5.) All Grown Up: Green
by Mooncalf
Disclaimer: Buffy The Vampire Slayer and related characters are owned by Joss Whedon, WB and Mutant Enemy. I can only take credit for the new main characters I have created and various other vampire minions which may wander into my stories. I created them, so they are mine. Don't sue as this is just pure fanfic.


*****Chapter One - Green*****

Willow, Oz and Cordelia had eagerly thrown themselves into the crowd and were excitedly taking in their surroundings. Cordy was more likely to be taking in the choice selection of hot frat-guys…but she was still a little awestruck.

‘Check it out.’ Xander said, breaking her the silence with Buffy. ‘It’s official…I’m Alexander Harris, Freshman at Franklin Hall.’ He waved his new ID card in front of her face.

‘Great.’ Buffy mumbled.

‘So…how’s the room? You’re sharing with Will right? That’s got to be good.’

‘It’s good…haven’t really had time to unpack…what with all the overwhelmyness of college.’

‘I hear ya. I just figure it could be worse, I could be flipping burgers somewhere instead…or worse still, Snyder could be the Dean.’

‘Ouch. I guess. I just need more time to adjust to college life. I’m not even sure I picked the right courses…’

‘Well, just think of this week as your adjustment period. If you still haven’t settled in by the end I’ll take you to the Bronze…re-live some of that highschool spirit. Maybe you could wear your cheerleader outfit…’

‘Xand!’ Buffy slapped him on the arm.

‘Just kidding…But, maybe you could suggest something to Es.’ Buffy rolled her eyes. ‘Hey, a man has needs!’ He protested. They headed out of the building again, away from the main crowd.

‘Whatever. You wanna head out and buy books with me?’

‘As long as there’s a shelf for low-price second hand reading material, I’m in. I’m sure the books for…’ He looked at his folder. ‘…Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning are a little more on the pricey side.’

‘True, they’re probably really heavy with no pictures too. Well, maybe there will be pictures…of bricks.’ Buffy pulled a face and thought about her Psyche books…what would there be pictures of in there? Brains?

‘Uh-huh… By the way, I think we just lost three people in the crowd.’

‘Yeah, they seemed pretty buzzed about the whole “Throw myself into college and let it swallow me whole” thing.’

As they stepped outside the people around them were rushing from here to there, chattering excitedly or greeting friends. It was like a whole new world…a much bigger one too. There was a small crowd gathered by the fountain, and inside it six guys were standing in it, wearing what appeared to be pink ballerina outfits and shivering as the crowd jeered. Buffy’s mouth fell open.

‘Are those…’

‘Pledges.’ Xander supplied as they hurried past.

‘Hey, you didn’t think about…’

‘No!’ He gave the guys in the fountain one last look and sniggered. ‘Pinks not my colour.’

‘Cordelia said she was gonna pledge actually, she got to the dorms real early, took one look at her room-mate and had a Cher moment. I don’t think I’ve seen Queen C for a while now.’

‘Ye gods I hope it’s not permanent.’ Xander sighed.

He and Buffy both laughed as they continued through the crowd. Maybe college wasn’t such a bad place after all.

**********

As night crept over the campus, Cordelia headed for her chosen Sorority house. All new pledges had been asked to report to the Beta Zeta Pie house after dark for their first task. She was a little nervous…being popular in college was a whole new ball game, and she was worried she might not have as much time to party if studying law proved to be as much work as she expected.

There was a slight chill to the air as she hurried down the dark paths, but she felt a little safer knowing that she was walking right past Buffy’s dorm. She’d chosen to wear an impressive, figure-hugging designer outfit which fit like a glove, and screamed “rich and popular” to everyone who saw it.

When she finally arrived there was the soft sound of mid-volume pop-music floating out of an open window, and the lights were on downstairs. She knocked cautiously and a preppy blonde girl answered the door, beaming.

‘Hey guys!’ She said as she stepped aside to let Cordelia in. ‘Pledge number six is here.’

‘Thanks Tiff.’ Came a softer voice from inside. ‘Bring her in.’

