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"What happened? What, like everything? I didn't see *everything*....

"Jeeze, chill, okay?

"The fight? The *punch*, you mean? Like, a punch is not a fight....

"Okay.... Chill, okay, okay?

"Well, I guess, as far as the f-... the st-stuff, or whatever, it started ab-bout... twelve? Yeah, right around midnight. No, after, after the... stuff.... So Carl had to have been.... No, wait....

"Alright. I was at the rush dance, and yes I saw it all, or I was there from like nine or so, to when... I left at two, I guess.

"Yeah, all the costumes and stuff. Everyone was going all around to see them.

"Yes, *and* all the Sydney and Carl stuff....

"It's a lot. You sure...?

"Okay, I guess it *really* started about ten, when Sydney got there, with Chelsea and Kim.

"Everything? Okay....

"Yeah, well... if that was the start, well, I guess I'd say like when those three walked in, well, it was like the end of the contest too, like the prize was already awarded, right there. *And* Sydney was in, wherever it was she was pledging, and there was no way the idiots on the rush committee were gonna be able to argue. Or the house, whichever.

"No, I pledged last year. Why?

"Okay. What happened...

"Well, they walked in, I mean, like an entrance, and we knew they were pledges okay, but not who they were, or what houses they were rushing, or what the haze was. It's okay if I say haze? I mean, it's what we still say...? Okay, thanks.

"Anyway, they were great. I mean, they blew ninety-nine percent of the costumes away *individually*, even the geeky cool stuff and that Madison Harper was in that skin-tight silver thing.... Okay. But anyway, the three of them? They won.

"No, I didn't know them then, but everyone did, I mean, after like fifteen minutes, everyone knew their names?

"What were they wearing? Don't you already have that? Jeez-uz....

"Okay, okay! What? Am I like the first? You talked to?

"Oh. Sorry.

"Well, Kimberly and Chelsea were in these... I dunno what they're called... like bridesmaid dresses? But really classy, I mean, like more like a movie star would wear? Slim and... classy? But they were dark blue... I guess that's kinda different than a bridesmaid thing look, but they were the same, like identical, and with little bouquets, so you thought 'wedding' right off, anyway?

"Anyway, they came in, like together, just perfect, just like a movie, and the DJ musta been tipped or something, 'cause the music goes down and then the wedding march-song comes on, *really* loud, and they step in.

"Yeah, I *personally saw* them! *Everybody* did! I mean, it was like the only different thing that had happened all night, up 'til then, and they looked really hot! I mean, they *weren't* like a plain wedding. They were *hot.*

"Okay. So, the wedding music is like *blasting* really impressive, all organs and like? And they step in, all slow, like about ten feet and then turn around and face each other and spread out, like step apart, and are like this other entrance, like a wedding entrance? And they look back at the doorway, and after like ten or so seconds, Sydney comes in, realllllllly slow.

"What? Yeah, like she was marching, just like they were. Stepping slow, all formal.

"No, she wasn't scared. Why?

"So she didn't *look* scared. Satisfied?

"But anyway, she had her head down, like bowing, just her head, and she had this veil on too, so nobody could see her, but anyway, she comes up to Chelsea and Kim and stops. And like the music stops, right on a beat! It was like bitchin' cool.... And Kim and Chelsea step over to her, but like just behind her, too... I guess she went past them, but anyway, Sydney looks up, really slow, and when she's straight.... But she still has the veil? Well, they reach up and pull it off her face, like fold it back. Dead slow.

"Man.... She was like the prettiest girl I have *ever* seen... like a model....

"That's when we all knew they had the lock. I mean, it was impressive and all, the entrance? But that they looked... I mean, so *hot* and... Sydney... like that? I swear, I heard girls like gasping. Like ohmigods. I know all the guys were more than lookin'. And it wasn't just sexy.... It was total class.

"Okay... so they do that, the whole entrance? And then Sydney is in front and they walk almost the same slow walk over to the rush judges tables with the two of them holding Sydney's veil thing... or a cape she had on or something... and even with it being roped off and we can't hear anything.... I told you the music came back up by then? Well, it did.

"Anyway, we can't hear, but the judges are like *freaking* out. All of them! And the three girls are just standing there, holding their flowers and the veil and... and standing there! I dunno if they even said anything!

