter president so she could get into the laundry with no problem. When we rang the Curtis house it was Two-Bit that answered. "Hello," Two-Bit hiccuped. He was apparently already drunk. I groaned while Pony chuckled and rolled his eyes. "Already drinking I see Two," Pony joked. "You got that right, kid," Two-Bit slurred. "What's going on?" Two-Bit asked. "We just found out some more dark information about Greek Row," I said. Two-Bit chuckled. "Of course you did," Two-Bit said. "It wouldn't be your type of story if something weird and disturbing didn't show up." I rolled my eyes and Pony glared at me. "What did you get?" Two-Bit asked. "You think you're sober enough to absorb it and relay it to the others?" Pony asked sarcastically. "Maybe, maybe not," Two-Bit retorted. "Let's just tell him," I mouthed to Pony. "Plus I sent a letter." Pony sighed and nodded in agreement. "Freshmen have been disappearing and winding up dead since Alpha Phi became a chapter at USC," Pony said. "We wouldn't be surprised if other sororities and fraternities had records about their freshmen as well as alumni," I jumped in. "If the chapters are holding onto this, I wonder what the Dean has." There was a pause on the other end. "Holy shit," Two-Bit said with shock. He seemingly sobered up at the news. "It gets darker by the day." "You got that right," Pony said with a moan. "I would be remiss not to say to watch your back," Two-Bit said. "I'll go tell the gang. Wish me luck because I don't want Darry to shoot the messenger." I chuckled. "Best of luck Two," I said.
Pony's POV:
Monday…
Today was the first day of classes, and I had a packed day with classes, track practice, and a shift at the library. I knew I was in for a busy day and I was not looking forward to dealing with the new freshmen at track. But I wasn't one to gripe. Harley had a worse day than me. She had to go to that nightmare house and deal with the potential dangers at Greek Row. I heard Harley get up to start getting ready for school. After she wandered out to the kitchen to cook breakfast, it was my turn to get up and ready for school. Right when I came out of the bedroom all ready for school, Harley was just wrapping up cooking breakfast. Harley was wearing a red tank top with a gold flannel short-sleeve shirt over it, and bell-bottom jeans. I kissed her on the cheek. "Good morning, beautiful," I said wearily. Harley kissed me back. "Good morning, handsome," Harley said cheerfully. "Ready for the first day of the year?" I rolled my eyes and groaned as I sat down at the kitchen table. "At least I don't have to help out with rush week," I said with a smirk. I groaned as I sat down. "Don't get me started," Harley said with a grimace. "Cleo is going to be a menace and I don't think I'm ready for people to start disappearing." The hairs started to stand up on my neck and concern started to bubble up in me. "You sure you'll be ok there by yourself?" I asked rubbing my fingers over Harley's knuckles. Harley nodded. "I'll be fine," Harley said reassuringly. "Linda will be there, so I'll have someone to watch my back." I didn't believe her, but I knew I had to trust her. I knew she trusted me, so I had to return it. Trust is a two-way street. "Well, give me a call at the track center if you need anything," I said. "I'll take you up on that," Harley said standing up to clear our plates. "Let's get going or we'll be late for our first shift." I groaned. "I don't think I can handle more of Dorthy's antics or Gary's petulant smell of weed that follows him everywhere," I said. Harley chuckled and rolled her eyes. I knew Gary weirded Harley out, and that Dorthy pushed her buttons too. At least I wasn't the only one that was awkward around them. They both could be a little much. "We'll get through it together," Harley said.
Harley and I arrived at the employee parking lot at the library. I grabbed Harley's hand and squeezed in nervousness. "We'll get through this together," Harley said giving me a reassuring smile. I nodded and we headed inside. "Ready for the madness to begin?" Gary asked us with a chuckle when we clocked in. "Not really," I muttered. "But, we're here so we ought to be." Gary just beamed at me. I rolled my eyes in annoyance. "That's the spirit! Now let's get ready for the masses!" Dorthy stood behind the counter at the ready for the incoming people. Gary got ready at the welcome booth that was just inside the main entrance. Harley and I were the ones to do the honors of opening the doors for business. "After you my lady," I said with a smirk. Harley turned the lock and stuck the doorstop in the door to signal that we were open. There were already a few eager freshmen, some law and medical students, as well as some other dedicated students waiting for us to open. "Come on in," Harley said with fake cheeriness. I watched as the gaggle of students started to filter their way into the library. Let the madness begin. The rest of the shift seemed to go slowly. The never-ending questions from freshmen were torture. I just wanted them to stop. Finally, it was time for me and Harley to head off to classes. "See you after practice and rush week," I murmured into her ear as I pulled her in for a hug and a kiss. Harley leaned into it. "Please be careful," I continued. Harley nodded. "I promise I will," Harley said. "Enjoy classes!"
