“Someone get Audrey a pair of sweats!” I shouted as I ran upstairs. Our war with Tri-Pi had apparently escalated for some reason. I rushed into our room and threw on a pair of gray GAT sweatpants and a tight blue GAT top with the sorority letters written across the chest. I loved these shirts, they really made my boobs perk up.

I ran back downstairs found everyone else dressed the same, including Audrey who looked very, very confused.

“Okay, we’re putting a lid on this once and for all,” I said, trying to be motivational. I wished some of the other sisters were here, but they were all out doing their weekend thing, whatever that was.

“What are we going to do?” Lauren asked. “We’re not ready to do anything!”

“You know that trophy they keep in their living room?” I said angrily. “The stupid cheerleading trophy?”

“You’re going to steal their trophy?” Tiffany said, staring at me. “That’s the plot of every sorority movie ever.”

“Yep,” I said. “They like to go on about how their house wins that competition every year, so let’s hit them where it hurts.”

“Wait,” Audrey protested. “I don’t want to break into a house.”

Everyone in the room stopped and stared at her.

“It’s not funny,” She said, almost pouting.

The commotion in the room resumed as we planned. Allie threw down the blueprints for the TRI PI house onto the coffee able, which were of course public record.

“Okay, so they have one of those old fashioned cellars,” She said, pointing to a spot on the blueprint. “We can cut through the padlock and get in that way. They won’t see us coming. We can get to the living room through the kitchen, it’ll be easy.”

“Okay, what if any of them are up there?” Lauren asked. “If they see us it’s pretty much over.”

“Literally just rush it,” I said. “They can’t stop all of us. I mean some of us will probably die but…sacrifices must be made…for GAT. Besides, they’re supposed to be at a party tonight, over at DEM.”

“I’m not dying for GAT,” Audrey said.

“Well then live and see what they do to you,” I shrugged. “Okay, let’s go!”

We rushed out the backdoor in a very loose formation and climbed into the GAT van, which we hadn’t even used in like a month. Normally it was for grocery runs, but tonight it was perfect for all of us.

“Get in, get it!” I hissed at them as we piled in and I jumped into the driver’s seat. I suddenly realized we’d left Olivia behind, but it was probably for the best; she’d have to clean herself up anyway. I threw the van into gear and sped around the corner, leaving the GAT house quickly, and barreling toward the TRI PI house which was exactly two streets over. I parked at the end of the street, far enough away from their house, as the van had the ΓΑΤ letters painted in blue on the side. That would kind of be a dead giveaway.

“Okay,” I said as we pulled up, trying to be as motivational as possible. “Someone grab the bolt cutters, we’ll cut through a few backyards so they don’t see us.”

Somehow we managed to stay coordinated enough to rush through a series of backyards with Courtney tripping over a piece of playground equipment once and landing face first in a child’s sandbox.

“Come on!” Tiffany hissed quietly as she grabbed her by the arm and lifted her up. They stumbled with the rest of us, hopping over a white picket fence and finally we found ourselves standing behind the TRI PI house. I seriously hated their house; it was a mansion compared to ours. I should probably mention that they had this pink and white theme going on. It irritated me so much that last year I’d stolen the letters from their house; I guess they were still mad about that.

“Alright, let’s go!” I said as quietly as possible while still being loud enough for them to hear me. We barreled over the fence and ran across the yard as quickly as possible. We were like soldiers in formation, running across a huge battlefield to defeat the enemy. We were badass. We were GAT; the toughest sorority on campus. Seriously, it was a reputation that we had earned.

Isabella rushed forward with the bolt cutters, I hissed at her to be careful before she stabbed herself or someone else. She shot me a dirty look and went to work on the padlock. She struggled for a moment and then stopped, gasping.

“Give me that,” Courtney said, stepping forward and wresting the cutter from Isabella’s grasp. She had a little more muscle on her but it still took her about half a minute to cut through the padlock. It finally gave way with Courtney exhaling loudly as I threw the lock aside. Courtney and I carefully and quietly pulled the doors aside revealing a set of old concrete stairs leading down to a dark cellar. I held my hand up and someone immediately handed me a flashlight. I flicked it on and went first; I was the president, after all. They would follow me into hell but only if I actually led.

The light barely penetrated the darkness below and as we piled in, I immediately noticed that this was a huge open space that clearly ran under at least half the house. Was there anything even down here? I squinted at the beam as I swung it around, trying to locate the stairs that had been present on the blueprint. I couldn’t see anything.