Cordelia followed Tiff into the living room, where five other girls stood in front of the fireplace as three girls sat opposite them on the sofa. Cordelia joined the standing girls, and looked them over as she did. [Not much competition…wait, is that Prada?]

‘Now that you’re all here ladies, I suppose we should begin.’ The soft voice came again and a curvaceous girl with long jet-black hair and deep brown eyes stood up. If it wasn’t for the fact that she was wearing a fluffy pink sweater and deep purple jeans, she might have looked threatening.

‘My name is Paige.’ She began. ‘Welcome to Beta Zeta Pai. Over the next week you’ll be given several tasks to fulfill, and eventually two of you will be chosen to join our Sorority. Then you will become part of our little family, and you can expect to receive certain privileges.’ She turned to look at the other girls and laughed. ‘I mean, we are the most popular Sorority on campus. It’s no wonder so many girls are just dying to fit in.’ She smirked as she eyed the pledges. She stepped forward and spoke their names one by one as she walked along the line.

‘Abbey, Halley, Louise, Saffron, Courtney…Cordelia.’ She lingered in front of Cordelia and looked her up and down, her thin smile twisting at the corners in a another smirk. She turned and stood in front of everyone again. ‘After tonight if you agree to pledge to our house, your lives are ours. Pain, degradation, humiliation…are the least of your worries.’ She began pacing back and forth as she spoke, while the other girls watched, some of them glaring in disapproval at the pledges.

‘From now on your names are meaningless. You will all be given a number, and be known as pledges one, two, three, four, five and six. Wherever you are and whatever you’re doing, when we call you come running. Any favour we ask, you do, anything we need, you supply. Say no, make an excuse or fail to deliver and you’re out. Last two pledges standing win. Now, let the games begin.’

The other girls cheered while the pledges glanced nervously at one another. A second girl from the house, a tall, slim brunette, stood up and started barking orders.

‘Pledge number One, get that fire lit. Pledge number Two, draw the curtains. Pledge number Five, light the candles and hit the lights. Do it!’ The auburn haired Courtney, pledge number five jumped and fumbled with the matches as she lit the various candles in the room. ‘Pledge number Three, there’s some plates of food in the kitchen that need bringing in.’

Cordelia just stood by the fire as Abbey…pledge one…started to light it. She wasn’t sure why she hadn’t been given a job yet. But she was glad so far. It gave her a sense of satisfaction seeing the other girls working, tripping over themselves to please. She guessed she’d enjoy being a sister here. [Maybe I’m already in…I’m so their type. And Paige was smirking at me…maybe it was a good smirk.] She thought.

‘Pledge number Six!’ Shouted the brunette. Cordelia almost fell over in shock as her thoughts of sorority bliss were interrupted. ‘Open the chest and hand out the candles.’ She said pointing to a small wooden chest with brass hinges on the coffee table. She opened it as Louise came in from the kitchen carrying a plate of the strangest looking food Cordelia had ever seen…or smelt, and a bowl of liquid.

She handed a pale pink candle to each of the other pledges and they were instructed to stand round the coffee table in a circle. Paige stood behind them as the brunette lit their candles one by one. Then she opened a cupboard next to the fire and produced a clear glass bottle of clear liquid, and six shot glasses.

‘It’s time for the initiation ritual girls.’ Paige said, laughing a little wickedly as she watched the scared eyes of her pledges in the flickering candlelight.

**********

With nothing but candlelight and the soft smell of the candles, the room took on an eerie, not so comfortable energy.

‘Ebony, the drinks.’ Paige said, almost in a whisper. The brunette, Ebony, filled all six shot glasses with the clear liquid and carried them on a small tray towards Abbey. Abbey’s candle shook slightly in her trembling fingers, making the lights of the flame dance on her strawberry blonde hair. ‘Drink.’ Paige said. ‘All six.’

Still shaking Abbey took each glass in turn and swallowed them in one gulp. After the sixth glass she almost choked. Wheezing slightly she almost dropped her candle, standing beside her Halley caught her arm, but let go when Ebony glared at her.