I really enjoyed my courses, but they were also making me nervous. They were really amping up because they were going to place us for our student teaching placements next year. I was also starting to think about getting a dual masters in English and education and hopefully maintaining my track and academic scholarship. It would also mean that I would get to stay at USC with Harley when she was at law school since it would take her three years to get her law degree and it would take me two years. After my classes, I headed over to track practice. The freshmen were quickly put in their place during practice which was a relief. I didn't know if I could handle a few lippy Soc-like athletes. There were a few Eric Reynolds/Bob Sheldons in the freshmen group. I just hoped they wouldn't give me any trouble throughout the year. I was able to pick up though that some of them were going to be rushing. Maybe if I befriend a couple of them, I can get connections to see if we can find other information in the fraternities. I knew Harley would like that.
After practice, I headed back to the apartment. Harley wasn't back yet so I decided to get myself cleaned up and start making dinner. I knew that Harley would love to have some comfort food for dinner so I was going to make some grilled cheese and tomato soup. The perfect comfort except for mac n' cheese. The clothes I changed into were a white T-shirt, blue jeans, and black Converse. As I was making the grilled cheese and tomato soup, Harley entered the apartment in a rush. "That smells good," Harley mumbled kissing me. Harley had a smile plastered on her face. I kissed her back and smiled. "I'm glad you like it," I mumbled. "Now clean up, and when you are done dinner will be ready." Harley nodded in acknowledgment as she made her way to the bathroom. While she was getting cleaned up, I set the table, put dinner on the table, and lit some candles to create a romantic atmosphere. "What is this for?" Harley asked quizzically when she came out. My heart skipped a beat when I saw her. I kissed her and chuckled, and Harley returned the gesture. "I wanted to give you a nice night because of the day you probably had at the sorority," I whispered sweetly in her ear. Harley giggled. I loved that giggle of hers.
"Well it's working," Harley said with a smile. "Good," I said. Harley seemed relaxed when she sat down at the table. I was grateful for that since she was tense this past week working on the Greek Row story. "So how were your classes and track practice?" Harley asked me. "It went really well," I said. Track is starting to get into the rhythm again. The freshmen are being slowly put into place. Classes are getting really interesting. They are amping up to help us out with the student teaching assignments next week." Harley nodded. "I hope you get a placement you like," Harley said with a smile. "Me too," I said nervously. Harley grabbed my hand and rubbed it reassuringly. "Whatever is meant to be will happen," Harley said. "It's not the end of the world." I nodded reluctantly. I hoped she was right. Harley had more faith than I did. Especially with all the bad luck that I've had in the past. I couldn't understand how she had hope, especially after all the stuff she had to deal with her whole life. "Tell me about your day," I said. "How were you're classes and the first day of rush? I know you were nervous about your law professor today." Harley chuckled. "Well, I didn't have to worry about the law professor because Dr. Lawrence gave me a glowing review," Harley said with a smile. "He read my articles and he loved them. I just hope I live up to his expectations." I chuckled. Now who was being a worry-wart? "I'm sure you will," I said. "You're story about Greek Row will probably help." Harley nodded hesitantly. I knew automatically she was holding something back. I needed to confront her about it. "What did you see?" I asked. Harley hesitated and pulled out the photos and tape recorders.
After going through the photos and playing the tape, my face had lost color. The pictures were disturbing and the descriptions on the tape recorder only added to the fact that they were disturbing. Darry wasn't going to like this at all. "I don't like this," I muttered. "I don't like this at all." I started pacing back and forth. Harley got up from the table and placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder. That was one of the things I loved about Harley. Even though she was in dangerous situations and should worry about herself, she always worried about others first. "I'm already in deep right now," Harley said. "If I back out now, it will only look suspicious especially since I went downstairs." I nodded and groaned. "I hate that you're right," I said. "But that doesn't mean I have to like it." Harley kissed me. "You just have to trust me," Harley said. I nodded. As Harley wrote a letter to the guys back home, I cleaned up the dinner dishes. After Harley came back from mailing it, she sighed. "We should probably tell the guys," Harley muttered. I nodded. "It's probably for the best," I said. "Darry would probably throw a fit if we didn't keep him in the loop."
Before we called the guys, Harley made sure to call Dorthy to ask her to get the info for her and she said she would. When we rang the house it was Two-Bit that answered. "Hello," Two-Bit hiccuped. He was apparently already drunk. Harley groaned while I chuckled and rolled my eyes. "Already drinking I see Two," I joked. "You got that right, kid," Two-Bit slurred. "What's going on?" Two-Bit asked. "We just found out some more dark information about Greek Row," Harley said. Two-Bit chuckled. "Of course you did," Two-Bit said. "It wouldn't be your type of story if something weird and disturbing didn't show up." Harley rolled her eyes and I glared at her because Two was correct. "What did you get?" Two-Bit asked. "You think you're sober enough to absorb it and relay it to the others?" I asked sarcastically. "Maybe, maybe not," Two-Bit retorted. "Let's just tell him," Harley mouthed to me. "Plus I sent a letter." I sighed and nodded in agreement. "Freshmen have been disappearing and winding up dead since Alpha Phi became a chapter at USC," I said. "We wouldn't be surprised if other sororities and fraternities had records about their freshmen as well as alumni," Harley jumped in. "If the chapters are holding onto this, I wonder what the Dean has." There was a pause on the other end. "Holy shit," Two-Bit said with shock. He seemingly sobered up at the news. "It gets darker by the day." "You got that right," I said with a moan. "I would be remiss not to say to watch your back," Two-Bit said. "I'll go tell the gang. Wish me luck because I don't want Darry to shoot the messenger." Harley chuckled. "Best of luck Two," Harley said.