“Can anyone see the stairs?” I hissed as a few other flashlights popped on. They were looking too.

“What the hell?” I heard Tiffany whisper. “They were on the blueprint!”

Before I could say anything else, we heard the cellar door slam behind us, hard, and the sound of a padlock click could be heard. Almost immediately we were bathed in white, hot light as a series of spotlights clicked on. We’d been had.

“Well well,” A familiar voice said. It was Sakiya. The TRI PI president. I hated her, she was about my height but she had this gorgeous blonde hair and this awesome body which I’m sure she didn’t even have to work for. “Look what the cat dragged in!”

As she spoke I noticed that we were surrounded on all sides by TRI PI’s holding what looked like paintball guns.

“What…is this?” I said kind of nervously but maintaining eye contact with Sakiya.

“You remember that black goo we sent your friend home in?” Sakiya batted her eyelashes. “It’s something our friends at Omega cooked up, and our guns are full of them. Don’t worry, they’re harmless, and free of animal products, but you don’t want them on you, TRUST me.”

I looked around nervously at the group surrounding us.

“You wouldn’t dare,” I said. “We would get you back and you know it.”

“Maybe,” Sakiya shrugged. “But it makes us happy for now.”

“Um what are we going to do?” Audrey asked. She was standing beside me. I glanced to her.

“Just hold on,” I said.

Sakiya looked at Audrey and studied her hard for a second before returning her attention to me.

“I tell you what,” She said with a sadistic grin. “We’ll give you a head start. We’ll open the cellar doors, maybe give you…five seconds. How does that sound?”

“Seriously,” I said. “You aren’t going to do this.”

“Do you really want to be around to find out?” Sakiya asked.

As she finished talking, I heard the sound of at least a dozen charging handles being pulled back. Their paintball guns were trained on us.
“Aaaaaand go!” Sakiya shouted as if she were doing one of her cheers. The cellar doors burst open.

“Run!” I shouted. “Just run!”

I didn’t have to tell them twice, they were hurdling toward the stairs at breakneck speeds, a few of us fell over. I watched Tiffany climb over Lauren and make her way up the stairs, and seconds later I emerged behind them.

“Go!” Tiffany screamed. Suddenly we heard popping sounds from all sides. TRI PI’s emerged from the bushes and began firing on us. I ducked and slid across the grass in my sneakers, now grass stained as I tried to find cover. The pellets were whizzing past us, one slammed into my arm. It stung, but I was more horrified with the black liquid splattered all over my sleeve.

“Oh my god!” I screamed as one smashed into the side of my head. I watched a spot of black explode on Isabella as she screeched and held her hands up over her head.

“Come on little GAT’s!” I suddenly heard Sakiya’s voice blare from above. I turned and looked up; she was standing on the third floor balcony with a megaphone. “Why don’t you dance a little bit and show us that school spirit!”

As she spoke, the pellets began to explode at our feet.

“Why are you doing this?!” Courtney screamed as she literally began dancing to avoid the pellets.

“Don’t ask questions just keep RUNNING!” I screamed.

“Come on, you can do better than that!” Sakiya patronized from her balcony.

“Is this a thing?!” I shouted as we shot toward the white picket fence. “Is this a thing that’s happening to us?!”

We made it across the fence with Allie falling on her face as soon as she cleared it. I helped her up and dragged her along as if she were a wounded soldier while the TRI PI’s continued to pelt us from behind. Eventually we were beyond their reach and heading back the way we’d come. We accomplished nothing and I felt completely defeated as we piled into the van. I looked at myself in the mirror; my hair was matted with the black goo and the rest of us didn’t look much better. I slammed my fist on the steering wheel and screamed like a mad woman.
“Calm down,” Tiffany said. “Let’s just go home.”

Fuming, I drove the GAT van back to the house and pulled into the designated parking space. As soon as I turned the key, I heard my phone ringing. I frowned and pulled it out; a number I didn’t recognize.

“Hello?” I said as I answered.

“Hey bitch,” I heard Sakiya’s voice on the other end.

“Oh my god,” I replied. “Haven’t you had enough fun for one night?”

“Not quite!” Sakiya said cheerfully. “Nice try tonight, but now it’s our turn. If you want your pledge back you’re going to give us the letters you stole last year.”

I frowned and turned around in my seat to see all of the girls staring intently at me.

“Pledge?” I said. “We didn’t bring a pl—”

I suddenly developed a lump in my throat as I looked through the van. Audrey wasn’t there.