"The whole party kinda changed, after that? I mean, like it was already them that were gonna win the prize, or there'd've been a riot, but it was like okay: so now we could just party? And all the pledge stuff was pretty well done with, just them all *being* there, now there's no rough stuff? I mean, I know some of them had to like act the parts, like stay in character, as part of the haze... the requirements, or whatever, but mostly, it was done? And we could relax?

"So way more people hit the dance floor, and I know the lines at the bars got long, like *ten minutes* for a beer, and there wasn't anything but costume judging later on, and that just happened, so they had to keep the... their outfits together? Heh! It was a pain for some of the geeks, lem-mee tell you.... There was this guy...

"Okay, alright. Okay, after the rush committee.... So the three girls come out, and like a table makes room, I think it was the varsity cheer crowd - it was a big buncha tables - and they open up about one whole side of one, and three chairs, and Chelsea and Kim help Sydney sit... like she had all that stuff... well, it took all three.

"Anyway, even before I think the cheer bimbos got their teeth in, or kisses or whatever they were gonna do, there's pretty well a stampede of guys over there to ask them to dance, all three of them. It was like some of everybody. The jocks and pretty boys and geeks and rockers and... hell, I think there was even a goth. Like wearing a *kilt*!

"Yeah, I did, with Kim *and* Sydney! It was like an hour later, but I cut in on one of my buds, Cory, at the end of a song, and Kimberly was okay with that, and I asked Sydney, I dunno... it musta been two hours... almost at the judging, anyway. She said she had to, to Carl, that she wasn't supposed to just dance with just him. I don't care. At least I got to dance with her....

"The judging? No, I wasn't there, I mean, I was with some buds... sure, we heard and that, and when they went up on stage we were all cheering and all, but I musta been over a hundred feet away.

"Yeah, I saw the awards stuff, and we could hear, well, pretty clear. Warkington whatsisname did the formal stuff and.... Yeah, he was the EmmCee, I guess, and he like announced the awards and the categories, and said some of them were, some of the costumes were from pledges, you know, what we already knew. And he said Sydney was too, and she was going Gamma.

"Yeah, I was watching when Carl kissed her. When they were gonna do the final announcements, the trip and all... well, I think Kim and Chelsea got him to go up with her, I guess since they danced half the night, and he was all James Bondage and all in the tux, and I.... Well, you could tell he liked her, and her, I mean... she liked him.

"So, like in the spotlight, when they said the winner and she stepped out of the line, like he walked over and kissed her....

"I'm not like that, y'know, but it was romantic....

"Yeah, that was when. This drunk shouts that the lady's a dude, like that was original, and I guess there was booing and shoving, but I wasn't there, so....

"Ok, so I saw that. Yeah. Is that why I'm here? Cause I saw?

"Okay. Yeah, well.... Okay. He did. Yes, Carl. But....

"Okay. Here's the whole thing. This guy pulled on Sydney's veil thing, when all the shouting and stuff was going on, like he ripped it right off and held it up, like it was cool or something! I mean, Sydney was crying....

"And.... Carl, I guess he was with the shoving, I dunno, but all of a sudden he was like... just *there* and he totally roundhouses the shit. Right in the face. Sorry.

"Yeah, Sydney, Kimberly and Chelsea and some of the other girls were there with her, after that, I mean, helping her and all, like what would a guy've been able... but she was safe, yeah....

"I think he woulda pounded the, the guy who did it... I mean, more, if they hadn't stopped him. Yeah.

"I woulda.

"What? Yeah, I guess.... Yeah, after, after they tossed the guy, well, I guess the committee figured it was over, then at least, and I think they woulda gotten beat up themselves if they'd tossed Carl right then, but they let him stay.

"Yeah, Carl, well, when Sydney and all the rest of the girls came back, he kissed her again.

"Not like the spotlight thing... no.... I don't even think many people saw them. Maybe just me.... Yeah, a long time.

"No, I lost track of them, then, anyway. But they were the hit of the night, no pun intended.

"Yeah, I know she's really a guy. I'm not stupid.

"Well... she was beautiful. I danced with her.

"Look, can I say something, just for the record? Okay? Thanks.

"I'm *glad* Carl drifted that asshole. The way he scared her....

"Okay. But I'm still glad."

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