Two-Bit's POV:
Monday….
After I got back to the Curtis house after work, I made a beeline for the fridge to grab a beer. It was a long day and Marcia had dropped by one of the sites to let me know that she wanted me to officially meet her parents in the next few weeks. I was nervous about it. Marcia was a Soc and I was a Greaser. I wasn't sure how they would react to me. Probably not happily. It would take a lot of convincing on my and Marcia's part to get them to accept me with open arms. Even though we had only been dating for a year, I knew I wanted to marry her. It felt like we were made for each other. I had never felt this way about a girl before. By the time the rest of the crew showed up, I was already a few beers deep. Darry looked at me in concern. "Did something happen Two?" Darry asked me in concern while he sat in his recliner across from me. I groaned. "Marcia wants me to meet her parents sometime soon," I moaned taking another sip of beer. Darry rolled his eyes. "It's not that big a deal," Darry said annoyed. "All people in relationships go through it. It's like a right of passage." I chuckled. "If only it was that simple," I said darkly. "I'm a Greaser and she's a Soc. Her parents probably won't like it. Plus you don't understand Dar. Marcia gets me and I get her. We both get each other in a way that no one else does. I know it's early, but I already know I want to marry her." Steve spluttered from the kitchen. "Did I just hear that correctly?" Steve spluttered. "Two-Bit said he wants to marry a girl?" I shot Steve a glare. Soda beamed at me. "You heard me right," I sneered. Soda slung his arm across me. "Make sure you tell us before you propose," Soda said. "I can't believe it. First Steve and Evie, then Pony and Harley, and now it's looking like Two and Marcia." Soda shook his head. "I wouldn't think that it would be me and Darry to be the last ones not talking about marriage yet." I rolled my eyes and chuckled. Darry glared at Soda. "Trust me, I don't believe it either," I chortled. Steve groaned as he plopped on the couch. "What's for dinner?" Steve asked. "Evie is working a late shift at the Dingo, so she won't be home until late." Darry rolled his eyes dragging Soda behind him to cook dinner. Then the phone rang. "I'll get it," I slurred.
"Hello," I hiccuped. A familiar voice groaned while another one chuckled. "Already drinking I see Two," Pony joked. "You got that right, kid," I slurred. "What's going on?". "We just found out some more dark information about Greek Row," Harley said. I chuckled. "Of course you did," I said. "It wouldn't be your type of story if something weird and disturbing didn't show up." "What did you get?" I asked. "You think you're sober enough to absorb it and relay it to the others?" Pony asked sarcastically. I rolled my eyes. The kid underestimated my drinking abilities. "Maybe, maybe not," I retorted. There was a moment of hesitation on the other end and a sigh. "Freshmen have been disappearing and winding up dead since Alpha Phi became a chapter at USC," Pony said finally. I felt my blood run cold and I could feel myself immediately sober up. This was bad. "We wouldn't be surprised if other sororities and fraternities had records about their freshmen as well as alumni," Harley jumped in. "If the chapters are holding onto this, I wonder what the Dean has." I tried to collect my thoughts, but I couldn't. "Holy shit," I said with shock. "It gets darker by the day." "You got that right," Pony said with a moan. "I would be remiss not to say to watch your back," I said. "I'll go tell the gang. Wish me luck because I don't want Darry to shoot the messenger." Harley chuckled. "Best of luck Two," Harley said.
After I hung up, I walked back into the kitchen to where everyone was sitting down for dinner of green-colored mac n' cheese. I rolled my eyes and chuckled. "Nothing screams appetizing like green mac n' cheese that appears moldy but isn't," I joked. Soda elbowed me. But Steve chuckled. "He has a point Soda," Steve said. We all started to dig into the food. It tasted good though. "So who was calling?" Darry asked me. I sighed and put down my fork. "Uh oh," Steve said with a groan. "It must be bad if Two is putting down his fork while eating." Soda chuckled and rolled his eyes. "It was Pony and Motorbike," I said. Darry groaned and rested his head in his hands. "What's going on with the story?" Soda asked. I sighed. "Apparently at the sorority house that Harley was at keep records of all the freshmen that come through," I said wearily. "They write down the day they disappeared, the day they died, the infractions that caused them to get killed, and who ordered it. Those who made it had their graduation dates listed." Steve looked like he was going to puke. Soda's eyes were brimming with tears. Darry's face was hard and serious. "This can't be good," Darry said. "But of course, Harley gets wrapped up in this." I raised my hands in surrender. "Please don't shoot the messenger," I said. "I'm already having a bad day." This caused the gang to chuckle. At least I was able to crack a joke after a long day.