The glasses were refilled and one by one the other pledges took six shots each. Cordelia was sure it was tequila, but there was something else in there too…something that tasted kind of vile. She guessed it was just a big hokey-sorority prank. Make them drink straight tequila with a bit of vinegar or something it and scare the pants off them with candlelight and spooky rituals. It was all hokey…

As she finished her last shot she fought the urge to cough, and stood as straight as she could. She glared right at Paige, standing opposite her on the outside of the circle. Paige glared back, then spoke.

‘Now you’ve drunk, you must eat. Channel’s famous stew.’ The curly blond who had been watching the proceedings stood and took hold of the bowl of food. She dipped the spoon in and offered a big mouthful to Abbey, who looked about ready to barf at the smell of it. Three spoonfuls were shoved into her mouth, one after another. Then the next pledge took a turn.

When the food reached Cordelia, all the other girls looked uncomfortable, some had watery eyes and others were still grimacing. As Cordelia swallowed her first mouthful she recognised a few flavours. There were strong hot spices, lots of sugar and garlic, possibly even some coffee…and there were a lot of crunchy and chewy parts she didn’t want to speculate on. [Ok, drink of the ookey, and choke on the yucky…now what?] She thought as she painfully swallowed her last mouthful. Her throat was burning, her tongue was almost numb after the assault on her taste buds and her eyes were watering.

‘Amazing.’ Channel whispered to Paige. ‘No-one barfed.’

After the food Paige stepped into the circle and stood on the coffee table, holding the bowl of water.

‘Tiff, the pins.’ Tiffany handed each pledge a pin and instructed then to place their candles around Paige’s feet.

‘Now, I want you to all take your pins and prick the first finger on your left hand. I’ll offer you the bowl and you will add a drop of your blood to the water and say “I pledge myself to Beta Zeta Pie”’

The pledges nodded, as Paige held the bowl in front of Abbey. The timid girl pricked her finger and winced, then squeezed a drop of blood into the bowl. One by one the other pledges did the same, Cordelia tried hard not to squeal as she pricked her finger. [This is so weird…] She thought.

‘Now take your candles and blow them out.’ Paige instructed. The pledge’s obeyed and the room was lit only by the flames of the fire. ‘The Collars.’ She said, as Channel and Tiff started to walk around the girls and place collars on their next. Cordelia stared at Halley opposite her and saw that the collars were very bulky, unattractive dog collars with large metal tags on, number one to six.

‘These collars are a mark of your servitude to us for this time. You will not take them off. Your blood binds you to our sisterhood until we release you. For now, you are ours.’ Paige dipped her finger into the bowl of water and began to stir it. The other sisters started to chant.

‘Beta Zeta Pie, Beta Zeta Pie, Beta Zeta Pie….’ They chanted louder and faster as Paige stirred the water, then started stamping a beat with their feet. Paige stirred on and on as some of the pledges looked worried. The room almost shook with the chanting and stomping. The room felt on fire, the heat form the flames and the smell of extinguished candles burned Cordelias throat more, and the food and drink seemed to be curdling in her stomach…she felt as if she was about to vomit.

Then just as she thought she couldn’t take it anymore paige threw the bloodied water over the flames and the room went dark. The chanting and stomping stopped instantly, as soon as the flames hissed under the water. There was a squeak, Abbey she guessed, and a few gasps. Then the lights flicked back on, Ebony stood by the switch smiling.

The pledges looked around them in disbelief…was it over? Ebony went and opened the front door as Paige closed her eyes. ‘Now leave.’ She said, without moving.

The pledges rushed to the exit, and the fresh night air. Even Cordelia found that she couldn’t wait to get out. As they tumbled down the steps and ran across the front path Ebony called out to them.

‘Don’t go taking off those collars girls!’ As she shut the door hysterical laughter could be heard from inside. Cordelia staggered down the path, breathing deeply and holding her gurgling stomach. Abbey almost fell over as she rushed passed exclaiming that she thought she was going to spew.

‘I hear ya.’ Cordy said. She felt the dog-collar around her neck and groaned. [It’s just a week, how hard could it be?]


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